Kinesis Racelight T £199 (frame only) – £999 (as tested) www.kinesisbikes.co.uk

The Racelight has been around for a while. RCUK first had one on test in 2004, and it received a good rating. After a couple of weeks riding the latest edition, it’s clear the company hasn’t rested on its laurels, but has continued to tweak, modify and update the Racelight T.

The principal strengths of the T remain, with a bargain-priced aluminium frame, great ride quality and all the necessary rack and ‘guard mounts. Aluminium may not always be the first choice for building such a bike, but the frame it can make a good choice as is superbly demonstrated in this example.

Kinesis has years of experience in designing and building aluminium frames, so it’s no surprise that the test bike was well finished, with neat welds and plenty of evidence of attention to detail, such as the replaceable derailleur hanger. The UK arm of Kinesis has an input in the frames that make it to these shores, with geometry and other factors altered to suit British tastes.

Where once there was just the one Racelight frame, the name now extends to four bikes. The RC2 is a firm RCUK favourite, sitting somewhere in the middle of the range while the T occupies the first step into the stable. The ethos behind the Racelight designs is one of ‘no compromise design, high performance and stunning value’ and, after a couple of weeks with the Racelight T, I can’t argue with them.

The frame is 7005 aluminium, with the main tubes double butted. In the rear triangle the seat stays curve around the wheel, providing loads of heel and tyre clearance, and there’s that replaceable derailleur hanger. Up front the headset is an integrated type, and the downtube is on the large side. There’s all the mounts you need for mudguards and racks, and plenty of clearance should you want to spec wider tyres – 32mm happily accommodated.

The frame is available in three colours, with a new-for-2008 Mocha Metallic, but we opted for Crystal White. Impractical you might think, but white actually makes an ideal colour for a bike that is going to be used through the winter – you can easily see the dirt and grime![Run that one by me again – ed.]

Priced at a very respectable £199, the frame is a real corker when looked at in isolation. The Racelight T fork is finished in 12K carbon and priced at £129. The bike as pictured, with Shimano 105 derailleurs and brake/shift levers, Tektro brake callipers, Truvativ Elite chainset, Quasar Q2 wheels, Kenda tyres, San Marco saddle and non-branded bars, stem and seatpost can be yours for £949.

Riding the T revealed a bike with surefooted ride characteristics, composed handling and, surprisingly, a decent level of comfort. On roughened roads it lacked the same composure as the Enigma, but compared to many aluminium frames it was more refined and less harsh. The forgiveness of the frame was without any of the drama usually expected of an aluminium frame.

The all-up weight was on the portly side, but the frame alone is no heavyweight- we could easily see a far lighter bike being built up. On the other hand, if you want a real budget no-nonsense training bike, buy the frame and throw on some old part-worn bits that may be lying around the bike shed, and you’ve got yourself a bargain. It’s a versatile choice.

A particular highlight was the £129 Racelight T fork, a 12K carbon item that noticeably smoothed bumps, potholes and other road irregularities. Not so good though were the non-branded mudguards, which came up a little short on the front allowing water to be sprayed from the front wheel onto the legs of the rider.