Despite the raft of carbon fibre super bikes packed into the Cycle Show’s three halls at the NEC in Birmingham, it was a British-designed, aluminum winter bike – the Kinesis Racelight TK3 – that turned heads.
With thoughts turning to the long winter ahead, we’ve earmarked a Kinesis Racelight TK3 frame for our winter bike build project and the Cycle Show gave us the first opportunity to see it in the flesh.
Kinesis designer Dom Mason has developed a strong reputation for developing affordable, aluminum winter training bikes which have the feel of a modern race bike, and, as a result, the TK series has become a popular choice for racers who want a machine to thrash around through the off-season.
The TK3 is the latest update and sees the front-end of the bike overhauled, with the addition of a tapered steerer; a feature which has become de rigueur on performance-focused machines in recent years, paired with a full monocoque carbon fibre Tracer 1.5 fork.
Kinesis say the tapered headtube has transformed the TK3’s handling and braking performance, bringing it in line with what you’d expect from your modern, summer season race bike. As a result, Kinesis call the TK3 a four-season bike. The fork has clearance for full mudguards, 28mm tyres and long drop brakes, and Kinesis reckon it’s the first full carbon fork in the business to do so.
Otherwise, the Kinesium aluminum tubeset has a ‘power bulge’ on the top tube.. Power bulge? The toptube flares close to the junction with the headtube, and that is said to improve stiffness, while the oversized thin-walled downtube has an aero profile at the top and is ovalised where it meets the bottom bracket.
The frame will be available from October in two colours, the powder blue pictured as well as a steel grey metallic finish. The frameset, offered in six sizes, will cost £549.99, or the Shimano Tiagra build pictured will set you back £1,169.99.
