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review

Kinesis KR210 Youth's road frame + fork

9
£449.99

VERDICT:

9
10
A seriously enjoyable frame & fork for junior or female racers
Weight: 
1,347g
Contact: 
www.upgradebikes.co.uk

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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Junior or women racers aren't always that well served by off the peg road bikes which is why we were so keen to test the Kinesis KR210 road bike - a frame designed specifically with junior and women racers in mind. Many manufacturers either don't produce bikes in small enough sizes or if they do they are simply scaled down versions of the larger models which can mean compromises in terms of fit and quite often that the bikes are heavier than they need to be which is a big handicap for a smaller rider.

Because this bike is designed with smaller riders in mind (the largest size is a 49cm, the smallest 40cm) Kinesis use smaller, lighter diameter tubing than normal for the chain and seat stays and SPF thin wall tubing for the front triangle – the geometry is also tweaked for smaller riders with a shorter top tube. On paper at least it sounds like it should be just the thing for junior riders.

Bear in mind though that this is designed to be a good race frameset, simply built with smaller lighter riders in mind – so it costs about what you would expect to pay for such a piece of kit. How much it costs to built up is very much going to depend on what kit and componentry you already have to hand, but you may well want smaller bars and shorter cranks - not necessarily the sorts of things you might have just lying about - finished with new kit, we'd expect this to come out at somewhere just over £1000. To put it to the test we gave one to aspring racer Peter Kibble, aged 12. Here's how he got on…

"Since last summer I've been testing the Kinesis KR210 Youth bike. I raced on it at The Omega Thruxton Series and Castle Combe Summer Series. From racing the bike and riding it through the country lanes around Wiltshire I got a pretty good gauge on how the bike performed.

The KR210 looked striking from the moment I saw it. I couldn’t get over how light it was. I was eager to stick a leg over it and ride it! On my first ride, I put it to the test going into corners faster than I usually do. It was quick and the acceleration was good. It had an air of confidence about it and I couldn’t wait to race on it.

My first race was at Castle Combe. The bike was good for getting on the wheels. It was also sturdy at high speed and very fast in the sprint; great fun! It also made a few people turn their heads at the frame's striking looks."

Verdict

I enjoyed riding/racing this bike and would be happy to own it!

road.cc test report

Make and model: Kinesis KR210 Youth\'s road frame + fork

Size tested: 43cm

About the bike

State the frame and fork material and method of construction. List the components used to build up the bike.

SPF Tubing

Tell us what the bike is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike?

Race bike designed for juniors and women.

Frame and fork

Overall rating for frame and fork
 
9/10

Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork?

High quality. Welded together so well it looks like carbon.

Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?

SPF tubing Frame. Kinesis carbon fork

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

Compact geometry suited to smaller riders

How was the bike in terms of height and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?

More compact, reach is better and controls are closer to body and easier to reach.

Riding the bike

Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality.

Excellent ride quality

Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too felxible?

It felt strong in the right places such as bottom bracket, headtube and downtube.

How did the bike transfer power? Did it feel efficient?

It transferred from the pedals to rear wheel well

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so, was it a problem?

No but very close

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively, neutral or unresponsive? Responsive steering

Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?

Going fast into corners it gave confidence and accelerating out of them.

Rate the bike for efficiency of power transfer:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for acceleration:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for sprinting:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for high speed stability:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for cruising speed stability:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for low speed stability:
 
10/10
Rate the bike for flat cornering:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for cornering on descents:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for climbing:
 
9/10

The drivetrain

Wheels and tyres

Controls

Your verdict

Did you enjoy riding the bike? Yes, a lot!

Would you consider buying the bike? Love to

Would you recommend the bike to a friend? Definitely

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 11  Height: 1 M 47cm  Weight: 6st 4

I usually ride: Giant Defy 2  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, cyclo cross, club rides, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Track

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