First Impressions

I sincerely hope that nobody was holding their breath whilst waiting for the promised ride report on my new Kinesis Granfondo Ti.

Anyway, on the basis that good things come to those that wait, here you go.

First impressions before throwing a leg over the saddle were positive and admiring glances and comments were plentiful. The bike looks a million dollars, although depending on the exchange rate this could apply to Euros and £ Sterling too. I digress. The pale grey bar tape, the gloss black of the SKS mudguards and Ritchey WCS bars and stem all work in happy harmony whilst the spanking new Continental Gatorskins sat in resplendent shiny blackness.

AB4AS ( A Bike for All Seasons) was ready. More ready than I was as it happens. My vocational void should be ideally filled with two-wheeled exploits. Instead it has been filled so far with much more job-hunting and research than I had planned.

The maiden voyage was up to the Lakes. An early start saw me meet a friend in the car-park of Sainsbury's in Bamber Bridge before driving to Windermere to meet a second riding companion at his lodge at Limefitt Park, halfway up Kirkstone Pass. A preparatory coffee saw us on our way and wheels were turning just after 0830.

As debut miles go, the first four or five were as illuminating as you could hope for. First the remaining ascent of Kirkstone Pass followed by the corresponding descent. Sat in the saddle AB4AS felt taut and willing. I was expecting a soft rear triangle and the fabled comfort of titanium. I didn't feel that at all. In truth it felt as rigid as my Scott Addict and seemed to be turning effort into forward motion equal to my race-bike.

The second surprise came when I stood on the pedals out of the saddle, weight over the bars and front-wheel to deal with one of the steeper sections. The surprise was once more a welcome one. I hadn't expected to need an appointment when booking steering input changes but what was delivered was once again the equal to, and dare I say the better of my Scott. The feel through the forks and steerer is very direct and encourages you to push those pedals a little harder and feel the ribbon of tarmac roll beneath you.

My riding companions have different strengths. I am challenged for every inch of vertical ascent by Mike, but a nasty 'off' coming down Kirkstone a couple of years ago has meant he is extremely wary on the descents. Chris on the other hand holds gravity as friend and foe on equal measure. He hauls his frame up the hills before throwing it down the other side in a way that can only really be described as a plummet.

I descended Kirkstone's twists and turns hanging onto the rear wheel of Chris. The bikes handling was impeccable. I could rail the corners, take corrective action mid-bend to kiss the apex and slingshot out of the bend with total confidence. Feedback from the bike indicated that the limits were a great deal further away and that you would need to be a complete incompetent to find yourself in any degree if trouble.

As I completed the descent I was taking in the spectacular beauty of a Lakeland Autumn morning. As I passed Brotherswater a sideward glance through a gated wall revealed a view which required an immediate emergency stop and a quick photo opportunity. The resulting image is attached below.

Our ride continued out towards Ullswater before turning and heading off towards Keswick. More climbing, more descending, more confidence instilled by AB4AS. The three or four miles of A- road into Keswick allowed the bike to be tested in time-trialling mode and once again came with nothing other than positive reaction to all input.

A quick coffee in Keswick was followed by a lap of Derwentwater, more photos and then a splendid ride down the deserted north-western side of Thirlmere before reaching Ambleside for lunch. The final element of the ride saw us return to Windermere and back up Kirkstone to our starting point.

My observations have largely been conveyed already, but there are some additional thoughts and advice. Don't buy a Kinesis GF Ti if you want a numb mile-muncher that will cosset you for mile after ponderous mile. Do buy a GF Ti if you want a race-bike feel but with the added convenience of a bike that can take four seasons of use and abuse and keep taking it for a lifetime without respray, fatigue or cracking. It is light, comfortable, responsive, fast and fun. Get one - it's a Bike For All Seasons !!

The Build Delay

Well!!

There's nothing quite like a good redundancy to interrupt a bike build.

After 25 years working for Lloyds TSB, man and boy from leaving school, a combination of bank policy and Financial Services Authority regulation changes has resulted in my role becoming surplus to requirements.

There was admittedly an offer on the table to stay, but it was in appealing as one of those cheap winter bikes I wanted to avoid with my 'Bike for All Seasons'. As a result I chose the second option - Voluntary Severance.

Financial Services is/are are a strange environment to work in. Despite the years and the loyalty it is immediately assumed you may be about to head off to a competitor with sensitive customer data. Therefore the moment VS is chosen I was sent on Gardening Leave.

Gardening Leave. There's a strange term. Being paid not to work sounds like fun. In actual fact it is hell on earth. All the things you want to do in your spare time get pushed down the list by a new set of to-do's which are suddenly more important. CV writing, joining LinkedIn, networking and emailing until your fingers hurt.

All of this has happened in the last 10 days. My new Kinesis Granfondo Ti has watched me impatiently throughout. I found time on Friday for what I thought would be the final build. I got as far as the successful installation of the star-fangled washer in the trimmed steerer-tube and the rethreading of cable outlets and inners. Sadly the employment fairies snatched me away and I was left looking at the bike on the work stand in the kitchen whilst I 'connected' on LinkedIn.

I am ashamed to say I snapped. I took the bike outside, strapped it to my wonderful Thule rear carrier and drive it 1/4 mile to Pendle Cycles. The responsibility to make it complete was now theirs not mine. I felt ashamed and relieved in equal measure.

I returned to Pendle Cycles today to pick the bike up. It looks lovely. It just looks slightly less lovely than if I had fastened it all together myself. The pleasant bow in the SKS mudguard stays are the result of someone else's patience.

The complete bike is pictured below. I am taking it on its inaugural ride tomorrow. You will hear about it in due course.

Why

In the autumn of 1991 my parents garage was broken into. The only items taken were my Reynolds 753 tubed Peugeot Perthus Pro and an unnamed 531 framed winter bike which was reputedly a Raleigh Special Products creation. The resultant insurance claim provided funds which were redirected in the spring of 1992 into a Trek 950 mountain bike and a custom-built Joe Waugh/Dave Yates 653 Gold Medal in pink and purple with Ultegra componentry.
The Joe Waugh has subsequently seen twenty years of inconsistent use. There have been years when it has done little, there have been years when it has done lots. It took a step down the pecking order in 2000 when the arrival of Bianchi Scandium (Pantani Team Issue) relegated the JW to winter-use and second bike obligations.
The Bianchi went in 1996 to be replaced by a Scott Addict Ltd and a significant increase in mileage and fitness. The position on the Scott and the Joe Waugh could not be matched. The Scott felt perfect from day one whilst old faithful suddenly started to show its age. A full professional respray and change of bars/stem/groupset breathed new life into it but it just wasn't as nice as the Scott. Nonetheless this was still part of the family. It took me from Lands End to John O Groats, it towed a Burley trailer with one and then two children in it. It had a trailgator attached and saw me and my youngest cover hundreds of miles up hill and down dale.
My current racing and fitness, whilst nothing to get too excited about have seen me gain my British Cycling 3rd Cat licence and the decision to upgrade the Scott. This also brought the realisation that perhaps the Joe Waugh had reached the end of the line and that a new second bike could be created. The thinking being that a new race-bike would allow me to sell the Scott, or to move on the frame and transfer its Dura-Ace 7800 components and Ksyrium SL's onto a good allrounder of a frame.
What is a good allrounder? Is is alloy, perhaps steel, even carbon?
I am blessed by a plethora of good bike shops locally and two played a part in this process. I dropped in to Paul Hewitt Cycles in Leyland and spoke to Gethin Butler of End to End Record fame. I explained my criteria and was given first-class service and advice. He told me that an alloy frame could be acceptable but could also feel somewhat lifeless. A steel frame would be fantastic, but a little portly and would require the levels of maintenance and occasional respray that I have been familiar with. Carbon could be good and could be light but may fail to stand the test of time against hard miles and harder winters. His view was that titanium represented the ideal combination of feel, weight and resilience. On the basis that the Joe Waugh had served me for 20 years the initial outlay, whilst significant, would still be seen as good value.
Further research saw me looking at the offerings of Van Nicholas and Kinesis. The Kinesis Granfondo Ti looks beautiful with a perfect blend of contemporary and classic about it. The reviews look good and the Kinesis reputation cannot be overlooked.
Now at this point I offer a suggestion. Use your local bike shop. I got a price online with a nice discount from Wheelies.com but then went in to see Eric Burgess at Pendle Cycles in Padiham, Burnley. I have known Eric for over 25yrs and use him whenever possible. He offered to pricematch and so the order was placed. Just because the sticker price in the shop is higher than you have seen doesn't mean that a deal can't be done.
I picked up the new frame today. I also bought two bottle-cages, a pair of Conti Gatorskins and some SKS Chromoplastic guards. These smaller purchases may or may not have been cheaper elsewhere, but that isn't always the point.
This afternoon has seen the build and transfer commence. A first ride review and further pictures will be posted in due course.
Photos are of the new frame and the donor Scott. Expect images of the Joe Waugh and the completed build.