Kinesis RTD Frameset (2021)

The Kinesis RTD Race the Distance is the ultimate transcontinental endurance road bike frameset.
Designed to be ridden fast across cities, counties or continents, the RTD lives up to its name – Race The Distance, be that to work, on the Sunday club run, or even The Transcontinental Race. Perfect Audax bike or for bike packing
The RTD geometry has been carefully refined to allow responsive, yet stable handling in all guises even when fully loaded for your next adventure.
The Kinesis RTD is the ultimate Scandium, all conditions, four seasons endurance race bike frameset. Making it ideal for British summer and winter weather.

We have put everything we have learned during the last 17 years of alloy frame design and manufacture into this completely new and very advanced Scandium alloy road bike frame. Whilst other manufacturers focus has been on carbon, we believe that by putting the same development into alloy tubing, we have created a frame that rivals carbon in many ways, and hands down beats it on price.

Damian Mason of Kinesis UK said ‘Kinesis are the only frame manufacturer to use Super Plastic Forming (SPF) on their alloy frames. Most manufacturers use Hydroformed tubes, but with SPF we can create lighter tubes and more intricate shapes that will build into a lighter and stiffer frameset.’

The RTD went through multiple prototypes to fine tune the geometry to make a frame that was stable when loaded, yet handled well and felt fast on an Alpine pass. As with the geometry, the tubing shape has been carefully selected to maximise the riding characteristics of the RTD. An oversized down tube, flared top tube and tapered head tube combine to make a laterally stiff front end. Whilst the flattened seat stays and narrow gauge seat tube add a level of compliance in the rear end.

We have integrated the gear cables and rear brake hose into the headtube. The absence of cable port holes on the down tube allow us to use a lighter weight down tube and has the added benefit of cleaner lines to the frame.

We have combined our flagship Scandium alloy frame with a full carbon monocoque from leading fork manufacturer Columbus. The RTD is fitted with the all new Columbus Futura fork. The Futura has everything we wanted in a fork for the RTD – masses of tyre clearance, longer fork offset, internal routing, mudguard compatibility, all wrapped up in a lightweight package.

As with our premium titanium GTD frameset, we have partnered with GW engineering and we are supplying the RTD with their patented ‘Switch Lever’ hollow Thru Axles with a removable lever.

The RTD uses adaptable cable ports which allow you to build your frame with exactly the right cable routing for whether you are running Di2 or mechanical gearing with either a 1x or 2x set up.

The Kinesis RTD frame has the full complement of bottle mounts and mudguard mounts, enabling you to build your bike up for your next epic adventure.

Specification

Super Plastic Formed Scandium alloy

Columbus Futura carbon monocoque fork
142x12mm Thru Axle rear spacing
100x12mm Thru Axle front fork
GW ‘Switch Lever’ axles front and rear
Clearance for up to 34c tyres
Clearance for up to 30c tyres with guards
Di2 / 1x / 2x mechanical compatible
Three bottle cage mounts
Mudguard mounts
68mm threaded BB
27.2mm seat post required
31.8mm front mech clamp and seat clamp required
Kinesis designed tapered headset with ACB bearings
Colours: Space Black (metallic black and silver), Orca (black and white)
Sizes: 48 / 51 / 54 / 55.5 / 57 / 60 / 63
Warranty: 5 years (for all frames purchased after Jan 1st 2019)
Frame supplied with fork, headset, seat clamp, front & rear through axle, frame ports and cable guides.
Weight: 1400g (51cm frame)