KINESIS FF29
£600 (frame only) The latest version of the heavy-hitting hardtail
First launched in 2012, the FF29 was aimed at bridging the gap between ‘hardcore’ hardtails and all-day distance-munchers. This latest version retains that ethos, and is available as a frame only, so each owner can get creative and optimise the build for their own riding style and preferred trails.
THE FRAME
Sporting an entirely custom alloy tubeset, the FF29 cuts a purposeful silhouette with its shapely head tube, deep top tube and ovalised seatstays. These are created using Kinesis’s ‘Super Plastic Forming’ technique, which, they say, allows more complex shapes to be created than hydroforming, resulting in stiffer and lighter frames.
With the suggested 140mm fork, the FF29 has a slack 65.5-degree head angle, a steep 76-degree seat tube angle and 63mm of bottom bracket drop. Sizing is based on reach rather than height; we tested the ‘L3’ size – the second-largest of four – which has a 478mm reach.
The head tube is tapered and accepts integrated bearings, the rear axle has the latest 12x148mm Boost spacing and the dropouts have 18mm of fore/aft adjustment so you can fine-tune the handling or even run a singlespeed set-up. At its shortest, the chainstay length is 435mm (shared across all sizes).
Cable routing is entirely external to ease maintenance, and the BB is press-fit. The frame is available in two colours, including this ‘black bronze’ option, which looks black in dull conditions, but has metal flakes that make it appear orangey-brown in some lights.
THE KIT
Kinesis’s UK importers Upgrade sent us this bike built entirely with parts from their own catalogue – something not many distributors can boast. The fork was an X-Fusion McQueen 34, stop-and-go kit was handled by TRP, and Reynolds supplied the 29in carbon wheels, which were wrapped in Goodyear rubber and filled with Effetto Mariposa tubeless sealant. DMR took care of the bar, grips and saddle, and Thomson the stem and dropper seatpost.
THE RIDE
We rode the FF29 on a variety of terrain in the valleys of South Wales, subjecting it to a range of conditions, including serious slop, where it was hilarious dropping it into steep, muddy chutes in the hope that there was still a bit of support in that excuse for a catch berm at the bottom. While that may not be exactly the kind of riding the FF29 was intended for, it handles it well.
Faster hardpack trails are taken on with similar capability. The frame is stiff without feeling harsh, so pumping through trail obstacles to maintain speed is a delight, as is cornering hard. It’s only on fast, chunky descents that the Kinesis starts to feel out of its depth.
It also has the climbing manners to be pedalled readily back up for another run, with the steep seat tube angle offering a commanding seated climbing position, without ever feeling too aggressive. Will P
A great frame that’s ready to be built up any way you choose, straight out of the box