Kinesis Decade Tripster

Kinesis Decade Tripster

Kinesis UK currently have several Tripster models but the original seems to have disappeared off the internet. I still ride mine so I’m documenting it here.

10th anniversary sticker

2009 was Kinesis UK’s 10th year so they put out a set of anniversary models, the Tripster (disc brake road), Virsa (hardtail MTB) and Convert2 (fixed gear). The first runs had a commemorative sticker.

If this frame were released today it would be an unremarkable gravel bike. In 2009 it was a road bike with lots of clearance, disc brakes and compatibility with multiple wheel sizes (26” instead of 650B, but 650B probably fits too). It takes full fenders and mounts a rack so apart from the QR axles and IS mounts it’s still on trend.

About the only weird point is the cable stops. The frame only takes disc brakes but there were no hydraulic options at the time. The cable stops are for wires, not hydraulic hose.

Series

(I’m writing this from memory, it might not be accurate)

This frame was the start of the Tripster series. It had a small revision in 2011 or so with reshaped chainstays and the newer DC37 fork. Next came the titanium Tripster ATR in 2015. After a few revisions the updated Tripster AT came out, once again in aluminium. Dom Mason moved on to Mason Bikes at some point during the line, probably before the AT.

For some reason it’s gone from the Kinesis UK site, even the archived frames section.

Swopouts

The other Decade bikes, the Convert2 and Virsa, had replaceable dropouts with either horizontal slots and travel adjusters or vertical slots and a derailleur hanger. My Tripster came with a set but there’s no way to fit them. Not sure what happened there. Incidentally, this frame takes a North Shore Billet DH0008 RD hanger. I think I’m on my 3rd now.

Kickstand mount

Kickstand mount

A fairly unusual feature on a road bike, there’s a proper kickstand mount on the left dropout. Hebie have stands that fit; this is now my shopping bike so it’s very useful to have. No ugly clamps on the stays here! Apparently the fitment is KSA-40.

Forks

The stock fork is a Kinesis DC19 (DC37 later on). It’s heavy and kind of floppy. When braking hard into corners it would fold back a little, then as the brakes are let off to enter a turn it would snap forward. It was incredibly unsettling and made it impossible to trail the brakes into a corner, especially while carrying luggage. I replaced it with some unknown carbon 26” MTB fork from ebay - apparently Ritchey sold much the same fork at some point.

Random carbon fork

The 2nd fork raised the front end too high and messed up the geometry a bit, but otherwise worked out. Unfortunately I snapped it on a drainage ditch on a mountain pass somewhere. I rode the 60km home with my fork supported by a chunk of wood and some silicone tape. Not recommended.

Ritchey fork

By that time it was getting harder to find 1 1/8” straight steerer forks but the Ritchey WCS Carbon Disc Cross Fork was available so I bought one. It matches the frame better than the original! The only problem is the headset bearing - IS41 usually uses a 36 degree crown race, but the fork has a built-in 45 degree race. This requires an IS41 45/45 bearing - Ritchey have one, I’m using the Tange 4T5-5 SUJ-2.

References