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You shouldnt be put off buying one, speaking with Freeborn they have sold hundreds and congratulated me on the first cracked tripster they have had.
I searched the internet and could not find anyone else with a cracked one, guess i was unlucky.
Its an amazing bike.
A friend of a friend had a downtube fail
It was efficiently dealt with under warranty
So thats 2 confirmed here plus 1 extra
I am currently hunting a "sharp ping or creaking" sound on my Tripster. It's coming from somewhere below/middle of the bike, doesn't appear to be towards the front.
Things I've done (remove, clean, re-grease/anti-seize, etc):
- bottle cages and bolts
- chainring bolts
- lightly oiled and wiped off spoke crossings
- bottom bracket
- crank arms and pedal connections
- seatpost clamp and saddle bolts
I had thought it was the seatpost or saddle somewhere as I could press down on it (off the bike) and sometimes re-produce the sound. Sound is still there after cleaning, though not from that test. It does occur during pedaling.
Going to try the front derailleur attachment next, but was waiting for a few days of rest since I've not indexed gears before.
There are a ton of other item to work through I suppose, but curious if anyone can narrow anything down for me from this list?
http://www.jimlangley.net/wrench/keepitquiet.html
Had a very similar creaking only a month ago! Took a while to find it as the titanium frame disguised the source of noise. While riding, sound came from the front as much as the crank. But mostly made sound while peddling and over a couple of weeks it got louder (or seemed to in the quieter roads I was then riding).
Eventually I realised I could reproduce the sound from applying lots of pressure to seat when I was off it. So LBS cleaned up seat post, used carbon gripper and... the crucial ingredient? Turned out to be a missing copper fine sheet my LBS had forgotten to put back in my seatpost shim (during its first service a few weeks before).
Now noise free.
Hope the same for you! Good luck - I know how infuriating it is to have it.
EDIT: Bah, can't seem to get the image off iCloud or Google Photos. Will have to wait.
My Tripster crack, so top tube not down.
It's on its way, Upgrade have been very helpful. Bikes break, and this has been a lovely bike on all fronts so just bad luck.
You lot are bad ....... ! Deposit paid yesterday & should collect my Tripster tomorrow / Friday from Synergy in Auchterarder. Doing it on the cheap (at least that's what my wife thinks
@cloudnine: I did a few CX races last year on my Tripster - it was great! I plan on doing the whole season this year. I would definitely recommend a small chain device though, especially if you're running 1x.
I’ve been riding a Van Nicholas titanium road bike for the last 6 years and love the way it looks and the way it rides, but in May I bought a 2nd hand Genesis CdA gravel bike, it weighed much more, was slower and had much cheaper components on it, but I loved the places I could take it – I was sold on adventure bikes.
So, best of both words (and mainly thanks to this forum !), I just bought this from Synergy Cycles in Auchterarder –
[URL= http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac229/gavmck123/AFB4936C-069E-4D9C-8112-F02F9C65BDF4_zpsx0upyx6v.jp g" target="_blank">
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I was going to strip my Van Nic and put the 7 year old Ulterga set on it with Spyre HY/RD brakes, but the bike was a demo bike that was a few months old, so as well as the frame and forks, which I got for £999, I also negotiated SRAM Red Hydraulic shifters (for £200 !!) & SRAM Force 1 x 11 groupset (for £100).
The wheels are American Classic Hurricanes which the shop took of a carbon Raleigh Roker so sold to me for £300, meaning that I have an absolutely belting bike for a fraction of what it would have cost me new. There’s no way I would have bought any of these things new.
For anyone interested I’m 6’3’’ and it’s a 57 frame, (the Van Nic was a 60, the Genesis is a 58) but it doesn’t feel small on me, the hoods are the same distance from the seatpost as the other 2 bikes, there’s no toe overlap, and the drop from the saddle to the bars is about the same.
I’m not a weight weenie, but all in, even with 35mm Schalbe Land Cruisers, it’s 8.7kg. And it rides like a dream – I have Spyre TRP’s on the Genesis but those hydraulic brakes are amazing …
[URL= http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac229/gavmck123/0F9DD85C-D988-4C2F-B20C-82A75BEE7A89_zpseihyd8lu.pn g" target="_blank">
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Love the look of the ATR but, & I'm sure I'll get flamed here, I do like the thinking behind the Cannonade Slate! Just a little more cush on the front appeals..
I'm looking into getting a Tripster but so far I'm not having much luck tracking down a 57cm Tripster demo bike anywhere.
Does anyone know of any dealers in the South East, preferably Surrey/Berkshire/Hampshire areas who have a 57cm demo bike?
Failing that is there anyone around the West London/Surrey area who has a 57 who'd be happy for me to swing a leg over it to see how it is for size?
57cm in Sussex nr Lewes.
Drop me a mail if you like.
Or come to the Brighton Big Dog this weekend!
I think the frames are sold out by pre-order, so they don't have demos.
Could be wrong. [url= http://www.freeborn.co.uk/kinesis-tripster-atr-2014 ]Freeborn[/url] say they have them in stock, so might be worth a call. (But the website did say that when I went down there and they had none).
If it is any help I ordered a 57cm from Freeborn yesterday after a quick call to check stock - and it has just arrived !! 🙂
Lee
I'm about to get me a Tripster frame too and it's my first Ti frame. After researching if the frame should be prepared or not I'm a bit confused – is it necessary to prepare a titanium frame as Kinesis [url= http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/files/techdocs/FRAME-INSTRUCTIONS-WEB.pdf ]suggests[/url] – ie do facing/chasing/reaming as with alu or steel frame?
I know it's usually done because frames are painted and machining might be a bit unaacurate, but with titanium it's neither. But as the parts are first machined and then welded, there's a small possibility for deformation because of welding.
I've asked a few retailers if they'll do the preparations for me and only one said that they always do full facing for the frames, others told that there's no need for that.
So what do you think? Have you had the preparations done or has anyone had problems with unprepared frames?
No prep on my Tripster. Everything's groovy.
Yeah top of page 2 on the Kinesis document. I think they're just covering their arses.
notmyrealname,might be a bit far for you but Finely Tuned Ride in Wiltshire has 57cm ATR demo bike.
Thanks for the advice and offers of demo bikes. I might try a couple of the shops to see what they've got available.
From looking it appears that some places seem to list a 55.5cm frame but others don't. Is the 55.5cm still a current model?
Out of interest, I'm 5'11" and my previous Trek Domane road bike was a 56cm and from looking at the geometry on the Kinesis website it would appear that I'm bang in the middle of the sizing range for the 57cm.
Does this sound correct to other Tripster owners of a similar size?
Dude the 55.5 is the newest size. It was released exactly because the gap between 54 and 57 made average height guys have to compromise. I ride a 57 road bike and my 55.5 fits perfectly. I'm 5'10
notmyrealname, based on personal experience, I would not rely on what size the Kinesis sizing chart recommends based just on your height alone, especially the height range for the 57cm despite you being in the middle of the range. If you read back through this thread you'll see what others have said about choosing between the 54cm and the 57cm, before the 55.5cm was introduced.
I would strongly recommend that you try to get the chance to sit on a 55.5cm (and possibly even a 54cm depending upon how much of a drop you want from saddle to bars).
If you can get to Winchester you're welcome to try my 55.5 for size
Just had a good look at the geometry compared to my previous road bike and my current CX bike. The 55.5 looks like it should be very similar from a sizing point of view to the road bike so I think it should be about spot on.
I've just spoke to Freeborn who have a 54 and a 57 on the shop floor so I'll head down there this week any have a try if both and at least I'll be able to figure out if the 57 is too big which is what I think may be the case.
Hopefully if the sizing is good then it'll soon be new frame time 😀
Edit: curto80, thanks for the offer of a try on yours!
I am 5'10/11 ish and on a 54, 57 i would imagine being far to big for me.
Merlin have the frames on sale at the mo. Not as cheap as I paid for my Tripster, but £100or so knocked off the rrp.
I am 5'10/11 ish and on a 54, 57 i would imagine being far to big for me.
Also 5ft 10 on a 54.
Stem is 110mm though, and I think a 70mm stem is what it was designed to have.
The standover on my 54 is good as it is used offroad nearly all the time, but on the road I think I would want a shorter stem to offset the slackness of the steering, especially with tyres narrower than my 40cs.
35cc or 38cc Schwalbe G-one?
which to fit?
Hopefully the photo will work.
If it does it's my almost built up Tripster!
Looks rather good in the metal, really impressed with it. Had a bit of a problem with the headset but a quick call to Freeborn and they explained it to me.
Just need to cut the steerer down now and that's about it.
One quick question though, I'm using a 30.9mm Syntace carbon seatpost with a USE plastic shim. Should I still use carbon assembly paste on the post?
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I'm selling my 51cm Tripster ATR if anyone is on the lookout for a small one 🙂
See classifieds.
Sadly under used as I'm a runner and not that good off road on a bike, so will be changing for a road bike.
Cheers
[i] will be changing for a road bike.
[/i]
Better than any road bike I've owned 😛
Nice build notmyrealname. Lovely looking frames arent they. Can't believe mine's a year old! Only reason I noticed was the bb needed replacing. Anyway, not a fan of skinwalls meself, but looks great apart from that 😀
35cc or 38cc Schwalbe G-one?
which to fit?
May as well fit the biggest IMO.. I've got the 38c I run as a rear tyre when I want something faster rolling and keep a nano race on the front..
Agree with dezb.. Tripster is a very capable road bike.. Maybe not as quick as something aero / carbon but what you lose in speed you gain in comfort...
I set my Tripster up for the forthcoming wet weather with Ultegra Di2, 30mm S-Ones and mudguards. Then the heatwave hit 😆
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I've used the XTR Di2 battery holder which is fairly neat and avoided the need to drill out any parts of the frame (the lower junction is incorporated into the battery holder). Clearance for mudguards is much better than before because the FD no longer interferes.
I still need to re-run and tidy up a bit of the cabling and tweak the length of the rear mudguard stays.
Any ideas on how to shorten the front hydraulic break hose? This might be a job for a good LBS.
Tripster is a very capable road bike..
Certainly is. Took the old girl with me to Shropshire and The Peak for the last 2 weeks camping. Was very glad of the discs when descending all the 20% hills. Maybe I lost a bit on some of the climbs as (with my builds) it gives up 2Kg to my race bike, but I got 3rd overall on Strava on 2 of the 100 Climbs (The Burway* and Asterton Bank).
*Sadly got bumped to 4th just after I moved camp to the Peak. Bah! 🙁
Any ideas on how to shorten the front hydraulic break hose?
Grab a new olive and barb (SMBH59). Put the fork over a bucket (or something to catch any oil drips). Remove the hose from the caliper. Cut the hose. Slide on the bolt, then the new olive. Put the new barb in the end of the hose (hold the hose using the little yellow cable clamps stuck in a vice). Then put the hose into the caliper and tighten down with the bolt. Bleed.
So does anyone think these will squeeze into the Tripster? I am running Nano 40c now...
http://theradavist.com/2016/09/wtb-introduces-the-45mm-riddler-tire/
It will fit easily in the fork. It should fit in the back - based on my previous measurements, and given the fact that the profile is quite rounded.
Thanks matts!
One quick question though, I'm using a 30.9mm Syntace carbon seatpost with a USE plastic shim. Should I still use carbon assembly paste on the post?
Didn't notice this Q before. Personally, I would use paste on the shim. It definitely helps keep the post positioned with minimal clamping force.
Didn't notice this Q before. Personally, I would use paste on the shim. It definitely helps keep the post positioned with minimal clamping force.
I ended up going with carbon paste on both shim and post but even after replacing the Kinesis clamp with a Hope one there was movement in the post so I did away with it.
I looked in the spares box and noticed that I had a 31.6-27.2 shim which I tried with my ugly Specialized CG-R post and it worked a treat 😀
Now I'm in the market for some mudguards for the Tripster. Has anyone fitted a set of the Swarf carbon guards with any success?
I quite fancy a set of the 40mm ones.
Yeah. I'm using a 27.2 post with a 31.8 shim and a Thomson clamp. I tried a 31.6 shim as well, but the .8 gave a more secure fit.
EDIT: I use 42mm Blumel guards on mine with a long front flap. Don't think I could justify an extra £100 for something that takes a beating through the winter commute. YMMV. 🙂
Hi
I've been watching this thread for a while and considering (strongly) building an ATR bike, can you help me specify what might do the job? There seems to be a great community so wondering if you can help me out.
Budget: £3k or less (had a bit of a work surprise but happy with second hand parts if no reason to buy new etc)
Use:
20 mile RT commute on bad roads
Summer tow path with baby seat on rear pannier
Winter riding on tracks round local (big) park tracks
Winter training rides round box hill etc
Thinking of 40mm tyre, front and rear guards and rear rack.
So what parts would you suggest - groupset, gearing, hydraulic brakes, headset, wheels & tyres to fit the budget?
(Also i like loud colours so anything to bring a bit of fun wouldn't go amiss.)
Rider: 95kg
Thanks!
If you like bright colours, then Hope or Chris King would be a good place to start.
IMHO, you should go for a few matching adornments. I think it looks awful when there are a load of, for instance, pink bits on a bike, but they're all a subtly different tone.
If you went for Hope, you get get matching hub and rotors, along with seat clamp, BB, and jockey wheels.
With regard to tyres, some of your intended uses place very different stresses on the tyres.
Rubber that will stand up to riding on loose surfaces with a child seat on the back is going to be pretty wooden for daily riding.
Something that could do it all may be the Marathon Almotion tubeless. They're supposed to have a very low rolling resistance, and they have a reasonable tread pattern for some light off-road use. But you may find that a soft rubber block tread like that wears in the centre quite quickly on mainly tarmac and under a heavier rider.
I would probably run something like Marathon Supreme 35 for general road use and then have some Marathon Originals or Dureme for tracks / loaded use.
Worth checking if the Ultegra groupsets are still on sale at Merlin for c.£650. Then you could splash out on two sets of Hunt wheels - one with cheaper tyres for abuse, and one with S-Ones for winter training.
I've only reached page 57 of this forum - it makes lovely reading with understanding and support all round - a real sense of community - and I'm ready to make my first forum post with the arrival yesterday of my size 51 frame. I'm about 168cm tall with an unfeasibly long back. I'm having a delightful fret over components so I hope it's OK to present my proposed build. I'd be happy to hear any views.
I'm looking to run a double with low gears for off road use - maybe the odd cross race and some longer day rides or offish road tours.
I'm thinking of going 10 speed Shimano shifter wise so I can slot in 9 speed MTB mech if I need to.
30x 46 up front from the likes of Sugino OX901D or TA Carmina as the only solutions I can find other than converting a triple.
11-34 out back with a road mech or possibly an 11-36 or Praxis 11-40 with 9 speed XT and possibly a Praxis 32x48 chainset.
Has anyone had chainline difficulties because of the 135 rear end (somewhere I've seen mention of spacing out bottom brackets with sturmy spacers) or issues with the crank too close to the chainstay? (I'm a bit duck footed and have large feet for my height)
Front mech wise I'm hoping a CX mech will be the right shape and clear the frame.
Wheels wise I'll maybe build some Stans Grails on Hope hubs eventually and buy a set of the Kinesis wheels to get me rolling in the meantime although I'm not keen on alloy nipples.
I'd like nice fat tyres with a grippy compound and chunky enough tread for all off road eventualities and comfort to run tubeless as I'm used to MTB tyres and encounter slippy clay / chalk combinations here in the south east but could try the WTB Nanos as they seem highly rated.
Thanks everyone!
beingktb - you can get a 46.36 crank in Ultegra, that would give you a low range double?
Kinesys wheels seem very good value for the money, low weight and come with hub adaptors for "all the standards".
Anyone heard anymore on the V2 version of the frame Kinesis put in their catalogue at the start of the summer? Waiting for Bike Show at the end of the month I guess to announce?
I'm thinking of going 10 speed Shimano shifter wise so I can slot in 9 speed MTB mech if I need to.30x 46 up front from the likes of Sugino OX901D or TA Carmina as the only solutions I can find other than converting a triple.
It's a shame Middleburn just went under. They did a small BCD crank that was just what you're looking for.
If you can wait a bit, then Rotor just announced a 30/46 one-piece ring that bolts directly to their crank.
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I'm de-CX-ing my Tripster: making it a purer training/commuting/touring machine.
I was finding the 1x11 (42 up front, 11-32 out back) a bit limited on the road - spinning out on long fast descents particularly - and thought it would be nice to have a lower gear or two when heavily laden... soooo:
The CX1 groupset is coming off and an Ultegra Hydro 2x11 is going on. Went for 36-52 up front and will continue with 11-32 out back.
It's a good excuse to get another (CX) bike 🙂
I currently run Nano 40c on Pacenti rims. I was wondering if the 2.1" would possibly fit, could anyone provide guidance? http://www.wtb.com/products/nano
The CX1 groupset is coming off and an Ultegra Hydro 2x11 is going on. Went for 36-52 up front and will continue with 11-32 out back.
I run 11sp 50/36 + 11-32 on mine as a commuting/training setup. I think this provides a decent spread of gears.
I was wondering if the 2.1" would possibly fit, could anyone provide guidance?
I would say that In the fork, yes. In the chainstays, no. Even though the 2.1s supposedly are only about 2.0.
you can get a 46.36 crank in Ultegra
you can change the inner ring to a 34 quite cheaply - the outer ring is a lot more.
You should also look at those Lindarets adapters rather than a mtb mech :
http://shop.18bikes.co.uk/m9b0s599p2460/LINDARETS-Roadlink-2015
I run an XTR mech for a 36 cassette but I think you could get away with a road mech with a smaller cage with a lindarets.
Definitely no 2.1 inches in the rear! 😆
Tried a Schwable and it got nowhere near fitting.
This is the best forum thread ever! Thanks everyone for tips and suggestions. It's a big help.
Whitecitadel - I've got a standard 36/46 set up on my cross bike at the moment and I'm definitely keen to widen things up front a bit on the Tripster.
Yes, the Kinesis wheels are good value but I'm not keen on alloy nipples... although I could just try upping my maintenance regime a bit 🙂
Matts - yes, it was the Middleburn one that would have done the trick but that rotor ringset looks superb.
Turnerguy - I've been looking at Lindarets and Wolf and Goat and whatnot (as an aside from cursing Shimano's lack of road / MTB compatibility) and I can see me using them for events when I need extra low gears but I'm trying to start with getting as wide a range as possible first.
These are due in the country in a couple of weeks (assuming everything isn't stuck in a bankrupt container ship out at sea)so if the narrow chainline isn't a problem with 135 rear spacing I may take them as my starting point. I'd get a 32-48 and I like the look of them 🙂
A Shimano GS rear mech will take a 36 sprocket.
I'm de-CX-ing my Tripster: making it a purer training/commuting/touring machine.I was finding the 1x11 (42 up front, 11-32 out back) a bit limited on the road - spinning out on long fast descents particularly - and thought it would be nice to have a lower gear or two when heavily laden... soooo:
The CX1 groupset is coming off and an Ultegra Hydro 2x11 is going on. Went for 36-52 up front and will continue with 11-32 out back.
I've been thinking of doing similar to use it as more of a training bike through the winter.
I'm toying with the idea of fitting it with Ultegra Di2 that way, from what I understand, it would be pretty much a case of plugging in the front mech and attaching it so it's ready to go then unplug and remove the mech when I want to go back to 1x11.
It's a kind of expensive way of doing it though compared to a new gear cable each time 😆
Thanks Matts, that's an interesting video. More potential that you'd think!
Whitecitadel - I've got a standard 36/46 set up on my cross bike at the moment and I'm definitely keen to widen things up front a bit on the Tripster.Yes, the Kinesis wheels are good value but I'm not keen on alloy nipples... although I could just try upping my maintenance regime a bit
Matts - yes, it was the Middleburn one that would have done the trick but that rotor ringset looks superb.
I am planning 46/36 with the small ring swapped to make 46/34 as turnerguy also commented. I went wide when I built my MTB with 38/24 and 11-36 but later put an 11-32 on and now to be honest should have gone 11-28, depends how big a hill you plan to hit I suppose!
Run alloy nipples on my MTB, just had to re-tension and slightly true the rear wheel after a flat last week and had no problems. I did build wheel myself with dt Swiss rims, spokes and nipples, you can destroy the nipples if you over-tension (don't ask how I know) I can't see why not to use them if correctly assembled.
That rotor ring though does look the business... (Goes to investigate...)
of a training bike through the winter.
I'm toying with the idea of fitting it with Ultegra Di2 that way, from what I understand, it would be pretty much a case of plugging in the front mech and attaching it so it's ready to go then unplug and remove the mech when I want to go back to 1x11.
Di2 is increasingly interesting prospect as you can mix road and MTB components and still use drop bars hydraulic shifters with XTR for example, even a triple.
Price aside it bugs me though on a Tripster that you need battery power to shift, and if you were on a serious distance always be worried to have a problem that then needed a laptop to resolve....
Price aside it bugs me though on a Tripster that you need battery power to shift, and if you were on a serious distance always be worried to have a problem that then needed a laptop to resolve....
I can see your point totally but at the same time Mike Hall won the Tour Divide running XTR Di2 and Josh Ibbot was running it on his Mason for the Trans Continental and from things I've read they both seemed to find it very reliable.
To the poster above who commented on the alloy nipples on the kinesis wheels - I agree. I just spent an hour replacing two spokes and all the nipples (with black brass) on my front cross light after two nipples sheared in quick succession. That's two years of riding though in crappy conditions so they were all very corroded... I'll have to do the rear too.
NB as a note to others they are 14mm nipples and the only place I could find black brass 14mm nipples ONLINE without going to US was a seller on eBay in Poland.
dc2.0 Thanks for that feedback - that's what I was worried about. I'm pleased to see they do now make a 3 cross version with brass nipples.
Maybe spoke supplies are stuck in transit, too!
Yeah my crosslights lasted one winter of commuting before the alloy nipples started shearing in half.
Price aside it bugs me though on a Tripster that you need battery power to shift, and if you were on a serious distance always be worried to have a problem that then needed a laptop to resolve....
I can see your point totally but at the same time Mike Hall won the Tour Divide running XTR Di2 and Josh Ibbot was running it on his Mason for the Trans Continental and from things I've read they both seemed to find it very reliable
Agreed, in fact I just watched Mike Hall in the Race Across America on "BIKE" TV channel recently (2014) and he was also running Di then as less wear on fingers for monster distances every day for weeks.
As I said its interesting option as I have seen people running triples as well which is possible with Di2 and mixing road/MTB - I have nothing against it other than the "purity" of the idea of mechanical (oh, and the cost!)
NB as a note to others they are 14mm nipples and the only place I could find black brass 14mm nipples ONLINE without going to US was a seller on eBay in Poland.
"bikestacjia" or something? they are good used them before, but did bike.de or bike-discount.de, rosebikes.co.uk or someone not have them? The german shops seem to really carry the full range of sizes and catalogue I find compared to the UK stores.
Trying to find a 142x12 DT Swiss rear hub with centerlock and 11spd shimano freebody, either 350 or 240s if the price was right, proving near impossible! (realise tripster is QR, building for tripster v2... when it comes... or Mason Bokeh if it doesn't)
At 181cm (5'11.5") would I be better going for. 55.5cm or a 57cm?
55.5 I'd say.
I'm 5'11" and the 55.5 is perfect. I think the 57 would be a bit too long.
I'm 5"11 "and a bit" (about 182cm I think) and contrary to the above I'm very happy on the 57cm. Now I've got fairly long legs for the height (34") and my use case is pretty much "all weather riding on crappy tarmac" so not much off-road but with a 90cm stem it's perfect for me and with a 70cm stem I'd be pretty happy off-road too. One advantage of the larger frame is the taller headtube. Also, I'd have 90's style MTB seat post showing if I was on the 55.5cm...
At 181cm (5'11.5") would I be better going for. 55.5cm or a 57cm?
You'd be better off sticking with the on one......Someone on here has had both and rated the on one much better.
THe kinesis geometry is all over the place "designed for use with shorter stem lengths" which sounds like you'd probably want to size up a bit? But then you look at the stack heights and they're about 50mm+ than a road bike, so you'd struggle to get the bars low enough.
Have you looked at Enigma? Think they're a similar price.
Just to pick up on a few posts.
Re size, I'm 180cm and ride the 57 which I felt fitted me much better. I've just cycled through France this summer with rack and panniers on 32mm Continental 4 Seasons fitted to Hut 4 seasons - an excellent wheel. We did a mix of road and gravel and they were brilliant.
On another note, I am also running tubeless 650b Mavic Crossmax XL wheels with Maxis Pace tyres at 1.95 or Panaracer Gravel Kings at 1.75. The hub was 10 speed but I fitted an Edco Monblock on which converts it into 11 speed.
The 650b wheels and tyres are a hoot and just add another dimension to what is a very versatile bike. I commute, tour, do dirt rides and sportives and the bike soaks it up. I now ride it so much that I'm having a clear out of my other bikes.
I am 5ft 10 on a 54 - the 55.5 wasn't around initially I think.
Fit is OK with a 110 stem but I don't think the tripster is suppossed to run a stem that long.
Hence the steering was a bit slack and it wasn't until I put 40c tyres on that I felt OK with it, now I revel in its stableness offroad.
So as long as the standover is OK go for a bigger size than you think as you are going to want to run the shorter stem probably.
I was in the enviable position of owning both...
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There's remarkably little difference between the 55.5 Tripster and the 56 Pickenflick.
The Tripster is about 15mm higher at the front, but I was running 20mm of spacers under the stem on the Pickenflick. ETT at my saddle position is within 5mm, the build quality on the Tripster is better, but some of the details on the Pickenflick are nicer.
The Pickenflick is stiffer on the move, but less comfortable. The Tripster is prettier, but less understated...the Tripster is lighter...but the Pickenflick has a stiffer fork with more clearance...
Swings and roundabouts...
I'm 180cm, but with fairly wonky body-geometry.
I was very happy with my 55.5cm Tripster until yesterday, when I built up my 54cm Planet-X XLS... which just feels a bit more right for me (shorter top tube, near identical reach)... it probably warrants a few long spins to really draw a fair comparison. But out of interest ...
LONG SHOT: [b]Would anyone be interested in swapping a 54 Tripster frame for my 55.5???[/b]
Try Turnerguy above.
Hah, just seen this - I have been tried.
I think I can accomodate this but I have a question for everyone.
I see that the seat tube angle slackens a bit as you go from the 54 to the 55.5. and upwards.
[img] 
[/img]
http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/Catalogue/Models/Adventure/Tripster-ATR
The means that the reach of the 55.5 is less than that of the 54.
[img] 
[/img]
Although the effective TT has lengthed when going to the 55.5, I would have a smaller cockpit as I need to be in the same place in relation to the BB when set up correctly, ie.e shove the saddle forward a bit.
So I would now actually need a longer stem to keep the same cockpit size, which isn't what I want, and Paul would actually be getting a longer reach on a 54, which isn't what he wants either I think.
Am I right, or am I right ?
whitecitadel: di2 on a tripster is also great because you can add shifters too the ends of your aerobars. Great for long-distance bike packing.
I'd fit MTB gears if starting from scratch. 30/32 is too high for repeated 20% hills and a fully loaded bike unless you are *very* fit.
I'm just thinking of setting my tripster up 1x11 for CX racing... I have a spare set of XT cranks which were originally 2x.
Do MTB cranks work ok?
Those figures are weird (at first glance) - a slacker seat angle, surely moves the saddle [i]back[/i]?
The head angle is the same, the top tube is longer (9mm), but the reach is now nearly 5mm shorter?
Don't get it - although the "reach" according to that pic doesn't really mean the reach - its some arbitrary measurement from the bb to the headtube. Pretty meaningless if you ask me!
Which is why I don't think Reach (especially on its own) works.
Looking at the above: A 42cm difference in rider height can be accommodated by 23mm increase in frame size.
Reach (the proper measurement) is massively effected by the number of spacers under your stem.
(i edited Daffy, so agree with what you've said) 🙂 - (but i think you mean 42mm)
[img] https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/content_link/VzFkhFCn1jFDniG3opo6logE3pzMBNDNgjOiVlGncMvKamKpDmzhoSLqN6UuAaSx/file [/img]
(thanks to http://www.bikegeo.net)
This is the 55.5 vs the 54.
Seattube-length/toptube-angle is not modelled, effective top tube is.
As you can see the 55.5 is "longer": the seattube is relatively further backward.
If you keep the stem the same real height, the reach is identical.
But will I not now be sitting further behind the BB, as it were, or if I sit over the BB in the same position, the reach will be shorter.
I am thinking of the classic kneecap over the pedal axle position, which will be the same on both frame sizes, so accounting for the lesser reach number.
Yup: if you achieve the same seated position over the BB the size difference disappears.