New Kinesis GTD titanium “ultra-endurance” bike launched

Kinesis has been busy this week, first launching the Tripster G2 and today announcing the new GTD (Go The Distance), a titanium “ultra-endurance” road frame. It replaces the GF_Ti Disc with an all-new frame designed to offer a smoother ride with bigger tyre clearance.

The new GTD has been several years in development and the launch coincides with the Transcontinental race starting this weekend, an event which the British company has supported for the past three years. The new GTD frame will be ridden in the event with two brand ambassadors competing, Berk Okyay Cap No. 55 and Nick Finch Cap No.174.

Compared to the GF_Ti, the GTD uses an all-new custom drawn 3AL/2.5B titanium tubeset, intended to be both tough and lightweight, though no frame weight is given. It has also sought to increase compliance by curving the seat stays while straightening the chainstays to increase lateral stiffness.

The frame is disc-only with 12mm thru-axles front and rear and flat mount brakes, with the company’s own Tracer Disc carbon fork up front. The GTD will come with Switch Lever thru-axles that feature a removable lever for cleaner aesthetics.

Tyre clearance has been increased to 34mm providing a few more tyre options, and with mudguards fitted it’ll take a 30mm tyre – although from our experience so will the GF_Ti. Cable ports are adaptable for electronic and mechanical groupset of 1x or 2x persuasion. Naturally, there are all the bottle cage, rack and mudguard mounts you could ask for, there’s even a chain pip as well.

The replaceable rear derailleur hanger has been integrated into the CNC-machined dropout and thru-axle which it says increases the rear hanger stiffness for precise shifting.

A 68mm threaded BSA bottom bracket is a good sign on a bike like this, for easy home servicing and avoiding creaking woes. Durability is a key appeal of buying titanium and Kinesis backs this up with a five-year warranty.

The new GTD is available now in seven sizes, 48 to 63cm, and the geometry is taken from the GF_Ti Disc. The frameset costs £2,200.

If you’ve got your eye on the Transcontinental race or a similarly long-distance challenge, a series of Audaxes or some bikepacking, this is definitely worth checking out.

More info at www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/Catalogue/Models/Racelight/GTD