Anyone built/got a Kinesis Maxlight?

[Crackle]

Looking for some feedback. I may have reached the point where I need to get myself a new bike and finally retire my Marin rigid. I fancy building one, probably using a donor bike for most parts and buying frame/forks and brakes.

Looking at the options, Orange cost too much, Cotic looks over the top for what I want, I don't like the On One frames and again they seem ott so the Maxlight seem to fit and I like the look of them. A simple XC hardtail capable of doing reds is all I need and not something that will take 160 forks for big hits, I doubt that I need that.

I can't seem to find much in the way of reviews for the newer frames i.e. the XC3 and only a few for older frames, so views/feedback/pics most welcome.

 

[Crackle]

I'll settle for any views then, particularly on it's suitability to trail riding rather than XC. Outfitted with the proper forks, that is.

 

[mickeydrippin60]

i had the kinesis maxlight xc120 and i used to do black runs at llandegla coed ye brennin gizburn dalby anyway you get the picture it is more than capable and flys up and down the hills. i only sold mine cos we started doing bigger stuff and my knees needed a rest hope this helps

 

[Crackle]

i had the kinesis maxlight xc120 and i used to do black runs at llandegla coed ye brennin gizburn dalby anyway you get the picture it is more than capable and flys up and down the hills. i only sold mine cos we started doing bigger stuff and my knees needed a rest hope this helps

Yes it does, thanks. What forks did you have on it at the time?

 

[mickeydrippin60]

i had some revelations with a u turn 100-130mm

 

[Crackle]

i had some revelations with a u turn 100-130mm

Nice: I think they'll be out of my budget though.

 

[mickeydrippin60]

yea i picked them up cheep you could look at a set of pikes second hand. or a set of tora forks they are a good quality budget fork

 

[Crackle]

yea i picked them up cheep you could look at a set of pikes second hand. or a set of tora forks they are a good quality budget fork

I might go the 2nd hand route. Forks are something I'm only just learning about so the above is noted. I'd heard the Tora were a good budget fork.

 

[mickeydrippin60]

well if you want any forkin advice you know where we are

 

[jethro10]

I built my wife a Kinesis Maxlite female frame Maxlite KM something or other one last Christmas as her present
Built with lightweight wheels and 100mm air forks. Shimano XT/XTR bits.
She loves it, it's as solid as the day it was built.
We mostly do XC stuff through out the lakes so we get some decent rocky downhills. We live near Whinlatter in the Lake District and it's done the Red route there one or twice without any hitch and the blue run a zillion times.
not sure what your after, but hers seems fine.
Jeff

 

[Crackle]

I built my wife a Kinesis Maxlite female frame Maxlite KM something or other one last Christmas as her present
Built with lightweight wheels and 100mm air forks. Shimano XT/XTR bits.
She loves it, it's as solid as the day it was built.
We mostly do XC stuff through out the lakes so we get some decent rocky downhills. We live near Whinlatter in the Lake District and it's done the Red route there one or twice without any hitch and the blue run a zillion times.
not sure what your after, but hers seems fine.
Jeff

Heh. I'm not sure what I'm after either. I guess I know they make good xc bikes, I'm trying to decide if they also make a good xc/trail bike with the right forks and wheels/tyres. I don't want a pure xc bike. I've done a lot of reading since I posted this thread though so I'm feeling more confident I know what I want and that Kinesis make a frame that will do it and the Xc130 is looking good.

We were in Whinlatter a few weeks ago and Grizedale. That's when I decided my Marin rigid was getting long in the tooth for trail riding, especially when I'm trying to keep up with the kids, I could do with a better bike which forgives me a bit more.

 

[jonnysnorocket]

just come across this thread, built myself a nice maxlight xc2 up last year, put a rigid fork on as the intended use was for canal path, old train lines, that sort of stuff, but am looking at changing the forks to do some of the rougher stuff on it, rate the frame, really light and solid.....my only fear is that when i do get it fixed up.....the whyte won't get out the shed !!...let me know what you decide on Crackle

 

[theclaud]

I've got an XC2. Frame was ridiculously cheap. The subsequent models have a longer top tube, I think, but this one suits me very well. I've got a (100mm) Reba dual air fork on it, and flat bars. It climbs like a mountain goat. I don't ride trails very often, but it has coped happily with most of the stuff at Afan Argoed and Glyncorrwg. The only negative is that the paint chips off very easily, but I think I read somewhere that they sorted that with subsequent models.

 

[Crackle]

I've got an XC2. Frame was ridiculously cheap. The subsequent models have a longer top tube, I think, but this one suits me very well. I've got a (100mm) Reba dual air fork on it, and flat bars. It climbs like a mountain goat. I don't ride trails very often, but it has coped happily with most of the stuff at Afan Argoed and Glyncorrwg. The only negative is that the paint chips off very easily, but I think I read somewhere that they sorted that with subsequent models.

Ah, interesting. The paint chipping I didn't know about, so I'll check on that. The XC3 is the one I'm looking at or maybe the XC130. Both of those have shorter top tubes than other Maxlights in the range , which are more pure XC but I don't know how they compare with the XC2. I don't want too short a cockpit, I don't like that but I don't want to be as stretched as on my current bike because I can't get any leverage on the bars to get the front end up, negated to some extent now by fitting a riser stem. I think the geometry will be fine, I've been and mooched around other full bikes with a similar geometry because you never know when you just buy a frame.

I'm reasonably sure I'll get the XC3, maybe the XC130 because they do that in black (how sad to choose it on colour, I know). Air forks will be on the list, probably handbuilt wheels and the rest will be provided by fortune. I'm only waiting to get the dosh together really. It's not going to be a quick project anyway.

 

[Proto]

Well, FWIW it's worth, I've got a Maxlight XC and I think it fabbo. Having said that I know next to nothing about mountain bikes! Built mine about 4 years ago and it has had little use although I used it last weekend for the Gorrick Series race at Crowthorne. It aquitted itself well, but the rider was rubbish.

I particularly like it because of it's shorter top tube, not being very experienced I find it more controlable and comfortable. Works for me anyway. No issues that I've noticed of paint falling off.

Photo attached. I need to dump the bar ends, more a liability than a help, or at least shorten them dramatically.