I’ve noticed a coupe, of people on here mention that they’re riding a Ti Sync but I was just wanting to know how they’re finding them and what spec they’re running them with?

I’m currently riding an El Mariachi singlespeed and fancy a change for something a bit nicer and I quite like the idea of a Ti frame rather than carbon. Obviously the Ti El Mariachi is an option but I’m really not a fan of he new 2014 colours on it.
I’d be running it with either a rigid Niner carbon fork or a set of 100mm Reba’s. It would be mainly being used singlespeed but might be getting used geared at some point, mainly for XC riding and some XC races.

Does the Sync fit the bill for this kind of riding?

I would say yes, it’s both trail and XC, Might be worth dropping Dom at Kinesis a tweet regarding rigid fork and singlespeed. Mine is set up with a Fox 32 120 CTD, it’s designed for 100-130. I’m also running 2 x 10 XT with praxis works adapter and rear a direct mount XTR Shadow, gear change is super snappy. The bike is super stiff at the rear and really shifts when you put your foot down, I’m 6ft 4 and have the 29 large, it’s really compact with great standover height. I plan to be riding races and all day epics on the Sync this season. The detail on the frame is pretty special too from the chunky brake mounts, cloverleaf top tube and head tube.

Can you tell I love this bike?

Check out other owners here: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/whos-stuck-with-or-returned-to-ti

I still haven’t got mine built up, but it’s very much bought as an all round trail bike. Not sure you’d get the best out of it rigid single speed. I imagine the el mar ti would be better.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/kinesis-sync-has-landed

Fill yer boots 😀

Nice bike, a medium to take 650b would be nice.

I can’t state just how much I like my Sync. I’ve been riding for 20 years near enough now, and have owned a number of nice bikes in that time. OK so my Sync has a pretty high end build on it, but it really is the best bike I’ve ridden! A bold statement I know, but one I’ll happily stand by.

OK, that’s very subjective, and if you’re after a long, slack thrash bike you’ll be disappointed. The Sync is a trail bike for those that just like riding, but it’s one that instills confidence despite its relatively short/upright dimensions (it’s still longer and slacker than bikes we were riding 10-15 years ago mind), but is also incredibly fun to ride. You often read in magazines about bikes being “lively” or having “pop” and think it’s a load of marketing bollox… Well have a test ride on a Sync, you’ll understand what they mean!

The late Steve Worland summed the bike up superbly in issue 84 of Singletrack Mag. By the time I read this I’d already decided I was going to have one, but was waiting to put the order in. Reading his review again, I can only say just how spot on it was (but then he always was!), the bike is exactly as described.

The Sync is one of those bikes you either know you want, and want badly, or it will totally pass you by. Had they made it in steel, or ally, I’d probably have still got one, the fact it’s Ti was almost by the by for me. And yes, the FF29 is close, and a great frame in it’s own right, but it was the 7mm shorter stays, a degree off the head angle, the bolt through back end, the larger tyre clearance etc. that meant for me there was no option but to get a Sync. In fact, I’ve ridden (and owned a couple of) Ti bikes in the past that were, to put it mildly, a big let down, normally being ridiculously flexy. There’s none of that with the Sync, it’s as stiff as it needs to be (and then a bit more), but it’s also incredibly comfortable. Ok it’s no full sus bike, it is still a hardtail, but it just doesn’t beat you up in the way most hardtails do over a long ride. It does that rare thing of managing to be stiff, fast and responsive, yet also take the sting out of the trails.

My girlfriend took it out a couple of times, and she’s quite nervous on a bike. It was also a bit big for her, even with a 70mm stem on (she’s 5ft8 roughly but with long legs). Despite this, after about 15 minutes she was grinning from ear to ear, and doing things she wouldn’t normally have done! After 2 rides, she wanted to order one for herself, only the expense and the fact the small is 650b (she’s convinced by 29er wheels incidentally, as am I) stopped her doing so, and she’s just got a small sized FF29 as an interim (until they make a 29er Sync in small and she has the money to pay for it!).

As for the build… Well build one up as you like, but I’d say with rigids or 100mm forks and singlespeed, you’ll be missing a hell of a lot of the frame’s potential. It definitely feels right with a 120mm fork (I’m running a Revelation RCT3 currently, the X-Fusion Slide’s are also fantastic), wide bars, and 2×10 for me. I ride it faster everywhere than I was doing my previous 26″ full sus bike, up or down! it just instills confidence everywhere, but without being slow or lazy.

Can you tell I like this bike? 😉

My only criticism of it, and it is a small one, is the internal cable routing isn’t as neat as it could be, and means that (like on most carbon road bikes) you need to spend money on PTFE coated inner gear wires and pre-lubed outer to keep the shift action light and precise. But that’s a small price to pay to be fair!

If you’re anywhere near Worcester, and want to try out a medium, you’re more than welcome to come and give mine a go (as soon as I’ve fixed the brake lever!), but be warned… Try it, and you’ll buy one!

Nice write up mboy, thanks.

So would you say that the ff29 slightly more xc orientated? I love the look of the ti, but I have a niggle that the head tube looks high on them.

Must pop in when I’m back in Brighton over the summer.

I can’t wait to get mine built this week. It’s funny. I’ve had loads of bikes, but the excitement of building something new and interesting never goes away does it?

It sounds like mine is going to be very similar to yours mboy. Basically everything off my Solaris – revelations, 740 flat bars, reverb etc, but with a 1×11 drivetrain for the first time – assuming my LBS can get it in time. It’s a good job I’ve got a busy week, because I keep getting distracted. Big weekend planned in Wales in a couple of weeks to give it a good try out.

Although this will be my third Kinesis, and I really like the brand, I’m a bit of a Cotic fan boy and would have loved it if Cy had built a ti Solaris with these kind of features. I’ve a feeling it will feel very similar though – and I’d have been waiting years for details like the 12mm back end and internal routing.

Got 120mm Sids on mine and 1×11, originally built it up really light without a dropper to use as an XC and race bike but as my full suss has been out of action for 3 months i put a reverb on and it’s been my everything bike, i’ve done 50 mile winter road rides on it, trail centre, South downs rides, big Surrey hills days and local singletrack blasts and it has coped with all well although i do feel a little fatigued after riding fast, rough or rooty stuff for more than 15 miles. For me it’s really great for long distance XC plus bits of singletrack when you want to be able to feel confident on the technical stuff yet travel uphill as easily as possible.

Thanks for the replies guys.
I think I might have to try and get a demo ride on a Sync and possibly a Ti El Mariachi before I make any decisions. I must say though, the Sync looks fantastic compared to the El Mar but i suppose Looks aren’t everything!

So would you say that the ff29 slightly more xc orientated? I love the look of the ti, but I have a niggle that the head tube looks high on them.

In a way yes, but it’s still a fun machine in its own right. The head angle is a touch steeper and the stays a tiny bit longer on the FF29, that’s all, otherwise it’s a very similar beast.

The head tube on the Sync is about as tall as you can get away with IMO. I like my bars relatively low, I’m running a 9mm top cap rather than a 15mm on the headset, a negative 10 degree stem, and flat bars, and it feels perfect (even if it looks a little odd). That said, I know people that like their handlebars a lot higher than I do, that would run riser bars on a 29er with a positive rise stem! Each to their own, but it’s just short enough to get a position I like, but if the headtube was any longer it would be too much. If they make a V2 version, I would recommend lopping 10mm off the headtube length.

Although this will be my third Kinesis, and I really like the brand, I’m a bit of a Cotic fan boy and would have loved it if Cy had built a ti Solaris with these kind of features. I’ve a feeling it will feel very similar though – and I’d have been waiting years for details like the 12mm back end and internal routing.

I was keen on a Solaris 12 months ago, very keen in fact. What killed it for me was the terrible tyre clearance sadly, as otherwise, it would have been number 1 on the list. As it was, the FF29 overtook it on the list, but I still had a niggle in the back of my head regarding geometry. Then the Sync was announced, the fact it was Ti was really by the by. I knew I had to have one, the fact the price was 3x what I was previously going to spend just meant I had to find other ways of funding it…

I think I might have to try and get a demo ride on a Sync

Where you based? How tall are you?

I’m 5’11 and based in Surrey.

Ok well if you plan on coming anywhere near Worcester any time soon, you can take my medium Sync out. But I suppose it’s a 4-5hr round trip just to ride a bike to be fair!

Totally agree with mboy, and Steve Worland. I’ve now replaced my Hilo dropper with a carbon post and gone shorter on the stem and wider strut bars, feels perfect now.

@notmyrealname – I’m in Surrey and East Sussex most weekends, I have the large 29er. I’ll be night riding over Leith at some point in the next few weeks, you’re welcome to come a take a look.

Mine’s built now. I’ve only been out for a couple of quick local rides, but all I can say so far is wow! It’s a bit of a cliche to say some bikes just want to be ridden fast, but blimey. I’ve been riding the trails over the road from my house for years and never over-cooked it into corners like I have today. It just carries so much speed. Thankfully it is also the most responsive handling 29er I have ever ridden (and I have had a few). I appreciate I’ve got a bit of new bike syndrome, but the combination of extreme side-to-side stiffness and the springiness of Ti just makes you want to ride the nuts off it. I’m off to Wales with it in a couple of weeks and I can’t wait.

In answer to the OP’s question, I’m convinced it would be a waste to build one only as a rigid singlespeed.

@bol a friend has a Sync and he had several offs in the early days while he was learning to ride it. He loves it now.

I hope I can get that out of the way on the gentle, wooded trails of Norfolk before I encounter the rocks of Wales.

It just carries so much speed. Thankfully it is also the most responsive handling 29er I have ever ridden (and I have had a few). I appreciate I’ve got a bit of new bike syndrome, but the combination of extreme side-to-side stiffness and the springiness of Ti just makes you want to ride the nuts off it.

Told you you’d like it!

Mine isn’t an especially light build, but it’s just so damned quick! The engine lets it down on the climbs, granted, but everywhere else it just shouldn’t be as fast as it is given that it’s a Hardtail and not exactly slack/long either.

Might sound like marketing BS, but when the bike came out I was trying to work out why they’d called it “Sync”, as it just seemed either a bit random, or pretentious to me. I totally get it now though, I really do!

Got a windy ride on the South Downs on my Sync planned this weekend, can’t wait. Loving the carbon seatpost, trails are even smoother. Not missed the dropper, even on steep drops.

I would really really like one of these! They look the bee’s knees 8)

How does the small size with 650b measure up? I’d personally prefer this wheel size, but have a suspicion that the small frame might just be a little too small for me – I’m anywhere between 5’8″ and 5’10”, depending upon the weather 😉

Probably be too small…I have the small I’m 5ft6. They may be making a medium in 650b I heard…

Oooh! Really?! Maybe I’ll email Dom to enquire 😀

The rumours of a 650b medium were just that. I think so far it was more the guys at Kinesis putting feelers out to see if there would be demand for it enough to justify offering 2 wheel sizes in the medium.

Great if they do, but have a ride on a medium 29er and you wouldn’t even bother waiting to find out of it’s going to materialise. FWIW, my GF is 5ft8 and she was ok on my medium with a 70mm stem on it and inline post. I’m 5ft10 and find it perfect with an 80mm stem.

I’m sure you’re right mboy, it’s just that I could do without 3 different wheel sizes! It’s tricky enough with 3 different brakes/pads across the various bikes and some rationalisation has got to start somewhere! First world problem I know, but there it is for me 🙂