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Bicycle Review: Kinley SX Pro By MBT Staff
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With sales of dedicated Cross Country bikes declining in recent years, the market has witnessed a massive boom in the All Mountain or trail bike populous. Today’s hot sellers are bikes that can do a little bit of everything, a Swiss Army knife on wheels if you will. Kinley is a bicycle manufacturer out of California who, although still in it’s infancy, understands the ever-changing market place. For 2006 they offer a pallet of three full suspension models, the FX Comp, SX Pro, and SX Pro Elite. At a factory direct price of $1399, we elected to test the mid-range SX Pro and here are the results.
Where does it fall in the mountain bike spectrum?
The Kinley SX Pro falls somewhere in between a Cross Country racer and an All Mountain rig. The frame geometry is evidently XC inspired with a long top tube, lengthy stem, and flat handlebar. While the seated position stretches the rider forward with a pretty far reach to the bars, the component selection compensates by eliminating any chance of mistaking this bike for a dedicated gram-counting cross country setup. Kinley was wise enough to spec components that are beefy enough and durable enough to handle real world conditions. Exactly what do we consider real world conditions? Rough single track, aggressive descents, small to medium drops, and the occasional street curb, parking lot, or set of stairs. Unlike a dedicated Cross Country rig, which banks everything on weight (or lack thereof), the SX Pro adds on a few extra pounds in the name of terrain versatility and it is a trade-off that pays in dividends.
What about those components?
We’re glad you asked. The SX Pro comes equipped with a Manitou Black Super fork with on the fly adjustable travel from 70 to100 mm, compression, rebound adjust and lockout. The rear of the bike is suspended with a Rock Shox, Bar air shock (4 inches of travel). Braking duty is handled by Hayes nine single piston hydraulic brakes front and rear and shifting via Shimano’s Deore XT gearset (Deore Mega 9 drive train/ shifters). Kenda Kinetics wrapped around Alexrims TD17's put the power to the ground. WTB’s Speed V saddle rounds out the package. The frame itself is a wonderfully crafted 7005 series aluminum that arrived in simple yet elegant graphite gray.
Where did we take it?
As is so often the case with our bike tests, we assembled the test riders (right after assembling the bike) and shipped out to some of our favorite single track. Following the shores of Lake Erie we pushed our Kinley SX Pro through beach sand, across hard pack, then finally along some rocky elevation. Our test spanned across several weeks of varying weather as well, a majority of which resulted in dry and powdery terrain.
What about the ride?
We’ll break the SX Pro’s performance down into several sub categories to better share its traits and trail manners:
Pedaling:
We found the Rock Shox Bar to be a very capable platform, in fact our best setting was with a mere 140 psi and three rebound clicks away from all the way open (indicated by the rabbit decal). The fork worked well at 100mm of travel and the compression set in the middle. We slowed the rebound two clicks out and left the air pressure alone. Once we were comfortable with the settings, we smashed the trails for a few consecutive afternoons. The first and most popular response from the test riders was the bike’s weight. The bike simply feels light, much in the way taking off a heavy pair of work boots makes your feet feel weightless, hopping onto the Kinley saddle makes you wonder if you’ve accidentally mounted someone’s XC rig. The frame geometry distributes the bike’s weight evenly, which results in a very flickable, almost floaty feel.
The second most reported factor was rigidity; the rear triangle especially seemed impervious to flex or deflection while returning minimal pedal bob. Each rotation of the crank resulted in a power-burst that the Kenda Kinetics transferred instantly to the ground. Despite the stretched out body positioning, wheelies were a cinch (as were stoppies, but more on that later). The Shimano component group was butter smooth after a little tweaking to quiet the front derailleur.
Climbing:
Does the Kinley SX Pro like to climb? Like a Puma! We found that blitzing up small hills did not require so much as leaving the saddle, in fact once the proper gear was selected just before the elevation change, the SX Pro required very little strain to ascend. Longer, more technical climbs rewarded riders willing to stand up and spin. The bike’s light weight feel was even more appreciated once the ground started slanting.
Descending:
While nothing worthy of true complaint, the one area where the SX Pro comes up a little short is in descending steep grades. Hardly a fault considering nothing about the bike insinuates down hill prowess. Surprisingly, this is not the result of the suspension components either. The Manitou fork has enough settings and adjustments to feel supple regardless of the grade or trail clutter. So what then is the culprit? A long stem and flat handlebars. The stretched out geometry that you’ll come to love in technical terrain and short climbs will come back to bite you once the gravity tables turn. For a more stout handling chassis and a huge increase in downhill maneuverability, a 50 mm stem and riser bar can make a world of difference. Fortunately this is an affordable and easily installed upgrade.
Braking:
The hydraulic Hayes nines took minimal time to burn in and once they did, whoa! They modulate with stunning consistency and, combined with such a light chassis, have stopping power to spare. Grabbing a handful of front brake is a good free-ride lesson in pulling stoppies. Squeezing both levers with steady pressure is about the closest thing to an instant confidence builder we’ve ever encountered. If there is truth in the expression “you’re only as fast as you can stop” then the Kinley SX Pro is as fast as they come.
Cornering:
Once again that light, flickable geometry comes into play by enhancing the bike’s very light steering habits. The end result is a bike that can be stuffed into berms at speed and turn on a dime when barely moving at all. Rearward seating, a long bar reach, and relatively short handlebar all add up to a very nimble handling chassis.
Jumping:
We know, we know- the jump scene is not who Kinley has in mind with the SX Pro. Does this mean everyone who purchases the bike will steer clear of ramps, drops, and rock ledges? Of course not. We are pleased to report that the chassis and suspension are certainly up to the task of taking repeated hard landings. If the bike feels light and nimble on the ground, then it feels downright flickable in the air. The frame’s rigidity really begins to shine in conjunction with the suspension once both wheels lose contact with the ground. Once again about the only factor keeping the SX Pro from being a legitimate choice for the local hucksters is the stem and bar.
What failed during the test?
Absolutely nothing. We certainly went beyond the type of terrain the SX Pro is intended for and returned to MBT headquarters ride after sweet ride with the bike perfectly in tact. The Kinley SX Pro passed our durability tests with flying colors.
What do we really think?
The appearance of the SX Pro made us want to attack the closest singletrack we could find and it’s abilities there lived up to our expectations, surpassing many of them in fact. This is a bike that will sprint across seemingly endless flats, carve some of the tightest singletrack, and zip up hills without so much as a peep. Its Cross Country inspired cockpit will transmit minimal cramping or fatigue up to the rider even after hours of exploration. If it were ours to keep there would be only two modifications performed: A shorter stem and riser bar. If we could keep all of the chassis’ impressive traits and combine them with a bit more of an All Mountain stance, this could very well be that Swiss Army knife on wheels we mentioned earlier. As such, after three weeks of saddle time, would we plunk down our hard earned dollars on the SX Pro? Considering the $1,399 price tag and the fact that we could perform all of our desired modifications for under $100, our answer is absolutely. The Kinley SX Pro is a bike that performs out on the trail no differently than those costing double, even triple as much. We are certain that any rider who swings a leg over the SX Pro will immediately come to appreciate the affordable price. Its clean lines, top notch component spec, and light-weight manners make it a definite contender for serious trail work. For more information head over to www.Kinleybikes.com
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