Salsa Cycles Fargo Page

▼

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Something New: Kingdom Bikes

Where do all these companies come from? Seems like about  one new company pops up a month these days. Hmm....well, however that works, I discovered another new outfit yesterday when I received an e-mail from the companies head honch. The company's name is Kingdom Bike Project. (Like Alan Parson's Project, only like, in bikes, ya know......) Well...anyway.....

Kingdom Bikes Project Double 9 Ti
So here ya go. Titanium. U.K. based company, (well......sorta. It's a bit more complicated than that.), and there are a few tidbits that are interesting here.

Yes- your eyes do not deceive you. That is a titanium fork. It also has a tapered steer tube. Like I said....interesting. 

That's their version of a Moots type seat post lurking under that Selle San Marco look-a-like perch there. They also show a riser bar on their site that claims to be titanium as well. And that's not all.......they claim to have a titanium type Niner Bikes style eccentric bottom bracket. That's really different. How would that work in the real world? I don't know. Sounds weird to my mind, but hey! I just don't know....

Geometry is "new school", (their lingo), and goes something like 71*head angle, 73* seat tube angle short-ish chain stays at 440mm, and a bottom bracket height of.....thirteen inches? Yup! That's right. 13 inches.

That fork is 470mm axle to crown and has an offset of 45mm at a weight of a claimed 930 gm. Not a lightweight, when you compare carbon wunder forks, but lighter than most steel forks. Available separately. I dunno.....I know of another budding titanium fork project that is having "growing pains" due to excessive fork shudder under braking. I'd be suspiciously cautious with anything titanium that held a front wheel, I would.

Apparently they have similar stuff in carbon fiber offerings as well. Oddly enough, I'd feel more comfortable with that material for a fork.

So, there ya go. You know another new bike company. Different. Not swimming in the same school of fish as the others, that's for sure!
at

6 comments:

  1. Rob7:12 AM

    If nothing else, more choices=better for us consumers. Interesting geometry choice, but that thing would look dead sexy with a Niner carbon fork me thinks...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Guitar Ted7:29 AM

    @Rob: They actually show a peek of a Niner fork on their frame on the site somewhere.

    Have you seen the Whiskey Parts carbon fork that is a dead ringer for a Niner fork? Nice stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Rob7:52 AM

    whiskey parts is the same folks as the Foundry Cycles correct? Looks like good stuff but I've never seen it in person.

    I also find it interesting the Kingdom bike has a tapered headtube but the fork looks like a traditional? Could just be that picture though.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rob7:57 AM

    wow, I need to read closer...the ti fork does indeed have a tapered steerer.

    ReplyDelete
  5. MG11:24 AM

    wow... will be watching how this develops. website?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Guitar Ted11:32 AM

    @MG: Doh! I forgot to link that. Thanks for pointing that out! http://www.kingdombike.com/

    Fixed it in the post for others as well.

    Have a great day my Brother!

    ReplyDelete