I had my eye on a Kinesis decade Virsa made from Tange Prestige and weighing in at 4.8lbs. Chain Reaction Cycles had these for sale in the UK and when the Emerald Green frame came in stock I ordered it.
There is a great review on the bike at Bike Radar which essentially sold me on the frame http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/decade-virtue-09-34708
Kinesis partnered with Upgrade Bikes who are responsible for DMR to make this frame. Under close inspection the Virsa looks a lot like a current model Trailstar but with XC geometry, lighter weight and without the ISIG tabs. The bike shares the same swopout system as the DMR for the rear dropouts.
I built the bike up with a combination of new and old parts - Reba 100mm forks, Stylo 700mm flat bars, Juicy 7 brakes, Stylo Cranks, Mavic/DMR/Hope SS specific wheelset. Running a gear ratio of 32:18 the bike weighs in at a modest 25.3lbs - quite a bit lighter than my old DMR.
On the trails the bike feels responsive and fast; the bike climbs quicker and easier than the DMR and descends almost as well. The bike runs a 69 degree head angle and with the 700mm bars this inspires confidence and allows the bike to handle beautifully downhill. The 71 degree seat tube allows for snappy acceleration and climbing ease. The bike has a low bottom bracket at just under 12" this makes the bike very fast on tight single track but it does suffer often from pedal strike. Kinesis Decade say the frame is designed for forks between 100mm and 130mm.
I have 2 rides under my belt so far on this bike and am loving it, there is no going back.
Its a shame I have this new bike and wont be competing at the Singlespeed Worlds in October.
