You Need No Maps To Navigate Winter Roads on a Packed Kinesis RTD Endurance Bike

Folks, you're looking at a bicycle known as RTD (Race The Distance). It's a trinket from U.K.-based Kinesis Bikes. Knowing the sort of weather they usually have up there, you can begin to get an idea of the sort of machines this crew likes to push out. With over 20 years in the cycling business, this is one of the teams to keep an eye on.

As for RTD, it's actually an endurance bike, and that's just perfect for winter roads. Why? Some traits, like wider tires, a more relaxed frame geometry, and the ability to pack all sorts of kits and fenders, make these bikes the perfect base for cold, wet, and possibly icy weather.

Now that you know why RTD, it's time to dive deeper and see what sets this bike apart from others on the market. One aspect Kinesis likes to brag about is how they build RTD and other bikes from their family, with Super Plastic Forming.

Super Plastic Forming does not include plastic in the frame material; instead, it refers to a process where metals and alloys are heated to a level of malleable plasticity. From here, "plastic" alloys are shaped via thermoforming, blow forming, and vacuum forming, resulting in a clean design.

For RTD, Kinesis is using aluminum-scandium to build the frameset. If you're not familiar with this alloy, it's lightweight, strong, and favors welding. It's even used in aerospace and defends applications.

Another "exotic" material found as part of the frameset is carbon fiber. At the front of RTD, a carbon monocoque fork from Columbus helps keep a good solid grip on the road while also reducing vibrations felt by the rider. On snow-covered paths and roads, that should be ideal.

Part of the frame design you're witnessing isn't just built by a few minds in a lab but is also designed with intel supplied by brand ambassadors in the field. These traits include the "thin-flat" seat stays for improved shock absorption and internal cable routing.

The drivetrain on this beauty is supplied by Shimano and is running their wireless shifting system, Di2. At the touch of a button, the derailleur will make all adjustments you need to bring you into your chosen gear with ease. RTD can also be mounted with a 1x or 2x drivetrain.

Like most other endurance bicycles on the market, RTD is packed with several mounts that can be assigned a diverse range of functions. With the inclusion of three water bottle mounts, fender mounts, and a couple more on the top and down tubes, this bike sounds more like a year-round machine.

One image in the gallery shows just a few of the mounts being utilized, and already the bike looks ready to take you as far as your legs can carry you. Add a handlebar cargo bag and another on the seat post, and you're good to go.

So, how much is this baby going to run you? Just 950 GBP (1,296 USD at current exchange rates). However, there's a catch. For this price, you only receive a frameset. But it's a 1,400-gram (3.08-pound) frameset for the size 51 frame.

According to Bike Radar, an RTD equipped with an Ultegra drivetrain will cost you 2,250 GBP (3,069 USD). If that includes things like handlebar and brakes, I'm all in. Something to consider if you're looking to keep riding your bike when few others would.