# Kestrel TerX FORCE1



## Gall

Hello,

Bikes Direct has a new bike listed. What do you think of it? Pros and cons? 

Save Up to 60% Off Disc Brake CycloCross Cross CX Bikes - Kestrel TerX Carbon SRAM FORCE1 Hydraulic Disc Brake CycloCross Cross CX Bikes

Thanks!


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## Marc

1X, and SRAM hydraulics. Nope and nope. And no actual geometry chart, LOL get out? Being a CX bike first, I'll wager it is on the aggressive side. No mention of tire clearance either.


Depends on exactly what you're wanting.


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## Gall

Why the nope and nope on "1X, and SRAM hydraulics"


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## SBH1973

I'm also intrigued by this bike - looks like quite a value. I owned a 2009 Kestrel RT900 and it was a fine bike. 

The geometry is here:

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/kestrel/cyclocross-bikes/kestrel-carbon-cross-geo.gif

Looks like it has a trail of 68mm (52cm). That compares with the Niner RLT 9 (53cm). which has a trail of 73. My understanding is you want a lower trail on a gravel bike - neither of these are ideal, but the Kestrel may be better. BB height, though, may be a little higher than ideal. 

Anyway, I don't know enough about gravel geometry to say whether this Ter-X is a good gravel bike (it's marketed as a cross bike), but the numbers are in line with other frames that are considered gravel frames. 

As for 1x, on gravel/trails it's almost certainly fine and to be preferred. Whether it has the range necessary for road cruising, especially above 25mph, is another question.


Update: Max tire width, according to BikesDirect, is 700x45, which is pretty good I think. It's a BD exclusive. My guess is that this is actually Kestrel's entry into the gravel/adventure bike market. The tire clearance, geometry, and the mounts for racks and extra bottle cages suggest that's the case.


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## SBH1973

The frame geometry is almost identical to the Bombtrack Hook EXT-C - I suspect they're from the same manufacturer. But the price is $1000 less and with a much better component spec. 

The only thing that has me scratching my head is the very high standover height. According to the sizing chart and my own experience with other bikes, I should take a 52. But the standover on the 52 is 790mm. At 5'7, I'm hitting the bar around 775.


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## Hiro11

$2,100 for a carbon gravel bike with fairly modern features and Force 1 is a great deal.

I just noticed that they also posted this:
Motobecane Whipshot

853 frame, Force 1, DT Swiss wheels, Ritchey WCS stem/post/bars, threaded BB, thru axles front and rear for $1,800. That's frankly a ridiculous deal.

I know people hate on BD for some reason but you really can't argue with some of their offerings.


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## SBH1973

There's absolutely nothing wrong with most BikesDirect bikes - most of their higher-end stuff is made in Taiwan, not China (although that difference is becoming less important these days). I've had a couple and they're fine. And there is nothing wrong or unethical about their business model. The same people who complain about BD I'm sure are happy shopping at Amazon or other large online retailers. BD is just a direct importer with low overhead. By bypassing the distributor and dealer, they can offer the end user about 30-50% of basically the same product. You won't be able to try the bike, you'll have to put it together yourself, you'll have a funny name people think is cheap, and you're more or less on your own after you get it - you're not going to get the support you'd get from a local shop. And they're a tough re-sell (this I know). But they're just an awesome value. 

I do think that it would be a win-win if BD partnered with local bike shops - offer customers the option to have their bikes built up by a partner LBS for $150, and pass that on to the LBS. I'd take that deal. And when I went to pick the bike up, I'd probably pick up some water bottles, nutrition, and other high-margin accessories that bike shops do well on. And I'd come back for service.



Hiro11 said:


> $2,100 for a carbon gravel bike with fairly modern features and Force 1 is a great deal.
> 
> I just noticed that they also posted this:
> Motobecane Whipshot
> 
> 853 frame, Force 1, DT Swiss wheels, Ritchey WCS stem/post/bars, threaded BB, thru axles front and rear for $1,800. That's frankly a ridiculous deal.
> 
> I know people hate on BD for some reason but you really can't argue with some of their offerings.


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## Gall

I received this bike in a 52cm and it is really BIG. I touch the top tube pretty hard when flat footed. I have a 69cm saddle height and there isnt much seat post sticking out and the stock 80mm stem fits perfectly (I fully expected to switch this out to a 100mm stem). I havent had it out for a ride so I dont know how it will handle on and off road but now I have serious case of "my bike is way too big" syndrome.


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## JBarney

Seems like a deal to me. Rumor has it that Bikes Direct owns Kestrel now. I'd buy one in a second if I didn't already have a Trek Boone 7 ( which is an incredible bike ).


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## Marc

JBarney said:


> Seems like a deal to me. *Rumor has it that Bikes Direct owns Kestrel now. * I'd buy one in a second if I didn't already have a Trek Boone 7 ( which is an incredible bike ).


Not by BD. Kestrel USA was bought out in 2008 by ASI, the same people who own Fuji and PerformanceBike


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