Kenevo Gen1 New Kenevo too long for me.

[coderdan]

To the OP - the ergon enduro saddle has longer rails which lets you slide the seat fwd a cm or so more than the stock saddle. Noticeable difference in my situation. It may help if you find the other suggestions don’t fix it for you.

Was actually looking for a saddle and ended up grabbing one from ergon, thanks.

 

[Dustjunky]

Nowt wrong with you or the bike mate ...looks bang on size to me .....feck all the exercising crap off and get out and ride it ....

 

[The voz]

Hey all looking for some advice given the issue I'm facing.

I just bought a 2021 Kenevo and I'm starting to realize it may have been to big of a bike for me. I had been testing bikes all morning which were too probably too small for me (thanks bike shortage) when I came across a S4 Kenevo Comp. Right away the Kenevo felt really good but on second thought it may have just been the turbo/motor making it feel nice and nimble. Now on 1/hr rides I'm feeling REALLY stretched while on the saddle in a uphill position and end up with upper back pain.

I'm 5'11 230~lbs which makes me think I should be able to make a S4 feel good but when I'm on the bike I just don't see how.

Things I've done / planning to do.

• Moved the last spacer under them pushing it up.
• Pushed the seat all the way forward(This was after I had upper back pain so its hard to tell if it was enough until I have some rest).
• Bought a 30mm stem reducing 15mm from the stock 45mm stem(not installed yet, on the way).
• Considering buying a backsweep 40mm rise handlebar around 760mm compared to the stock 800mm 27mm rise.

With that said I wanted to get some advice on the situation and any thoughts on reducing the reach with new handlebars or how I should go about this. I don't think/know if there's anything specialized can do for me since its ben ridden down trails already and selling it would make me lose a ton of money off the bat so I'm kind of stumped.

Hi mate I’m 5’11.5 so .5 inch taller and I absolutely love my kenevo 2020 model so same frame and geo I would suggest keep riding for a few weeks and just get use to the slackness of ride it’s a beast on the downhill and climbs week to

 

[Dave_h34]

Looks a really good size for you imo. Strange thing is, over time you adapt to a bike. I did thousands of miles on my road bike perfectly comfortably, then hung it up for 5 years. When I came back to it it was like a machine of torture!

 

[jose castillo Australia]

I am very happy with my Kenevo comp 2020 but I should have purchased the s2.
1-install a 31.8 steam
2-move forward the seat
3-install 2.3 tires
the next step is to change the dropper post if I find another type that can help my feet to touch the ground.
I am 5.7 but with short legs.

 

[Coolcmsc]

OK, I’m going to Wade in.
1. Well done bro’ for sharing pics. That’s hard and now you’re getting the feedback.
2. The bike is the correct size. That first short ride taught you that.
3. Longer rides are highlighting your frankly awful posture.
4. This is a posture problem worsened by having a lot of extra weight pulling your lower back forward.
5. So, the correct solution is for you to take these photos to a sports physio. That’s the name in the U.K. It’s important you spend a little more on it being a SPORTS Physio, unless you can be certain your local physio understands cycle posture.
6. Some of the videos above might help you, but FIRST get some professional advice to reflect the financial investment you’ve made in the bike.
7. I did this and it has TRANSFORMED not just my cycling, but other aspects of life too.
8. The hard decision is making the commitment to seeking professional advice.
9. As for me — ??? — I’m plucking up the courage to pay for some coaching to get the best out of my new Bullit. At age 65yrs and 55yrs off road, that’s a hard decision for me. But I bet those reading this’ll think I should just get on and seek advice from somebody trained to offer it...

 

[jooles]

Leelikesbikes has a good take on the whole bike fit approach. It and his argument supporting it seems logical.

Dialing in your bike setup step 1: Make it RAD - Lee Likes Bikes

This article is adapted from the book Dialed and ran on Pinkbike. It lays out the most important aspect of mountain bike fit and setup. I hope you find it helpful! When it comes to mountain bike setup, the most important measurement is the distance between your bottom bracket and your grips. I...

www.leelikesbikes.com

Lee uses a calculator called RAD if you look it up on his web site (above) he states that reach is key and measures it from BB to bar ends. You then take your height (real height) and multiply it by Lee’s numbers and that gives you an idea based on his model.

He says Sam Hill uses this approach when sizing a new bike up.

This may help but as Gary says you need to hinge from the hips and try to keep knees over feet this might help take weight off arms that could actually help back. Flexibility in hammys helps.

Check out Lees stretches too. They are bike specific.

There are various camps on bike fit, the Geometron is at one end of the stretched concept ....The Kenevo falls into this; Propain tend to have a more compact approach.

However the trend seems seems most are stretching reach out. Not sure if this is evidence based or trend. Put a top DH rider on any bike and they will smash the pants off most others. But for us mere mortals comfort is as key. If you feel relaxed and comfortable your riding will be better.

Hope you get it sorted: Start with flexibility (physio will help masses) and the RAD measurement maybe.

 

[_Martin_]

I can totally get where you're coming from, as I am currently sizing down from S4 to S3 and I am 5'11" too. The thing is that I still think that S4 is the right size for you, as well as it wasn't the wrong size for me. But my reason to do so is completely different from yours:

I really like dicking around on trail and doing manuals and stuff. With the S4 I managed to do manuals and wheelies as well, but it always took some kind of effort and preparation, so it was really hard to do so in a quick and snappy way and to integrate it in my trail riding style. The first testride on a S3 with my own pedals and the right spring for my 200lb with gear was a real revelation, finally I could ride it the way I like it.

But if I was just picking my bike size for comfort reasons I would definitely go for the S4! If it wasn't for the nimbleness of the S3, I would have taken the S4 as it awards you with plenty of stabilty while doing what this bike was meant to do and with that I mean bombing through everything and overshooting everything you find in the forest Also with an Inseam of 35" I have quite long legs for my size, which makes me struggle with overly long bikes. Keep in mind, that the Kenevo is a bike, which is made to be ridden in "attack position". If you're looking for a more upright touring style bike, the Kenevo in general might just be the wrong bike for you. Also I wouldn't recommend going too short on the stem, as it will make it hard to put pressure on the front wheel. Combine that with an upright riding position like yours and a lot of washouts will be guaranteed. Hope this helps...

Cheers

 

[jooles]

My XL 2015 Enduro 29er has a shorter reach number than the Kenevo S3. I’m 6’2” 35” inseam and long arms and have been going down fairly gnarky stuff on it for 5 years. Such is the huge change in sizing. Going by RAD I’d be on a s3 or S4. I’ll bet many sub 6’ riders are on the S5 as longer reach is ‘on trend’.

My Ebike: A badged Astro Frame with Mondraker suspension is around 10mm longer reach than E29 and CS are 25mm longer. I find it suits me better when riding more aggressively as my chin isn’t over the fork crown when hinged and balanced on pedals. Gives a little more room to move around. Feels pretty good. How I’d feel on an S4 or S5 is guessing.

Fabien Barel worked on the early mondraker forward geo. He likes a longer bike and shorter stem. Alternately Richy Rude rides a pretty small bike for his size.

it seems to boil down to individual style, technique, terrain ridden, physical fitness and size. Best to try before you buy but that’s getting harder with online sales and Covid.

starting with something like RAD helps but may not suit everyone.

Bit of a minefield however most modern bikes are pretty forgiving now compared to 10 years ago and give the rider a better experience as a result.

 

[coderdan]

My XL 2015 Enduro 29er has a shorter reach number than the Kenevo S3. I’m 6’2” 35” inseam and long arms and have been going down fairly gnarky stuff on it for 5 years. Such is the huge change in sizing. Going by RAD I’d be on a s3 or S4. I’ll bet many sub 6’ riders are on the S5 as longer reach is ‘on trend’.

My Ebike: A badged Astro Frame with Mondraker suspension is around 10mm longer reach than E29 and CS are 25mm longer. I find it suits me better when riding more aggressively as my chin isn’t over the fork crown when hinged and balanced on pedals. Gives a little more room to move around. Feels pretty good. How I’d feel on an S4 or S5 is guessing.

Fabien Barel worked on the early mondraker forward geo. He likes a longer bike and shorter stem. Alternately Richy Rude rides a pretty small bike for his size.

it seems to boil down to individual style, technique, terrain ridden, physical fitness and size. Best to try before you buy but that’s getting harder with online sales and Covid.

starting with something like RAD helps but may not suit everyone.

Bit of a minefield however most modern bikes are pretty forgiving now compared to 10 years ago and give the rider a better experience as a result.

Definitely, ultimately I think I might've liked the S3 more than the S4 but given how hard it is to find bikes right now getting a Kenevo Comp was pretty much a miracle.

I did end up changing the stem to an A318 30mm but what made the biggest difference for me was switching the seat to an Ergon SM E-Mountain. With how fat and unconditioned I am the stock seat would feel like sitting on a rock. It was definitely contributing to my issue while being seated going uphill.

I do think a lot of people end up changing the stem/handlebars on the bike like the video below but I'm not in such a rush for the handlebars anymore.