Similar Products Used: Orange,trek bruiser,cannondale
Bike Setup: Hope "big un's" hubs, Hope pro.3 hydrolic disk brakes, Rock shox pyslo forks, mavic d321 wheels, shimano XT and LX mixed group set.
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Submitted by
rob little
a Weekend Warrior
from Northants, UK
Date Reviewed: March 21, 2006
Strengths: great handling!! smallish frame for an 18 makes it super quick in the singletrail and technical stuff.
Weaknesses: Can be a bit harsh on long rides but have also put this down to the wheelset I use.
Bottom Line:
I wanted a hardtail that would be a good alrounder. Something to take out in the winter without the hastle of cleaning a mud packed full sus frame. I bought the kona chute as I had previously ridden Kona and liked the fast steering and "chuckability" that they are known for. I have used this bike for 2 years now and have never been let down. It inspires confidence and urges you to try to cut some time off that tricky section !! It has become my favorite bike and I now have a permanent place on the wall to store my other bikes!!
Weaknesses: ONly a 2.1" tire will fit pretty much!! Limits the frame to be used for biker-x or urban but no DH because nobody makes a 2.1" hard-core DH tire!
"this is the best all round bike i have ever riden. i has used it for freeriding, dh, and even tore it up in cross country races. if you are looking for a bike that can do it all and continue to surpris you check out the chute!!!"
Bike Setup: 5 inch rst front suspension, easton monkey lite riser bar, full lx components, avid arch rival brakes, tioga dh tires, fish bone platform pedals.
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Submitted by
greg weber
a Cross Country Rider
from frederick md..usa
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2001
Strengths: strong, stable and a great technical bike..comfortable on all day rides.climbs well for a heavy bike..fast technical decender..13"bb
Weaknesses: if you are coming from a typical xc bike it might feel a little slow on flat , smooth singletrack..the weight bias is more towards the rear wheel
Bottom Line:
i built this up as my second mt bike and now spend most of my time on it..its a great ride that will do anything as long as you are able/brave enough..i came over from a race hard tail so it was a little bit of an adjustment..now i love it..it is a great all day bike!! it eats rock gardens for lunch and despite the 29lbs loves to get some air..ive been through 2 xvert super forks i will switch to a marzochi as soon as manitou stops sending me free forks!! i have had lots of bushing problems..its to bad because its a nice riding fork...the frame rocks..get one..lots of fun in the snow...
Similar Products Used: trek bruiser..specialized p3
Bike Setup: x vert super fork, race face cranks, deore/xt drivetrain, profile stiffy stem and thomson extended insert post..(you will neeed one..i bent the other two posts.sun ryno rims laced 4 cross to deore hubs..
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Submitted by
Ben
a Weekend Warrior
from Clayton, CA
Date Reviewed: June 11, 2001
Strengths: Bombproof, Fast, Stiff, Loves to fly, agile... come on, It's a Kona!
Weaknesses: (I baugh the frame and built it from scratch, so I got all the sweet stuff on it, I hear the stock fork is crap, but who cares, we're talkin about bike here, not fork.
Bottom Line:
This bike is ths shizniggityfabpopsnapper! AND THAT"S THE BOTTOM LINE!
Similar Products Used: 96 Specialized Rockhopper A1FS, Ellsworth, Rockymountain, and trek.
Bike Setup: 99'Chute Frame custom painted royal blue and yellow, RaceFaces silver Turbine ckranks, magura HS-33 Quicksilvers, Rhinolyte rims on ringle hubs, 00'Marzocchi Z1 4", XTR derailers, XT rapid fire shifters, Azonic 2" riser bar, raceface stem, silver king headset, mythos XC tires.
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Submitted by
Evan Sklarski
a Weekend Warrior
from Calgary, AB, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2001
Strengths: -Invincible frame
Weaknesses: -stock fork was a little (well that's an understatment) cheesy -rear tire is limited to about 2.1, though I am running a 2.35, but it is slowly wearing through the seat and chain stays (due to wheel flex while riding)
Bottom Line:
Well this is a follow up reveiw, I'm entering in to my third year on this bike, the bottom line is that this is a wonderful bike, once you get rid of that excuse for a fork. It has with stood every bit of abuse I can throw at it. I do almost nothing but urban assult, and although I'm not totaly "hardcore" I do very reguarly do 5 to 6 foot drops, and even bigger jumps. I do wish that the 2.35 tire I have wasn't too big for the bike, but other than that, the only complaint I have is that the bike wheighs 38 lbs as I have it set up, but I can't really complain much cause I really don't care. Ideal buyer: You want a fun bike that will outlast your sorry ass. Don't buy this: if you want to be blasting up hills, cause although it can climb anything out there, it does wheigh 38 lbs
Similar Products Used: You name it I've probably given it a spin, though I've only put in a lot of time on a Rocky Mountain Hammer Race
Bike Setup: Stock, changed to a Jt. T up front, and added a dmr chain guide, and a ring god
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Submitted by
Erik Woeldern
a Weekend Warrior
from Sweden, Visby
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2001
Strengths: All!! The first time I sat down on this bike i knew how good it was. You feel like a pro at once! Shimano mega 9 drive train. Avid sd 1,9L levers. Kona!!!!
Weaknesses: Front fork leaks right know, so I`m going to fix it soon... I thaught arch rivals would be better, but I do not want any shimano!?!
Bottom Line:
Best bike their is. I use to have my bikes for around 3 months, but this one is never going to be for sale!!!! If you do not have a KONA, go buy one today!!!!, nothing beats them.
Similar Products Used: Lots of more expensive bikes, but none is near to this bike! Cannondale, trek Y50, Trek 7000zx, kona hahanna....
Bike Setup: Chute 17" with club roost riser bar and a ballistic cnc machined dh stem (best I have ever seen), sigma targa computer.
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Submitted by
Ryan
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego
Date Reviewed: November 7, 2000
Strengths: Strong, aggressive built frame. It never lets you feel inferior to others, or thier more expensive rides. You would never think this bike was shorted in the size of it's loafers. It truly possesses a balance like no other and craves punishment like it was sheer pleasure. Loves to do it all! Nothing less. Bought this bike (a mtn bike)with blind-folds on without doing any research. A year later I find out it won the hearts of many reviewees & riders, making it a deal of a bike, a true find! (I'm glad mine was on clearance, since I found out these went fast in some places). I bought a bike that does it all and then some. I'm scared to think of the bike I would of had, given I done more research. A Stinky Dee Lux?? haha, nah (maybe??), I love my Chute!
Weaknesses: Chain slaps frame hard, chain skipage at times of small jumps when accelerating (bad tuning of techs?) Mushy fork (I only weigh 160), rebound not as accurate as I would like. Will upgrade to a longer travel Marzocchi fork here soon. Somewhat heavy on the steep inclines. Not bad though, makes up for it in other areas!
Bottom Line:
Sweet @ss ride. No regrets. Gets people's attention I tell ya! Go buy a new one. They have discs! =) 4 Stars Value, wish it had discs sometimes. And 5 overall!!
Similar Products Used: Tested Zaskar HT, Trek, Giant, and Santa Cruz Bullit at time of purchase. The closest thing to the Chute was the Santa Cruz, but still not good enough. I first got on the Giant and was totally disapointed in how crappy it felt to ride. I rode the Chute for about 1 minute and walked out with it in less than 20. End of story.
Bike Setup: Stock. Will upgrade fork to a Marzocchi long travel. Chain rollers or serious adjustment making.
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Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Surrey, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 24, 2000
Strengths: the frame sweet ass geomentry looks sweet from any angle, especially if you're riding it kona did their homework on this one!
Weaknesses: No gusset on the head/down tube. I think I'm on my own this one but I cracked my frame at the head/down tube weld.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is this: You will have the time of your life on this frame. It is the all around, do this, then that, cut the lawn after the ride and then laundry plus the dishes!! I've never ridden anything that can compare to it. It handles like its from another planet. Made me jump further and higher without clips than I though possible for myself. You got an instant testosterone bonus once you got on it. I felt frickin invincible on the thing. And is generally the funnest thing besides mountain biking itself. The one downfall as stated earlier is I managed to crack my frame at the head/down tube weld. The real bummer was I had a custom paint job of the flaming '98 Stab. It was a one of a kind, in a kind of its own. But Kona can just improve since they've adopted the Easton RAD Tubing now. Now I just have to wait for my 2001 frame. Best of all, its FREE!!I give the value of 4 becaue I cracked it and it had a custom paint job which I almost cried over and overall, is obviously a figgity five!
Strengths: Totally nimble bike,super solid frame,great components overall for the price.
Weaknesses: The Judy is a weak shock,I am a marzocchhi fanatic so I am a little biased,the tiogas suck ass the sidewall is way tooo soft.
Bottom Line:
I own a stinky as well,my wife uses the chute more than I do but from my experiences on it,the bike rules it is totally the most nimble bike I think I have ever ridden.I wasn't impressed with the shocks,I would put a drop off on there,the tiogas are super soft but I am a big guy.overall the bike rules the weaknesses I have listed aren't even a real issue when ya think about the overall picture,the shock is good enough for the average person I am just picky.I use this bike when the stinky is broken down usually which is hardly ever.
Submitted by
Dave Morgan
a Downhiller
from Basinstoke
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2000
Strengths: Well, what can i say this is the ultimate in hardtails, i had an intense m1 and this is just that much more fun its razor handleing, tough construction, uts this bike in its own class!!!!
The bottom line is this bike is the be all, end all, free ride hardtail. I'd like to hear from you if you think you've found something better because it just doesn't exist. If you want the best quality and best time of your life go buy this bike and ride it. It's change your mind about free-ride hardtails and you'll never go back. Five (*****) turds for this one boys.
