Similar Products Used: Norco 250, Avanti Hot Dog, Le toy III, DMR trailstar & sidekick etc.
Bike Setup: 17" chute, 02 drop off, 519F with XT disc hubs and Nokian NBX 2.3 tires, Prodigy DH cranks, XTR/LX, Titec. A bit lighter than Mikkos setup but this is for all-round use.
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Submitted by
Mike Thompson
a Downhiller
from New York, New York, USA
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2002
Strengths: very strong frame, big time drops, great for grabbing huge air off of the right jumps! Great geometry.
Weaknesses: tell me if you find a weakness...
Bottom Line:
Can take huge punishment, huge drops, huge air, and looks sick. Solid welds, great components. handles in air like much smaller bike. This thing deserves 10 out of five flammin' Chilis!!!!!
Similar Products Used: DMR Trail star Kona Roast Norco 125cc & 250cc Kona Stuff GT Ruckus oh yes and my old bike Trek 6500 BMX bikes like my GT performer
Bike Setup: Marzocchi Z3 Flylight 100 Blackspire Deul Slalom Chain Device Tru Vativ Hussefelt Crankset Primo Pedals Sun Ryno Lytes Kona Clumps shorty stem Aemeba Riser bar Tioga Saddle
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Submitted by
Less Than Jake
a Downhiller
from Gainsville Rock City
Date Reviewed: September 9, 2001
Strengths: This is the strongest frame ever and looks wicked in black.
Weaknesses: Absoulutly nout
Bottom Line:
I'm only reviewing the frame because I built the rest myself but the bottom line is it rules
Similar Products Used: Kona roast, GT Rukus, Kona Scab, ATX 1, Orange patriot
Bike Setup: Kona Chute, Marzocchi Z1 cr, Hope C2's, XTR, XT, DMR, F.U.N.N., Tioga, Mavic
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Submitted by
phil
a Weekend Warrior
from cumbria, uk
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2001
Strengths: frame is way strong, sorted geometry, really does handle like an overgrown bmx, handles downhill better than a hardtail should, bomber z3qr20 mega plush & no flex
Weaknesses: none (i bought a frame and made it up to my own spec)
Bottom Line:
if you like nasty ultra technical downhill trails then this bikes for you, i've never had so much fun or tried so many stupid things on any other mountain bike. this bike rules !
Submitted by
lambdabiker
a Weekend Warrior
from albany// new york
Date Reviewed: May 1, 2001
Strengths: everything// glow in the dark stickers !!!!
Weaknesses: weak kona hubs //
Bottom Line:
this bike was given to me by kona as a replacement for my roast which was warrantied because of their bad hubs which caused my tioga tire to rub on the frame, cutting into the frame.. so i recieved the last chute they had in the warehouse since they stopped making the roast so u can say i made out like a fat rat biootch
Submitted by
Vampyre
a Downhiller
from Vancouver (The North Shore!!)
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2001
Strengths: Really strong considering I weigh 200lbs
Weaknesses: odd sized seatpost(30.0) Hard to find!!
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike for beginner to advanced riders!!! I highly recommend this bike and if you ride on the "shore", the Chute is probably the only bike that can take the abuse. Those of you who are thinking of buying a new hardtail, go for the chute, you can't go wrong.
Similar Products Used: brodie big shot, specialized P3, rocky mountain slayer
Bike Setup: XT setup with XT discs.Raceface headset,titec hellbent handlebar,clubroost seat and stem,Rhynolites with IRC kujo(2.7)(front) and tioga factory DH(2.1)(rear),
Strengths: great for everything and if you don't think so e-mail me and tell me why and i'll tell you why your wrong
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
it is a great bike i do a whole lot of free riding and i haven't broken it yet and i can drop more than 8 feet with mine. i can actually do a back flip like in ride against the machine. BUY THIS BIKE
Submitted by
Marko Plese
a Weekend Warrior
from Zagreb, Croatia
Date Reviewed: November 10, 2000
Strengths: The Chute frame is incredibly stiff compared to my old frame, and since i ride size S (15') it's also very maneuverable. Handles great in fast and tight curves. It looks great small like this.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
I always wanted a bike that could do it all, and it looks like I finnaly found it. You can climb the hill, it's not easy since the bike is around 13 kilos and you have flat pedals, but it's double depending on condition. When you get to the top, you just point the bike downhill and enjoy. Bike is also jumping great since it was made for that. Despite the weight I can also do some trial stuff. Definitly the best bike I ever rode. Buy it!
Favorite Trail: everywhere where it's technical enough
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Similar Products Used: I tried the gt-zaskar
Bike Setup: manitou x-vert.r,nc-17 discbrake wheels, magura louise diskbrakes,race-face lp-cranks+bracket axel,ful sram 9.0sl group except for the cassete,azonic handelbar,kore stem,cris/king headset,tioga 2.3dh tires/for crosscountry irc mythos2.1.
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Submitted by
Tristan
a Weekend Warrior
from Comox British Columbia
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2000
Strengths: -Bombprooof -Hardtail
Weaknesses: -Weight -Hardtail
Bottom Line:
I raced the bike to a second place in a downhill, then won a trials comp the next weekend.
This bike lets you do anything: dirt jump, huge drops, urban riding, trials, singletrack, you name it. It may not be as fast as a full suspension on some stuff, but my one bike does what my buddies need two or three bikes for.
I've been trying to break the damn thing for 6 months now, but 1 set of cranks, two bottom brackets, and a rear wheel later the frame is still mint.
If you are looking for ONE bike to do it all, I would STRONGLY recomend this bike.
Similar Products Used: Marin Quake, many XC hardtails
Bike Setup: Z1 dropoffs, 321 rims, Roox bar, Gazzoladi / Kujo tires
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Submitted by
Bryan Lorencz
a Weekend Warrior
from Hinton, AB, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2000
Strengths: This bike is tough (the Easton RAD tubing is huge). It screams down hills, and I have no problems climbing anything I want.
Weaknesses: I had my dealer swap the Formula brakes for Hayes. I have not used the Formula brakes, but I heard enough bad things to stay away from them. This bike is not for everyone. It weights alot, so if weight bothers you don't even look at it.
Bottom Line:
This bike is well worth the money. It feels and rides great (confident). I use mine for ripping down hills, trials, cross country riding, drop offs, jumps, you name it. This bike is a master of all trades. It weights alot, but everytime this bike gets serious air I have no worries about breaking it. I have had no problems pedaling it up any hills I used to climb with my 25 pound hard tail (its a little slower however). Point this bike down hill, lower the seat, and hold on, the KONA Chute inspires confidence.
Originally I planned to purchase the Stinky Delux or the Pipeline (these are both awesome bikes by the way). But I ended up falling in love with the Chute after riding alot of different bikes. The hard tail freeride bike just seems a little more diverse. I can only afford one great bike, and this is the one I choose.
Strengths: - Strength of a quality downhill frameset in a hardtail, nice tubes, welds and paint - Nicely spec'd for the price (Easton tubes, solid shock, wheels, cranks, bits)
Weaknesses: IMHO the brakes are kinda poo, they have power, they just don't offer much in the way of modulation (feathering). I will also be saving for some Hayes.
Bottom Line:
Great bike for abuse in the woods or the city, just a fat old confidence building bomb of a bike. Ride one if you can find one. Also, the frame pictured on the Konaworld.com site is the 99 Chute / 2000 Roast frame painted in the colours of the 2000 Chute...Rocky Mountain Reaper, Brodie Holeshot use the same Easton RAD top/downtube as the real 2000 Chute, find a pic of them... DON'T buy this if you want a feather-weight cross country flyer, DO buy it if you break frames, like to get stupid wisely, or want big popping veins on your legs. Write for more info if you need it.
Strengths: FORK, huge front axle. Race Face Cranks. WTB Rims that take a beating
Weaknesses: Unfortunately, I have to agree with the previous opinions on the brakes. I haven't got rid of them yet but I plan on it as soon as I can afford a pair of Hayes. Cassette could be a little better quality for the money.
Bottom Line:
Buy as if it were the only bike available in the world, it should be. Seriously, unless you are totally fixated on the weight of a bike, this will be the bike for you. Rides Awesome, Up, down, and flat. No stiction in the fork, Sweetest bike I have been on. I'm considering saving up more money and getting a stinky or stinky-d.
Submitted by
Scott M
a Downhiller
from Avon, CT, USA
Date Reviewed: March 13, 2000
Strengths: Z.3 QR20 Fork RaceFace Turbine cranks This bike rides smooth, sturdy, and flies downhill, but still maintains the advantages of a hardtail (including price!)
Weaknesses: Formula mechanical pull disc brakes- they are the worst pieces of sh!t i have ever used! After setting them up diligently, just as i would set up a pair of Hayes which would work perfectly, these brakes still work like crap. I am not talking comparison to hydrolic, i am talking these brakes suck ass period. They are about as responsive as a good pair of cantilever brakes. Don't waste your time, if you put up nearly 2 grand for this bike (which it is totally worth otherwise) be sure to switch the brakes out for a nice pair of XT Vee's.
Bottom Line:
This bike kicks ass. It comes with in my opinion the second best freeride fork on the market (second only to Z.1QR20) It decends like a full suspention- it is smooth, stable, and bombproof. It comes with a solid wheelset, a disc ready setup (actualy with Formula MD-1's that you oughta replace imediately, but still the bike is ready for a pair of good old Hayes). Bottom line- if you are a freerider, that either wants a hardtail, or doesn't have the extra grand to put into the Stinky Delux, BUY THIS BIKE!
I have a 2000 chute with a marzocchi z-3 qr20 (100mm of travel). I would like to get a new fork. Would the '07 Fox Vanilla be too much travel? Would a fork with that much travel ch Read More »
After 8 years, I finally installed some disk brakes on my 2000 Chute. Does anyone know if the rear brake bosses will screw out. I don't want to torque on them if it is in vein.
Read More »
