We don't take the naming of our bicycles lightly. It's a huge deal, with week-long focus groups and wilderness retreats (not). And this beauty is all about the name. Perhaps the best-riding hardtail mountain bike on the planet for the price, the Blast has delivered more wide-eyed smiles than we could ever keep track of. Light and lively Kona Race Light 7005 Aluminum Butted Superplastic-formed tubing, great spec, race-proven geometry-we're calling it a billion served.
Submitted by
SgtBaxter
a Weekend Warrior
from Baltimore, MD
Date Reviewed: January 4, 2012
Strengths: Excellent frame, and better package components than other brands at the same price point. Tora fork (now XC32) is great entry level fork that can take a beating.
Weaknesses: Stock pedals awful, stock Alex rims not particularly strong bent front rim in less than 3 months. Stock spring in the fork is a bit stiff for riders under say 165 lbs.
Bottom Line:
I love this bike! The frame is fantastic, light and strong. Invested in a stronger rimset for more all mountain type riding. Regularly blast this bike down the Catoctin blue trail rock gardens in western Maryland. It takes a real beating and still wants more. Really lives up to it's name.
Bike Setup: Changed tora fork to soft spring, Shimano MT55 rims front and back, and Wellgo MG-1 pedals. All other components stock.
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Submitted by
mark123
a Cross Country Rider
from portsmouth uk
Date Reviewed: June 14, 2011
Strengths: The overall quality and longevity of the components.
Weaknesses: The uncomfortable seat which was quickly replaced.
Bottom Line:
I've used this bike to travel 10 miles every day (for fitness) for the last 2 years. I only cycle on flat roads along a windy seafront and coast road but do cycle every day whatever the weather conditions are. Amazingly after the initial setup this bike has needed nothing doing to it at all apart from the very ocassional gear tune up oil. I'm astonished with it, it has been brilliant.
Submitted by
BigFoot
a Weekend Warrior
from Grande Prairie Alberta
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2010
Strengths: Good, solid frame, brakes are great and feel like hydro's. The blue colour is cool and the graphics are classic. The price was superb. Its a great beginner bike, it was for me.
Weaknesses: Fork sucks, its too stiff and it doesn't loosen up,the adjustment on it are good, but it's not the best. Front derailleur is too cheap. Tires, I didn't like the tires for my riding (street and dirt) but they did last a long time, and i don't skid!
Bottom Line:
Great price, but it isn't spec'ed well, except for the brakes,I bought a new bike with dual suspension because i realized that that was my bike style (free ride)
This bike is awesome. I have ridden this bike since 2001 and it has been great. The frame geometry is very comfortable and a yet still performs great with great rear traction. The frame has taken a pounding from my 250 lb self and has never given me any issues. Buy this bike and ride today then add a few upgraded parts and you have an amazing hard tail. I will ride this bike until i crack it in half if that ever happens.
Bike Setup: 2001 Blast, SLX rear D, Sram attack twist shifters, sram chain, avid 7 levers, new seat, all the other little things.
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Submitted by
rideorglide
a Weekend Warrior
from Long Island, NY
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2010
Strengths: Solid, reliable, better than average parts, good frame, wheels, tyres.
Weaknesses: Hollow sounding noise with some bad shifts
Bottom Line:
The geometry is very comfortable. Turns well, spot-on wheelbase. I'm used to full suspension but this one rides pretty plush for a hardtail. Solid, reliable, better than average parts, good frame, wheels, tyres.
For the money this has to be almost impossible to beat in its class. It may be kind of entry level, but it's more than that, it's just a whole lot of fun biking for the money.
Submitted by
myarros
a Weekend Warrior
from Colorado Springs, CO USA
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2010
Strengths: Love this bike. It maybe an entry level type hard tail, but it's sweet. Really nice geometry, rides great on the road and off road single track.
Bottom Line:
I love my Kona, and I'll buy another one if needed in the future. I've had this bike in the mountains in Colorado Springs area, Palmer Park trails, road, etc... Love it. After demoing other bikes, I really like how Kona's feel and ride. Others just didn't feel right to me. I'll be upgarding to a new Reba Race fork later this year, then it'll be complete !!
Bike Setup: Kona Blast 2008, upgraded deore crankset and bottom bracket (wore out the stock ones) new Ergon GP1 SE Grips, Dart 3 fork, Aero bars for daily commuting, everything else is stock.
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Submitted by
bamcky2k
a Weekend Warrior
from wales, uk
Date Reviewed: February 14, 2010
Strengths: 2010 model-the frame (17") is just superb, ultra clean lines with welds thats look like they aint there-looks like it should cost 3 times as much.intergrated headset makes the front end stiffer than earlier models and is noticeable in use.the stock components inspire confidence and will last a fair while before replacing.excellant shimano hydraulic brakes with 180mm front rotor and 160mm rear do a fab job on the stopping front.
Weaknesses: everything from the box is pretty much spot on...
Bottom Line:
and excellant buy for the money-you really wont be disappointed.from the box you'll be ripping the trails in no time.looks superb in white and turquise.geometry is spot on for all mountain trail use.all in all it cant be faulted.
Similar Products Used: kona blast 2007, specialized hardrock pro 2001
Bike Setup: stock-17" frame, rockshox dart 2 LO.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
silentG
a Weekend Warrior
from Prescott AZ
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2009
Strengths: Excellent build quality and attention to detail in the build
Rides/feels lighter than it is (around 30 lbs)
Handles really well
Very stable on trails
Climbs well
Weaknesses: Stock pedals but you already know that
A little bit choppy bombing down hills although that could be me adjusting to the feel of a hardtail more than the Blast
A bit hard to find in Arizona although this has to do with the fact that people like Kona and this model in particular
Bottom Line:
This is for a 2009 Blast
I did a ton of research before buying this thing. Looked at Fisher Wahoo Disc/Piranha, Specializd, Marin, Ibex, Fezzari, etc
Broke everything down on spreadsheets, the whole 9.
It could be awhile before I can spring for a new bike so I wanted to make sure that I spent my cash wisely.
What really sealed the deal for me was that I couldn't find anyone who had anything bad to say about Kona or anyone who was unhappy who owned a Kona.
I'm not saying those other bikes aren't good but the sum of the parts on this bike is really more than it looks on paper when you go ahead and ride it.
For example, is a Dart 2 the greatest fork in the world? No, however, it works well with the entire package.
The other nice thing is that for the cost you end up with a strong frame platform for future upgrades and sweet single track fu for years to come.
Maybe upgrade the fork to a Tora this winter, tires to WTB Weirwolf when the Maxxis give up the ghost, etc.
I definitely feel that I am the limiter in the equation rather then my Blast when it comes to what can be done on the trail.
The stock Maxxis Ignitor tires are good although they seem a bit narrow visually for 2.1 tires.
I have been running them at 40 psi out here in Arizona where we have small rocks, dirt, sand, baby heads, sharp rocks, cactus, etc
Tires have held up well in terms of durability, grip, etc
One thing I would definitely say is that you probably can't go beyond a 2.1 or maybe a 2.24 inch tire in the back. Not a lot of clearance at the top of the frame for the back tire.
5 chilis for value and 5 chilis for overall rating at this price point and for this type of bike.
Nicer/plusher rides can be had but they will cost you more clams than the Kona Blast.
Similar Products Used: Marin East Peak, Fezzari Wiki Peak, Bridgestone MB-6 back in the day
Bike Setup: Stock as a mutha except for the following:
Switched out pedals to DMR V12 mags that I already had
Put on some Avid BB-7 that I already had, stock Hayes MX-4 seemed alright though
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
captain sorebum
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa rosa, ca, usa
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2009
Strengths: Good stock pedals, good shocks for the price. Rides very smoothly and climbs well.
Weaknesses: Horrible derailer, makes a ton of noise. The stock seat.
Bottom Line:
This is a good bike for the price. I only rented it for 2 days while on vacation, but it was a fun ride for relatively smooth trails. This bike does not bomb hills; it got pretty bouncy on a poorly paved road. Anything bumpier is out of the question downhill, but it's not bad for a hardtail; the bike is quite stable, and the shocks work alright. The breaks are pretty good, definitely not bad at least.
The only real complaint I have is about the seat. The stock seat is unbearable. After riding for about 2 hours I was sore and bruised.
The derailer is kind of bad and it makes a lot of noise, but it's tolerable.
Bottom line: good bike for packed or somewhat smooth trails for the price. Kind of a bumpy ride, but still fun.
Submitted by
Ross417
a Weekend Warrior
from Ottawa, ON
Date Reviewed: July 22, 2009
Strengths: Great all-around bike. The bike feels very solid and gives me a lot of confidence. The geometry is good, and I've never gone over the handlebars. The tires work well in all conditions, and the components all do the job I expect from them. The paint finish is very good.
Weaknesses: I found the Hayes MX-4 mechanical brakes took a lot of adjusting to get set-up just right. The Rockshox Dart 2 fork comes with a stiff spring, which I believe is rated for riders >170 pounds. I find it a little heavy for me (160 pounds). After about 6 rides, the bottom bracket became a little bit loose, but the bike shop re-greased the threads and tightened it for me.
Bottom Line:
I use this bike on the trails at the local ski hill, and also for going places around town. For a bike in this price range, I'm very happy with it.
Similar Products Used: Previous bikes I used were a Rocky Mountain Soul and a GT i-Drive.
Bike Setup: 2009 Kona Blast. All stock. I ordered a less stiff spring for the fork.
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Submitted by
stu23
a Cross Country Rider
from Sweden
Date Reviewed: July 22, 2009
Strengths: Had this bike for less than a month,just got back into mountain biking and what a delight this bike is. Great climber , light and tough. Good rear starter mech deore. Shifters are ok for a start and the forks seem to work well, rock shox dart 2 100mm travel, includes the lockout key.
Weaknesses: Brakes are ok, but noticing some rubbing from the discs but i read it takes a while for them to be worn in. I also read these brakes are not great and to upgrade to Avid bb7s when possible.
Bottom Line:
Awesome bike to start mountain biking with also if you are just getting back into mountain biking like me.
Similar Products Used: this is my forth kona, 1 fire mountain-2 cinder cone- 3 muni mula and now the blast i love KONAS
Bike Setup: upgraded components, now have shimano lx cassette and chain- Shimano SLX 9-speed shifters and front and rear deraillers, Race face evolve am stem, race face evolve xc bars, and Crank brothers candy c pedals- and pancracer tires this is it so far but the shox and crank are the next to go
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Submitted by
STACK
a Weekend Warrior
from Macomb MI USA
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2009
Strengths: Durable, reliable, took me on some pretty black trails for the price i paid. Its the same bike in the picture on top, so it looked good too.
Weaknesses: None really, after four years or so my 220lb arse started to bend the handle bars, the grips use to slip off to, but thats nitpicking.
Bottom Line:
I have a "buudy" that runs a Trek store, he tells me he is going to give me 25% off cuz i've known him for 5-6 years, this sounds good but..... I have to give Kona a shot, I have had NO major repairs on my 04 Blast. The Blast has worked so well i'm almost afraid to step up a notch. It is not the lightest bike, and probobly not for serious racing, but in the "less than a thousand" range, buy one and have a blast.
What do you guys think of these bikes? I am also considering the trek 6000 but is it worth a couple hundred dollars more? Could really use the help! Read More »
Hello Fellow Tandem Mountain Bikers!
We want to get this out since there may be some of you in or near VT that may be interested in joining us for the weekend or even a day or two Read More »
A video put together by my team, Neverest, from the Snowmass race last year.
You can see the theme after a few seconds:thumbsup:
Not to knock Mojo (as they support our team Read More »
Can I safely sand blast the paint off my fork legs for a repaint? Using fine sand, not plastic media or shells.
[I]edit: Can I safely blast my magnesium fork legs, without then Read More »
