Plan on having this bike for the rest of your life, because we designed it that way. We've focused solely on providing you with endless freedom and fun on one of the mountain bike industry's longest-running models. While our 2012 Cinder Cone is by far the most refined to date, with contemporary geometry and a modern look, the legend still has a long life ahead. Feel free to jump on for the ride.
Submitted by
wheeledwarrior
a Cross Country Rider
from Hamilton, Ontario Canada
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2010
Strengths: I've ridden it a few times, about 200 miles in total, and i'm not professional. I love the comfort whether riding trails, gravel, road, the hydraulic braking system is fantastic, gears change easily. It rides light but strong. None of the gearing and braking problems I'd had on a previous Cannondale F5. The shocks are the best I've had after five years of trying different hardtails out. I've seen our city police officers on Kona bikes and decided to try it out. I've seen hard downhillers on them, and I'm a 47 year old arthritic man who hasn't suffered unduly for riding this. It's for everyone, seriously.
Weaknesses: It feels like a cheap seat, but this is easily changed with a new one soon enough.
Bottom Line:
THIS is the bike I'll stick with and not want to get rid of. After two back to back century rides last June in a charity ride weekend on the Cannondale F5 where I had nothing but trouble, this is the bike that likes road when necessary and loves the trail. I've found my bike.
If you're going to trick ride, definitely not for you, but if you ride road, trail and occasionally act like you're 16 on a bike, you'll like this one.
Favorite Trail: Hamilton to Cambridge, Ontario Rail Trail
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At: Pieriks Cycle
Similar Products Used: Cannondale 2009 F5, Trek 3900.
Bike Setup: I love everything.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
While At ROme
a Downhiller
from Salt Lake City, UT
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2010
Strengths: Great package, comes with pretty good components for the price. The LX works great when you keep it tuned, the brakes are more than enough for the bike, fork is great for XC.
Weaknesses: Personally i like a little more head angle and a bigger fork would be nicer.
The stock pedals suck (almost an invalid point because you dont test ride in a parking lot with clipless).
Similar Products Used: Specialized Rockhopper, Demo 8, IH yakuza, Giant AC
Bike Setup: All stock save the Rockshox bash ring, SPD pedals
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Submitted by
urbansaint
a Weekend Warrior
from Roseburg Oregon
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2010
Strengths: light,comes with Rock Shocks DART 3 forks,
Weaknesses: De-railer hits frame when you jump, creating a loud banging sound it sounds like something is breaking! I bought a lizard skin but that did nothing so I took a innnertube and cut it just small enough to rap around the frame at the point of impact and held it on with a zip tie. This took the soound down all teh way!!
Bottom Line:
love the bike, i woul like to have some wider tires however. If anybody knows by chance how wide of a tire i can fit using dart 3 forks i would love to know!!
Bike Setup: shimano doer hydralic disk brakes.... Maxxis ingitor tires...dart 3 suspension
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Submitted by
mattgeode23
a Cross Country Rider
from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 30, 2010
Strengths: The whole thing!
Weaknesses: Nothing really to mention other then the weight and perhaps a more comfortable seat!
Bottom Line:
GET IT, if you do a lot of riding including city and trail. I wouldn't take it on jumps. (it wasn't really built for it. though it could take it) the whole new 2010 set up was really nice, excellent smooth shifting, braking with the hydraulic brakes are a very welcome blessing!
I found the Kona bike fits nicer then the Rocky Mountain, though I HIGHLY recommend both, and that the fit is up to each and every owner.
Similar Products Used: Other Konas, and Rocky mountians.
Bike Setup: 2010 version. : http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=cindercone
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Submitted by
asdf
a Cross Country Rider
from Antartica
Date Reviewed: December 22, 2009
Strengths: brakes, fork, wheelset(strong as hell)
Weaknesses: pedals are junk
Bottom Line:
This obviously isnt the lightest bike u can find in this price range. But it definitely rides better than the others. I like the stiff fsa alpha drive cranks that comes with the bike, but after sometime there would be a clicking sound and i needed to tighten the crankarms. Maxxis ignitor were good while they lasted. I tore the sidewall when it brushed against pointed concrete caused by an overgrown tree beside a pedestrain path. The riser bars are really skyscrapers and they are really wide. I like the width alot, but i think the bars rise too much. It comes with a short stem too, probably 50mm. Dart 3 is plush and i can use 80mm of the travel even though i am only 120lbs. Rebound damping could easily be adjusted, but the o-ring could easily be broken. The lockout was broken when my overweight friend humped it while it was locked.. Generally, this bike puts u into a more upright position than other xc bikes. Fast ascends, faster descends. I would say this is a "trail" bike, not a xc bike.
Similar Products Used: wheeler pro 29(sucks to the core)
Bike Setup: my bike is the 2008 version and i bought it in 2009 as there was a major discount
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
LeonardoVZLA
a Cross Country Rider
from Caracas,Miranda,Venezuela
Date Reviewed: September 14, 2009
Strengths: Strong frame, comes with good tyres(ignitors), deore shift pods and front derraileur.
Weaknesses: the brakes simply suck(shimano 486) not reliable while going downhill,bad shifting,rear slx derraileur,the crankset is too heavy all this components make the byke be too heavy.
Bottom Line:
It's an amazing starter byke, i was between the caldera and this one but looking at the price i paid you can see i got ripped off,i'ts like everything in my country....too expensive. but when i realized that the caldera did not have lock on i decided to go for this one, maybe the stock brakes are ok and everything i saw as a weakness is ok knowing that i'm in no position to demand much from an entry level bicycle because i weight 229 pounds. i would recommend this product to anyone.
Bike Setup: kickass avid juicy 5 brakes, rockshox reba race fork,small shimano spd pedals and big heavy spd pedals(depends on the activity), 143 specialized phenom saddle(to protect the nutsack),front and rear xt derraileurs, xt shiftpods,xt crankset,mavic crosstrail disc wheels, kenda nevegal 2.35 f/r and sunline logo lock-on white grips.
Strengths: Great frame geometry, handles very well, good value for spec.
Weaknesses: Pedals, noisy brakes
Bottom Line:
I got this as an 08 model at end of 09 model year hence heavily discounted at £450 from £600 rrp. Was to replace a stolen Trek 6500.
Find very quick and nimble through the trails, fork performs well for a budget fork (rockshox dart 3), seems very solid and handles my 215lb weight very well.
Main bad point is the pedals which look very cheap, and once replaced I was relieved to find that a loud creaking noise was coming from the cheap pedals rather than my bottom bracket as feared! Hayes stroker ride brakes squeal very loudly, have ordered different brand pads which will hopefully help. Overall very good for the price I paid!- even adding on about £100 of upgrades.
Bike Setup: Kona Cinder Cone 08, Easton EA70 stem and handlebars.DMR V8 pedals.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
cool breeze
a Weekend Warrior
from Boise, Idaho, USA
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2009
Strengths: Robust and unbreakable. Never flinches no matter the situation or terrain. A lot of bike for the money.
Weaknesses: Heavy-ish. Pedals. Cheaper fork shows its age before long.
Bottom Line:
I think I lucked out with the 2004 version of the Cinder Cone. In all subsequent years, they've downgraded some of the componentry to stay more in line with the prescribed price point. If you want a Kona as good as the '04 Cinder Cone right off the shelf, you're going to have to upgrade to the Caldera.
I cannot believe the abuse I've dished out to this thing, and it keeps coming back for more. There were times when I punished it even more than I had planned on and thought, "Oh man, the bike's not going to be the same after this." Wrong! This thing is a tank. Not even remotely sleek or sexy, it is instead strictly utilitarian and humorless. The Cinder Cone gets the job done, and never expects a "thank you."
Submitted by
johnyoics
a Weekend Warrior
from Cincinnati
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2009
Strengths: Good solid Kona frame, Hayes Hydro brakes, and overall great component package for this price range.
Weaknesses: Early Rock Shock Dart's have a reputaion for failing but I have not had any problems
Bottom Line:
Only been on the trials one day since purchase but I am comfortable sayin this is a great bike in the mid-level range. All Deore with LX RD and Hayes brakes made it a better buy than any other $700-850 bike I tested. I prefer the flat style XC bars versus the risers that came on the 08's but that can be any easy fix. If there are any 08 left-overs I would look into it. I got a good deal on a great bike!
Similar Products Used: 1996 Miyata Elevation, STX/LX setup bike. Tested Fuji Tahoe Comp, Specialized Rockhopper disk, and Jamis bikes.
Bike Setup: Mostly stock, swapped out seat with my old bike, will be adjusting riser/ handle bars for a more aggresive position.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
lozen
a Weekend Warrior
from Edmonton,Alberta,Canada
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2008
Strengths: Disc brakes
Weaknesses: Overall the whole bike is a hunk of junk. Nothing but repairs after repairs. I have an Old Trek that has been more reliable and is older and was cheaper
Bottom Line:
Maybe I just got a Lemon But I just put in another $300 on this bike and it still rides like crap. Gears are clunky and dont change well as well as a noise from the bike I just cant find.
Bike Setup: 2007 stock apart from WTB all terrainasaurus tyres
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Submitted by
Ryan Beikirch
a Weekend Warrior
from Beck Row UK
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2008
Strengths: Almost everything, mine has the hyd. hayes sole brakes, and marzocchi mz fork with lockout the two things most people don't seem to have on theirs and they've worked great for me.
Weaknesses: Saddle wasn't my favorite although thats preference it was perfectly fine, pedals seem like they could be better, brake disks seem to rub quite easily but maybe thats just me, but i still like the brakes. SRAM chain with powerlink would be better than stupid shimano pins.
Bottom Line:
Great buy for everything but phsyco DH or freeride, best bang for your buck in my opinion for everything else.
Bike Setup: Stock(Hayes Sole Hyd. Brakes, Marzocchi mz fork w/lockout) with Azonic Big Drop Saddle, Blackspire Bashguard
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Elliot
a Downhiller
from Franklin, TN USA
Date Reviewed: March 24, 2008
Strengths: everything! even with the stock components, you can stil ride hard and not worry about the bike
Weaknesses: none at all
Bottom Line:
amazing bike. with upgrades could be the only bike you would ever need. frame is strong and could be built up for any type of riding. buy it, you wont be dissapointed.
Similar Products Used: specialized hardrock. trek zx 7000.
Bike Setup: upgraded to sun single track rims. dt stainless spokes. maxxis holy roller tires. truvativ hussefelt bar and stem. fsa seatpost. lizard skins chain stay protector. shadow conspiracy grips. everything else is stock... for now
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Submitted by
Julius Charlie
a Cross Country Rider
from Gallup, NM
Date Reviewed: October 7, 2007
Strengths: Frame, drivetrain, Shifters
Weaknesses: Handle bars, seat, pedals, fork
Bottom Line:
I just started riding, and picked the Kona CC based on Mountain Bike Rider magazine's review. I learned an incredibly amount on this bike. I highly recommend for an entry level rider.
As I progressed, I noticed the Rock Shox Dart 2 (w lockout) was not stiff, and too plush for aggressive XC riding. It was not responsive in fast winding & rocky sections. This caused me to lose control, and wreck (frame is super tough!) The lock out was a plus, but the fork made the bike too heavy & after time, felt very sluggish. The R7 made this bike ride like a completely different bike!
The seat also was designed for a nice cozy ride in the park, and didn't allow you to shift around the bike in every changing trails. The handle bars were too high, putting you in too upright of a position. Great for a daily cruise, but made it difficult for steep climbs & fast downhill sections.
after the above component changes, the bike was converted into a great XC trail bike suitable for racing & long epic rides. I rode 2 races, and the bike more than handled. Fork & drivetrain (very stiff bb/cranks for power, and outstanding shifting) are the highlights of this setup. The wheelset are durable, but not light at all. The brakes are fair.
I am looking at getting a new hardtail to finally replace my 2001 Yukon SE, both the Cinder Cone and XTC 1 are in the same price range, used for $600. Both are very comfortable, I' Read More »
Hello all
I was wondering if you guys could give me some advice. I'm looking to get a bike that can handle the terrain anywhere I want to take it. I probably won't be looking to Read More »
Thanks to everyone that helped me out on this build! You might have already seen my blog on it, but I know that can be a pain in the ass..."hey, go to my blog man!"....so here are Read More »
Hello all,
This is my first post.
My LBS has two hardtails I'm considering, both on sale for $799 (which is the top end of my $600-800 budget range):
1) '09 Kona Cinder Con Read More »
