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Submitted by
GottaGo
a Racer
from Massachusetts
Date Reviewed: July 3, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything. | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Off Craig's List | | Strengths: | Steel frame. Very nimble. | | Weaknesses: | Kona doesn't carry the paint any more so I can't restore the bike to new. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 6000. | | Bike Setup: | A combination of 8 speed Shimano XT and XTR components. Mavic wheels and Avid brakes. | | Bottom Line: | Compared to my Trek (that was a load and a half) the Lava Dome has been a riding revalation. I've totally scored. The bike is everything others have said. The steel frame is excellent. The geometry is very comfortable - and the overall ride is so responsive, its great!
If you are in the hunt for a steel hardtail and you come across one of these bad boys, grab it. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chris
a
from berkeley, ca, usa
Date Reviewed: December 16, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | Missing Link | | Strengths: | handling, durability, snappy acceleration, comfort | | Weaknesses: | no disk brake tab | | Similar Products Used: | Motobecane Fly Team, Kona Kikapu. | | Bike Setup: | Rock Shock Sid (soon to be Fox F100 or F120), Hope M4 disk, Mavic XM819/Hope Pro II hub wheel UST, 23" Seven Cycles custom titanium flatbar, XT/LX mix, Chris King headset 1999, Time ATAC, WTB ti. saddle. Initilly bought at $580 in 1998 dollars, but soon bought a Marzocchi Atom Bomb 70 mm fork, then MX ETA 100mm, then Z1 FR QR 130mm. | | Bottom Line: | Lavadome is my main "All Mountain, " XC ride, and race bike. Nearly ten years, has seen all of its components replaced at least once. I love this bike. I've bent or broken two alum. seats posts and two titanium seatposts. Now I've got Thompson Elite, but I miss having the cushy titanium feel so soon I'll have a Moots 19mm Layedback titanum seatpost next year. My go wider on the titanum handle bar, also. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Avery
a Cross Country Rider
from Catskills, NY
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | The ones you find by accident | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | Psycho bikes in London, UK | | Strengths: | Frame and Fork! | | Weaknesses: | Wheels, BB, Cranks, chain, headset and brake pads | | Similar Products Used: | Titanium Raleigh, Rocky Mountain, lots of choss | | Bike Setup: | Sensible LX cranks, the rest is XT, XTR | | Bottom Line: | There is nothing in the world with the poise, grace and feel of an old steel Kona. I bought it new back in the day and within three months I was burning up the Alps, way back in the 90's before suspension worked! I've ridden lots of other bikes and I even have two others that are supposed to be "better" but this frame just feels so good, even after so much abuse it refuses to get baggy. It still gives me that feeling of invincibility, who needs suspension when you can fly over potholes, bunny-hop boulders and ride with your hands loose letting your body steer. The headset was absolute crud and the BB crumbled into dust (because of dust?) but the Curve brakes were exquisite (I stupidly got rid of) and the scratch and sniff tyres worked well enough for their time. IF YOU FIND A GOOD FRAME and it fits GET IT, It may not be so good with modern suspension fork length, but with a good carbon fork you could ride forever! AWSOME. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
francois
a Cross Country Rider
from forestville, ca, usa
Date Reviewed: April 29, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | cobblestone - anadale state park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$275.00 | | Purchased At: | from guy who's wife never rode | | Strengths: | body geometry...keeps your weight well back for the downhills. Can't beat the cool green colour. | | Weaknesses: | haven't come accross any yet. | | Similar Products Used: | my wife's '95 cannondale f-200
my old '94 univega alpina 550
my friend's wife's '94 raleigh she bought in Mexico | | Bike Setup: | stock: indy s shock, lx rear der, stx front der, avid 1.0 v-breaks, shimano peddles, serfas "cosmo" seat, Kona "enter" and "break" tires. | | Bottom Line: | I am really enjoying this bike. Yes, it's my first with a shock (besides riding my wife's cannondale), but it feels just right and very manageable on all sorts of terrain. Like it's chromoly frame...feels less harsh than my wife's aluminium frame, and actually feels a little lighter. Tires took a little getting used to, but I think that was 'cuz I was also getting used to using the V-breaks (again, a first for me). Overall, I think this was a great buy for the money. If you come accross a used one that's not been beat on too much, you're gonna get a great bike for under $500...and that beats paying a G for a new bike anyday! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zack Tolle
a Cross-Country Rider
from Auburndale,Fl
Date Reviewed: November 19, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Carter Road | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
The name at first glance sent a masculine pulse through me..I saw it through the window and had to have it.My girl Troll girl likes it too | | Weaknesses: |
Not catwalk Friendly..
The seat leaves me swollen and inflamed. | | Similar Products Used: |
Free Spirit
OCTANE..
huffy bmx
next bmx proformer xlt | | Bike Setup: |
marzocchi z-2xfly shocks with 80mm of travel Weighing nearly 3.10 pounds, polar beat sigma 600, Syncros titanium bars, bushwacker simarron panniers, nightrider digital pro 12e,
shimano 952xtr shifter pods, kore b-52 downhill stim, syncros cranks, white industries titanium bottom bracket, bully 990 plate cool stop brake pads, michelin wild gripper light-s,GIRO nisene saddle, U.s.e. xcr shockpost, RITCHY wcs pedals, Ringler super duper 8hubs, troxexl all terrain child carrier optional... | | Bottom Line: | Look people I have invested over $5000 in upgrades And I would hope that I liked it by now... In which I do .. If you want my advice dont sit on the seat post with out a saddle ... I have tried this and it is not cool. I ride all day all night and can't get enough of my bike ..
I will have it paid off within 5 years | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dilman
a Weekend Warrior
from victoria BC
Date Reviewed: August 30, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
milstream | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
stromg frame
good breaking
good paint job (Green)
gear works well fast shifting | | Weaknesses: |
limited fork travel | | Similar Products Used: |
99 kona Blast | | Bike Setup: |
I use a 98 kona lavadome with rock shox
indy s | | Bottom Line: | I think this bike is great there is only minor things that could be improved on. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shawn
a Cross-Country Rider
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: April 11, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
value for the money | | Weaknesses: |
suspension fork | | Similar Products Used: |
fire mountain | | Bike Setup: |
indy s | | Bottom Line: | It is a good bike and it gives you your moneys worth | | Overall Rating: |
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