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Submitted by
dan Sturton
a Cross Country Rider
from Stuttgart, Germany
Date Reviewed: November 12, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | up hill and down dale | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Paul's Cycles, UK | | Strengths: | Brilliant frame - geometry and material.
Good components. | | Weaknesses: | Stock seatpost, American Classic, is crap. It comes loose and there's no way of sorting it other than chucking it and buying a decent one.
Lack of rear dropouts for disc brake. though I think they've added them to the 2005 model(?) | | Similar Products Used: | Many aluminium framed bikes and older Scott Steel frame bikes | | Bike Setup: | Standard except for Syncros Ti seatpost, avid ss 7 v-brakes, XTR hubs/Mavix 517 rims I built on the cheap, Schwalbe fast fred tyres. Raceface riser bars cut 2" shorter. Soon to get 2 x 20 Watts of homemade blinding bright bike lights. | | Bottom Line: | So light yet feels so much stronger and chuckable than aluminium bikes. Steel absorbs so many of those repetitive vibrations that make aluminium frames a no-no for anything more than about, well, the distance it takes from your house to the woods. Also flexes in a helpful way when out of the saddle up hills.
The standard components are very good and Kona seems to know the right stuff to use (eg Avid brake system not Shimano)
People complain about the paint chipping but I reckon that happens on any bike (unless the bike is brushed titanium and so doesn't have any paint, but of course we explosif owners do not recognise the existence of Ti frames). Do of course have to keep an eye on it cos of the dreaded rust
I'm that taken with mine and that sad that I've even given it a name. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sherri
a Weekend Warrior
from MI
Date Reviewed: April 16, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Poto | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$950.00 | | Purchased At: | Bought used | | Strengths: | Lightness, maneuverability, great climber, top-notch components,color. | | Weaknesses: | Haven't found any yet, well........maybe change out the seat to conform to a woman's anatomy. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 4900 WSD | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | Excellent bike. I was shocked at the lightness of the bike-- lighter than my aluminum Trek. Climbs like a billygoat, takes bumps well, makes you a better rider.
A little high priced if you buy it new (1400.00) but I got it used, paid 950.00 and traded in the Trek. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael
a Weekend Warrior
from Ottawa, ON, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 8, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Pink Lake | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | Full Cycle | | Strengths: | One of the smoothest rides on this beauty. You can push it to the extreme and the bike seems to perform even better. Super light, maneuverable and the color is perfect. | | Weaknesses: | Nothing stock only the junk pedals I added on after purchasing.....other than that can't think of any. | | Similar Products Used: | 99' Trek 7000 | | Bike Setup: | Stock with Marzocchi ERX Bombers | | Bottom Line: | New or used if you can get your hands on this ride do it, no regrets. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luke
a Cross Country Rider
from USA
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Ride quality, weld/build quality. Amazing ride. It feels like it is on rails. Doesn not jump around, does not need a lot of input. Just focus where you are going, point the bike, and let it go -- All without sacrificing quickness. The frame soaks up bumps. STEEL IS REAL. Fairly light. I love it. | | Weaknesses: | No disk tabs. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 7000 | | Bike Setup: | Crossmax UST, Chris King, SID SL, Titec X-Wing, WTB Rocket saddle, XT Crankset, XT shifters, Cane Creek levers, Easton EA70, Shimano 959's | | Bottom Line: | As mentioned above, the frame does not have disk tabs. To me, this is not a big deal. I prefer V's to save some weight, and they stop the bike just fine for XC riding.
All in all, a great frame at a great price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Anders
a Cross Country Rider
from Stockholm,Sweden, Europe
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere in the woods! | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Cykelspecialisten | | Strengths: | Light, fast, nible, geometry, handling, fun and great in the technical stuff.Steel rules! :-)
Value for money.Price is pretty competitive even i Europe | | Weaknesses: | Seatpost! Saddle went lose on a long trip after that it unscrew itself all the time!
And it got bent to, it's on my dealer for reclamation, got a temporary replacment. Maybee should have had barends from factory ? | | Similar Products Used: | GT Karokoram -99 | | Bike Setup: | Stock with BBB trailmonkey barends. I'm going to buy a pair off crossmax wheels for races and special events, when they are on sale! | | Bottom Line: | I'm very satisfied and happy with this bike. I put some mileage on this bike on singletrack, gravel roads over roots and rocks and it's so smooth and inspiring. Very responsive on singeltrack, yet stable on fast gravel roads(fire roads US)
I love the steel frame and the geometry & color.
This bike rocks!
With a pair of crossmax wheels this will be an even lighter killer! :-)
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
matt
a Cross Country Rider
from dover, nh
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1299.00 | | Purchased At: | bicycle bob's | | Strengths: | sweet color, light as all, awesome comps. great geometry with the sloping top tube. the frame is the beauty of this bike. great response to the trail. steel really absorbs the hits and then returns the energy to the trail and not your butt. XT and XTR drivetrain really is smooth shifting, avid sd5 brakes are unbelievable, definately comparable to any mech disc brakes. | | Weaknesses: | paint and decals scratch very easily. tioga factory 1.9's are definately not up to mud. handle bars are to short for my liking. this is a personal preference though. i like to ride with a wide grip as well as have bar ends | | Similar Products Used: | khs comp montana, 24spd xt lx drivetrain, rigid fork | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | i don't think there is a better hardtail out there. i rode every hardtail that was in the $1000 to $2000 range, and this was by far the best riding bike there was. if you are going for a race ready hardtail, this is it. gary's and stumpjumper m4 are crap compared to this ride, the jamis was ok, but just was missing the same feel as the kona. stay away from alm frames. they are not even close to this steel frame. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
T.G.
a Cross Country Rider
from Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
Date Reviewed: June 17, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | All Weather Sports | | Strengths: | Frame, component value, lightweight steel hardtail | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Bridgestone MB-2, Kona Cinder Cone | | Bike Setup: | Stock in summer with Rigid Project 2 fork and Snow Cat wheels in winter | | Bottom Line: | Value. This is a true temper OX Platinum frame with XT and XTR components and a good fork for a great price at retail (1400). As a shop employee I got a bro' deal from Kona. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel Matias
a
from Sintra, Portugal, Europe
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Urban, XC | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Local Store | | Strengths: | Very light for a 19' frame, good looking and it´s a Kona | | Weaknesses: | That paint really does flake off easily. | | Similar Products Used: | First I used a Manitou frame (alu7005), excellent for cross-country but this frame broke after 2 years of hard use. After that I changed my idea of aluminum bikes and changed to chromoly bike frames. | | Bike Setup: | Frame Explosif 97, gears cranks shimano xt, sintesi Dh bars, white industries hubs, mavic sup rims, rock shocks Quadra 21r (very old but very robust),spd shimano 535 | | Bottom Line: | it has a fantastic frame,with an excellent handling, very light. At first I used it in cross country races and now i use it in freeride. This bike can endure jumps, whellies and lots more... whatever you want to do with it, it'll be there. You field confidence when you take big drops. I love this bike ... I love this bike ... show it for the crowd !!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ian Hill
a Cross Country Rider
from Houston Tx
Date Reviewed: March 6, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | anything with dirt | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay(new) | | Strengths: | Super frame and parts. Price. Even at 1400 this bike rocks!
NO ONE HAS ONE!!! | | Weaknesses: | Wheels could be better. | | Similar Products Used: | Jamis Dakota xc {Not even close to the kona. Spend the extra 100 and get a real bike) IBIS Mojo, Bontrager RaceLight, Schwinn Homegrown, DeKerf | | Bike Setup: | Stock. I may change the wheels when the stock ones die on me. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is great. I was going to build a Soulcraft but couldn't see spending 3,000 plus on a bike again. I've had an IBIS Mojo and a pre Trek Bonty Racelight and this bike is damn near as nice for half the price. No bike, no matter how nice will be your last bike. I built my last two bikes from the ground up. In the longrun the were not that much better for a hell of alot more money. If you want a REAL steel bike, built by guys who ride bikes this is the real deal with money left over. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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