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Submitted by
Torben R
a Cross Country Rider
from Ithaca NY, USA
Date Reviewed: May 15, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Street | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle World Greenfield MA | | Strengths: | Excellent components, strong frame, reasonable price | | Weaknesses: | Minor. Petals are a little crappy, seat is uncomfortable after a long ride. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized "General" (old MTN bike) | | Bike Setup: | I've modified it by putting on a new seat, adding specialized clip-ins, and street slicks for MTN bikes (of course). Added some trek lights (required for college riding unfortunately) | | Bottom Line: | Great overall bike for the price and I love the steel frame. You can brow-beat the hell out of it and it just keeps taking it! I've turned it over to more of a street bike now because of my living situation and lack of any free time off the beaten path, but it has adapted well to the minor adjustments I've made. It's almost too responsive on the street with the slicks. Wonderful. If you can still find this bike (I don't think Kona makes it anymore) grab it. You'll probably get a hell of a deal on a used one.
I'm personally the kind of rider that doesn't need or want all the extras like rear shocks, disk brakes etc. The components are high quality and I think anyone from a beginner to a pro could do alot with it. If you want a steel frame you really will be hard pressed to find a better ride. And "experts" could throw a little more money into this hardtail and trick it out a little more for their specific needs at little cost.
If you are a die-hard out-of-bounds rider or a downhill rider you obviously want to buy a 2K dollar bike. Not the Lava Dome. If you just love to ride, cruize, and occassionally rip it up in the woods the gearing and riding position on this bike are premium. It handles like a dream. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
donn escario
a Cross Country Rider
from atlanta, georgia, USA
Date Reviewed: September 20, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | gambrill state park | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Purchased At: | 600 | | Strengths: | light weight for a steel frame bike... lively feel. Steel is Real!! | | Weaknesses: | not much, as far as the frame goes | | Bike Setup: | rebuilt with full XTR, SRAM 9.0, Manitou SX Ti | | Bottom Line: | I bought this bike and rebuilt it was top-end components, and it's awesome! I love this bike! it's definitely worth upgrading this bike frame, since it's double butted steel! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chris
a Racer
from berkeley, ca
Date Reviewed: February 27, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$575.00 | | Purchased At: | missing link bike shop, berkeley | | Strengths: | strong & light cromolly steel butted frame, great handling | | Weaknesses: | front fork | | Similar Products Used: | many hardtails | | Bike Setup: | hope mono mini front disk, avid ti rear brake, time atac, dave's speed dream dual ust & tube rear wheel 849 gram, performance topo dual rim front wheel 814 gram. ti seatpost. sel flite gel seat. 9 speed hollowtech XT 11-34 drive train & shifters. | | Bottom Line: | five years of racing, riding, and crashing. the 4.5# frame is stil going strong, handles great. green paint looks good with all the scratches and dings protected with clear nail polish.
i can afford what ever mt bike i want, in cash.
i chose to stay with the steel lavadome frame. will keep the lavadome frame until it breaks or rots from rust.
Kona no longer sells steel bikes: now only sells one steel frame, 4.2# for about $450. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
justmarcus
a Weekend Warrior
from New Orleans
Date Reviewed: October 22, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Hopper Trail (Baton Rouge) | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Michael's | | Strengths: | The frame is sweet and the components are some of the best you can get in this price range. | | Weaknesses: | No clipless pedals. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Rockhopper, Trek 6700, Kona Blast | | Bike Setup: | This is actually the 03 model for Kona Lava Dome. This bike comes with a sweet Marzocchi Bomber fork and the same basic components as 02 | | Bottom Line: | Fantastic bike for the money. I'm a hefty dude (+ 220) and the other bikes I tested just weren't up to snuff. I also tested out the Kona Blast (same basic setup but with Aluminum frame) and the steel frame really added to the stability and overall ride. When you're on the trails the combo of the frame and excellent fork allow you to navigate some otherwise ridiculous terrain. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Martin Medynski
a Weekend Warrior
from Red Deer, AB, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 7, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Canadian Olympic Park | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Frame, Brakes, Handel Bars, Grips, Rims, Derailer. | | Weaknesses: | Fork, (Rock Shocks- Jett) | | Similar Products Used: | - | | Bike Setup: | - | | Bottom Line: | Good Bike for any technical terrain or stunts. I really enjoy riding this bike, cross-country and mountain. I would reccamend this as a first MT bike. Great for almost anything. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from California
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Skyline Park, Napa, CA | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Missing link | | Strengths: | good handing and strong yet resiliant frame. gives confidence racing down technical single tracks, drop-offs. good climber. raceable. very light for the money, under 27# with a an upgraded fork. excellent value. | | Weaknesses: | front fork, easily (and deservingly) replaced for $200~$300 by one of the '02 Marzocchi 80mm to 130 mm coil & oil forks | | Similar Products Used: | other hard tail of comparable price: specialized, raleigh, trek, schwinn | | Bike Setup: | z2 atomo bomb, clipless alum, ti seat post and saddle | | Bottom Line: | Excellent intoduction to performance hardtails, unless your racing near the podium finish in Sports class, no need to spend more $. a fun, raceable rough mtb -- just give it a marzocchi coil fork that the sweet steel frame deserves! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Uli Berger
a Weekend Warrior
from Frankfurt a.M.
Date Reviewed: February 22, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Kony Sport, Prague | | Strengths: | Rigid frame, good mix of components, very sportive geometry | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Bike Setup: | LX rear derailleur, STX front, STX rapidfire shifters, Avid Brakes, Mavic rims, Hutchinson tyres | | Bottom Line: | Got the Bike real cheap (last year's model), used it everywhere (literally all over Europe!), no flaws yet.
If you can buy it as cheap as I did, go for it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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