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Submitted by
Hayo
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Galena, ThornCreek, LSD and the LOOP | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | 650 | | Strengths: | Nice frame, stock components decent, grips good, tires good. STRONG nimble lil f'r. | | Weaknesses: | Shox are so mismatched I think Kona may have been drunk making this decision, and the seat... just buy another one immediately. Next upgrade, pedals and brakes. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is like having a new little puppy you get to ride on. CONSTANTLY waggin its tail ready and eager to jump into whatever to fetch. I live in the city, have converted the bike to slicks and city riding mostly. From tearin A$$ through the loop passing bike messengers, hittin the LSD trail, finding the open stretches, or heading out on the weekends to the trails this bike is just a happy little camper. I tested rides for a month, sat on this thing and made my decision immediately. Like the other reviews, I agree, Kona is the best bang for your buck | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a Weekend Warrior
from Anacortes, Washington, USA
Date Reviewed: December 15, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Ft. Ebey Trails in Coupeville Wash | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | Yakima Fitness | | Strengths: | Good Frame, Good Drivetrain, Good Bike, Can really take a beating (so far), frame design good, Terra Firma Tyres work good on the soft trails I ride, just as agile on asphalt than it is on dirt, Deore shifts smoothly, Bars wonderful, just the right width, wonderful wonderful bike.. | | Weaknesses: | Fork (Judy TT) a little squishy under a 6' 180 pound person. Grips have no bar ends. Seat from factory not really good collasped under a few weeks riding. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek and a Cannondale | | Bike Setup: | Stock but a Specialized Split Comfort Gel Seat (OOOOH Comfort), Thrasher wide stance pedals ( I have big feet), | | Bottom Line: | Darn Good bike for what I paid. You will love this bike. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy
a Cross Country Rider
from Warsaw, Poland
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$550.00 | | Strengths: | great frame, light wheels, good shifters and brakes | | Weaknesses: | a little bit heavy | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | fork changed to Duke XC U-turn (highly recommended), clipless pedals, WCS rear hub | | Bottom Line: | Good bike for tourists who care about the price. It's the best purchase for this price I can imagine... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gary Wood
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Whoopdeedoo | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$650.00 | | Purchased At: | Fat Tire Farm | | Strengths: | Solid frame, nice geometry. Was spec'd with decent 8 sp drive train. | | Weaknesses: | Stock fork was junky. Swapped it for a close-out SX-R. Also replaced brakes and shifters over next year. | | Similar Products Used: | Thin Blue Line Duster | | Bike Setup: | XT brakes, shifters. SX-R fork. Susp seatpost. | | Bottom Line: | Good price point. I deliberately got a mix where the drive train was decent and opted to replace the fork. The frame made it worth it, since it's the same 7005 frame that Kona uses for several higher end models.
I did a lot of XC on this bike, it is nimble, fairly light, and very durable. Components can be swapped, but the frame was always there when I needed it.
Good for entry/mid level XC riding, it can grow with the rider. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nalu
a Cross Country Rider
from California, USA
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | Atomic Bikes | | Strengths: | POINT AND SHOOT | | Weaknesses: | A LITTLE HEAVY "so what!" | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 6000, GT I-Drive, | | Bike Setup: | Actually it's the 2003 Kona Nunu / Stock | | Bottom Line: | GREAT BIKE SO FAR, RIDE EVERY OTHER DAY.
CHANGING PEDALS SOON AND PROBABLY SEAT AND POST LATER.
DISK BRAKES NOT BAD FOR NOW.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kelvin
a Cross Country Rider
from Victoria
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Hartland | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$550.00 | | Purchased At: | Performace Bikes | | Strengths: | *Excellent frame, size 21 is lightweight w/ great geometry
*Smooth Drivetrain, Shifts are percise for all 27 speeds
*Rock Shox Judy TT's are good, they soak up most vibrations for my 170lb body weight w/o being to squishy
*Avid V brakes are just as powerful as the disc brakes when i compared them to the 2003 model NuNu
| | Weaknesses: | *Seat is surprisingly uncomfortable. My old bike was dual Suspension so I may not be use to the hardtail, but just after an hour of riding hard on the bike i had a bruise on my rear for the next couple days. | | Similar Products Used: | Giant Iguna, Rocky Mountain fusion, Gary Fisher tassajara | | Bike Setup: | I changed the pedals to clipless right away, and added a gel seat cover after 2 days, probably next upgrade will be a trip computer and slick tires | | Bottom Line: | This bike is sweet. The color is beautiful, the drivetrain is smooth, and the bike just climbs hills with ease. For the price, this bike is capable of riding against other bikes double it's price. Perfect for technical riding or blazing up and down trails. Very satisfied overall :) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Pittsfield, MA USA
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | components, value | | Weaknesses: | none yet | | Similar Products Used: | none (road biker convert) | | Bike Setup: | stock with richey v.2 pedals | | Bottom Line: | i love this bike. my wife hates it because she can't get me off of it. i am a road bike convert, but i must admit that dirt is so much more fun! the bottom line is that, for the money, this bike is just plain fun to ride. it climbs like a goat and i feel safe and stable on all kinds of terrain. not the lightest bike on the trail, but for the money it has a great component group and awesome frame. highly recommended! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan Wood
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver B.C
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Sooke area, Van Isl | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | Deep cove bikes | | Strengths: | Great value and Durability for the dollar. Amazing geometry and control for pacific Northwest riding. | | Weaknesses: | Not much mud clearance in the rear chainstay if one where to change to a slightly larger tire. | | Similar Products Used: | 97 kona lava dome. Test ride of a Kona Scab to compare. vastly differnt bikes | | Bike Setup: | stock, may upgrade cranks and rims later | | Bottom Line: | I have just jumped back into riding, bolth off road cross country and commuting. I have owned a Kona before. It was a 97 Lava Dome. I went shopping for a bike that was similiar to my Dome. The instant I sat on the NuNu I knew it was the bike for me. The geometry was so instinctial, but the plus side is that everything about the bike is better and more modern than my old dome. The most important aspect about the NuNu is its value and component setup. And also the geo and durability of the frame that will take a pounding. I selected it over the Scab due to the versatility of the rig. Kona is King of bikes, especially in the 700-1100 dollar price range. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a Cross Country Rider
from Carrboro, NC< USA
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$649.00 | | Purchased At: | performance | | Strengths: | A beautifully balanced and controllable bike. | | Weaknesses: | Make sure you remember to tighten every little screw and bolt on the bike, I've already lost a couple. The pedals aren't the greatest. | | Similar Products Used: | Some Giant, I wasn't too impressed with. | | Bike Setup: | Shop. | | Bottom Line: | This is just a brilliant bike. I've put it through some serious 'welcome to your new owner' poundings, and I'm clearly the weakest link. It's not an intimidating bike in any way, so it's ready for beginners, but if you want to take it to Hell and back, then it's more than capable. The shocks are top, the brakes are excellent and the overall balance of the bike is just fantastic. I don't think you can find a better quality bike in the price range.
And it's a Kona, so what more can you ask for? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Danny Jones
a Weekend Warrior
from UK
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$550.00 | | Strengths: | handling, strength, gears, brakes(when setup well) | | Weaknesses: | fork- good if you dont hammer, ooops, pedals- no grip , rims- not very strong | | Similar Products Used: | dawes thingymajig, GT agressor, Kona scab , spezialised hardrock | | Bike Setup: | as stock + d521, primo pedals , x-lite seat | | Bottom Line: | I ride XC and jump on this im now to keep the bike alive going to get a scab but it has served me well. Trashed rear rim riding over logs. The fork is dire go rigid or get an MXC. As good up or down hill handles as if on rails. Fast and confidence building.
Highly recommended. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
brian marang
a Cross Country Rider
from anchorage
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Resurection | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | AK Mountain Bike | | Strengths: | Great overall bike for the price. Road great and has required little maintenance. Good Breaking components, smooth shifting, good gearing for road or trail. I also really enjoy the wide handle bar, it makes for a comfortable ride for wide sholders. | | Weaknesses: | Don't really care for the Judy Shock seams sticky and hard to get adjusted. Seat was, well a new bike seat. Replaced it in the first month. Back tire is wearing fast I have put around 500 Miles on the bike must under high pressure on asphalt. | | Similar Products Used: | Mongoose IBEC, Slingshot, Novara | | Bike Setup: | Standard | | Bottom Line: | I am really happy with the bike. A bargain bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
will Kearns
a Downhiller
from Halifax, Nova Scotia,Canada
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | whopper drop | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Cyclesmith | | Strengths: | this bike has great cross country parts like a deore 9 speed and it's truvativ cranks.There are nice kona factory parts like the stem and the handle bars. nice Frame, Too. | | Weaknesses: | it has very annoying pedals that scape if you don't put you're feet in them and it also has a very crappy seatpost. | | Similar Products Used: | kona Stuff,Giant rincon, iguana and a crappy nakamura. | | Bike Setup: | it has pretty much stock but it has lizard skins,top tube protecter. | | Bottom Line: | it is a great bike with great parts and it is a great value. The first thing that you should do to it is get some new pedals and then it is an awesome ride at an awesome price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
EDE
a Cross Country Rider
from Budapest, Hungary
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Frame geometry is perfect for technical singletrack, and still light enough, not so bad components, the complete bike is light enough for this price (weights in at 12,8 kg), the frame worths upgrading, the tire selection is very good | | Weaknesses: | Flexible chainstays (because ofthe double "s-bend"), the wheels are light but not strong enough, Kona spares on the hubs (basically acera), the fork (judy tt) doesn't match the quality of the bike, not enoug mud clearance at the chainstays for a 2.1+ tire | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | I changed the brake system for a Shimano Lx, the rear der. -> XT, the wheels, and I needed a longer saetpost for the 16" frame, the pedals for shimano m535 and start to think about changing the saddle - it's comfortable, but the rails are not the best. | | Bottom Line: | A fine trail-riding bike, you should have a lots of fun riding it, without the upgrades too, but when upgrading it, you'll see...
Recommended for everyone who's lookin for a great hardtail on a budget! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jonathan
a Cross Country Rider
from Sthlm, Sweden
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Backyard | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$830.00 | | Purchased At: | Sweden | | Strengths: | Nice looking, good components. | | Weaknesses: | Not so good fork (judy tt) Will probably upgrade it soon.
The wheels could be better. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Stock so far. | | Bottom Line: | Its a really good bike for the price, you can have a great time on it and its a perfect frame for upgrades! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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