By combining the advantages of the 2-9 wheel with the lightweight properties of the Hei Hei, we’re now offering two great tastes that taste great together. 3.5 inches of rear travel on an all Scandium frame,rolling with 2-9 wheels.
Submitted by
dgangi
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix, AZ Date Reviewed: August 31, 2009
Favorite Trail:
The one that I'm riding on
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
Slippery Pig Bikes
Strengths:
Climbs great, handles the downhill/tech great, suspension works well (you don't even notice it doing its job), laterally stiff frame, handles superb (with fork @ 100mm), sweet paint scheme ('08), nice part spec for the money
Weaknesses:
Stock wheelset, occasional chainsuck when bike was new
Similar Products Used:
Bianchi Rita singlespeed (my other 29er), demo'd various other 29er FS bikes
Bike Setup:
16" frame set up stock except the wheels (replaced w/Hope + Stan Arch), bars (Easton Monkey Lite 685mm), and stem (Ritchey 4-Axis).
Bottom Line:
This bike kicks it. Period. It is easily the funnest bike I've ever owned. It climbs like a goat (yes it's a cliche...but it is true), it rolls downhill surprisingly well for an "XC" bike (even the tech stuff), and it handles great. The 4-bar suspension works flawlessly...so much so that I rarely find myself reaching for the pro pedal. The white-on-black-on-polished AL paint scheme looks sweet...and with the exception of the wheelset, the part spec is great.
I bought the Hei Hei to be my "endurance XC" rig, and for that it has fit the bill perfectly. I've gone on a few 8+ hour races and the bike is infinitely more comfortable than my old 26er XC setup. The Hei Hei would also excel as a 24-hour race bike (which I plan to do as well).
After 6 months of ownership, there are only 2 complaints I have:
1) At first I experienced intermittent chain suck (it has pretty much gone away now). My friend had the same issue with his Hei Hei and the LBS swapped the crankset out for an XT and his problems went away immediately. The chainsuck on my bike was never enough of an issue to bother. FYI -- I had Race Face Deus cranks on my previous bike (Giant NRS) and I also got chain suck on that bike after the install...so the profile on the Race Face chainrings must be be causing the problem until they wear down a little. Regardless, it's not that bad...I just take care not to shift to the small ring when under heavy load.
2) The stock Sun Equalizer wheelset is not very good. This should come as no surprise as I've never seen a sub-$4000 stock bike come with anything decent. I sold the Sun wheels for $100 and applied the cash towards a Stans Arch/Hope build and it rocks.
Also - if you are a Hei Hei owner, I have one suggestion: bump the Reba to 100mm. Kona set the Reba at 80mm at the factory. I'm not sure why. I rode the bike for a month at the stock setting...and then bumped it to 100mm. Handling improved noticeably afterwards -- there is less tendency for "fall-in" on hard cornering. I've felt this on other 29'er bikes with 80mm forks as well. My Bianchi Rita has a similar geometry but the Reba was set at the factory at 100mm. I really liked how the Bianchi handled, so I figured I would try going to 100mm on the Kona and see what difference it makes. That 20mm difference makes the bike handle better (probably slackens out the HTA by 0.25 degrees). So if you're still running the fork at 80mm, try bumping it to 100mm and see what you think.
My bike weighs just over 27 lbs, which isn't that bad considering I didn't try to go light with anything. I'm guessing I could get under 25 pounds with a lighter wheelset and possibly swapping out some other components for weight weenie stuff. But I've long given up that battle and would prefer mid-level "durable" components that last longer than 1 season. So far everything is holding up just fine.
In summary, even with the few flaws, I still give 5 chilis to the overall the package. I don't give out 5's too often, but this bike is just too much fun to give it anything lower. Any time that I want to do a non-DH ride, this is the bike that I reach for.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tiva
a Weekend Warrior
from Lubbock, TX, USA Date Reviewed: July 12, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Mae Simmons
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1700.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Comfortable. Climbs well. Faster than my other bike. Lighter than my other bike.
Weaknesses:
Saddle could be more comfortable. I would have preferred to have SRAM derailleurs and shifters rather than the Shimano's.
Similar Products Used:
This is my first 29er. My other bike is a built-up Trance 4
Bike Setup:
2008
Bottom Line:
I'm impressed with the 2-9. It is faster than my Trance4 on the single track. It climbs shelves better. Climbing hills may be better although I haven't compared them on consecutive climbs. I couldn't resist the price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
STT GUY
a Cross Country Rider
from Virgin, UT Date Reviewed: May 19, 2009
Favorite Trail:
JEM/Goulds/Hurrican Rim
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2300.00
Purchased At:
Over the Edge Hurric
Strengths:
Great traction. Stand up and hammer it and the back digs in, not spins. Friggin fast....!I mean really fast. Te big wheels make it feel like a 5 inch bike.
Weaknesses:
The stock wheels suck! I'm 180lbs and these things needed truing constantly. The spokes lossened up like the rpom queen at midnight. I finally went with Stans Flow from Bike29.com...... very happy now.Chain suck. I clean the chain and lube it like clockwork...the problem went away.
Similar Products Used:
None.
Bike Setup:
Fork is on 100mm travel and this slows the handling just a skosh and I like it. It wanted to fall into corners with the 80mm setting.
Bottom Line:
Good stuff and the Deluxe model sounds even better.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
sreeddowns
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, AZ, USA Date Reviewed: November 8, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Desert Classic
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1999.00
Purchased At:
Slippery Pig
Strengths:
My first 29er. It handles a lot better than I expected. Climbs great and rolls with ease over areas I have difficulty with on my 26. It's fairly light weight at 29 lbs. And, for a few hundred bucks the wheels, seatpost, and bars could be replaced to lose a few more pounds.
Weaknesses:
Wheels and cranks. I kept getting chain suck with the stock Race Face crankset when shifting from the middle chain ring to the small ring. After several trips to the shop Kona paid for Shimano XT cranks and rings. Still getting chain suck, but not as often. I'm going to grind the gears off the big ring to fix the problem. The stock wheels make a lot of noise and can't handle dropping too far.
Similar Products Used:
Ellsworth Evolve
Bike Setup:
Stock, except for XT cranks.
Bottom Line:
I've put 300 miles on this bike in the last month. It's overall a great bike. It handles great and climbs like a mountain goat. Unfortunately, I think there's a design flaw on the frame that's causing the chain suck. But, for the price I don't think you can get a better bike with better components.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rob
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, AZ Date Reviewed: February 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:
phoenix mountain preserve
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$4000.00
Purchased At:
Slippery Pig
Strengths:
lightweight frame, feels great when out of the saddle. hayes Stroker Carbon brakes feel great in your hands.
Weaknesses:
seat angle is too steep for an all mountain bike. Stock wheels are heavy (I would pay $100.00 more for lighter hubs).
Similar Products Used:
Turner Sultan (14months), Ventana El Ray(6 rides). countless 29er hardtails.
Bike Setup:
Maverick DUC fork, King wheels/ headset, Sram drivetrain, Stock brakes, blah blah blah.(stuff that brought the price way up).
Bottom Line:
I added a fork that raised my front end up 30mm, which changed my angles by 1° (71° head angle/ 74° seat angle). I also added a layback seat post which slackened my seat angle another 1° to 73°. It is now the same geometry as my Turner Sultan. I was kind of leary at first to sell a Turner and replace it with a Kona, but I cannot say that I can tell any real difference. The Kona frame is 4 oz lighter, and feels just as smooth. The bike climbs efficiently, and feels stable on the descents. I rode it once with the original fork, and I felt it was too racey, which made it climb great, but on technical descents it felt like I was pitched over the bars. The taller fork helped that, as well as slamming the saddle back as far as it would go. Buy this bike and ride it's stock geometry if you want a fast handling, super climber, that is less at home on the descents. Add a taller fork if you want a more stable all mountain bike. 5 Chilies for value since I cannot tell any real difference from my Turner. 5 chilies overall since I cannot tell any real difference from my Turner
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
JEFF HOSKINS
a Racer
from NORMANGEE Date Reviewed: February 5, 2008
Favorite Trail:
ROCKYHILL RANCH
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2499.00
Purchased At:
NRC/PEDALMASHERS
Strengths:
First 29er fast , smooth efficient,well balanced machine. Climbs verywell in or out of saddle,Propedal turned on climbs like a hardtail .Traction great , steers and easy too control.Definitely a bike too recomend for all levels of riders and racers! NO PLASTIC!!!!!!!
Weaknesses:
Tad on the heavy side.Weight wennies lookout! This bike will carry you too speeds that will top the next climb.Not for the faint at heart!
Similar Products Used:
khs 504 khs 704, santa cruz superlight.
Bike Setup:
19 inch ,AMC CLASSIC WHEELS, STANS CROWS TIRES WITH NO TUBES SEALANT RIM TAPE STANS.RITHEY STEM CARBON BAR.
Bottom Line:
NOT FOR SELL
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Serge Viau
a Weekend Warrior
from Rancho Santa Margarita Date Reviewed: February 1, 2008
Favorite Trail:
san juan trail
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$2400.00
Purchased At:
the Path Bike Shop
Strengths:
Light, good package for the price,
Weaknesses:
tires
Similar Products Used:
Kona Coiler, Ellsworth Moment
Bike Setup:
changed Seat post for Thomson Changed Seat for Specialized Avatar changed Front tire for 2.35
Bottom Line:
I had loved the 29er from the start when I tried the hard tail but when I tried the Hey Hey,I had a bike I would ride in every type of trails. I have ridden this bike on every one of my favorite trails and the only time I missed my Ellsworth 26 is on steep rocky sections, but the climbing is worth the effort of picking better lines. The bike handles great, rolls over obstacles effortlessly on the climbs and has an amazing control on the single tracks. I had this bike for 2 months and about 200 miles, and have not ridden my 2 other bikes, a KHS hard tail and a Ellsworth Moment with 6" travel. This bike does it all.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
29r Rider
a Racer
from Texas Date Reviewed: January 10, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2400.00
Purchased At:
NRC
Strengths:
Fork, Shock, Frame, Cranks, All XT Drivetrain, Disc Brakes
Weaknesses:
Wheels
Similar Products Used:
Kona Kula, King, HEI HEI, Trek Fuel, STP, 9.8
Bike Setup:
American Classic Wheels, SRAM XO/X9, Thompson Seatpost, Carbon Low Rise Bar, Crossmark or Stans Crowes Tires
Bottom Line:
I've ridden around 300 miles on this bike including a 90 mile ultra marathon mtb race, road rides, brutal rock garden trail rides, and all mountain trail time. The stock setup is great with exception of the wheels. Gotta go right away. Replaced the stock wheels and tires with AMC and Crossmarks (Tubeless). Swapped the stem, handlebar, seatpost, and saddle for nicer lighter parts and dropped 3 lbs. The bike isn't superlight, coming in at 27 pounds, but it rides like a 25 lb bike.
Compared to the Kula hardtail the HEI HEI has a steeper head tube and seat tube angles and raised the bottom bracket an inch. With the steeper geometry the bike feels fast and power to the pedals and balance on the bike are superb.
I thought 3.5 inches in the rear would leave the bike unbalanced and slow. I was way wrong. With the fox pro pedal engaged this bike climbs like a goat. In tough technical rock gardens and ledge climbing this bike rolls up them like butter. Sections that used to kick my butt on my 26 bikes and 29 inch hard tails are nothing on this fully 29r.
I expected the bike to be a bit slow in the corners. Wrong again. With the tall geometry this thing handles quick and steady. No more double steering or over correcting. The big wheels take the twitch out of my steering allowing me to carve and counter steer like never before. Lean turn go. No more steer, steer too much, correct.
End of the day this bike gives me confidence like putting on full body armor. No more hesitation or fear of hitting the ground.
5 chilis for value, cause this bike has a great price point. 4 for overall becuase of the too heavy wheels.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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