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Average Rating
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4.1/5
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# of Reviews
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20
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MSRP
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$ 499.00
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Weight
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More Products from Kona
Submit a Review
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Description:• Hardtail Cross Country Single Speed Frame for 29" Wheels
• Dedacciai SAT Cromoly Butted Tubing
• Frames for sale online in the US only, everywhere else please see your local Kona dealer for ordering and availability info
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Buy and Sell the Unit 2-9 from our Classifieds.
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Submitted by
Enduralete
a Cross Country Rider
from Chattanooga,TN
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Raccoon Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | E-bay | | Strengths: | Nice Color | | Weaknesses: | This thing is WEAK!!! Cannot believe it broke under semi-hard riding. Beware of th 06 green frame. I have heard it is prone to fail because of weak metal. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Truvativ cranks and handlebars, Surly Krate Monkey Fork,Avid brake levers,disc brakes, WTB dual duty wheels | | Bottom Line: | I wanted to try the 29er thing so I found a good deal on E-bay and went for it. I rode it 4 times and loved the whole 29er/single speed thing but my frame broke in half with semi-hard riding , now I am screwed since I am not the original owner.I would not be that mad but I had the green one that was prone to fail. Now I have a nice broken geen frame. Sux | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
thommycho
a Racer
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$899.00 | | Purchased At: | New Revolution Cycle | | Strengths: | Frame Material, 72 degree HT Angle | | Weaknesses: | Toe-overlap on the 18" | | Bike Setup: | Stock with SLR Saddle | | Bottom Line: | It would get a 5 if it didn't have toe-overlap! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BikeRider
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle, WA, USA
Date Reviewed: February 14, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | from a friend | | Strengths: | Decent frame. I think the chainstay yoke is great because, along with the sliding dropouts, allows for really short chainstays. The shorter chainstays make wheelies and such much easier. | | Weaknesses: | Purple paint job is a bit much. The chainstay yoke, while being great, is wide enough that it makes using older generation cranks (I'm using 90's era XTR) with the appropriate bottom bracket problematic. The problem is on the non-drive side where the profile of the left crank arm results in contact with the yoke. Not good. Newer generation cranks may avoid this problem. Attaching a trailer is difficult w/o retrofit. | | Similar Products Used: | other 29ers in the $300-$500 price range | | Bike Setup: | Gold plated functionality. | | Bottom Line: | It took a while for me to realize that this frame is really well thought out...and utilitarian. The sliding drops w/disc mounts make infinitely more sense than an eccentric bb. An eccentric prevents chainstay length adjustment. Second, the chainstay yoke, while obtrusive, allows one to really tuck in the rear wheel...especially useful when running cyclocross tires. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Bell Twp PA
Date Reviewed: December 26, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Boyce Park | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Dirty Harrys | | Strengths: | spec'd out decent, ride is nice, its 2-9 and SS. | | Weaknesses: | BB creaks,(after a year) the 32-18 setup was a bit much for me, I switched to 32-20. Grips sucked/slipped alot, replaced them with kona jacksh!t. bars are wiiiidde! | | Similar Products Used: | monocog, karate monkey, 1x1, explosif 26er | | Bike Setup: | mostly stock, except 20T in the rear, cut bars 1/2" on each side, took off the reflectors, shortened the stem from 120mm to 90mm (was really long!) time pedals. mine is the 19" which i should have gotten one size smaller. a little more ground c would be nice. reba xc fork. maxxiss ignitors. | | Bottom Line: | I like it, and thats all that matters. i built many bikes before and this one was great right out the box with only slight changes. I have fun with it, i don't race, nor have plans to. I walk it at roaring run, but i walk with my geared bikes there too at times! this is a perfect ride for rolling single track and has the ground clearance to die for. I probably could have gotten similar performace if I built up a monocog, but I've had a few Kona's and they have been good to me- replacement frames, and warranty claims were always easy. no trouble with this one so far. if it got stolen, i'd buy another.the reba fork is nice, but made the $$$ go up on the total build. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nemis
a Weekend Warrior
from Slovenia
Date Reviewed: December 20, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | VEB Company | | Strengths: | Steel frame, very nice entry level ss rigid 29er | | Weaknesses: | basic components but hey it's a low priced 29er | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Stock except RR 2.4, Thomson post, Salsa Pro Moto bar, Formula k18 brakes | | Bottom Line: | This bike is really fun to ride. 29er rigid SS is the way to go. It climbs great, has functional sliding dropouts and decent components. Stock Ignitors are fine allround tires but I switched to RR 2.4 for bigger volume. If you're new to 29ers this is a good bike to start with. It's also nice as a frameset if you're building a forgiving steel bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sean Jensen
a Cross Country Rider
from Houston
Date Reviewed: May 19, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | all of them | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Sliding rear dropouts. It rode ok, before it broke. | | Weaknesses: | the Green Unit 29 frames have a 3 percent breakage. They need to be recalled. and no chain tensioner Screws. | | Similar Products Used: | I just Ordered A Vassago Jabberwocky | | Bike Setup: | Singlespeed! | | Bottom Line: | I made the mistake of purchasing this frame on Ebay. It cracked after 8 months of use. It was admitted that they have had issues with the headtubes cracking(3%).But, since I did not purchase it from a dealer they owe me nothing. Despite the fact that it was still in factory packaging(never built), I was informed that it would not be replaced. And I am left with a unusable cracked frame. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Tamarancho | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Strengths: | Pure simplicity, sliding vertical dropouts that remove need for rear disk adjustments (these rock!). | | Weaknesses: | Wheelset is cheap, but gets the job done. Will build new ones eventually. Seatpost slips under all but the most absurdly tight clamping. Crankset also a bit cheesy, but again it gets the job done for now. | | Similar Products Used: | Nothing, really - first 29'er, and first mountain singlespeed. (Well familiar with fixed gear road bikes.) | | Bike Setup: | Fully rigid bike as it comes from Kona, other than a 20t cog (up from 18t standard). | | Bottom Line: | Love it. For singletrack, it's pure heaven. Much smoother ride than I would have expected for a fully rigid bike. Can really feel the difference in efficiency from the 29er wheels. Frame has a little bit of give, which is nice. Plus it makes my full suspension bike feel radically more plush (therefore more fun as well).
Eventually may put on a suspension fork, but right now am loving the absolute bare bones, retro experience of riding a rigid singlespeed. All you need to do is slow down for the really rocky sections. Takes me way back in the day, and makes mountain biking new and fun again.
Value rating should be off the scale. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron
a Cross Country Rider
from Folsom, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Bullards Bar | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Mad Cat Bicycles | | Strengths: | Frame, quality steel, versatility to go geared or singlespeed, parts spec, ride of a 29er, frame geometry puts you in a more upright and comfortable position | | Weaknesses: | Seatpost on mine is way out of spec (slips down over the course of a ride) | | Similar Products Used: | None, first 29er | | Bike Setup: | 2006 frame, Reba 29er fork w/ pop-loc, 1x9, 11-34 cassette, stock FSA crankset, Salsa DelGado Race rims w/ Shimano XT hubs, stock Easton EA 30 bar and stem, RF Evolve seatpost (to replace the out of spec stock EA 30), Maxxis Ignitor tires, WTB Laser V ti saddle, Avid FR-5 brake levers, Avid BB7 brakes, Kona LOG grips, SRAM Rocket shifter | | Bottom Line: | 29er's are a BLAST! The big wheels roll over the rough stuff really well, making for a smoother ride. Once you get the bigger wheels rolling, the bike is faster than a 26er. Riding trails that are mostly roI was really blown away with how much more traction a 29er provides both in the corners and while climbing. The pluses of the 29er's bigger wheels are also a negative. When doing extended climbs on it built as a singlespeed, the extra weight is a major negative IMHO. I've owned several 26er singlespeeds and the difference is big. So, I went to a 1x9 set-up and couldn't be happier. I think a 1x9 for a 29er is ideal and really brings out the best in the bike and maximizes the fun factor. You still get a good workout due to the larger wheels, but you are not killing yourself when it's time to climb. This is my first Kona, and after some tweaking to suit my riding style, I really enjoy this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Ocala, Florida
Date Reviewed: March 9, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | santos bellview fl | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Mr Good Bike | | Strengths: | 29 inch wheels, steel frame, simple to maintain | | Weaknesses: | Have not found any yet | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher Rig | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | Love the bike I am able to feel more stable on this bike than previous ss on down hill sections of trails and more technical areas upgrades who knows I am just enjoying the ride. Strongly recomend this bike for anyone wanting to get into ss at a fairly reasonable price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Travis
a Racer
from Gilbert AZ
Date Reviewed: March 6, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$450.00 | | Purchased At: | Focus Cyclery | | Strengths: | Steel, Price, Kona, 29er. Im 6'4" and 215 lbs I ride this bike three, four times A week probably the least expensive bike ive ever owned and the best bike Ive ever owned. If your looking for flawless welds and perfect paint buy an Indy Fab for $2500 "frame only". Beleive the hype 29ers are here to stay and Kona has A winner in this frame. | | Weaknesses: | I rode this frame one year and cracked the frame. Kona replaced the frame within the week, great service Kona and Focus Cyclery | | Similar Products Used: | kona king supreme and kula primo | | Bike Setup: | King hubs, stans rims, king headset, reba race fork, WTB nano raptor tires, raceface duece cranks, egg beaters, Juicy seven brakes, Easton flat bar | | Bottom Line: | Looking for the best ride of your life? Buy the unit 2-9 and be happy you did it. I raced semi-pro last year on this bike and got third in AZ. This bike will make you A better, faster more confident rider. Get skinny tires, and roll fast since you have twice the traction patch it wont be A problem running less knobs. Get the dealer you buy it from to put on A flat bar instead of the rizer, you wont need it. Flat bars are the perfect mate to 29ers with slower handling. Finally no one should be complaining about the welds or paint chiping, it cost you $450. The alternative of course is niner also made in tiawan $800 or moots $2500 for Ti or indy fab $2500 for steel $3300 for Ti. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
sam mink
a Cross Country Rider
from phoenix, az, usa
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | phoenix mountain preserves | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | slippery pig | | Strengths: | dedacciai double butted steel, rear disk mount is integrated with the dropout, avid bb7 mechanical disk brakes, and sweet purple color. | | Weaknesses: | thin paint | | Similar Products Used: | My first single, first 29'er but have owned 3 and 5 speed bikes, plus currently ride an Intense Tracer | | Bike Setup: | The only things stock are Avid bb7 mechanical disk brakes, WTB saddle and Kona grips. new shinny bits include: RaceFace cranks, King headset, Thomson post and stem, Syncros bar, Deore hubs laced with Mavic rims. | | Bottom Line: | I've the 2007 (purple rather than green) this is my first single, and 29'er PLUS the first ridgid in 15 years! And yes while I've only been riding it for a few weeks, I'm loving it. On the street, it's a killer wicked fun commuter. The rear dropouts are vertical, so I can use the quick release setup for my BOB trailer, for those trips to the store.
On my local singletrack, the 29 floats over the gnarly, the single keeps me honest (and strong). Climbing on the one, does require the commitment to "get it up and get it on" Which can be both fun and painful. (isn't that the point!) I'm stoked with the unit 2-9 | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
sam mink
a Cross Country Rider
from phoenix, az, usa
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | phoenix mountain preserves | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | slippery pig | | Strengths: | dedacciai double butted steel, rear disk mount is integrated with the dropout, avid bb7 mechanical disk brakes, and sweet purple color. | | Weaknesses: | thin paint | | Similar Products Used: | My first single, first 29'er but have owned 3 and 5 speed bikes, plus currently ride an Intense Tracer | | Bike Setup: | The only things stock are Avid bb7 mechanical disk brakes, WTB saddle and Kona grips. new shinny bits include: RaceFace cranks, King headset, Thomson post and stem, Syncros bar, Deore hubs laced with Mavic rims. | | Bottom Line: | I've the 2007 (purple rather than green) this is my first single, and 29'er PLUS the first ridgid in 15 years! And yes while I've only been riding it for a few weeks, I'm loving it. On the street, it's a killer wicked fun commuter. The rear dropouts are vertical, so I can use the quick release setup for my BOB trailer, for those trips to the store.
On my local singletrack, the 29 floats over the gnarly, the single keeps me honest (and strong). Climbing on the one, does require the commitment to "get it up and get it on" Which can be both fun and painful. (isn't that the point!) I'm stoked with the unit 2-9 | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from St George, Utah
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Desert Cyclery | | Strengths: | Steel! 29" wheels, Kona quality, great spec list, horizontal dropouts | | Weaknesses: | Would like to be able to fit wider tires. And wish it came with a QR seat clamp. | | Similar Products Used: | Steel Apex 26". This is my first 29er | | Bike Setup: | switxhed to a 1X9 instead of SS. I can't push 1 gear. Reba 80mm fork. All FSA components except i swapped to a Thompson post. Really love the FSA cranks. And the wheels have held up quite well under my 270lbs. | | Bottom Line: | Their were 3 requirements when i went bike shopping. I wanted a 29" wheel, a hardtail, and it had to be steel framed. The Unit had the best price with great components. I have had a blast on my local trails with this bike. The 29" wheels make all the difference. I will never own a 26" HT again. The ride is compliant and has some give, it rolls over things i would usually have to finesse around. I would recommend this bike to anyone who is looking for a 29" hardtail. Very fun bike! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Taylor
a Racer
from Eugene, OR, USA
Date Reviewed: October 23, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Alpine Trail, Oakridge OR | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | 900.00 | | Strengths: | Disc mounts attach to horizontal drop outs so no adjustment needed after flat changes. Replaceable drop outs. Steel is Real. BB7- disc brakes | | Weaknesses: | Heavy frame, and cheap wheels | | Similar Products Used: | spare parts single speed, Redline Monocog 29er | | Bottom Line: | This bike rocks. I bought it as a complete bike at the start of October and love it. I plan on building up a nice set of wheels and putting on a carbon fork. I have taken it on 20-30 mile rides so far and it rocks. The big wheels are awesome. I dont think i can go back to 26 inch wheels.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Benjamin
a
from Springdale, Pa, US
Date Reviewed: October 22, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Roaring Run, Apollo, PA | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Dirty Harry's, Verona, PA | | Strengths: | I am impressed with everything on the bike so far. | | Weaknesses: | None as of yet, well, the grips slide, and i'm not a big fan of foam grips. | | Similar Products Used: | none, i generally ride my specialized big hit, so this is a world of difference for me. | | Bike Setup: | stock, eggbeaters | | Bottom Line: | rides incredibly well, fast, responsive, pretty. i couldnt have asked for more out of a singlespeed hardtail cross country bike | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marc
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, Az, USA
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Prescott Granite Basin Recreation Area | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1050.00 | | Purchased At: | Slippery Pig | | Strengths: | Friggin coolest bike around. Besides being a SS this bike is pure fun. Steel yet light, and friggin quick. The color is art. It is even a mental booster. Having ridden this bike (BTW its actually a EXPLOSIF 2-9) with several riders who were on $4-5K plus bikes this bike never made my pride flinch. In fact, once these guys realized that I not only was keeping up with them, but I could hang despite it being a SS that was a ego boost +1/2. Enough said 'bout that. | | Weaknesses: | There is nothing that I can even start to complain about. | | Similar Products Used: | Nothing... so some may suspenct this user doesn't have any credit.. but let me still insist this bike is FRIGGIN FUN! | | Bike Setup: | ss/ Reba up front, all around good Sh!t. | | Bottom Line: | Honestly I've only ridden a P2 and for an only a couple months at that. This bike is my $4 or 5K bike. Except one minor detail, it only cost me $1050.
The bottom line: This is my cross-country bike. I have absolutely no desire to have any thing else.
I'm 6'3"
200+
riding 20" of pure friggin fun. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
William Green
a Weekend Warrior
from Austin, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Chalk Draw/Suicide Hill, Terlingua Ranch, TX | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$329.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay | | Strengths: | Steel, wonderful steel! Gusset & weld quality. Sliding drop-outs, to tweak rear wheel trailing characteristics. | | Weaknesses: | Paint isn't very durable. Mine looks like it has whitehead zits from all the paint chips. | | Similar Products Used: | First 29er. Previous main ride is an '01 Specialized Enduro. | | Bike Setup: | Race Face Atlas 180mm crank, XT drive train, Avid BB-7 185mm disc, 'zocchi MX Pro/ETA, USE Shockpost. | | Bottom Line: | This Explosif 2-9 is perfect for my oversized 6'6" carcass. Unbelievably, the frame mimics the EXACT fit of my 1989 Cascade/The Bicycle Group frame. FYI - Cascade was Kona when Joe Murray raced back in the day. The old Cascade attempted to solve headset stress by making extra long headtubes and a (then radical) sloping top tube. My old 23" frame has a 9" headtube, and is set up with Bontrager/Rock Shox Mag (no not Mag 21 or Mag 10, those were later - just plain Mag) shocks. The Explosif's shorter head tube and 100mm shocks perfectly ape the front end of my ancient friend.
The bigger wheels have more of a gyroscopic effect than the 26", so it doesn't like fast twisties as much, but give me an open path or dirt road and you can tell this is a thoroughbred, and not a trail pony. And it loves the downhills. I had forgotten the joy of finessing a baby-head-sized cobble path, having grown complacent with the monkey motion of the full suspension.
Uphills feel easier too. You can soak up a lot of momentum charging through the bottom of whoop-de-does, and it pulls you farther up the other side.
This hardtail brings pleasure back to mountainbiking. Something that was lost during the "extreme" edge of the new millineum. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Big Game
a Cross Country Rider
from Redondo Beach, CA
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | The Path | | Strengths: | Steel frame, Simplicity, Geometry- feels comfortable, Good climber, looks great. Dropout system is really flexible (although I doubt I'll ever go geared on this bike). | | Weaknesses: | Sizes go 16, 18, 19, 20. At 5'9", the 18 fits okay, but I would have liked to see how a 17 fit. I could use a little more standover. Otherwise, no weaknesses so far. | | Similar Products Used: | 2002 Kona Unit | | Bike Setup: | Rigid setup with Karate Monkey fork, LX cranks, Hope Pro II SS hubs with Salsa Delgado 29er rims, Avid BB7 mech disks | | Bottom Line: | Got the Explosif 29. The bike is a kick. Makes the same old trail fun again. Faster on most climbs than my geared bike, adds some challenge to descents. Really rough, bumpy downhills beat me up pretty good, but I still like the rigid setup to this point. I like the idea of low maintenance--no suspension or gears to worry about. Thanks to Tani at the Path for getting me set up. If you want to try a 29" SS, you'll be really happy with this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
patrick stein
a Cross Country Rider
from Hubbard,OH.USA
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Any in West Virginia | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$450.00 | | Purchased At: | Kona - | | Strengths: | Multiple, frame sizes Fit of the 18" for my 6'1" long tibia, average torso is nice, no toe overlap even with my 12 shoe. Paint and weld quality are nice.
like the Paragon Disc Sliders better than the concentric B.B. Great color. | | Weaknesses: | No complaints on the paint or welds. Only one race Race and limited riding timem I'll post again if any problems. So far pleased as punch | | Similar Products Used: | Used the parts off 19" Gary Fisher - Rig, Genesis Geometry is not for me, but Rig has great Reba fork and love 29er' S.S.'s | | Bike Setup: | Eggbeaters. Easton Carbon bars and post. Reba Fork. Avid Disc | | Bottom Line: | 29er rolls better over bumps, I have an Epic and It's nice but this 29er is a way better ride ( - flow - ) than the 26 hard tails I rode for years, Single speeds are a real kick for Ohio's rolling single trac, fun whole body effort. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Oliver
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego, CA
Date Reviewed: January 22, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | San Juan Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$499.00 | | Purchased At: | The Path Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Option to be geared or single speed | | Weaknesses: | Head tubes are way too long, makes the bars too high if you run a Reba at 100mm setting. The welds on the down tube gussets are thin and spottie. Paint sucks, 5 rides and four cips in the paint, not to mention several areas in the welds that are missing paint. Stand over could be decreased a little to compensate for running the fork at 100mm. Something inbetween a Niner and Unit would wouldbe perfect. IMO | | Similar Products Used: | First 29er, nothing to compare it too. | | Bike Setup: | Reba Race fork had to switch back to 80mm, Race Face bar, stem, cranks, Thompson post, WTB Rocket V saddle, Full X-9 groupo with custom built DT swiss wheelset. | | Bottom Line: | Love the look of the bike, and the option to run it geared or single speed, but way too may other issues to deal with. I thought Kona would have come to the market with a better product. It is too bad, I really wanted to love the frame, but I am in the process of looking for a replacement. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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