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Submitted by
Mark Ruda
a Racer
from Grand Rapids, MI USA
Date Reviewed: January 27, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | GR Urban | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Used From Franklin | | Strengths: | This frame is bomb proof. I huck it off of six foot drops to flat on concrete and it takes with out flinching. I have crashed this bike so many times I lost count. I land at strange angles and have no issues. The bike has great balance for catwalks and manuals, big air at the skate park and pump track. In addition, I do frequent local single tracks with this rig. The geometry is aggressive enough that it still pedals efficiently and burns through tight corners. in the end I would best describe this bike as an urban bike with the heart of a cross country beast. It is comfortable enough to pedal for hours but it can also take just about any thing you throw at it. | | Weaknesses: | This one heavy bike, I've made some serious upgrades and it's still in the 29lbs range. Junk stock wheel set. (Sun Rhino Lites) | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized P2, Kona Scrap. | | Bike Setup: | Chris King Hubs, Velocity Mountain Goat Rims, Easton Havoc Seatpost, Thompson 4x Stem, Avid BB7 160 mm Brakes, Marzocci Bomber 100mm Fork, Race Face Evolve X-Type Cranks w/ Bash, LX Shifter and Rear Der, Avid Speed Dial 7 Brake Levers, Azonic A-Frame Pedals. | | Bottom Line: | This a great all around bike if you:
1. Want a Dirt Jumper that you can actually pedal around with out hating life.
2. Ride semi-technical trails with moderate drops and still want to stick with a hard tail.
3. Are 200 lbs+ and want a cross country bike that you can rag on with out the fear of it crumbling underneath you.
This is a poor choice for those who:
1. Are weight weenies.
2. Want a light and fast cross country racer
3. Want a dedicated park or DJ rig.
The secret to bikes in this category are hand built wheels. Machine built wheels do not have even spoke tension an are very apt to self destruct at the wrong time. Most wheels that come with these bikes are very popular and thought to be great because every one has heard of them. Just because you know the manufacturer and you have seen them on "awesome " bikes does not mean that they are worth a damn.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
RYe DOg
a Downhiller
from Auckland
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | dead mans corner | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Barn | | Strengths: | Everything, its nice and sturdy. The tyres are great, the forks are nice and solid. | | Weaknesses: | Hayes nine brakes (I changed the front one to a hope), they suck my big fat hairy wang | | Similar Products Used: | Kona scrap 05, Kona fire mountain 05, trek 4300(face it, they rock) | | Bike Setup: | Hope mono mini front brake(it kicks ass), funn camo urban launch pad(looks pimpin), new formula front hub(shimano ones suck the monkeys big one), both brake cable are silver braided | | Bottom Line: | Great bike for dirtjumping and downhill. Extremely smooth and solid. DO NOT get a kona shred 05, THEY SUCK!!!! seriously diggle it does. Almost as good a bike as the 05 trek 4300, gota love those gila t5's. back to the roast. The only down side would be the hayes nines and the shimano hubs but they're not that bad. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Justin
a Weekend Warrior
from Brooklyn Ny
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Rocky Point Long Island | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$950.00 | | Purchased At: | Bay Ridge Bikes | | Strengths: | nice setup for the price. i like the beefy frame and the geo of this bike. i went from a gary fisher marlin to this and its a diffrent world. i check my fear at the door before every ride and bomb eveything i can get on to. this is quite a change of way of riding with this it feels like a big bmx bike with gears... im back in my childhood taking stairs with ease and 5-6 foot drops with no prob. | | Weaknesses: | havent found any yet and would be shocked to see if one comes about. | | Bike Setup: | everything is basically stock but i did change a few parts. off the bat i put panaracer fire XC pros with the red sidewalls race face good and evil grips salsa red quick release for front back and seat post. had the rims re-spoked with black spokes (i wasnt feeling the silver) and buffed down the gold caps on the dirt jumpers to silver to keep the black/red/silver theme of the bike. | | Bottom Line: | dont be scared. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nathan
a
from Massachusetts USA
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | Metacomet Monadnock | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Gravity Warehouse | | Strengths: | strong frame
excellent geometry
dirtjumper III's are nice
bash guard | | Weaknesses: | the wheels!
Hayes HFX9s have an annoying problem, see below
| | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Kona Cowan frame ( installed at the shop)
Nokian NBX 2.5 DH on rear
Rest is stock | | Bottom Line: | Overall this bike is a very rugged all mountain/light freeride/dirt jump rig. The frame, especially since I have a Cowan, is very very nice and strong. Probably one of the strongest most rigid Aluminum hardtail frames ever! The frame has machined dropouts and some parts of the rear triangle are machined. Very nice. Mostly I ride on BMX type flow trails with jumps, but also some true MTB riding. The Dirtjumper3 shocks are very good for DJ, but really either too stiff or soft for good absorption from small bumps. The HFX9's have good power and a lot of travel before a total wheel lockup. BUT, the lever adjustment screw ( inside the brake lever) that adjusts power, constantly comes loose! I have heard this is a known issue with Hayes HFX9's.
I do have a major beef with the wheels, especially the hubs. I have broken several spokes in these things since getting the bike, and the hubs are cheap, cheap, cheap. I'm used to riding a BMX with sealed hubs, and these Shimano ones on the Kona are absolute toss. I have also so far bent an axle and I'm considering a wheel upgrade in the near future.
This Kona climbs well enough, considering it weighs far more than an XC bike and I have a DH tire on the rear. After about 30 minutes you will begin to feel it though, and you'll be begging for XC weight. Short explosive cimbs are no problem.
Going DH is pretty nice for a hardtail, the geometry is rather like a DH bike. slightly less lazy steering angle.
Good grip and control on loose rocks and roots.
Overall its a nice bike, and the only weaknesses are the wheelset and the brakes aren't as powerful as you may want on a DJ bike. They are sufficient, but you could find yourself wanting a better set eventually. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chris
a Downhiller
from HMB CA USA
Date Reviewed: September 19, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | costal jumps | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | bike works (wholesale) | | Strengths: | good all round bike. il love the brakes, i ordered some for my santa cruz V10 | | Weaknesses: | none really, frame can get scratched, but that is true with almost any bike | | Similar Products Used: | specalized hardrock 04 comp, marin nail trail | | Bike Setup: | chain guids, no reflectors, more greace in fork, a compressed Co2 canister ductaped to down tube (emergency tire inflation) saddle bage w/ first aid, and inner tube and tire levers. | | Bottom Line: | great bike, definetly, definetly get this bike for your kid, DO IT!!! if u r a down hiller like me who goes to some races (placed second in nationals for dual salalomn, and expert downhill) ; this is a great bike to play around on, i do quite a few drops w/ it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mitch
a
from Red Deer,Albeta,Canada
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | The Hummer | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Bow Cycle | | Strengths: | Brakes,Fork,Frame,Weight,Toughness, Great Ride, Tires Are Nice and grippy | | Weaknesses: | Not much | | Similar Products Used: | Kona Scrap,Oryx Desert Dueler66,Spialized P.3 | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | A All Round Good Bike It Can Take A beating. I Would Get This Bike If You Have Been Riding For At Least a Year And some shouldnt If The havent. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mJ WoNg
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Strengths: | good ride nothing to complain about.. hayes hydraulics gave me no problems so far. dirt jumper3 is definitely adequate for dirtjumping and "light" free-riding. | | Weaknesses: | deraileurs not really good gets noisy after a while and is still noisy after numerous tunings at bike shops.. frame is a tad on the heavier side.(not a big problem anyway) =] | | Similar Products Used: | n.a. | | Bike Setup: | kona roast 04 | | Bottom Line: | great bike to begin with. upgrades are definitely possible on this bike though stock parts are good enough for the average rider who's not gonna thrash things up easily | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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