What do you guys think of the new Unit? Any thoughts on the switch to 27.5+ tires?
2017 Kona Unit - verdict?
mtnbkrmike
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Stock 135 mm hub will work with the 135 mm CC hanger. The stock cranks have a 50 mm chain line vs NX's 49 mm. 49 mm might be a little bit better, but 50 mm is fine. 50 mm is what Shimano 1x11 cranks have also.
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Well the scam NX uses an XD driver if I'm not mistaken so yes you would need a new rear hub. as the stock Joytech is not compatible.
if you are staying 10mm QR then the 135mm geared hanger is what you want.
if you want to move to a 12mm through axle then you need a new hub and the 142mm drop outs and an axle also the Kona Drop outs use the 1.75 thread pitch not the more common 1.5 thread pitch. and i forget the thread length of the top of my head.
this bike is all about customization but can get complicated very fast.
if you are staying 10mm QR then the 135mm geared hanger is what you want.
if you want to move to a 12mm through axle then you need a new hub and the 142mm drop outs and an axle also the Kona Drop outs use the 1.75 thread pitch not the more common 1.5 thread pitch. and i forget the thread length of the top of my head.
this bike is all about customization but can get complicated very fast.
Actually, the NX does not use an XD driver. Only the GX does. So, in this case, could I stay with the stock rear hub, get the NX cassette, and the 135 mm CC geared hanger, and be good to go?
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6,348 Posts
The stock hub will work fine with any 8-9-10 speed cassette (probably 11 mountain too, I haven't tried. pretty sure 11 road will not work though). Just need the right frame dropout adapters for your wheel type. Either the 135 QR or 142 TA, based on your wheelset. Since it's hardtail steel, if your wheelset uses swappable end caps so you can use either QR or TA, I don't think it really matters on the frame if you're using the QR or TA adapters. Go with the one's your wheelset is currently set up for and ride. Assuming you're planning on using the stock wheels, get the 135QR adapters.
Interesting point about the crankset though. Is the stock crank designed for a 10-speed chain? or for an 8/9 speed chain? Since it's singlespeed, Kona might have used a wider 8-speed chain/chainring teeth that a 10 or 11-speed chain might not work on.
Thank you very much! So if I stay with the stock cranks, would I be better off (have a noticeable smoothness/reliability improvement) if I went with a comparable Shimano 1x11 drivetrain instead? I kinda really want a grip shifter (like the NX has) and also keep the total costs under $200.
Sram NX PG-1130 casette fits a Shimano type freewheel (like the Joytech) unlike all the rest of Sram's cassettes. The NX casette is quite a lot heavier than Shimano's XT, SLX or Sunrace cassettes which would also fit and work with Sram derailleurs. So if you care about weight it might not be the best option.
If you want, get the grip shifter. Sram, Shimano and Sunrace cassettes are all interchangeable and have the same spacing. I guess the function should be about the same. Some people have said that running a Shimano casette with Sram works better for them, and some that a Sram casette works better with Shimano... Many have reported that Sunrace cassettes work just as fine. The stock chainring is 11 speed compatible narrow/wide. I went with a Sunrace 11-46 cassette and Shimano SLX shifter and derailleur. It works just fine, but I don't have any comparisons, because I've been riding either single speed or fixed for the last few years.
Edit: from what I have read on these forums, Sram 1x11 derailleurs should work fine with a 11-46 cassette also.
Thanks anzi. So, the 2017 Kona Unit has a Shimano-type freewheel? And it'll fit NX/XT/SLX/Sunrace cassettes?
I like the SRAM grip shifter. Does that limit me to only the NX cassette, or can I actually mix and match? I'm excited to be learning all this since I bought this bike. I wish there was a universal guide out there.
I like the SRAM grip shifter. Does that limit me to only the NX cassette, or can I actually mix and match? I'm excited to be learning all this since I bought this bike. I wish there was a universal guide out there.
I'm not able to edit my reply for some reason, but thanks for answering my question even before I asked it! I think I will go with SRAM NX grip shifter, NX derailleur, CC dropout, stock rear hubs, SRAM cheap 11-speed NX chain, and a Shimano XT M6000 cassette. That should work right?
I have the stock WTB wheelset. So I'm fairly certain I just need the 135 mm CC hanger from Kona, get the drivetrain from SRAM/Shimano, wires from Jagwire, and figure out how to put them all together?
It will work. I'm actually also using the cheap NX-chain. Sunrace 11-42 casette would be cheaper and lighter than the XT 11-42 if your budget is tight. One thing to consider is that at least what I read from bike-components.de, is that NX grip shifter comes only with right hand lock grip and GX comes with right and left hand locking grips. And only a 10€ price difference.
Yes. But Sram shifters (at least NX)come without the outer cable housing. Shimano SLX comes with the outer housing. Both have the cable included.
You'll need a cassette removal tool, a chain tool to cut the new chain to correct length, wire cutters to cut the cable and housing and a some spare time to watch some instructional videos from youtube. And some zip ties to attach the cable to the frame and two of something like these: https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/radon-cable-guide-5mm-98647 for the down tube to attach the cable to the bottle mount screws.
Interesting! It's odd that they don't mention that on the shifters listings! So I don't need to buy the Jagwire kit, but instead I would need an outer cable housing?
Thanks for the suggestion about the Sunrace cassette! I will definitely look into it? Which model are you referring to btw? I see MX3, MS3, MX8, MS8, etc all in the 11-42. Thanks!
Thanks for the suggestion about the Sunrace cassette! I will definitely look into it? Which model are you referring to btw? I see MX3, MS3, MX8, MS8, etc all in the 11-42. Thanks!
If you buy Sram then only the housing will be needed to purchase separately. with Shimano everything is included. I can't remember the Sunrace part numbers, but basically they have all steel casettes, steel casettes with aluminum spiders and cassettes with aluminum spiders with the largest cog made of aluminum (MX8). From cheapest to most expensive.
Thanks so much!
Do I need FR-1.3 (Shimano freewheel) or FR-5 (Shimano cassette) lockring/cassette removal tool? Cassette and Freewheel Removal and Installation | Park Tool
You've been very helpful btw. I'll post the results of my conversion, hopefully next week if everything arrives quickly!
Thank you! Fortunately, it only costs about $8 here. As I was ordering online, I just wanted to be sure I had the right tool for the job. And since you had mentioned the joytech rear hub was shimano-type freewheel I thought maybe FR-1 might be the tool I should get. Thanks for clarifying! I'm all set for this conversion now (except for the Radon cable guides which I could not find an equivalent of, here in the US).
I was actually using a wrong word when I was talking about a Shimano type freewheel. It's actually a cassette freehub. It was my own translation from finnish... Don't worry about those cable guides, you can just use zip ties to attach the cable to the down tube.
Thanks again!
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