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#102 ·
That's a lot of mud! How'd you get it all in there? Were you riding without a seat?
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Haha, riding is way more fun with a seat. And that's rust, not mud (luckily not my bike). Santa Barbara is pretty rusty, being right on the coast, but I tend to agree that the idea of rust-proofing is more critical on thin-walled race frames.
 
#104 ·
Figure this is a good place to ask.
Looking for my first 29er for all purpose use, mostly trails with some agressive riding, up and downhill, you name it. If you've seen the 29er forum you might have seen my thread, I was stuck between some XC HTs (giant xtc 1, Scott scale elite) and a FS XC (last years Trek HiFi plus). However, I liked the idea of a tough AM type frame.

Fast forward to today, I went into a new LBS and see a new Honzo sitting, my size and looking sharp. The dude said he didn't know why they had it, and would be willing to let it go for 1575. Here is my dilemma, is getting a AM this agressive with a 1x9 going to be overkill? Would I be better suited for my first bike to be XC?
 
Discussion starter · #105 ·
Fluidworks said:
Figure this is a good place to ask.
Looking for my first 29er for all purpose use, mostly trails with some agressive riding, up and downhill, you name it. If you've seen the 29er forum you might have seen my thread, I was stuck between some XC HTs (giant xtc 1, Scott scale elite) and a FS XC (last years Trek HiFi plus). However, I liked the idea of a tough AM type frame.

Fast forward to today, I went into a new LBS and see a new Honzo sitting, my size and looking sharp. The dude said he didn't know why they had it, and would be willing to let it go for 1575. Here is my dilemma, is getting a AM this agressive with a 1x9 going to be overkill? Would I be better suited for my first bike to be XC?
Click to expand...
I can do everything I did on my Niner MCR9 and AIR9 faster and better on my Honzo. I'm also not using a granny, but I don't feel the geometry holds me back at all. It definitely makes descending more fun. You may struggle in the beginning going 1x9 if it's your first bike, but you will get stronger. The only question you need to ask yourself is are you all about racing, or do you just enjoy riding the entire mountain, up and down? That being said, I plan on racing on this bike and I'm sure I'll be faster than before.:thumbsup:

PS - I just reread your post and want to make it clear, this bike will not be overkill. If anything, you may end up upgrading the fork down the road to something even burlier. Keep in mind, the stock build is heavy in the wheels. If you end up getting it and want to buy a quality wheelset, I have set of Flows I'm selling if you're interested. I hear the Honzo stock build uses 4130 steel rims.:eek: Just kidding.
 
#107 ·
Fluidworks said:
No, not planning on racing, plan on going over every type of terrain for hours of fun.I should say though, I do enjoy going fast too.
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The Honzo is straight-up one of the most fun bikes I have ever ridden; and as an aggressive, 29" wheeled, take on a classic "Shore" (Freeride/AllMountain/SuperXC/ETC) hardtail it is definitely on the bleeding edge when it comes to headangle and chainstay length. I ride it all the same places I would ride a 6" bike and always have fun (which is really the point).

That said; for fast singletrack (where the descents don't get super-steep and nasty), technical rolling trails, or all out climbs I definitely prefer to ride my more "XC / Trail" 29'er and if I had to choose one bike, even living where I do, I would definitely pick a 29'er hardtail with more neutral geometry.

The Big Unit is one of the best options out there (geared or singlespeed, neutral angles, sizing options, lightweight). Personally, my Fisher Superfly (sometimes one-speed, sometimes geared) is getting replaced with a Raijin as soon as my frame arrives.

-D
 
#109 ·
Judging from the apparent gap b/t the rear tire and the seat tube as well as the fact you didn't mention having to grind a notch out of the HS back plate means you must have one of the "non-production" frames with the longer CS. Does your CS yoke look like this?

Image


Or this:

Image
 
#110 · (Edited)
eauxgod said:
Judging from the apparent gap b/t the rear tire and the seat tube as well as the fact you didn't mention having to grind a notch out of the HS back plate means you must have one of the "non-production" frames with the longer CS. Does your CS yoke look like this?
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Apologies, I missed your post! I do have the super-short-stayed production frame.

I certainly had to do some "strategic warranty violating" to my Schmidt back plate.

It was about 5-minutes on the grinder to do a good job (and then 15 minutes cleaning aluminum dust out of the mechanism because I'm a gumby).

-D
 
#111 ·
eauxgod said:
Judging from the apparent gap b/t the rear tire and the seat tube as well as the fact you didn't mention having to grind a notch out of the HS back plate means you must have one of the "non-production" frames with the longer CS. Does your CS yoke look like this?
Click to expand...
Apologies, I missed your post! I do have the super-short-stayed production frame.

I certainly had to do some "strategic warranty violating" to my Schmidt back plate.

It was about 5-minutes on the grinder to do a good job (and then 15 minutes cleaning aluminum dust out of the mechanism because I'm a gumby).

-D
 
#112 ·
I have been thinking about getting a Honzo for some time now but I just have one concern. The rear triangle looks so skinny and weak. It looks like the welds that hold the dropouts on will snap if you drop more than a foot. Can any of you Honzo owners tell me if these concerns are legit? Maybe post some pics of the dropouts?
 
#114 ·
konarider906 said:
I have been thinking about getting a Honzo for some time now but I just have one concern. The rear triangle looks so skinny and weak. It looks like the welds that hold the dropouts on will snap if you drop more than a foot. Can any of you Honzo owners tell me if these concerns are legit? Maybe post some pics of the dropouts?
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If this is the only thing holding you back from a Honzo: Buy One.

Definitely built to last, I have beaten the crap out of mine, in my experience (I work at a -among other brands- Kona dealer) Kona has been fantastic to deal with in terms of standing behind their product (definitely better then most).

-D
 
Discussion starter · #118 ·
Fair Review

Kona Honzo 29er Review - BikeRadar

This is a fair review of the Honzo that points out "perceived" shortcomings, but a custom build can make this the perfect bike for many. However, if you don't have the fitness, the lack of a front derailleur can be a deal breaker. Here's how I remedied the reviewer's issues with the Honzo.

Chain guide drag- I use a jump-stop. It's lighter, friction-free, and silent.

Lack of a front derailleur- I don't run one anyway and even switched from a 36t cassette to a 34t.

Lowish BB height- You may have pedal strikes the first couple rides, but the benefits of a low BB are awesome. I run a 2.4 Ardent in the rear and that raises it a little, but it's not a problem where I ride. The Chromag Surface has a 12.75" BB, but that's with a 140mm Fork. At 120mm, it would be just under 12.5".
 
#119 ·
Whats the biggest drops you guys have hit on the Honzo? I know its not a downhill bike but you occasionally encounter drops on the trail and I want to know I'm not gonna snap those wimpy looking dropouts. And if i were to snap the welds, would that be covered by the warranty?
 
Discussion starter · #120 ·
konarider906 said:
Whats the biggest drops you guys have hit on the Honzo? I know its not a downhill bike but you occasionally encounter drops on the trail and I want to know I'm not gonna snap those wimpy looking dropouts. And if i were to snap the welds, would that be covered by the warranty?
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I'm about 200lbs and do 3 foot drops regularly no problems. I was worried about my carbon riser bar and just now switched to a wider aluminum bar. I've never been worried about the dropouts failing. The design seems beefy to me. The force of a drop should be vertical and the steel plate is 1/4" x 1/2" wide. In my mind it would be difficult to cause those to fail. Now a hit directly sideways may bend them, but that's an unlikely impact. Post up a picture of a burly dropout so readers have something for comparison. I'm guessing a dirtjumper must have a good design.

Also, Kona has a lifetime warranty for defects and a crash replacement program. But, if you're hucking off 6 foot drops, this is probably the wrong bike for you.
 
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