Mountain Biking - kona cinder cone vs. fisher piranaha

i can't seem to make up my mind between the gary fisher piranaha and the kona cinder cone. both fit well, have alomost identical componets. the fisher has a better fork and the kona is $100 more but comes with spd pedals.
any thoughts. i usually ride XC style trails and occasionally put a rack on the back and go bike packing for 3 to 4 days.
-tom

I never got to try the kona, but I got the piranha a week ago and i love it, it holds up well on all trails considering my weight, very durable, Very nice bike imo.

Only downside ive seen is its breaks, they can squeek and rub untill you get the pads worn down a bit, but other than that, i love it.

which year cindercone is it? i have the 2006 model had it about 3mths now and held up really well!

the kona is a brand new 2006, so is the gary fisher piranaha

Hmm, unless I´m missing something, if they have similar specs, the Fisher has a better fork and the Kona is 100$ more but with clipless then... isn´t the choice obvious? Get the Fisher and put some 100$ SPD pedals on it or 50$ pedals and 50$ shoes... or save those 100$ and go with some nice 5050 XX platforms lol.

I'm with Chone. The fisher is a better bike and a better deal.

yeah, i guess you are right. makes sense to me.

If you are a hard rider, and beat bikes then go Kona.
If not save your 100 bucks and go Fisher.

ok, i decided on the gary fisher piranaha.
love it so far. won't get it on the trails for another week.
thanks for your input.

well, i was enjoying the bike until the fork blew out climbing a hill on the road. i had it locked out since was riding on the road the heard a snap ... the lockout stopped working and the fork started bottoming out hard. very disappointing for only riding the bike three times.

that is a crying shame. it sucks when you get a brand new bike and something goes wrong right away. i hope you've already gotten it back to your LBS to see what they can do...

You should get your fork replaced right away under warantee from your LBS, even a Manitou should last more than 3 rides...

This is the 2nd Axel Elite I've heard/see has failed in a 2 week span.

I heard somthing like you have to "break a fork in" or they risk some sort of immature death like his did.

these lock-out mechanims put the shocks at risk acording to this one guy I talked to at a LBS, I asked him how come when I engaged the lock out on the rockhopper it didnt totally lock it out that it still moved some, he said if it didnt have some play to it that it would blow the fork out.

By any chance did yours still have some play to it or was it locked out just like a solid fork with no suspension?

Im in the market for a Piranha, Kaitai, or Mullet ATM so any feedback about any bike is good.

The lockout on my Piranhas fork was fairly stiff, didnt have much movement in it, maybe 1/2 an inch.

That's why i like the RockShox, they have a blow-off feature so if its locked out and you do hit a bump it wont break the fork.

well, i had the fork replaced. all in all i like this bike. it is the first bike i ever bought that was a complete bike. i usually buy the frame and build it up the way i want. the bike has a nice frame, probably not race worthy, but i don't race anymore. the other components are a mixed bag and will probably brake and be replaced over the next year or two. if i had an additional $700 i would buy a better bike ... i didn't. all in all i like the bike for what i do.