Road Cycling - 03 Kona Kona Road Bike..any good?

Tomorrow I'm thinking about purchasing this bike..with upgraded Shimano 105 drivetrain(derailer,shifter,brakes, etc etc) the total is going to come out to roughly 830$..think this is a good deal? Or should I just go invest in a Giant OCR2 or somethign else? This is going to be my first road bike ever....thanks!

By the looks of it it's a nice looking bike.

If you can get the bike upgraded to 105 for $830 then you're getting one hell of a bargain. I think the bike lists for $900 with a mix of primarily Sora. The OCR2 is primarily Tiagra and comes with a steel fork. I've ridden the OCR2 and thought it was okay but if you can snag a full 105 bike with a CF fork for $830 then I'd definately go for it (assuming it fits). I think my main issue with the OCR2 was that it didn't quite fit me properly.

awesome..yea..I've been searching all over the net for reviews on the Kona but I havent been able to find any...on Sat I'm supposed to take the bike for a test ride w/ its Sora components to see how the bike feels...then if I decide to buy it I'll probably tell them to upgrade everything to shimano 105

once i get this bike I'll be sure to post pics..also..one quick question, the guy tryin to sell me the bike says that for 03 the Shimano 105 comes in gloss black now? or did they always have black?

I think the black is a new thing. I don't know if black was introduced in 2002 or 2003 though but it's relatively recent.

Originally posted by khuon
If you can get the bike upgraded to 105 for $830 then you're getting one hell of a bargain. I think the bike lists for $900 with a mix of primarily Sora. The OCR2 is primarily Tiagra and comes with a steel fork. I've ridden the OCR2 and thought it was okay but if you can snag a full 105 bike with a CF fork for $830 then I'd definately go for it (assuming it fits). I think my main issue with the OCR2 was that it didn't quite fit me properly.
Yea the bike is on sale for 499$ then I asked for how much to upgrade the drivetrain...everything to 105 and he gave me a total of 730$...they say I can use the existing brakes so I'll probably save that 60$ and use that towards some shoes and a helmet

Are the brakes Tektro brand brakes? If so, you may want to consider riding a bike equipped with 105 brakes before deciding against the upgrade. I didn't think the feel of the Tektros were as smooth as the Shimano brakes when I last tried them.

yea..theyre Tektro..on the model they had at the shop..it felt like trash lol...but they insisted it was the Tiagra lever that was making it umm.."mushy" ? Then i tried a 105setup (shifter/brake) and boy did it feel more "crisper" like it could stop on a dime without having to use so much effort

I believe I can help. I just bought a Kona Deluxe road bike with the 105 Grouppo. :D

I've had it for a little over a week now ( logged almost 400km's on it) and what can I say, the MTB has been sitting in the basement since. For the money I say, you can't go wrong. Its a great deal and its got me hooked on long leg busting rides.

A couple things to consider is trying out different stem lengths and rises. The stem mine came with was a tad too short, but also had too much of a negative rise. So I swapped it out for slightly less neg rise and longer. But the fit is still not quite right. I like the rise, however I figure, if I chop it down another 10mm I'll be good to go. I'll try out a short stem with the same rise to see how that feels. When I get the fit all sorted out I'll spring for a good solid set up. Maybe get a Deda stem and bar for next season just like Blue Train uses (bling bling).

The stock saddle is not the greatest ( a little too soft for my likes ), and the guys at the shop consider it more of a "style" thing. Its not a "real" road saddle. But it supports my arse for the time being and somehow, I'll manage until I decide to get another one.

Last thing to consider is the frame seat tube diameter is small. It accomodates a 27.0mm seat post. So far all of the carbon fibre seat posts I've looked at are 27.2mm.

Grrrrr....gimme hammer, me make fit in seat tube!

So if your really into the carbon fibre, then you'll have a heck of a time trying to find a post for it. If you do find some one who makes a carbon post at 27.0mm please let me know.

The 105 stuff is awesome, seems pretty solid so far, and all black (how cool is that!!!).

However, none of this means squat if it don't fit. So if the bike don't fit. Then don't get it. Hope you're happy with what ever you decide to get.

Peace,
Shane

Kust so everyone knows, the Kona Deluxe and the Kona basic do not have the same frame. The former is Calumbust Aluthron and the latter is generic 7005 Alu. Having said that, they are b0oth rather nice bikes for the price, and if you can upgrade the basic (black) Kona to 105, you will have a very nice ride.

Yep. I realized that after all that typing.

BTW - Its Columbus 7005 "Zonal" alu tubing, whatever that means. Not "Calumbust". :D

I have no idea whay I typed "Calumbust." I know it's "Columbus," like Christopher. I guesas I had one of those moments. And yes, it's Zonal, which is rather better than Aluthron.

Calumbust... buy, that's dumb...

so although the Kona base one has a different generic frame its still a pretty decent bike huh..I havent been able to test ride the bike yet due to lack of time... =(

The Kona is a base, entry-level road bike. In that respect, it compares with the Trek 1000, the Specialized Allez and the Giant OCR 3. However, it compares rather well. While all are Sora-equipped bikes (and Sora is pretty lousy quality stuff), the Kona (like the Specialized) has a Tiagra rear derailleur and a carbon fiber fork. That means that you can easily upgrade it to something like Tiagra (not completely, just cassette, shifters and chain) for about $60. Most bike shops will do this to get the sale.

Having said that, it's a generic 7005 frame with generic wheels.