Touring - Kona Smoke 2-9 (Sub 400$ touring bike?)

I don't see why this bike wouldn't work out great for someone looking for a bike to tour with on a budget.

http://www.konaworld.com/bikes/2k8/images/1000/2K8_SMOKE-29.jpg

Brand new, 399$ USD

All steel, front and rear eyelets, long chainstay, 700x47 tires, 36 spoke wheels, triple crankset(might want to switch to a smaller granny gear), already got fenders too.


http://www.bikecommuters.com/2008/01/19/kona-smoke-2-9/

It's not a touring bike, how could your possibly tour on it?

It's good they went 36H with big wheels. Looks like a very good bike in a lot of ways.

triple crankset(might want to switch to a smaller granny gear)

That's bound to be (and looks like) a riveted crank set. No switching out granny gears without swapping out the whole shebang.

I probably wouldn't tour for more than a few weeks with 29" wheels, replacements may be hard to come by. I'm not a fan of flat bars these days, tho' I used to be. ;) Also, not sure on the component quality. Probably a good choice if you commute and only tour a little bit.

The UTE looks pretty interesting - very much like an Xtracycle, $800.

I'd love to know how this bike compares to the specialized globe for week-long, loaded touring.
Wonder how heavy that thing is ...

That's bound to be (and looks like) a riveted crank set. No switching out granny gears without swapping out the whole shebang.

Good point. These crankset's are just a little more then a new chainring.

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=600081&subcategory=60001031&brand=&sku=23041&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20ATB%20Cranks

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=600081&subcategory=60001031&brand=&sku=15753&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20ATB%20Cranks

An upgraded Shimano BB is 20 bucks.

I probably wouldn't tour for more than a few weeks with 29" wheels, replacements may be hard to come by. I'm not a fan of flat bars these days, tho' I used to be. ;) Also, not sure on the component quality. Probably a good choice if you commute and only tour a little bit.

The UTE looks pretty interesting - very much like an Xtracycle, $800.

29" wheel = 700C

Trekking bars are 20 bucks shipped on ebay.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/trdcamry2003/a713_1_bl.jpg

Ooops! I stand corrected. I thought 700c is more like 27-28".

Depends on whether or not you're doing your own labor too.

Most shops will charge about $10-$15 to swap out a crankset/BB. Bar swaps are a PITA so you're looking at another $15-$20 there.

$25 for cranks +8ish for shipping
$20 BB (shipping above)
$20 Bars
$25-35 Labor

+$90-100

Still a great deal at $500

I think it would work OK. If you've got a bike co-op nearby and if it's anything like ours you should be able to get a decent replacement crankset for $5. I've got some trekking bars hanging up in the garage. I had them on my MTB for a while when I was using it for commuting and they worked great.

It's a nice commuter. The bike has lower gearing than the 520 and people do tour regardless. Maybe get a larger cassette and off you go. Should be very comfortable with those 29' tires.

There's a version with 26" wheels isn't there? I think it is the perfect "practical" budget commuter and fine for touring, although the gears and bearings are low-end and might need replacing after a year or so.

I recommended one of these to my sister but it wasn't cool enough for her. I had a test ride, not too exciting but seems stable and comfortable enough. (26" version, in 2007).

here's mine a 26" version picked it up for 300 bucks new its a great little bike

swap out the cranks and your away for a tour, i would maybe consider new wheels as well but the frame is awesome

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2146/2233356459_1f1bb29c61_b.jpg