Mountain Biking - 2005 Kona Line Up(Just a a selected few)

Will be shown.

First off the Dirt Jump Series.

1)Cowan.

2)Stuff

Next up is the out of bounds series.

1) Stinky Supreme.

2)Coiler Primo

Now for DH.

Stab Supreme.

Now to back country.

1)Dawg Primo

Now to XC FS.

King Kikapu

And finally the XC HT selections.

1)Kula Deeluxe

2)Caldera

3)CinderCone

Final one, if I posted them all, I'd be at it all day long.

The Hoss Deluxe.

Cool.

*Drool*

You know i'm drooling over the Stab Supreme.



:eek: Kona using floating brakes?

Stinky supreme got an upgrade ... WOW

Floating brake will do wonders for the brake jack. And really there have been rumours about it.

How do Kona bikes stack up against the Haro line? I am looking for my 1st Mt. bike.

Thanks.

wow......i'd love any of those.....

*drools*

How do Kona bikes stack up against the Haro line? I am looking for my 1st Mt. bike.

Thanks.

Better frame, strong. Better sevicer. Similar components. Better company. Usually better compatibility (dual crown forks for example)...imo...kona is better:)

Qu'est que c'est un "floating brake"? I don't know what it is.

On single pivots when you enable the brake it locks the rear suspension basically rendering the suspension useless. The floating brake fixes this by allowing the brake to move with the suspension while still locking the rear wheel.

http://www.therapycomponents.com/FLOATING%20BRAKE.htm

Gee thanks mael. Dissing Haro like that. I must say that the resr shock on the Haro DOES work under braking.

Not gonna argue the fine points of suspension design. But I would be willing to bet cash that when you brake you suspension is either gonna jack or squat and you will loose some of your suspension. Heck the best single pivots around (santa cruz and Orange) do....if it doesn't, then haro has found the magical secret to suspension design that has been plauguing linkage makers for the last 10 years (more if you include motorbikes). The Horst linkage (not a single pivot btw) comes CLOSE and even then there is still some suspension affected braking. Remember there is a difference between it happening in real life and you not knowing it is happening because you can't tell the difference.

Sorry...haro is not an upper level company...they make a lot of decent bikes, but are not in the range of specialized high end, kona, norco etc...I could not compare the x whatever the heck it is to a bighit, stinky or vps for example.

Because they're in a totally different category. Thats why they can't be compaired.

Not really...I would think by the haro website the x whatever's should be in the freeride class of the bighit comp, stinky etc...if I were a noob and didn't know better anyways.

don't get me wrong. Still a nice bike, just a little misadvertising :)

But I also don't think as a company or quality wise, you can't compare them to kona. Kona makes some sweet bikes, all the way around.

Curious. Did they add an inch of travel to the supreme. I don't remember it looking like that in previous years. It is closer to a stab now then the stinky.

Whats everyone thnk of the new decals. I am still not sure if I like them...

They did add an inch of travel. The new decals take some getting used to. The dh bike haro uses they don't even make, Intense makes their downhill bikes. Haro is not on the level that Kona, Specialized, Norco and others are on they have been a step behind ever since haro started to build mtb's. With Trek's new Freeride rig, Trek even surpassed Haro, but for now Haro is about on the level that Giant is at which is basically can't build a bike that would make a viable higher end freeride bike. Where the Haro falls behind giant is that Giant makes their own DH bike. Haro should have stuck to building what they are good at, really good BMX bikes.

How do the 2005 Kona's look in real life? They don't have them in my local LBS yet. What's your impression of the 2005's compared to prior years? I think the 2004 Cinder Cone looks great; how's the 'Radar Green' on the 2005? Major trends (up or down) on the 2005's vs 2004's?

I want to have one in my hands! Still leaning for the Cinder Cone but not sure if I'm better off getting a deal on a 2004 or going 2005, or another Kona. All impressions (about the bikes ; ) are welcomed and encouraged!

all konas look good in real life :) 'cept i dont much like the new king colouring, but that's kona's style i guess?

should be able to get a 04 model cinder cone cheaper now, i dont think there's much practical difference in componentry esp if you're getting a first mtb, since the frame is the same for the xc hardtails (except maybe unit and kula) i'd get an 04 model if it were cheaper.

i like cinder cone - to me its an excellent starting point not too expensive and sortof mid-range is all you need when you start out anyway. i'm happy with mine - just need to replace brakes and fork and i'm sweet.

Thanks, Funkychicken. I've been riding mtb for around 20 years but need a new bike. I've never gotten into FS.

What year is your 'Cone'? The '05 has hydro discs and a Mazzorochi (sp?) mxRace fork. Are your fork and brakes hailed out or are you looking to upgrade?

The 'Cone' sure gets high marks from a lot of directions, including the sales guy at my local LSB (he rides an SS, of course ; ). For some reason the sales gal at the same shop keeps trying to get me into FS (I think because I'm 50 yrs) but I still like the HT's.

20 years? i've only been riding 4 mths, kinda weird for me giving advice :)

well... mine's not a cone really, it's an 04 blast that i got about 4 mths ago, frame's the same, but components on the far end of low :( hence i need an upgrade soon - dont even have disc! i think all i need are avid mechs (i prefer simplicity) and a humble marz mx comp, which should make it sweet enough for me. but for now the first improvement has to be my skillz.

i dunno, i would've thought after 20yrs of biking you would've wanted something a lot more high-end than a cone? a caldera at least or a FS? having said that, i love my kona so much i'll probably keep it (upgraded by then) and alternate b/w that and an FS which i want to get in at least 3 yrs time...

but yes, konas seem to carry some level of respect. bringing in my bike for first 3 mth service at LBS, they told me they didnt do services on weekends, had to pick it up week later :( as i was walking out, service guy goes: "heeey... who's kona's that?" and does a service there and then. :)

Good story on the service ; )

Yeah, it's something to be a grandpa now and finally have the coins to buy about any bike I want to (within reason) but there's something about the simplicity of a HT and the straight-forward design of the 'Cone' that really appeals to me. More expensive not always meaning better, in all ways. My friends ride FS's and they are still scratching their heads when I talk about getting a new hardtail. Actually, I'd even like to go SS but I think I'll get a new bike and convert one of my old mtb's into an SS.

I'm open to anyone convincing me that I should move up from the 'Cone' to another HT Kona, or even a FS but I keep hearing from a lot of directions that the Cinder Cone is awesome and that I'll be exceptionally pleased with it. I've asked in a lot of different directions and seem to get that advice consistently. Not sure about the 'Radar Green' of the '05; I'd like to talk to someone who has seen it (but color isn't the most important factor; I'm just curious).

Thanks for your advice; I appreciate it!

Definately go with the cindercone.

Yup! Thanks for the conversation yesterday KonaRider24; I appreciated your tips.

You know, I keep trying to get someone to tell me to spend more $$$ but seems everyone from the LBS to here keeps encouraging me to get the Cinder Cone! I'm still messing around with it because I can't order it from my LBS until next Monday (they don't have my size in stock) but I'm feelin' really good about it. :D

i dont much like the new king colouring, but that's kona's style i guess?

yea, i don't like the dj bike colors...they just had the scrap ( or shred, i can't really recall) in my LBS, and it was a VERY strange color, i have never seen a bike quite that shade of brown...probobly a good thing, eh? :rolleyes:

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i just purchased an 05 blast for my dad.

rios - lol can't possibly be as bad as the 04 fire mountain - when i got shown that at LBS, i thought they were trying to palm off an old 70's bike on me! :)

Yeah i dunno about the decals either. I like them but i don't know if i like them more than the old ones.

Anyone seen the '05 Cinder Cone or Caldera in real life? The Radar Green of the 'Cone' looks interesting and the reception of the Caldera 'Cream' color seems mixed, at best (even heard a little rumbling about another color option coming out for the Caldera - I have no idea if it's true or not).

Hard to tell what colors really look like on the net or a catalog. Not that color is the most important thing (far from it) but it does matter at least to some degree (too me, anyway).

Thanks!

the new kona line is sooooo sweet, just 1 question, i know there r 3 triple 8 models, which is nicest, 2nd, and 3rd? and do they all have 8 inches? n e ways konas kick ass im selling mine on e bay rite now,

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7100992047&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

rios - lol can't possibly be as bad as the 04 fire mountain - when i got shown that at LBS, i thought they were trying to palm off an old 70's bike on me! :)

LMAO!!!


The Kona line is sooooo sweet

AMEN!!!

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What's up with the Caldera? Seems there are a zillion people who own a Conder Cone; they're discussed all over the forums, reviewed, etc. The Caldera is the 'Cone' with upgraded fork, cranks, and rims (and some little stuff) and the top of the HT line based on the 7005 frame. There is hardly any mention of this model?!?

Do people just move from the 'Cone' to the Kula or Kikapu or something else?

Whoops! :o I mean 'Cinder' Cone; not Conder Cone (maybe that's gonna' be a 2006 model?) :roflmao: