Mountain Biking - 2004-2005 Comparison- Konas

I'm talking about the components. I mean they look like they've better value, but I can't really tell. E.g. Shred 2005 has a DJ fork, Alex rims, Altus rear derailler. The Scrap 2004 has an XC fork, Sun Ditch Witch rims, and an acera. The difference is 50 bucks, CDN (suggested msrp) the scrap being higher. Which has better value? Considering Alex rims aren't as good as ditch witches (I think) and the r/derailler is alot down the food chain. Is the extra 50 bucks worth the scrap? (I've already a bike, just wondering about comparisons, plus I paid 702.65, so I've no remorse :D).

Same goes with the xc bikes. They seem to be cutting down on costs on parts that people don't notice as much on the low price range bikes and beefing up the more noticed parts (e.g. fork).

The cross country bikes have quite a bit of a change for the better, for example the fire mountain. Last year, for 650, you didn't get discs, you got the mz comp, you got acera/alivio. This year for 750 you get the mz comp, alivio/alvio and discs, not to mention better rims I think!


Marketing strategies + psychology?

But...I like the 2004 colours more.

I would put the rims equal with maybe the alex being better. Ditch Witch suck. Period. Weak weak rim. Altus and Acera I think are both 8spd and both at the bottom of the barrel. They both shift, wanna know why they use them? They are like 10$ cdn to replace and they will break on a dj bike. I would get the shred if it has the dj fork as the dj fork is better quality and built for what you would do on that frame.

It changes every year depending on engineering and material costs. Kona likes to keep prices consistent within around 100$. The stinky will likely be 2000cdn again this year. With the increased costs of asian aluminum this mean production costs go up. This means quality parts go down a little to keep the prices equal.

The colours are growing on me. But really kona is a company who doesn't care if their bikes make sense when it comes to colours, they have made some truly hideous bikes in the past 10 years.

I agree fully about colour. I don't wanna ride something - OMG MY BIKE IS DOWN (wait never mind I just looked at my bike and I realized I took off it's front wheel, and it looked like its wheel tacoed). Anyways I don't want to ride something that's just not my style.

Ah well, can't go wrong with a dj bike with crappy rims and fork for only 702.65. I'll wait till I save up, and then I'm gonna get some nice light dj rims. Are rhyno lites any good for this?

Btw, look's like the bikes this year are better than last year, pricewise, after maelstrom's comment. Although prices are going up so is value.

hey just for reference, the word "tacoed" doesnt exist....not in english anyways....not that this bothers me that we use it, jsut that it has no real meaning, i looked it up one day to see its true meaning, and its not there...warp would be a better word.

this just for the record that tacoed isnt a word

Well, the Cindercone is still one of the best deals running... XT rear on a $800 range bike is pretty unheard of. I think the front is a Deore, decent fork, disc brakes... its not a hard bike to sell really.

hey just for reference, the word "tacoed" doesnt exist....not in english anyways....not that this bothers me that we use it, jsut that it has no real meaning, i looked it up one day to see its true meaning, and its not there...warp would be a better word.

this just for the record that tacoed isnt a word

Thanks Mr. DICKtionary...Just kidding man. Tacoed is just something the mountain bikers made up...It makes me hungry.

Thanks Mr. DICKtionary...Just kidding man. Tacoed is just something the mountain bikers made up...It makes me hungry.

I thought Ultimate players invented it, but maybe that just shows I've been playing Ultimate a hell of a lot longer than I've been riding.

I'm talking about the components. I mean they look like they've better value, but I can't really tell. E.g. Shred 2005 has a DJ fork, Alex rims, Altus rear derailler. The Scrap 2004 has an XC fork, Sun Ditch Witch rims, and an acera. The difference is 50 bucks, CDN (suggested msrp) the scrap being higher. Which has better value? Considering Alex rims aren't as good as ditch witches (I think) and the r/derailler is alot down the food chain. Is the extra 50 bucks worth the scrap? (I've already a bike, just wondering about comparisons, plus I paid 702.65, so I've no remorse :D).

Same goes with the xc bikes. They seem to be cutting down on costs on parts that people don't notice as much on the low price range bikes and beefing up the more noticed parts (e.g. fork).

The cross country bikes have quite a bit of a change for the better, for example the fire mountain. Last year, for 650, you didn't get discs, you got the mz comp, you got acera/alivio. This year for 750 you get the mz comp, alivio/alvio and discs, not to mention better rims I think!


Marketing strategies + psychology?

But...I like the 2004 colours more.

One thing I've noticed about Kona's, and I've spec'd a lot of bikes as we all have, is they seem to give a consistently high level of componentry relative to the bike's price. With lots of other companies there seems to be a wider variance in the component package to where I'm thinking 'what the _____ is that doing in there?'; there's at least one or two oddball parts that are so weak in the package they just jump right out. Maybe we all do this but I always look at a bike's spec's and then try to ID the weakest link.

I wasn't too excited about the 2005 colors relative to 2004, either, but I will say they look a lot nicer in real life than on konaworld and the colors kinda' grow on me. Kona colors definately say 'Kona' and they don't seem to give a well roasted road-apple about winning a fashion award with their hard-core DJ and FR series; they're cool in their own sort of kick-butt way. I will say that my '05 Kula is quite a looker, though. :D

Every bike should be stealth black or bright pink..Not really but anythings better then Kona's colors.

hey just for reference, the word "tacoed" doesnt exist....not in english anyways....not that this bothers me that we use it, jsut that it has no real meaning, i looked it up one day to see its true meaning, and its not there...warp would be a better word.

this just for the record that tacoed isnt a word

What about fakie? Fufanu? Abubaca? Bike slang is part of the industry. Skaters have it, bmers, surfers...every sport.

To taco a wheel has its meaning. :)

The colours are growing on me. But really kona is a company who doesn't care if their bikes make sense when it comes to colours, they have made some truly hideous bikes in the past 10 years.
I have the *ahem* colored Kona. Everyone pokes fun at the color, and I have to tell them it is the new "style". Some of them believe me too. :rolleyes:

I have the *ahem* colored Kona. Everyone pokes fun at the color, and I have to tell them it is the new "style". Some of them believe me too. :rolleyes:

LOL! Maybe tell them the special colors are a limited upgrade. The paints are made of different colored rare clays from around the world. They're located in places so inaccessable that trained birds have to fly in and bring the clays out a tiny piece at a time in their beaks. It cost you a lot over stock price but you think it's worth it! :D

Don't you've the 2004 shred, rios?

Don't you've the 2004 shred, rios?
No, the '05. By the way, I love your sig. Great song.




LOL! Maybe tell them the special colors are a limited upgrade. The paints are made of different colored rare clays from around the world. They're located in places so inaccessable that trained birds have to fly in and bring the clays out a tiny piece at a time in their beaks. It cost you a lot over stock price but you think it's worth it!
Great Idea! Hope you don't mind if I use it, it is bound to shut some people up!! :D

Great Idea! Hope you don't mind if I use it, it is bound to shut some people up!! :D

Please do! (Just promise to let us know what kind of looks you get when you tell people about it)!. :roflmao:

If you want to talk about lousy colors, take a look at this Bianchi frameset. (http://www.bianchiusa.com/594.html)

If you want to talk about lousy colors, take a look at this Bianchi frameset. (http://www.bianchiusa.com/594.html)
:eek:
:roflmao: :roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

:eek: Does not even do it justice.

It's even called P.U.S.S...........(dragging it out.......)


My goodness. :o

http://www.bianchiusa.com/typo3temp/f74b864029.jpg

I MUST have this frame!!! :eek: :love:

Nothing says I don't give a "fawk" like a pink bike.

blech, pink.

Actually I like the colors of the 2k5 konas.

http://www.bianchiusa.com/typo3temp/f74b864029.jpg

Nothing says I don't give a "fawk" like a pink bike.

Actually, there is something (that says I don't give a "fawk" even more than a pink bike). A pink bike with P.U.S.S. painted on it! :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

-Stretch-, the shape of badly landed on wheel is called 'tacoed' as we all know. I think a taco, in shape, is basically a circle folded over so wouldn't a damaged wheel be better known as 'pringled'? That is, folded in one direction but also slightly bent over in the opposing direction? There is probably a horrendously complicated name for such a pringle shape but I'm glad to say I don't know it :).

Yes, I think a really jacked up wheel looks more like a pringle than a taco. However, tacoed seems to have made it into mountain bikers' lexicon.

I actually like the P.U.S.S. and want one.

Have you guys seen Gary Fisher's new graphics?

Put DOWN the crack pipe Gary and walk away slowly!

No, any pics?

I like the colors of the '04 konas better than '05, mostly.

Off-topic, a bit:
Maelstrom, I clicked the link for 'Transition Bikes' in your sig, those seem really nice.
Especially this one (cheap too):
http://www.transitionbikes.com/TrailorPark.cfm

Maelstrom, I clicked the link for 'Transition Bikes' in your sig, those seem really nice.
Especially this one (cheap too):
http://www.transitionbikes.com/TrailorPark.cfm
that's the bike he just built up... http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=72393

Oh, ok.. heh

All I gotta say is it is an amazing ride. Fits really well. I love the horizontal dropouts.

i know im a little late in response to this, i was computer-less for a week and a half, but aboot the tacoed thingy, i just wanted to say, someone should define it for fun, cause i was confused as balls when i first looked it up, i know what it means just doesnt have a meaning, catch? anyways thats all i got for now...

Huh...you really don't like the word taco do you...haha

Waheeeey! You gotta love Google. The shape described by a pringle (or 'tacoed' wheel) is hyperbolic or more properly a hyperbolic plane :D!

"Hey, I crashed yesterday and really hyperboliced my wheel!"

or as it will most likely end up...

"Hey, I crashed yesterday and really hyperbolloxed my wheel!"

Remember, you heard it here first :).

"I imagine you would get your ass kicked for saying that here"

Maelstrom - didn't you mean '...get my a@@ kicked' ?

Quoting a famous movie, small swears are allowed. Office space is a classic and deserves full representation :)

Okay, so color has become the topic, and one of my stumbling points in choosing between the 04 and 05 Hoss Dee-Lux. (yeah I'm a big guy looking to do damage) The 04 comes in dookey brown and the 05 comes in blue. At first I was all over the blue rather than dookey brown. Now I'm not as concerned, thinking more about part quality than color. (Besides I think it might be more entertaining to say, "yeah, I got a dookey brown Kona hoss Dee-lux." :D ) Color aside, I notice the price has dropped some because of ?parts?. Is there a noticable difference? Is one better than the other?
On a side note, I am also considering an 05 Haro 8.3 (Black) due to availability, color, and possibly parts. I noticed the parts seem pretty much equal to the 05 kona except for maybe a better fork on the Haro and frame. (Bare with me, as my user name suggests, I'm a freakin new guy)
Can anyone help me with the choice in these three?

Oh one last thing, can someone tell me where the Kona frames are made?

I'm liking some of the '05 Kona colors. Anyone seen the creme color of the new Caldera?

Kona does indeed seem to have a large amount of high quality components for the money. I've seen $1000 bikes that have the components of a $500 Trek. Somethings wrong there.

The frame is better?

Oh one last thing, can someone tell me where the Kona frames are made?
Aren't they made in like eastern Washington or somewhere in the NW? Cheaper to ship the the Lower 48 than hawaii. (?)

If you are refering to "and frame" djrider, that was a leftover from a cut and paste reorganization. In other words that was not supposed to be there.

It was supposed to read something to the effect that the parts seem to be about the same except for the folk and frame. The better part was about the folk being better on one than the other.

I like my Kona...much love to it.

I'm liking some of the '05 Kona colors. Anyone seen the creme color of the new Caldera?

Have you seen the cream '05 Caldera in real-life? I've been curious about that color. Many people give it a big yuck when they see it at konaworld.com but it looks to me like it might be a classy color (but I haven't seen it in real-life).

My '05 Kula is exceptionally nice looking, IMO. Clean design, excellent paint application. Not that it will last that way or color is everything but ... ; )

:D Howz the dookey brown working out for you?
How are the components? Is it solid or does it complain?
Bla Bla
You know what I mean.

Dude...the color...I love it...it actually looks really good and goes with the color on the fork well..that blue is like a "hey look at me I'm a friggin' idiot" I hated the blue...as far as the bike goes I've taken it off countless curbs in the past week, hopped on a few...etc. I love the bike, it doesn't seem weak in the least. I am really happy with it. If you have any specific questions let me know.

http://realisticillusions.fluxworks.net/bike.htm some pix of the bike...probably a little bit better detail than the site.

http://realisticillusions.fluxworks.net/bike.htm some pix of the bike...probably a little bit better detail than the site.

Yup! Looks great!. I've been trying to talk my friend (6'3", 350#'s) into getting a Clydesdale (Hoss). He's too cheap though and won't shell out the coins (even though I keep telling him it's an excellent ride and a superb package for the price). He bent the frame on his current bike just riding it. :eek:

bahahahah I've taken mine off a few curbs, through some loose dirt in a unfinished construction site and gotten some good speed on it to hit some pot holes. I sink about 40mm into the suspension (why I'm getting the stiffer springs) but it still has plenty of room left for any bumps I encounter. The seat is also very sturdy. I haven't felt it bend, flex, or move since I have been riding, the only thing I do notice is I wish the shifting was a little smoother on the bike...I'm gonna have the LBS take a look at it early next week and see if they can do anything with it.

Yeah, I guess the blue is a little LOUD. At least if I get the brown I won't have to wash it as much. ; )