Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Looking to buy a bike

hey everyone,
great forum here!! i am newly registered but have been reading quite a bit and the support here is wonderful...anyways a few years ago i was biking a lot and had a specialized hardrock comp disc...im a big guy approx 350lbs and want to start biking again...i was down to 300lbs at the end of 2008 but my bike was stolen and i couldnt afford to replace it. anyways...im looking to buy a new bike and have been looking at a kona dew plus 2011 model, 36 spokes, rigid fork...this bike will be used for road/bike paths. does this seem like a decent bike? a bikeshop 45 minutes from me has it currently for $550 and i seems comparable to my hardrock i had other than the front suspension which i hated anyways.

thanks for any advice!

The kona's are pretty good value and would be ideal for your intended use.

thanks for the response!

For the money, dang, that's hard to beat. I'd go for it, seems right up the alley for the riding you're doing.

thanks...just really hoping its a well built bike...my hardrock was built like a tank and im hoping this is just as well built.

The bike sounds right but only a test ride will truely tell if it is the bike for you. Take a drive down to the store and give it a ride and then test ride another similar bike (regardless of price). Then ride the Kona again to see if your opinion of it has changed.