Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Mountain Biking
Reload this Page >

Could I race Xc w/ this?

Notices
Mountain Biking Mountain biking is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Check out this forum to discuss the latest tips, tricks, gear and equipment in the world of mountain biking.

Could I race Xc w/ this?

Old 03-01-06, 08:49 PM
  #1  
St. Louis Rams!
Thread Starter
 
lm/-_-lm/'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 61
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Could I race Xc w/ this?

https://konaworld.com/shopping_cart/F...6&parentid=253

It looks too plush to be all that fast. What y'all think? And it also doesn't have a weight posted.
lm/-_-lm/ is offline  
Old 03-01-06, 08:51 PM
  #2  
later
 
free_pizza's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,471
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by lm/-_-lm/
Could I race Xc w/ this?
.
Absolutly, although the King Kikapu might be more race worthy
free_pizza is offline  
Old 03-01-06, 09:21 PM
  #3  
St. Louis Rams!
Thread Starter
 
lm/-_-lm/'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 61
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Too expensive.
lm/-_-lm/ is offline  
Old 03-01-06, 09:31 PM
  #4  
Banned.
 
sngltrackdufus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: tartarus
Posts: 1,258

Bikes: MTB's & a Cyclocross

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
you can win CC races on a toys 'R' us special with enough drive & dedication.
sngltrackdufus is offline  
Old 03-01-06, 09:43 PM
  #5  
Banned
 
BoSoxYacht's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: take your time, enjoy the scenery, it will be there when you get to it
Posts: 7,281

Bikes: 07 IRO BFGB fixed-gear, 07 Pedal Force RS

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
It's a shame that most companies don't offer affordable XC bikes anymore . The freeride marketing craze seems to have killed the niche .
BoSoxYacht is offline  
Old 03-01-06, 11:03 PM
  #6  
DNPAIMFB
 
pinkrobe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Cowtown, AB
Posts: 4,655

Bikes: Titus El Guapo, Misfit diSSent, Cervelo Soloist Carbon, Wabi Lightning, et al.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
You can race on anything - but you might want to think about how you'll place. Before you buy a bike, consider what sort of courses you'll be racing on. If they're rock-strewn DH or DS courses, then the Kikapu will last for a handful of rides before **** starts breaking off at random. A few things to look for in a XC race bike:
- light weight. You'll have to drag that thing up hills. Every pound you save on the weight of the bike has the potential to save you time, unless the bike lacks...
- durability. The lightest bike in the world won't help you win unless it holds together long enough to get you across the finish line.
- efficiency. As much energy as possible must be channeled from your body to the bike and then to the ground. Most race bikes are still hardtails because most race courses don't require full suspension for an efficient ride. YMMV.
- handling. This is different for everyone. Most XC bikes have 71/73 head/seat angles with 100mm of travel or less. This setup works for a lot of people. Again, YMMV.

I'd suggest you see what the local racers are on, and get something similar to what they have, but in your price range. I'd guess that most are on hardtails. Look at what the top 10 guys are on. If most are on hardtails, I'd suggest you go with that.
pinkrobe is offline  
Old 03-02-06, 08:56 AM
  #7  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Toronto
Posts: 4,063
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by sngltrackdufus
you can win CC races on a toys 'R' us special with enough drive & dedication.
Only if everyone else is riding the same thing.

You can't win the race with your bike choice, but you can lose it that way.

If you're just racing with your buds for fun, as Pinkrobe mentioned, almost any bike will do. One of the bigger races around here sees everyone from roadies to huckers to recumbants at the start line.

But no one has ever won the race on anything other than a middle-high-end XC race bike, or cross bike.

And no one ever will.

Because if they pick a bike that's slightly less optimal for the course, someone otherwise slightly slower than them will beat them.

Every time.

And if you are actually burning it trying to win a race, it sucks to know that you might have... had you been on a different bike.

Like I said, if you are racing with your buddies for fun or just trying to finish the course, ride any bike you like and have fun. That's the way it should be, really.

But to win in a big field, you'll need a bike almost perfectly suited to the course.
ghettocruiser is offline  
Old 03-02-06, 08:59 AM
  #8  
Throw the stick!!!!
 
LowCel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Charleston, WV
Posts: 18,150

Bikes: GMC Denali

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 176 Post(s)
Liked 92 Times in 31 Posts
What class will you be racing? If beginner then sure, go for it. If sport or higher then you will want to get a lighter, more efficient bike.
__________________
I may be fat but I'm slow enough to make up for it.
LowCel is offline  
Old 03-02-06, 09:13 AM
  #9  
Gravity Is Yer Friend
 
dirtbikedude's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: "Over the Hill" and going down fast in the 805.
Posts: 2,961

Bikes: Scott Gambler, Scott Ransom, Kona Bear, Bianchi 928 Carbon/Chorus, C'Dale Rize4

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
That would be a good bike to get into racing. It will be better then some others out there, even in the sport class, but definitly not the best. If you find that you realy enjoy racing then down the line you could look into a bike upgrade.

If you find that racing is not for you then you will still have a good trail bike, either way it is a good choice.

DBD
dirtbikedude is offline  
Old 03-02-06, 09:49 AM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
jburnsdo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: South Central PA
Posts: 223
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by lm/-_-lm/
https://konaworld.com/shopping_cart/F...6&parentid=253

It looks too plush to be all that fast. What y'all think? And it also doesn't have a weight posted.
you sure can, and you can win on it, too. I'm a member of the kona cult and I am a huge fan of these bikes. That is a sweet ride. It is a little heavy for riding CC on, but the handling makes up for it. FWIW, Bicycling did a review on it in the last year or two where they glossed it pretty well. In the end they reference dusting a dude on a Santa Cruz Superlight. Granted the rider makes the bike, but, if the geometry is a fit for you, you could totally win on it.
jburnsdo is offline  
Old 03-02-06, 09:59 AM
  #11  
DNPAIMFB
 
pinkrobe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Cowtown, AB
Posts: 4,655

Bikes: Titus El Guapo, Misfit diSSent, Cervelo Soloist Carbon, Wabi Lightning, et al.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by dirtbikedude
That would be a good bike to get into racing. It will be better then some others out there, even in the sport class, but definitly not the best. If you find that you realy enjoy racing then down the line you could look into a bike upgrade.

If you find that racing is not for you then you will still have a good trail bike, either way it is a good choice.
Has anyone looked at the parts spec on that Kona? It runs Alivio and is close to 30 pounds. Seriously, take a very good look at what your competitors are riding. When I started in Sport, there were people on junk - for the first race. By the second or third race in the season, everyone was on LX or XT racing hardtails.
pinkrobe is offline  
Old 03-02-06, 10:01 AM
  #12  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: southern oregon
Posts: 2,631
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
for $100 more you could get the kula hardtail, nicer components, lighter.
mcoine is offline  
Old 03-02-06, 02:32 PM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 320
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
with the Fox Vanilla and Marzocchi MZ-3 and TruVativ, its heavy by just looking at it. the parts and drive gears/chain is not design for racing altho Kona makes great FS frames. Do you need a FS for racing? its really heavy ...for XC...if you say going out for fun and all mountain, its a gd bike...but i would get better parts...but to answer your title "race this on xc" i will choose not to
achc is offline  
Old 03-02-06, 02:39 PM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
zx108's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: N.J.
Posts: 1,545
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
i have the 05 and i want to give racing a shot. i think the kikapu is around 30 lbs. its a pretty nice bike. all around kind of low end components though.
zx108 is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.