Dave_linux

Hi guys,

I'm looking forward to buy me a cyclocrossbike that has got to do off-road and road. Lets say 70% off and 30% on road.
Here in Belgium it's all Ridley and Stevens but I recently saw a Kona JTS 2013 and I was in love.

So now I know which bike it has got to be but will it fit me?
I noticed that the sizing of the Kona bike is a bit odd if I compare with more common brands sold in Belgium.
Biggest problem is that I can't find any store that has got a JTS or Jake in size 49 or 53, which I think would fit me best.

Does anyone could give me any advice in this one? 'Cause the shop is prepared to do something in the price and accessory but ordering 2 bikes was a bit to much asked

details:

The bike I want to buy: Kona JTS 2014
My length: 172cm
My Weight: 75kg
My Inseam: 82cm
(More details on request)

Size of my roadracer: Cube Agree GTC size:56 (which is actually a 54)

I was advised to go for a horizontal toptube length of 535cm
But than the Kona would have to be a 49. Sound small...

Questions about the bike:
-The right bike for the job? 70%off-road, 30% on road
-sizing??? Might be the biggest question.
-changing tires for roadcycling or buy a new set of wheels (which wheelset or tires)? Keep in mind that is has got discbrakes.
-I've got a dodgy right knee, for that I want to go with a set of Time CX4 pedals, good choice? (I only biked on shimano SPD en SPD-SL)

All tips and advice is very welcome.

billh

(I'm assuming here that the 2014 geometry has not changed in the past 5 years, otherwise ignore this!) . . . my 15 yr son rides a 49cm 2010 Jake and is 5-foot even, 85 lbs . . . eh converting, that is . . . 152cm height, 38 kg. As you noted, the top tube is 53cm on a 49cm (seat tube) Jake.

A teammate of mine is about your size, say 5'-5" about 140 lbs and rides a 53cm Jake One single speed, although he says he could probably ride a 49cm frame.

My guess is the 53cm frame would work for you.

seajaye

i am 170cm (just about 5'7"), and my road bike has a 520mm seat tube, 541mm horizontal top tube. set-back post and 110mm stem.

i ride a 2012 JTS in a 49cm (i got it for cheap secondhand). in order to fit, there's a lot of post showing (no setback), and i have a 130mm stem on. it looks small, and i also can't shoulder the bike by lifting from the downtube...my hand-to-elbow distance is greater than practically any measurement inside the triangle.

i could probably ride a 53cm fairly comfortably, but looking at the geo charts, i DEFINITELY would not be able to stand over it.

looking at your road bike geometry, i would say go 53cm. that bike looks a bit big for me, which means you'll probably be pretty comfortable.

as for the bike itself...cross bikes sound perfect for what you want to do. tires/wheels...it's much cheaper to buy a set of tires than a totally new disc-brake wheelset. if you put on some 23/25/28mm slick tires, you'll be as close as you can be to a 'road' bike (minus the gearing). get a solid set of 'cross tires, a set of skinny (or wide) slick tires for the road, and you're there. you won't be swapping tires that often, unless you alternate riding on-and-off road every day or something.

Andy_K 

FWIW, the Kona geometry changed a bit in 2011, but just a bit. A 2010 54cm is about the same size as a 2011-2014 53cm.

I'm 5'9" (175cm). I have a 53cm 2013 Jake the Snake, and I love the fit. A couple of juniors on my team who are currently shorter than I am ride 56cm Jake the Snakes. I think they bought that size expecting to grow into them, but they don't seem to be having any trouble with the fit now.

I would definitely recommend the 53cm for you.

The JtS is a great choice for the mix of road and off-road you're expecting. I'd suggest a second wheelset. If you were in the U.S. I'd recommend the Handspun wheel with SRAM X.9 hubs and Velocity A23 rims. You can probably get that hub/rim combination, but I'm not sure how it would be priced there.

Dave_linux

Alright, that is already a bunch on information.

The guy in the shop also thinks that the 53 will do perfect.
I'm only a bit concerned about the toptube and standover. What I thought is that the Kona will be longer than my racebike in size 53.
And I was told to get a crossbike which would be 1 or 2 sizes smaller than the roadbike.
Also, if I take a look at the standover height, My inseam length is 32.28" and the standover of the 53 model is 31.37".
Not to much clearing here. Actually, the JTS will be higher than my Cube racebike.
I was informed by Kona Europe that the toptube length is measured horizontal and that the stem length would be 80mm for the 49 and 90mm for the 53.

These are the measurements given on the wrenchcalculator, but in cm not inches.


I Also took a peak at Canyon (Inflite AL 9.0), There I'm adviced to take a 53 (Small)


pfff, not so easy.
Would be much better if I could hop on one and 'feel' what's best.

Andy_K 

Based on the chart above, the Kona top tube length is only 5mm longer. I wouldn't worry about that.


Don't believe it. For comfort a 'cross bike should fit about the same way your road bike does.


That's plenty.

cuski

Ridley are great bikes (but then again, I'm biased since I have two of them myself - and so far they've fitted me just perfect) - why not one?

I'm pretty much around the same measurements as you are, and I opted for a size S Ridley X-bow. According to the sizing chart, that's about 52.3 cm top tube length. My Noah is a medium size, and I have to run an 80 mm stem on it, because it feels overstretched otherwise.

YMMV.

Dave_linux

@Andy_K: Because I haven't ride a XC bike before I can only tell what I've been told :-), but all input will be kept in mind.
I'm going to visit the shop and ask them for advice also.

And the Ridley's, yes they are nice but it's all Ridley out there. I prefer something that not look similar as all the others.
No offense for the one's who own them. For roadracer I consider also a Ridley, also the Noah.

For now I'm out for the Jake The Snake, Canyon Inflite Al 9.0 and the Cannondale Caad X disc.
The Canyon for the used components, the Cannodale for its name but the Kona for the looks.

Dave_linux

@cuski:
I passed by a Ridley dealer and he was willing to buy my cube racebike and sell me a 2014 crossbike. A Ridley X-Ride 2014 with Disc brakes.
Colour comes with black, white and some red colour.
Price was fairly good and the bike fitted good.
I've to say sorry about being so rude talking like that over Ridley.
I guess that's why they are that much noticeable in the woods.

I think that Jake the Snake must offer me something really good or I will go for the Ridley.

The guy from the Ridley store also mentioned Shimano's SPD (the XT XC series). He thinks that Time won't help me out on the bad knee. Because of the excessive force needed to clip out of the atac pedal.
He recommend me the XT XC pedals, more cheaper, good in the mud and also offers a small amount of float (3%).

What I did notice about the Ridley's is that they changed the looks, maybe the build of the carbon fork.
It used to be a similar fork as the higher end carbon bikes. What's about that?