Hey BradBB,
I own a Kona Dew, forgot what year but it was the year before they released the Drop. Anyway, I converted it myself to a drop bar setup with STI's and cross levers. I used the bike for a 3-day tour (sleeping bag, tent, etc.) and it was fine. It's by no means a fancy bike but it shifts great, rides nicely, and was fairly inexpensive. I wish I had disc brakes though, although I'mlooking into coverting the v-brakes to Cantilevers. Kona makes great bikes, I'm especially fond of their mountain bikes which the frame geometry is based off of.