Kona Dew Drop?
 

Anyone have experience with these?
http://www.konaworld.com/09_dewdrop_u.cfm

I'm wondering if it would be a good substitute for a Raleigh Sojourn and be much cheaper to boot.

Looks nice. No experience with the bike but I have BB7's on my Trek Soho and they SUCK!! I wouldn't do that again had I known.

ohh but that raleigh....

I'd steer clear of disc brakes. I had them on a cross bike I used as a commuter and hated them from the first ride. IMHO, cantis or v-brakes can give you enough stopping power without any of the hassle of disc brakes.

I love disc brakes, and once you figure out how to properly adjust the Avid mechanical disc brakes, you shouldn't have any problems. Disc brakes work better than rim brakes in wet, muddy, and snowy conditions. They also continue to work if your rim is out of true. I rode a Kona Sutra through the winter, and it was amazing! I highly recommend disc brakes it you commute in snowy, wet, or muddy conditions.

Why do they suck? What is wrong with them?

I ask because one of the things that I want on my new long distance bike is disc brakes. And I had pretty much narrowed it down to BB7's...

What do you hate about them?

I've had problems with them from day one. For one they are loud. The front screams every time I stop. I took the bike to my LBS and they helped me dial them in. They said "oh they need to break in", 1500 miles have went by and they never did. I can't lock the front one up unless I just rip on the thing. I'm talking most of my strength and even then it's just barely. My LBS told me I don't want them to lock up. Yeah, they might be right, but I at least would like to know I have the option to. They even put mountain levers on for me so they'd grab harder. They sanded the pads down, cleaned my rotors, rotated the back to the front and front to the back. They still work like ****. I'm very unsatisfied. In fact I just bought a new bike and made sure my selection had rim brakes. I would love for them or anybody to prove me wrong. I went to Avid's site and based on the pics they are perfectly spaced and perfectly dialed in with the 2/3 1/3 spacing. *sigh*

Nothing wrong with BB7's;they're the standard in cable discs. I currently own 6 bikes equipped with them,and have previously owned 4 others.

destikon: here's the link to Avid's manuals.
http://www.sram.com/en/service/avid/...D=1&subcatID=1

I'd suggest reading over this and see if it fixes your problem. The first time I ever messed with BB7's was when I installed one on the front of my Surly. I just followed the instructions and it worked perfectly. I had issues with my Dixon's front BB7 not stopping,and it turned out to be improper installation. The caliper was mounted at a slight angle(the washers were in a different order between the two mounts). Take a look down into the opening of your caliper and see if the rotor is straight and parrallel between the pads. If not,the caliper may be crooked like mine. It could also be that your rotor is warped. I had this problem on one of my bikes when it was new from the shop. It had gotten banged during shipping or essembly and they didn't catch it.

To date,every single problem I've had with any of my disc brakes(all models/bikes) has been from improper setup by the shop,damage during shipping,or playing bike polo(which doesn't count cause that's really just abuse).

Also,the only noise problems I've had with my discs have been from them being dirty,like after riding in the rain. They usually quiet down after a couple dry stops. Otherwise,cleaning the rotors usually takes care of it.

BradBB: sorry about the thread jacking. I think the Dew Drop would do fine. I own a Dew Deluxe,and have owned a Sutra,which was pretty close to the Sojourn. The Drop will be a little harder to fit facks and fenders due to the rear caliper mount,but there are disc specific racks and fenders that should go on without major issue.

Yeah, didn't mean to thread jack there. Thanks dynaryder. You have inspired me to get to the bottom of it. I really really want them to work.

Glad to help. Let us know if you get it fixed and what did it.

Cool looking commuter. Love my BB7's. I have them on two of my bikes. Better stopping power then Reg brakes.

Thanks for the discussion! I didn't consider it a thread hijack at all, because I'm keenly interested in the disc V canti debate. Discs seem superior from an engineering perspective, but well-maintained rim brakes (and rims) do a good job, too.

I like the cut of the Sojourn's jib, but actually prefer the LH Trucker or the Cross Check, because the sloping top tube is odd to my eye. I think the CC is lighter, as well. Neither Surly has discs, however, if I were to buy it from the chaps down the street. I can't justify spending so much on a Portland, either. It would be the ultimate bike, and far beyond my capabilities. I would feel a bit like a ****** riding it.

Oh, decisions (many of which not based purely on performance....)

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.

The advantage of cantis is you can maintain them very easily and with tools you should have available during rides. The downside is that you'll probably spend a fair amount of time doing so. ;)

I very much like cantis, considering they give good power, great modulation, and great mud/fender clearance. But I really like my disc brakes. They seem more powerful and they're very reliable. Only thing I have to do to them is occasionally wedge open the calipers if one gets a little off-kilter. And I think I need to bleed them soon, which I'm not exactly looking forward to (they're hydros).

All in all, if my ride were going to involve lots of wet or especially mud or snow, I'd go for discs. Especially snow, any rim brake will become nearly useless when packed with snow. The main reason I still have cantis on my hybrid is that the fork won't take them, and because I don't know of too many 1" threaded forks with disc tabs.

For reference, my disc brakes are Hayes Stoker Trails. The cantis I'm running now are Tektro CR720 wide profile arms.

What tools do you need to maintain BB7 brakes? I can make every possible adjustment to my BB5s with my fingers and a 5 mm allen key.

Continuing the threadjack: How long do the pads last on BB7s? My first set of BB5 pads was worn out (both front and rear) after about 2000 miles. As nobody but Avid seems to make pads for the BB5 ($20/pair at the LBS), this will be an expensive trend if it continues and I'm considering a BB7 upgrade.

I think that pad wear will depend on many variables that can't be easily quantified, such as braking habits and riding conditions. I agree that the brakes are relatively easy to adjust, once you learn how. The dials could be more finger friendly, but that's my only complaint.

2k miles sounds kinda short for disc pads. What kind of conditions?

Serfas,Jagwire,and prolly a couple other aftermarket companies make pads for Avid. A quick Google found Serfas BB7 pads for $8.99.

Aftermarket BB7 pads are all over the place. Aftermarket BB5 pads are a little harder to find where I shop.

As for conditions, I ride 95% pavement, 5% fine gravel MUP. No crazy mud. Lots of stop and go--I probably hit the brakes about twice each mile or so, and tend to brake, rather than coast, to a stop.

BB5 pads $8.99:

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...s.aspx?sc=FRGL

Thinking about it,BB5's have a fixed outer pad. Do your pads wear the same? IE,is one side shot while the other still has some meat on it? You can play with your cable tension to keep the outer pad from dragging. You can also swap the pads around after a while for consistant wear.

Given the Dew Drop and Dew Deluxe are exactly the same price, would the drop bars on the Drop be worth the lower spec compared with the Deluxe?

Differences in bold

Dew Drop:
Frame sizes: C45cm, C49cm, C52cm, C54cm, C56cm, C58cm, C60cm, C62cm
Frame tubing: Kona 7005 Aluminium Butted
Fork: Kona P2 700C
Headset: TH
Crankarms: FSA Alpha Drive (45-54=170, 56-62=175mm)
Chainrings: 48/38/28
Bottom Bracket: RPM 7420
Pedals: Wellgo LU-A9 / Xerama SP-500
Chain: KMC Z-72
Freewheel: Shimano HG40 (11-34, 8spd)
Front Derailleur: Shimano 2203
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore
Shifters: Shimano 2203
Handlebar: Kona Sweeper (31.8mm x 620mm Wide)
Stem: Kona Road (6�� , 45-49=75, 52-56=90, 58-62=100mm)
Grips: Velo Wrap Gel
Brakes: Shimano R505 Disc
Brake Levers: Shimano 2203
Front hub: Formula Disc
Rear hub: Shimano M475 Disc
Spokes: Sandvik Stainless 15g fr/14g rr
Tyres: Continental CountryRide 700x37C
Rims: Rigida ZAC-19SL
Saddle: Kona Comfort
Seatpost: Kona Road
Seat clamp: Kona QR
Colour: Metallic Black or Matte Black
Extras: Kona Bell

Dew Deluxe:
Frame sizes: C45cm, C49cm, C52cm, C54cm, C56cm, C58cm, C60cm, C62cm
Frame tubing: Kona 7005 Aluminum Butted
Fork: Kona P2 700C
Headset: TH
Crankarms: FSA Alpha Drive (45-54=170, 56-60=175mm)
Chainrings: 48/38/28
Bottom Bracket: RPM 7420
Pedals: Wellgo LU-A9 / Xerama SP-500
Chain: Shimano HG40
Freewheel: Shimano HG40 (11-34, 8spd)
Front Derailleur: Shimano Altus
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore
Shifters: Shimano Acera
Handlebar: Kona XC/BC Riser (31.8mm x 620mm Wide)
Stem: Kona Road (6�� , 45-49=75, 52-56=90, 58-62=100mm)
Grips: Kona Race Light
Brakes: Shimano 486 Hydraulic Disc 6"
Brake Levers: Shimano 486 Hydraulic Disc
Front hub: Formula Disc
Rear hub: Shimano M475 Disc
Spokes: Sandvik Stainless 15g fr/14g rr
Tyres: Continental CountryRide 700x37C
Rims: Rigida ZAC 2000
Saddle: Kona Comfort
Seatpost: Kona Road
Seat clamp: Kona QR
Colour: Matte Black
Extras: Kona Bell

I would consider the Kona Jake but its not available locally unfortunately.

I don't understand how you went through pads that quick on the street.

It is unfortunate that Avid still makes those roundagon rotors. The clean sweep rotors are infinitely better. They stop better and they don't make that warbling sound that the roundagons are famous for. If they offered an upgraded BB7 kit many would buy it. I guess now they get you to buy the kit, then buy an overpriced set of rotors on top.

It bugs me to see manufacturers continue to spec the BB5 as well. The BB7 is such a worthwhile upgrade that they're really doing the consumer a disservice by cutting corners.

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That said, my Sojourn with stock brakes (bb5) stops great. The difference between that and my BB7 bike, is the BB7 is always in adjustment. When the lever throw gets a little long I reach down at a stop light and tweak it. With the 5's you can't, so for me things tend to get a little further out of adjustment before I fix them.

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The dew drop does nothing for me. I think because it doesn't strike me as a road bike.

The Sojourn is nice, but on the heavy side. Would be a good tourer. It's the bike I use to carry my daughter, and to do a decent amount of gravel riding with my wife. Trying to keep it over 20mph is a workout, but drop to 17 or under and the whole personality of the bike changes. It really is very enjoyable in its element. It didn't work for me as a commuter though. Not sure exactly - some combination of the hills, speed I like to maintain, riding style, triple crankset, barcons... whatever.

As far as price, if you really wanted a Sojourn, watch ebay. They often sell for cheap. Unfortunately, this guy is in Canada http://cgi.ebay.com/RALEIGH-SOJOURN-...item414bbe923d - But even then, you could wait for the Microsoft cashback to go up (it's only 8% now - http://www.cashbackr.com/cashback ), use the buy it now and probably get it to your door for $800ish.

Old thread, but some questions to me, so I'll reply...

Pads wear more or less the same. Neither pad drags when the brakes aren't engaged. The disk flexes enough that both pads will experience about the same pressure under braking.

I eventually ordered some pads from discobrakes.com, $40 for a package of 4 sets ("medium" compound, the cheapest). Much better longevity, but a slight decrease in stopping power (more noticeable in the wet). There are other compounds which should give better stopping power (but it should be a couple years before I need to buy more pads).

Things work well enough that for now, I'm not planning to swap to BB7s, although I might have to give the clean sweep rotors a shot with JeffS's recommendation.

I looked into the Dew Drop last year. If you can get a 2009 model get it! For 2010, Kona dumbify the Dew Drop by putting in cheaper components. 2009 had the FSA Vero 30/42/52 teeth but with 2010 you get the pedestrian 48/38/28 rings. BTW, the Shimano Altus/Acera are mtb groupo while the Shimano 2200 series are road bike groupo. Also 2200 were rebadged Sora which was old Tiagras years ago.
Bottom line is if you can get 2009 Dew Drop, go for it. the 2010 is a disappointment.