First off, I searched..and I am still a tad bit confused..so...help a brother out!? First off, I am 6'1 250lbs..so I am a big heavy bastard...most riding will be downhill/urban settings...with some uphill...I really like that the Coiler has more travel, but will it be necessary for me? I dont plan on doing any drops more than 3-5 feet, but I do like to go down hill as fast as I can...currently I am using my fathers specialized hardtail something or another, and I will end up breaking it if I continue to use it.

So, which one will it be men? I read something about being able to change the shock in the rear of the dawg to give the same amount of travel on the coiler, is that a possibility?

BTW, I should mention this, I havent been able to find any coilers in any shops, with the exception of a demo (but it wont be sold till ~november!!) but I did find a shop that has several `04 dawgs...so there would be a considerable discount there... HELP!

I would most definately get a Coiler (Primo if you can afford it). The Dawg I think is a tad more XC and the Coiler is more of throwing around and taking a beating. The best thing to do is take both for a spin and see what one you like the most.

Yea primo is out of the question....tad bit too much money...is the Coiler going to climb well enough for slight inclines? I guess I will have to go take em out for a ride...as you suggested. Thanks for the quick response!

I'd say Coiler. For slight inclines, definately. For long, steep uphills I'm not so sure as you'll have a bit of a job trying to get it up but the Dawg is mostly XC oriented and (probably) would not take such a beating (I have a feeling 5 foot drops won't be liked by the rear shock).

Definately the coiler. The dawg is a cross country bike that is not ment for people of yor wieght, or jumping, and especialy not people of your wirght jumping!

You like to go down hill fast and jump, you need a sturdy bike. The stinky might even be ok for you. Also, the geometry of the dawg is not going to feel as good as the coiler when jumping or bombing hills.

I love konas and have ridden most of them. I took my friends coiler for a few days and loved it. I was surprised at how well it could be peddaled (spelling?) and perform like a hard core freeride bike. If you have any specific questions, just ask.

Hey Borracho,
I bought an '05 Dawg Dee-Lux 2 mos ago. I raced back in the 90's so my old XC brain areas dictated a good climber. Initially, I THOUGHT I needed the propedal that the DeeLux has, but I never use it...maybe on long road rides but seldom otherwise. The Dawg is, as Kona states, a "gene splice". I feel it's a compromise. My local trails are quite technical with many steep climbs so for me it fits the bill, but sometimes I think I should have bought the coiler. Ask me again after a long climb, and I may have a different answer

Happy riding,
GMG

i have been in the same position as you for about 9 months now - but i'm now set on the coiler over the dawg b/c i feel at least the coil shock would be able to take more of a consistent beating than the dawg's air shock can. although i dont think i'll be doing anything overly crazy, at least i'll know the coiler can withstand more abuse and maybe require less replacement parts.

not an option for you i guess, but you COULD upgrade the dawg to a coil shock like this dedicated kona owner. he's been upgrading his dawg, bear, and stinky like a man possessed.

Thanks for the replies guys....I still have alot of thinking to do!! I really do think I should go with the coiler but I wont be able to get any kind of deal on it since I would need to order it...anyway thanks again guys!

Deal or no deal, Coiler.

welll guys...you'll be proud....at about 3:30 I purchased a brand new coiler...I really hope that 19in is big enough though...

Yep, we are proud. Now show us some pics!

I will take pics when it arrives! I live in NM and found her in UT...so it *should* be here ~Tueday hopefully. I am going to go pick up some shoes and maybe a comp on saturday...any suggestions on either would be great! thanks again everyone

nice!! I was going to suggest a hardtail, but hey, if you like FS's then by all means go ahead. Remember to still try to pick out the cleanest lines on a trail, it will make you smoother and faster. Plowing takes a lot less skill to do and you just end up tacoing more rims or flatting more.

Thanks for the advice! Well I am outta the office for the evening..everyone have a swell night and I'll post up my thoughts when I get the bike! Thanks again!

Well....the bike didnt get shipped out on Friday like I was told (and I hoped for!)...so I have been thinking in my head quite a bit about the bike...and...my tendency to modify stuff on my car(s) has started to carry over to the mountain bike side...which is scarey since I dont even have it yet! Anyway, what can/do people modify on their bikes? I am not talking about adding a carrige for water, or adding a computer to tell how far/fast/long you have gone for...thinking more like wheels and breaks and suspension upgrades...any suggestions?

Front fork is best place to start, heck you can sell your old one to boot! Or keep it for a spare, the choice is yours.

Well, you could upgrade pretty much anything. Fork, wheels, brakes, handlebar, stem, grips, brake levers, shifters, drivetrain and that's only half of it. Ride the bike for a while and see what you don't like, make a list and then replace them for something better suited to your riding style (we're here to help you with these things ).
But most important: Have fun, the Coiler is a killer bike.

If you were so hot to upgrade, you should have gotten the dee-lux. It has better brakes, fork, shock, etc. already on it. you will end up spending more money getting equivalent parts as the dee-lux if you purchase the parts separately for the coiler. however, nothing on that bike is bad and needs upgrading. Ride it for a few months before swapping out any parts (if you must upgrade) and swap out the ones you don’t love (i.e. not enough stopping power, get new brakes. too much/not enough travel on fork, get new fork)

If it was me, the only things I would change would be the fork, maybe to a dual crown like a boxxer and the brakes to something like juicy sevens (the best brakes i’ve owned and ridden).

The only thing you may need right off the bat would be a heavier strength rear spring (you are a pretty big guy).

Any suggestions for the odometer? I've looked a bit at some of the stores in town but havent really seen anything...do any of them have an altimeter that are priced reasonably? I guess I will keep an eye out to see if I can find a used fork later down the road...everyone have a good sunday afternoon ride!!