Kona Kula

Advantages: Great handling, climbs like a mountain goat
Disadvantages: Can be a handfull on rough, fast decents

...To date I've owned three Kona Kulas, spanning a perod of nearly ten years. I've ridden 100km marathons on one, ridden the trails of South Wales on one, and commuted on one, so from that you could surmise that I like the bike. Well yes I do, but as technology has moved on is there still a place for the Kona Kula in todays market place? When it comes to riding fast, smooth singletrack, either up hill or down, the Kula is superb. The bike climbs very, very well, and the twistier and tighter the singletrack gets, the more the bike excells. Fireroad climbs are eaten for breakfast, and the geometry of the bike is such that it can be thrown back down with gay abandon. However, once a few rocks start appearing, you'll need to sharpen up. There's no ploughing headlong through rock gardens on this bike. The back end will give you a swift kick...

Greasylake 22.12.2006 · Read review
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Review of Kona Kula

Kona Cowan Frame Review. Light, strong and lovely to ride.

Advantages: Excellent lightweight and bomb-proof frame. Strong durable components.
Disadvantages: Slightly pricey with mid-range components.

...In 2006 I purchased a 2005 Kona cowan frame that i could custom build. This review is based on my experience on using the frame rather than the full bike supplied by Kona. Despite this I can comment on the specification and value for money of the full bike. The best feature of this bike is certainly the frame, retailing at around £499 alone. The components on this bike are chosen based on there performance as jump bike components. Taking into account what this bike will be used for, all the components are strong and durable. The more you pay for bike components, the lighter and more efficient they become without sacrificing any strength. The components on this bike are fairly average when compared to the quality of the frame. Therefore I think the bike is a touch over priced at £1000 rrp, but certainly worth the money. The frame itself...

Jonny5Review 16.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Kona Cowan

Kona The King

Advantages: Singletrack, Marathon Machine
Disadvantages: Don't try jumping on it

...I already owned a Kona Kula, but the rocks of Glyncorrwg had finally wrecked my ageing body, and I needed a full suspention bike. I loved the sharp handling Kula, and so The King seemed the obvious choice. I wasn't to be dissapointed. I'm about 5'11" tall, and went for the 19" size. It fits like a glove. With "only" four inches of travel there are plusher bikes out there, but The King loves twisty singletrack, and that was the main reason for me going for it. This bike loves singletrack. There's enough travel to get you through the rockiest sections of Afan Argoed, and it climbs very well. It's by no means superlight, coming in at about 26lbs, but the bike rides light, and is a great marathon machine. I swapped the FSA wheelset, fo a Chris King wheel set I had lying around, and put the FSA set on the bike I ride to work. They...

Greasylake 05.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of Kona The King

Kona NuNu, the beast with luminous stickers

Advantages: handles perfectly this is a great bike, useful on a range of levels
Disadvantages: no rear suspension so on rough tracks you have to stand to avoid jumping off saddle!

...Kona make a wide range of bikes so whatever level or type of biking you prefer then kona would be a great make for you to go for! i have had this bike for 4 years and it has continued to impress me throughout the duration i have ridden it. first off i just rode on the usual dry mud tracks, and have progressed onto forest riding and mud tracks. and now i have started to use my bike on jumps and fast downhill/uphill styles. before i had this bike, i had always had a specialized mountain bike, and these i found to be equally as good, they also make a wide range of bikes. so choosing a bike that was new to me was a big decision, especially one that came with a £600 price label at the time. when you go to buy a mountain bike at a shop, the assistant will normally ask you what you want to use your bike for, once you have answeredthat...

will-allen 04.03.2006 · Read review
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Review of Kona Nunu

Bottom end Kona. Take it for what it is.

Advantages: Quick, nippy, lightweight bike.
Disadvantages: Ride it too hard and it will break.

...Kona build some brilliant bikes... freeride, downhill, cross country, road and recreational. The Kona Fire Mountain is recreational also marketed as an entry-level Cross Country mountain bike. I bought the 2005 model for £450 in Halfords but I've seen the 2006 model for just £400 online at Evans Cycles. Older models can still be bought brand new from various suppliers and get knocked down dramatically in price. Now, I've owned this bike since May 05 and use it daily for travelling to and fro, and in that respect it's a very good machine, lightweight, quick and it looks great. But you have to remember that this bike is very much at the bottom end of the Kona range. The brakes are disc, which is good, as it gives great stopping power, but these are not fluid control brakes... they're cable controlled and brake 'cables' do have...

hilltophoody 06.02.2006 (07.02.2006) · Read review
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Review of Kona Fire Mountain

Kona Cinder Cone 2004

Advantages: Inexpensive, Respected Brand, Cool
Disadvantages: Some components need upgrading (but thats the fun 'aint it)

...are a shimano XT rear mech, which will be reliable as its XT. You have Avid brake leavers,Deore shifters and a Deore frontmech and crankset. While the Deore stuff isn't the best in the world, it will be reliable and only really needs replacing when broken. In summery, I would heartly recommend a Kona Cinder Cone to anyone looking for a decent hardtail that is going to be upgradeable and will get you up and down any hill with relative ease. (Just buy a bloody big lock)...

mrchriswill 02.03.2005 (05.03.2005) · Read review
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Review of Kona Cinder Cone

Carrera or Kona?

Advantages: Great for downhill
Disadvantages: suspension no good for road.

...The old Carerra bikes seem to be doing well for themselves of late, Halfords still arent offering them though at a reasonable price. The Carrera is what I would call an entry level bike, the bikes are built in the same factory as Kona so expect the same level of workmanship you would from a top name like Kona. This bike comes with the Tough 4 bar link full suspension 7005 aluminium Bi-axial tubed frame. Suntour XC60 fork, 27spd Shimano Deore transmission, Tektro IO Disc brakes, FSA Alpha drive chain set, Tioga double butted handlebars, Tioga stem and seatpost, Tioga Factory Extreme 2. 1 tyres, Shock comes with adjustable pre-load and rebound damping. This bike is meant really for downhill racing but does well on dirt riding. The gears are Shimano Deore which are a sturdier gearing than the standard Shimano, which is what you will need...

sybenn2003 29.06.2004 · Read review
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Review of Carrera Banshee

Aluminium tastic

Advantages: Lightweight, good quality components
Disadvantages: A lot of money

...Kona are a fantastic Canadian company that was set up in 1988 by Jacob "Jake the Snake" Heilbron, Dan Gerhard and Joe Murray. They specialise mostly in mountain bikes at the high end of the quality spectrum. I bought my first Kona, a Kona Lava Dome, in February of 2006 however on March the 6th of this year (2007) man and machine met wrought iron fence. Both man and machine were broken only, unlike myself, my trusty steed doesn?t have the ability to heal itself. Fortunately I had had the good sense to insure my bike and received a cheque with which I have been able to replace Mr bicycle ? or at least parts of him. I visited my local Kona dealer and a rather nice chap suggested I took my frame in and he would see what Kona would do for me. The following afternoon I received the news that Kona had offered a crash replacement frame...

hukerjohn 21.04.2007 (13.05.2007) · Read review
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Review of Kona Caldera

kona scab

Advantages: great bike for a good price
Disadvantages: tire clearance

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will52 28.06.2004 · Read review
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Review of Kona Explosif

Kona Stinky Primo

Advantages: Bombproof, it will take anything you throw at it and come back asking for more
Disadvantages: Bit on the heavy side at 40lbs but its not really an uphill bike

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bikerider1 30.10.2007 · Read review
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Review of Kona Stinky Primo