Ive been looking for an older kona jake as i dont like the new ones and used to have an old one in new zealand.
Ive just discovered the kona rove – is this the new kona jake – simple alu frame with bosses and project 2 forks ? – the new jake seems to have morphed into an entry level cross bike with bladed forks and profiled tubes
anyone ridden one ? what is claris like – as love hate hate as the old soras with the downshift button ?
Looking for something a bit more sprightly and more versatile than the olde road rat – Roadrat really doesnt like touring with a load on….and it likes touring with a load on land rover track even less….
I retired my 2007 jake the snake frame last week after the replaceable derailleur hanger snapped, needed lots of other bits so not worth spending a load on. It’s a bit shagged but perfectly usable. I also have a set of easton carbon forks to go with it – again a bit battered. It was my commuter so done about 40,000 miles.
Let me know if you’re interested as I’ll be in Aberdeen over the next 2 weeks so could drop off.
thats decidedly the bike i dont want gary thanks anyway- it would be a lovely bike for someone but i want project 2s- so i can stick on front rack mounts and a reasonably simple frame that can take full guards and a rack . I dont particularly want disks but i can live with them…. I looked at the sutra but im not particularly needing the ultra low gearing or the heavier wall tubing – half way between a sutras stiffness and a roadrats flex would be nice.
This was mine but i had to leave it behind for the next chapter in the journey.
But it is pretty shagged, one of the rear guard bosses has a stripped thread and there’s a groove worn under the bb. Neither are what I would call major issues though.
Edit: just noticed you want rack and guard mounts, mine doesn’t have both.
yeah like i said make a good bike for someone but its not the bike for me im afraid. Im not sure taking a 40000 mile old alloy bike and carbon forks around scotland loaded up is a great idea + id still need to find all the gear to make the thing into a bike – thats where the idea of the rove appeals as its not a terribly expensive bike for the service it offers and its ready to ride.
Id flog my road rat and my tricross anyhoo and it would almost pay for its self.
i just think they are/were at least poorly finished compared to other bikes at the price point – they have more branded kit than other bikes at price point but at the expense of important parts.
Nedrapier – that blogs pretty good reading. Bike looks good too 😀
Yes on both counts! There’s a bit of me in the Full Moon post. I found his blog when I was looking for long gravel rides when I was in Finland for work. Got in touch and he invited me along on the next jaunt.
I bought a Kona Rove last week, first impressions were mixed due to last weeks bad weather. I took it out for a long ride on Saturday and only fell off once in a farmers field (it came with slick tires and I was clipped in). On the road it’s pretty quick (a lot faster without the head winds), feels stiff enough and the drive train seems OK for an entry level one. The brakes and tires are the first thing I’m changing, especially the brakes.
The thing is I’d wanted another Kona since my Unit was stolen, and fancied drop bars so it was an easy sale. Overall very happy with it.
@trail_rat
I was going to either put BB7s,or the TRP spyres. I live in Sheffield at the top of one of the steepest hills and the Hayes brakes that came with the bike are a bit underpowered (I’m over 100kg) compared to the Deore Hydraulics on my rigid 29er that I’ve been riding for the last 18 months.
I’ve had a couple of “almost” crashes due to not being able to bleed off speed quickly enough, although that’s likely my poor riding not the bikes fault.
Am hearing ya . Me n mrs did christchurch to invercargill then back up to cape reinga on the north of north island on a jake and dew disk. Very capible and. Versatile bikes ….. Even managed a 9th place in the bannockburn classic mtb race on the jake en route.
well i bought one – a 2016 AL and promptly ruined it with a rack , full metal fenders , a brooks and some wtb 700 x 40 nanos….
done about 100km of mixed riding on it.
First up due to the slacker HA and longer rear stays its considerably more stable than the roadrat it replaced – and my panniers dont have to be hanging off the back to clear my heals.
second up – the nanos have plenty clearance in the frame i even managed to get a set of fenders in there PDW full metals to be exact and they are how ever tight to the tire leaving barely enough room for tread detrius but enough.The nanos are fast on road but have enough volume and give to let you nip on off road – lets me carry on much faster than my cross bike used to let me for sure (spesh tricross on 700×35 Conti CX)
The 8 speed claris is actually really good – its clunky in a campag kind of you know you shifted kind of way – how it wears is to be seen but given the cost for a replacement claris gruppo im not going to cry. Biggest point on this being the joy at not having sora style buttons – only downside to it being its got side exit gear cables – oh well.
In short its everything that on paper the roadrat should have been – but didnt deliver. the RR can ride trails on fat tires but it didnt do it well. the RR can take panniers but turned into a flip flop when loaded. The kona is how ever a bit slower on the road but i can live with that.
so far im happy with it – its as i remember my jake to be and feels like my 29er with the fat tyres on.
bottom line – at 599 i think its quite a lot of capable bike for the dosh
i got up to the dizzy heights of the sutra but then realised i didnt really need steel & sure as hell didnt want a single front ring , or hydro disks.
the sutras also 10mm longer in the chainstay again than the rove.
it does have a full compliment of bosses – both fork bosses , three sets of bottle bosses and a decent length of headtube and spacers there in and most of all – the baby blue colour is lovely.
i looked at shand stoaters (very closely as a mate has one) and the sonder camino …. i bought the kona over both as i realised both were alot of money and were not going to do the job any better for me – the sondar would do it worse infact due to lack of rack and guard mounts on the front fork. – the shand is a lovely bike though i did like it and it had many neat features but not 1000 pounds worth of them 🙁
cant speak for the sutra but the “bare” rove as it came out the shop weighed 26lbs. – thats in a 59cm frame.
but its reassuringly heavy if you know what i mean – it doesnt flex like a flip flop with weight on panniers and the wheels are not spindly wee rims etc.
Certainly didnt bat an eye lid when i rattled it through the roots and the rocks the other night.
Cant see the sutra being much if any heavier due to better spec drive train and wheels and tyres…..
I have a Kona Rove. He’s blooming sexy (OMG he so is) rides sweet and smooth (like being carried by Barry White). My only complaint is that the badge on the bike is a stick on and not the cool real badge like on the website. Bar tape is to die for, but due to having a kitten i had to change it. Changed the saddle due to not wanting to break my lady-bits.