anyone actually gone and got one? They’ve had ’em in and out of stock for months, seem to tick every box for a longer travel big wheeler – tubeless ready, dropper post, decent kit (SLX, Fox), sorted angles etc. A popular frame design used by several others, has got good reviews in the past…

got a bit of an n+1 itch and trying to talk myself out of (into?) it!

I’ve got the Hammerhead Horst link version of the frame and it’s an awesome bike. It’s not the nimblest of climbers but then I have slackened it out to 66.5 with a Pike and a slack angle set, but downhill, it’s an absolute bomber! At that price, you won’t be disappointed (once you get the CTD suspension custom tuned).

What he said.

But I’d probably prefer to build a Thumper/Switchback with my own choice of components.

On one Codeine , for £1500.00 you could build a really good spec with a little shopping around .

1500 is about 10 times what I’d pay for something with On One on the downtube (just personal opinion not trolling), and I’m struggling to build something that suggests this isn’t a value package

forks £400 (be it these Fox or something like Pikes from Germany)
wheels £200?
SLX groupset £300
KS dropper £150 (obvious choice of Reverb a little more)

so that’s at least £1000.

A Codeine frame is £800, a thumper is £680.

So that’s -180 quid or -300 quid to get bar/stem/saddle/grips (even if I got the Codeine-bundled-with-own-brand-tat its still £300 more expensive).

Not asking you to painstakingly research an alternative build, and if I was starting with a load of other bits then I get how a build is cheaper- I rarely buy full bikes- but this is a full n+1, no bike breaking/stripping/selling involved.

CRC sold out of Cube Sting 140s whilst I was pontificating which were even better value!

The deal’s a belter, no denying that. But you’d probably end up buying a better wheelset, dropper and a new fork (judging how poor the CTD forks have been rated). So I’d factor all that in versus building an On One / Thumper from scratch with the build you’d want to keep. There’s not much in either option unless you’d be happy to ride the Kona as it is for a few years.

It’s great value yeah.

I don’t think you could build a better Thumper for the price. I’m just a bit fussy on spec.

Beware though, you may find your 26in bike doesn’t get nearly so much use in future.

Actually didn’t realise it had a dropper and the wheels aren’t bad. I’d go for it and spend the spare cash tuning the suspension.

Having re read my reply it appears a bit arsey so thanks for not taking it like that! My 26er was built from scratch and is pretty pimp but I find myself big wheel curious. I build wheels so I could easily lace some nicer rims in.

The wheels look pretty good TBH.

The only thing I’d say is don’t automatically go for your “usual” size, but check out the geometry and consider going up a size if the standover allows.

Though that would mean a new short stem – but it looks like a long one on there anyway.

I’ve got the Hammerhead Horst link version…

The what now? Kona aren’t doing a Horst version are they?

Bejeezus – just googled it – it’s not exactly a ‘looker’ is it? And every picture I’ve seen, the HA looks ridiculously steep

cookeaa – Member

The what now? Kona aren’t doing a Horst version are they?

Hammerhead make a bike that uses the Satori front triangle but a horst rear end- they claim with Kona’s permission, funnily enough Kona say the opposite. Not a direction I’d want to go down personally, good value or not.

If you want to avoid On One- and I would- then how about Evans, for a Trailfox? They have some of last year’s models on a big discount, might be worth a look. Still not a brilliant spec and no dropper but it’s a better reviewed base bike, bit slacker etc. (though tbh, 68 sounds steep but it’s not outrageously so for a 29er- an Enduro is 67.5, frinstance)

I took mine out for the first time this weekend at Afan and Bikepark Wales. It was great and I chose it on the uplift in preference to my Trek Remedy with 160mm forks it was so good on the downs. The only thing I changed was a single ring up front, my bar/stem combo (standard one is too long) and swapped the Deore cassette as they weigh a ton. The wheels are good not particularly light but the WTB rims were already taped for tubeless and are wide enough and felt pretty stiff.

crashtestmonkey – Member

A Codeine frame is £800, a thumper is £680.

So that’s -180 quid or -300 quid to get bar/stem/saddle/grips (even if I got the Codeine-bundled-with-own-brand-tat its still £300 more expensive).

How did you work that out?

Thumper is £630 with RC3 debonair

Codeine is £600 with RC3 debonair handlebars, stem, headset, saddle and a seatpost

Oh so it’s just some looky-likey knock off, Pardon my misunderstanding…

although his can you recommend it based on riding what is essentially a different bike?

Seems to be a lot of OO bashing on this thread, did I miss something?

It’s not a knock off. Kona asked a guy to design them a bike, which he did but then he sold the same front end to another company too. People disagree on if he had permission to do that or not .

GIS’d it, it is indeed a Horst linked frame… so a different frame which works in a different way, it’s a bit like me recommending the Satoris based on my old Stab because it’s a kona, different wheels, more (coil sprung) suspension travel but otherwise identical… 🙄

How did you work that out?

Thumper is £630 with RC3 debonair

Codeine is £600 with RC3 debonair handlebars, stem, headset, saddle and a seatpost

got the Switchback/Thumper price of £680 by sticking it into ebay and seeing what came up. Codeine is 799 with decent shock, and with cheaper shock and bundled tat is still more expensive than the Satori (£1000 build + £600 codeine bundle).

Seems to be a lot of OO bashing on this thread, did I miss something?

the only bashing is from me, the OP, I said I wasn’t a big fan and wouldn’t spend that sort of money on them, and my London Roadwith out of spec seattube is a good enough current reason why.

It’s not a knock off. Kona asked a guy to design them a bike, which he did but then he sold the same front end to another company too. People disagree on if he had permission to do that or not .

Interestingly Ben from Bird revealed on the forum recently that their Aeris has the same rear end as the Thumper (and is made in the same factory).

A mate has a Satori with Pikes up front and a decent custom build and he loves it and goes real quick on it too on some very technical terrain.

Interestingly Ben from Bird revealed on the forum recently that their Aeris has the same rear end as the Thumper (and is made in the same factory).

Having looked this up to double check it seems it wasnt “a guy” that designed it, it was the factory.

According to Hammerhead HERE

The factory that produces the frames builds the alloy frames for Kona, Pivot, Niner, and Santa Cruz. They do awesome work and worked out Kona (The Satori) and Hammerhead using the same front triangle as long as we designed a different rear triangle.

So who designed the rear end of the Thumper / Bird is anyone’s guess

The bird has the same seat and chain stay Tubes as the thumper. The CNC’ed parts, and the actual cut of the tubes / welding is different (and designed here in Hampshire)

I know who designed the Thumper, and I am guessing that they also designed the Satori – it was an independent design house under contract to the factory.

@thepodge, Scott at Switchback posted a lot of info here on theirs

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/best-29er-am-full-suspension-frames-hammerhead-thumper-stumpjumper-kona-satori/page/2

There you go then, that explains a lot better than I remember

Ex-demo Satori here for £1,000

http://www.velotive.com/10427/products/kona-satori-29er-18-inch-ex-demo.aspx?origin=pla&kwd=&currency=GBP&gclid=CjwKEAjwhbCrBRCO7-e7vuXqiT4SJAB2B5u7vF8z5IjycTenV0t_UjUtARB6J7AoYASwnNWz_CroghoCDyDw_wcB

Sorely tempted myself, but we have a bathroom to fit (so I’m told)…