Kona Bikehotrod Cruiser Bike
4.5
/5
REVIEWS
4.5
QIKRATE
4.0
WEB
0.0
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DESCRIPTION
Frame Material: chromoly
Frame Angles: Unspecified
Sizes: 13"
Colors: Midnight Blue
Fork: Kona Project Bikehotrod
Rear Shock: Not applicable
Brake Levers:
Handlebar: Kona Bikehotrod
Stem: Kona Chopper
Headset: 1 1/8" threadless FSA The Pig
Front Der: Not applicable
Crankset: Race Face Ride XC ISIS, 32 teeth
Rear Der: Not applicable
Pedals: Bikehotrod Platform
Tires: 24 x 1.95" Maxxis Hookworm
USER REVIEWS
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
It's definitely an interesting bike. It draws looks wherever you go on it and (if you fit a new set of gears) it's surprisingly fast and maneuverable. The saddle fitted to it is very comfortable and gives it a very over-the-top look. The entire bike is very well made and is actually alright as a daily rider once you get used to the handling and the turning radius. Because of the huge front forks the center of gravity is quite low so you can really rip it around corners and lean in very far before you lose traction (even if you do have to put your foot on the ground sometimes).
The steering is very heavy and takes some getting used to. You can sometimes end up wobbling if you aren't strong enough to keep it straight at low speeds, but a few weeks on it will get you used to the heavy handling. It's not particularly smooth to ride on bumpy surfaces as you can sometimes hop the front wheel into the air but the sprung saddle does a good job of smoothing out bumps. The 3-speed hub that it comes with isn't great and I replaced mine with a SRAM Spectro S7 with a drum brake instead of a coaster brake, which improves it greatly. The triple tree forks can dent the frame if you aren't careful and you should probably buy some rubber protectors to go on the forks to stop them from slamming into the frame and denting it. It's not great for shorter people either since you might end up having to lean quite far forwards to reach the handlebars (which is a problem since the pedals are so far forwards too, so you can end up arching your back for long periods of time, which can get quite uncomfortable) but a solution to this (if you want to) is to put a handlebar stem on the wrong way round to bring the handlebars closer to you.
It's definitely an interesting bike. It draws looks wherever you go on it and (if you fit a new set of gears) it's surprisingly fast and maneuverable. The saddle fitted to it is very comfortable and gives it a very over-the-top look. The entire bike is very well made and is actually alright as a daily rider once you get used to the handling and the turning radius. Because of the huge front forks the center of gravity is quite low so you can really rip it around corners and lean in very far before you lose traction (even if you do have to put your foot on the ground sometimes).
The steering is very heavy and takes some getting used to. You can sometimes end up wobbling if you aren't strong enough to keep it straight at low speeds, but a few weeks on it will get you used to the heavy handling. It's not particularly smooth to ride on bumpy surfaces as you can sometimes hop the front wheel into the air but the sprung saddle does a good job of smoothing out bumps. The 3-speed hub that it comes with isn't great and I replaced mine with a SRAM Spectro S7 with a drum brake instead of a coaster brake, which improves it greatly. The triple tree forks can dent the frame if you aren't careful and you should probably buy some rubber protectors to go on the forks to stop them from slamming into the frame and denting it. It's not great for shorter people either since you might end up having to lean quite far forwards to reach the handlebars (which is a problem since the pedals are so far forwards too, so you can end up arching your back for long periods of time, which can get quite uncomfortable) but a solution to this (if you want to) is to put a handlebar stem on the wrong way round to bring the handlebars closer to you.
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
OVERALL RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
VALUE RATING |
3 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
People think you are cool. Laid back ride is very comfortable when you relax into it (takes about a week). Good kit including a terrific saddle. No one will steal it as it is too easily recognisable and even if they did you would probably find them in a heap not far away.
People think you are an idiot. Could do with some bling chrome mudguards and a bed roll tied to the forks (a la easy rider). Low gear ratios for people with good cycling legs - could do with a 7 speed nexus hub instead of the stock 3 speed. Ridiculously large turning circle. Swapping from this to a proper bike really screws up your balance for a while (when I got back on my mtb I thought I was going to go over the handlebars).
Love it or hate it - you just can't ignore it. Silly bike but real fun to ride when you get used to it. Not built for hills or busy traffic though - be careful when turning across traffic. Extreme fork length and rear coaster brake take some getting used to but after a breaking in period during which you think you are going to crash (and probably will) it handles surprisingly well. Not so good at low speed but very stable when it gets going. Fun to watch your mates struggle on. Watch the cornering at speed in the wet as you can lose the front wheel :-(
Similar Products Used:
None.