bdee
11-01-2007, 12:26 PM
Hi all, here's something I wrote for NEMBA's monthly mag Singletracks. With any luck it'll make the next issue, but I figured I'd post it here in the hopes someone finds it useful.
I suppose I should do the DR style intro to keep things homogeneous:
Tester: Brendan Dee
Age: 32
Weight: 172
Height: 6'
Inseam: 32"(pant) real inseam is more like 33".
Riding Conditions: Technical bony NE singletrack.
Bike Stats
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Price paid: $500 chased and faced at my LBS.
Weight: I can't recall the frame weight but it's 27lbs in 1x8 HT mode with a Reba Race. It was 22lbs in SS mode.
Size Tested: 19" Available in 16", 18",19", 20", 22".
PK took the picture of the dorky guy riding my bike, if anyone recognizes him tell him I want it back ;) More pics to come I'm "working" right now.
2007 Kona Kula 2-9 Frame
From a company well known for producing bikes made to handle big air and hucking the gnar came a big wheeled XC machine that landed at my LBS this past June. How it came to join my band of rigid 29ers is part of a long story. It’s one that involves an older frame of mine, a worn out headset cup and a quick decision. Fortunately that decision paid off well and I’ve enjoyed the last few months spent riding the Kula 2-9. It had been almost two years since I had ridden a bike fabricated from anything but steel. I was more than a little curious to see if the Scandium frame would live up to the hype. In case you missed it, Scandium has been touted as the wonder material du jour over the last few years. The main selling feature is that the frame will deliver the feel of steel while being lighter than most aluminum frames on the market.
While looking for a new frame I knew I wanted some flexibility with regard to drive train choice. I can appreciate a hassle free switch between geared and singlespeed mode and the sliding drops with built in tension screws were a nice touch. The option to run V brakes was another feature that appealed to the inner tinkerer in me. Flexibility is a good thing when it comes to deciding what gears to run or what brakes to choose. It isn’t such a good thing if you’re discussing the ride quality of a frame made for the XC racer geek in all of us. On that note I’m happy to report the frame is stiff, seriously stiff in all the ways a MTB frame should be. There’s a million tired clichés to describe a bike that climbs and tracks as well as the Kula 2-9. Flip through your stack of bathroom archives and insert your favorites here. Suffice it to say, the bike can climb and stays on line extremely well. Maybe it’s the Scandium, or maybe it’s the big wheels, but the bike seems to live up to the hype when it comes to smoothing things out and still allowing for a very immediate response to hard accelerations.
Since taking receipt of the frame I’ve ridden it both in singlespeed and geared mode. The sliding drops worked just like they should, no slipping and no issues with dialing in even tension. I did add a drop of blue loctite to each tension screw as a precautionary measure. As a rigid bike it was a blast to ride on smooth terrain and it was light enough to allow me to run a 32:18 where my usual 29er singlespeed gear is a 32:20. Riding the Kula with a carbon rigid fork was great on smooth fast trails, but when things got bony the bike was more than a handful. I chalked some of this up to the lightweight of the bike as well as the large head tube that enhanced the already solid front end. It quickly became apparent that the bike was capable of more, and that some suspension might help it reach it’s full potential as an all around MTB I could ride at my usual haunts. I chose a Rockshox Reba Race in 80mm mode to grace the front end, and about the same time I added 8 gears in the back. This isn’t a review of the Reba, however it’s worth noting that the shock has been doing its job with no complaints for roughly 30 hours. With the suspension added and the wheelbase shortened by almost half an inch the bike rode much better in the rough stuff. Not only did it do an excellent job staying on line but it also climbed better as well. While it added some weight, the fork really allowed the bike to reach it’s potential as an all day hardtail.
I went with a 19” frame due to both the ample standover height and the top tube length. Going into this I knew I wanted to try a 29er with a shorter effective top tube than I have previously ridden. The Kula sports a top tube almost half an inch shorter than both my Karate Monkey and my old Waltworks. I didn’t go looking for a bike that would ride more like a 26er per se, I just wanted a 29er that might be easier to throw around. Coupled with it’s relatively high bottom bracket, Reba and short chainstays the bike rides like a bigger wheeled version of some of the more fun 26” wheeled bikes I’ve owned in years past. It really shines in technical conditions, is easy to handle on steep rollers and it hasn’t complained when I’ve rolled off some smaller drops and jumps. I’ve found the bike can be corrected mid line easily and is close to being as maneuverable as a comparable 26er. While I don’t get the vaunted “in the bike” feeling touted so often by 29er converts on this particular bike I don’t particularly miss it. Maybe if I went with a bigger frame and stretched the wheelbase to the max I’d find that effect but I’m really happy with the frame I’m riding. The only conditions that provide any sketch factor are loose descents and corners full of chunky loose rock (many of the trails I ride are shared with motorcycles). I’ve chalked up the bike’s twitch factor in these conditions to the BB height and the short wheelbase and TT. It’s lighter and rides higher than the bike I’m comparing it to, my Surly Karate Monkey.
As far as durability is concerned all I can say is so far so good. I’ve probably heard all the same horror stories about broken aluminum and scandium frames that you have. The word on the digital street was that Kona had put the frame through it’s paces to ensure it’s integrity. I can say that I’ve managed to stack on it once, in a rock garden, and the frame was fine. I’ve also bounced more than my fair share of loose rock off of the massive downtube with no ill effects.
If you’re one of those types that skips right to the last paragraph I’ll sum up the above by stating the following: You can’t really go wrong with the Kula 2-9 if you’re looking for a versatile lightweight 29er that shines in technical conditions. SS or geared, rigid or suspended, it can be set up to reflect whatever style of riding you want to try, hardcore freeriding aside.
I suppose I should do the DR style intro to keep things homogeneous:
Tester: Brendan Dee
Age: 32
Weight: 172
Height: 6'
Inseam: 32"(pant) real inseam is more like 33".
Riding Conditions: Technical bony NE singletrack.
Bike Stats
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Price paid: $500 chased and faced at my LBS.
Weight: I can't recall the frame weight but it's 27lbs in 1x8 HT mode with a Reba Race. It was 22lbs in SS mode.
Size Tested: 19" Available in 16", 18",19", 20", 22".
PK took the picture of the dorky guy riding my bike, if anyone recognizes him tell him I want it back ;) More pics to come I'm "working" right now.
2007 Kona Kula 2-9 Frame
From a company well known for producing bikes made to handle big air and hucking the gnar came a big wheeled XC machine that landed at my LBS this past June. How it came to join my band of rigid 29ers is part of a long story. It’s one that involves an older frame of mine, a worn out headset cup and a quick decision. Fortunately that decision paid off well and I’ve enjoyed the last few months spent riding the Kula 2-9. It had been almost two years since I had ridden a bike fabricated from anything but steel. I was more than a little curious to see if the Scandium frame would live up to the hype. In case you missed it, Scandium has been touted as the wonder material du jour over the last few years. The main selling feature is that the frame will deliver the feel of steel while being lighter than most aluminum frames on the market.
While looking for a new frame I knew I wanted some flexibility with regard to drive train choice. I can appreciate a hassle free switch between geared and singlespeed mode and the sliding drops with built in tension screws were a nice touch. The option to run V brakes was another feature that appealed to the inner tinkerer in me. Flexibility is a good thing when it comes to deciding what gears to run or what brakes to choose. It isn’t such a good thing if you’re discussing the ride quality of a frame made for the XC racer geek in all of us. On that note I’m happy to report the frame is stiff, seriously stiff in all the ways a MTB frame should be. There’s a million tired clichés to describe a bike that climbs and tracks as well as the Kula 2-9. Flip through your stack of bathroom archives and insert your favorites here. Suffice it to say, the bike can climb and stays on line extremely well. Maybe it’s the Scandium, or maybe it’s the big wheels, but the bike seems to live up to the hype when it comes to smoothing things out and still allowing for a very immediate response to hard accelerations.
Since taking receipt of the frame I’ve ridden it both in singlespeed and geared mode. The sliding drops worked just like they should, no slipping and no issues with dialing in even tension. I did add a drop of blue loctite to each tension screw as a precautionary measure. As a rigid bike it was a blast to ride on smooth terrain and it was light enough to allow me to run a 32:18 where my usual 29er singlespeed gear is a 32:20. Riding the Kula with a carbon rigid fork was great on smooth fast trails, but when things got bony the bike was more than a handful. I chalked some of this up to the lightweight of the bike as well as the large head tube that enhanced the already solid front end. It quickly became apparent that the bike was capable of more, and that some suspension might help it reach it’s full potential as an all around MTB I could ride at my usual haunts. I chose a Rockshox Reba Race in 80mm mode to grace the front end, and about the same time I added 8 gears in the back. This isn’t a review of the Reba, however it’s worth noting that the shock has been doing its job with no complaints for roughly 30 hours. With the suspension added and the wheelbase shortened by almost half an inch the bike rode much better in the rough stuff. Not only did it do an excellent job staying on line but it also climbed better as well. While it added some weight, the fork really allowed the bike to reach it’s potential as an all day hardtail.
I went with a 19” frame due to both the ample standover height and the top tube length. Going into this I knew I wanted to try a 29er with a shorter effective top tube than I have previously ridden. The Kula sports a top tube almost half an inch shorter than both my Karate Monkey and my old Waltworks. I didn’t go looking for a bike that would ride more like a 26er per se, I just wanted a 29er that might be easier to throw around. Coupled with it’s relatively high bottom bracket, Reba and short chainstays the bike rides like a bigger wheeled version of some of the more fun 26” wheeled bikes I’ve owned in years past. It really shines in technical conditions, is easy to handle on steep rollers and it hasn’t complained when I’ve rolled off some smaller drops and jumps. I’ve found the bike can be corrected mid line easily and is close to being as maneuverable as a comparable 26er. While I don’t get the vaunted “in the bike” feeling touted so often by 29er converts on this particular bike I don’t particularly miss it. Maybe if I went with a bigger frame and stretched the wheelbase to the max I’d find that effect but I’m really happy with the frame I’m riding. The only conditions that provide any sketch factor are loose descents and corners full of chunky loose rock (many of the trails I ride are shared with motorcycles). I’ve chalked up the bike’s twitch factor in these conditions to the BB height and the short wheelbase and TT. It’s lighter and rides higher than the bike I’m comparing it to, my Surly Karate Monkey.
As far as durability is concerned all I can say is so far so good. I’ve probably heard all the same horror stories about broken aluminum and scandium frames that you have. The word on the digital street was that Kona had put the frame through it’s paces to ensure it’s integrity. I can say that I’ve managed to stack on it once, in a rock garden, and the frame was fine. I’ve also bounced more than my fair share of loose rock off of the massive downtube with no ill effects.
If you’re one of those types that skips right to the last paragraph I’ll sum up the above by stating the following: You can’t really go wrong with the Kula 2-9 if you’re looking for a versatile lightweight 29er that shines in technical conditions. SS or geared, rigid or suspended, it can be set up to reflect whatever style of riding you want to try, hardcore freeriding aside.