|
|
Dirt Rag Articles
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tester: Brad Quartuccio
Age: 25
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 165lbs.
Inseam: 34"
Vital Stats
Price: $650
Weight: 22.46lbs. as tested
Sizes Available: 49, 52, 54, 56, 58 (tested), 60cm
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Contact: www.konaworld.com
The fixed gear bandwagon has just begun to fill up, with no signs of stopping. Like singlespeed mountain bikes five years ago, these days every bike company has an entry level urban fixed gear of some sort. The range goes the gamut—from track bikes to unabashed commuters—but all share the inherent simplicity of a single gear and a straight chain, the original and still most efficient bicycle drivetrain.
Kona has marketed the Paddy Wagon overseas for a year or two, just now making it available to North American consumers. With its low slung top-tube, fender mounts and chaingaurd, the Paddy Wagon falls solidly into the utilitarian commuter variety while maintaining the sleek lines and aggressive geometry one expects from a bike meant for the urban landscape.
The Frameset
At the heart of the Paddy Wagon is a namebrand tubeset and a classy looking fork. Dedacciai COM 12.5 butted chromoly tubes make up the frame, with fairly steep angles and high bottom bracket contributing to a responsive ride. Compared to most road bikes out there, the 73.5° head angle and 72.5° seat angle are a bit more aggressive, and the 28.7cm bottom bracket height a tad higher for better pedal clearance in the turns. The lugged crown and tapered legs of the Project Two fork lend a finished look to the package. The 5.0lb frame and 2.0lb fork are on par with durable chromoly framesets on the market and offer clearance for 28mm tires and fenders, no problem.
The Build
Next to your frameset, it's the wheels that most determine if the ride is going to be something to write home about. 32h Formula fixed/free sealed bearing hubs handle the rolling duties, laced to Alex rims. While still true, I do wish the rims had machined sidewalls. For the rest of the minimalist drivetrain there is a 175mm RPM branded square taper crank with a 42t ring and dual 16t Dicta cogs out back—one fixed, one free. Tektro caliper brakes and levers do the stopping, and 31.8mm clamp FSA bars do the steering. Butts across the land find WTB saddles comfortable, and I concur.
As with most complete fixed bikes out there, the Kona comes with cranks that I think are too long. Common wisdom of fixed gear riding is that shorter cranks help to spin at the high cadence required on flats and downhills. Sizes 56cm and below get 170mm cranks—I'd like to see that or even 165mm cranks across the line.
Word to the wise: if you purchase this or any other complete bike with a fixed cog pre-installed, make sure you really crank down on it, and the lockring, before riding. Don't want to strip out that hub pulling up to the first stop sign.
The Ride
First things first, I must admit that I swapped out the stock drop bars for a cut down set of mountain risers and old cantilever brake levers for the better part of the ride. I'm a long time fan of riser bars on the street—the more upright stance helps keep my head up and makes the weight of my messenger bag sit more evenly. Chronic shoulder injuries make drop bars uncomfortable for me as well. With risers I feel like I can carve through traffic with more confidence and emulate my mountain position better. Try it, you may like it. That said, the stock Tektro brake levers have nice wide hoods with a flat transition from the bar.
The stock 42/16 gearing yields a comfortable 70.2 gear inches for general urban riding and commuting, which is a welcome change from the typically Olympic sized gears bikes of this ilk are shipped with. Someone was doing their homework and paying attention to what gear numbers most street fixed bikes end up with.
As for the ride of the bike, it was what I expected. Handling was squarely between my road and track bikes, right where I like it. The high bottom bracket prevented any pedal clearance issues, even with 175mm cranks, though I did experience some toe overlap with the front wheel and my size 46 shoes. All the clichés of steel could be said, but let's just say that the bike doesn't rattle your fillings out. Smooth, due in part to the 28mm tires but also the aforementioned tapered leg fork. On tires, while I had no traction issues with the Continental Ultrasport treads, I did experience far more flats that expected from road debris. A tire with a more flat resistant tread surface would be appreciated.
The Conclusion
The Paddy Wagon is a bike that you can grow with as a commuter or urban rider. Singlespeed or fixed, fenders or not. Out of the box it is a completely capable machine, and as time goes by the frameset is worthy of upgrades as parts wear out. For those that are attracted to the simplicity of one gear this is a reasonable choice on which to cruise.
| Exclusive Dirt Rag Web-Only Extras For Kona Paddy Wagon | Make: Kona
Model: Paddywagon
Model year: 2007
Type: Urban
Country of origin: Taiwan
Wheel size: 700c
Frame material: Dedaccia COM Chromoly
Fork: Kona P2, Lugged
Handlebar: FSA Omega OS 31.8mm
Stem: Kona Control 31.8mm
Headset: TH
Bottom bracket: TH
Crank: RPM 175mm
Chain: KMC Z-50
Saddle: WTB Rocket V Comp
Seatpost : Kalloy SP-242
Front hub: Formula 32 spoke
Rear hub: Formula flip/flop 32 spoke
Cassette: 16t fixed/free
Brakes: Tektro Road Caliper 521AG
Rims: Alex
Tires: Continental Ultrasport Wire 28c
Sizes: 49, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60cm
Colors: Blue/Black
MSRP: $650
Company website: www.konaworld.com
|
 |
| Comment from Mike on 2009-05-11 |
| I just got the 2009 version...awesome! Will not trade it for another bike! |
|
| Comment from Tom on 2007-12-31 |
| Nice article. I have the Paddywagon and it's been great so far. I agree about the wheels being a bit vulnerable to flats, but I think the cranks on my 58 are fine. |
|
|
|
|
 |
