Kona Rove ST 2019 650B - anybody ride one yet?
 

This is on my shortlist for next bike. Just curious if anyone has ridden one yet and has any ride impressions to report. Currently riding a Cross Check and looking for a more relaxed/upright position in my next bike, and also considering 650B. I ride off-road a lot, and, I'm short:) Looks pretty darn good for $1600....
http://www.konaworld.com/rove_st.cfm

I haven’t ridden that specific one but I am currently test riding the 2019 Rove NRB and I owned a Rove ST with 700c wheels previously. The 650 wheels/tires are really nice for gravel riding, much easier to ride in deep gravel or washboard than a 700 set up. Personally, I think the steel Rove with the 650 would be awesome, a bit more compliant than the aluminum NRB.

Builds like those are what frustrate me with manufacturers. They could have easily put Apex drivetrain and hydro brakes but instead they opt for Rival and mech disc. Now if you want hydro you have to spend a pretty penny for new brifters as well.

I'm OK with the mechs on that - I have a Unit and have been quite happy with the BB7s it came with. Considering my current gravel bike has V-brakes, I expect the mech discs on the Rove will suit me OK!
The bike ticks all the boxes for me as far as I can tell without riding one---will have to try and find one to test...

TRP Spyre are nice mech brakes! Way better than bb7 or hayes CX !

The NRB I am testing has Apex with mech brakes. I also tested a Sutra LTD that had Rival with hydros. From a shifting standpoint, there was very little difference between Apex and Rival. As far as the brakes are concerned, the hydros are likely better but it’s pretty flat where I live, so the mechanical brakes did just fine.

I have had a 2019 Kona Rove ST for about a month now. I absolutely LOVE it.

I have always had (single speed) road bikes, so this is a big change for me, but I will never go back to those.
This has become my do-it-all bike. It's super comfy, sturdy like a rock, but still light enough and quite speedy.

I would 100% recommend. :)

Nice! How do you like going to the 650B compared to your other road bikes? And I assume the Rove is a more relaxed/upright position than your road machines? That's something I'm interested in too, coming from the Cross Check.

wrong thread.. whoops.

Well, that didn't take long:) Only a brief ride so far but I'm lovin' it....
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0eef3e8c9a.jpg

^ so much more appealing that their web page. why is it that Every single amateur online photo of bikes looks like the bike in person. yet ever single Professional web page photo, Kona, cannondale, trek specialize, raleigh, Niner, etc on and on cant get a TRUE color?

I think that's the thing for me too--the way I ride, I don't really have a need to be very aero, I ride off-road a lot, perhaps 60% of the time. I ride my gravel bike everywhere I used to mountain bike. So I'm pretty stoked about a rig like this.

I really had to get used to riding 650B, but that's mainly just because it's different from what I was used to. Now, I really like it. It allows me to have less tire pressure. I sometimes have to pinch my arm how comfortable it is. Especially on tarmac. That magic carpet ride feeling really comes into play here.

You do lose a bit of speed, though. For me that is not a problem at all. I always drive by myself and without a smartphone, so I am not competing with anyone or setting any times on Strava.

I am 5'11. I decided on a size 54. I could have easily gone for a 52 as I am a bit stretched out. I might swap the standard 80mm stem for 70mm stem soon.

Yeah it's a pretty cush ride on the pavement! I have a 29'r rigid mountain bike that I run low pressures on so I was prepared for something similar, but maybe it's just 'cause now I'm on a drop bar bike that is more "road-ish" it's surprising at first how it feels!
I'm 5'7" on the nose and went with a 50, though the 52 felt pretty good too, I've always gone up in size and this time I went down. Mine came with a 70mm stem. I've been running a 70mm stem(with lots of rise) on my Cross Check and never felt that the handling suffered.

For anyone interested,I have an album with some really nice pictures of my bike.

I cannot post a link yet, because I haven't made 10 posts yet, so send me a PM if you're interested. :)

Nice looking bike PBass! I love that shade of green.

I have a buddy who is almost ready for a drop-bar gravel bike. He's probably more 60-70% pavement, and riding for fun and fitness. Originally interested in a Norco Search XR (steel frame/carbon fork), he was piqued by the steel Niner RLT. But now seems highly attracted to an all-steel Kona. At the moment he's leaning towards the Kona Sutra LTD, steel frame and fork, and would build it up with the components he prefers.

MY understanding is 700c is a bit nicer for more pavement riding, whereas 650b offers better/nicer gravel/off-road experiences. I called attention to the Kona Rove ST to consider along with the Kona Sutra LTD, both available as frameset/fork. Geometry is a bit different, both are longer wheelbases than the Norco Search. The Search has shorter top tube length. Neither is available to test ride within 200 miles, so he might have to find a dealer in san francisco or LA that has both to test ride.

My main question.... the Sutra comes with 700c. The Rove is 650b. The Norco Search is listed as both 650b and 700c compliant. Does anyone have any experience with running the opposite factory spec-wheel sizes for the Konas? 700c on the Kona Rove, 650b on the Kona Sutra? Kona's web site doesn't mention that but it seems like it could be done.

Thanks!

eric/fresno, ca.

Not sure about the 2019 Rove ST like mine running a 700c. However, the 2018 Rove ST comes 700c, and I was told by Kona that you can run a 650B 47c tire on it. They said they tested it with the wheels/tires from an NRB and it fit fine. You can get the 2018 Rove ST for a great price right now. I was seriously considering that before I happened upon the 2019 in my size and just jumped on it.

http://www.konaworld.com/2018/rove_st.cfm

As for the pavement vs gravel factor, I dunno man, I've only been on a few rides with it but I'm lovin' the "road plus" thing on every surface I encounter. Been going out of my way to hit a lot of variety, from fast winding road descents to rocky singletrack. I'm coming from riding a gravel bike with 700x41c on it, everywhere--from road to trails. I have a feeling I'm sticking with this 650B thing for the foreseeable future!

Nice. I just checked the specs for the Sutra LTD, both 2018 and 2019 models. they appear to have the same frame geometry specs. 2018 Sutra LTD came with 700c wheels, 2019 comes with 650b wheels. It appears it's the same frame, different color, and can take either size wheel.

I see the 2019 Sutra as coming with 700c wheels: KONA BIKES | ROAD | SUTRA | Sutra LTD
But anyhow, would fit 650B just fine. Great review of it on bikepacking.com: Kona Sutra LTD Review, The Last Adventure Bike - BIKEPACKING.com
I feel the stock Rove ST is essentially a more "budget friendly" Sutra LTD, sorta....

I am more curious to how much room you have to spare on that 650x47 ?
As in will it fit a 650 x 50 ? MSO , Maxxis Refuse ... I forget all the 650x50 options out there.

Here's how the 47 looks in there.https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7391d30a03.jpg

cool! Thanks for the picture. I like that color the accents with those tires!

Sizing
 

Does anyone have any sizing suggestions on the 2019 Rove ST for me at 6'0" on a good day? Having a hard time deciding between the 54 or 56.

I'm often between sizes too (in everything from bikes to clothes) and I tested both a 50 and a 52. They both felt good, but I sized down, largely because my last two bikes I sized up and never got things quite right--was always just a little too stretched out, etc. FWIW I'm very happy I went with the smaller size with the Rove. Admittedly I ride mine more often like a mountain bike than a road bike, so I like the tighter cockpit and handing of the smaller size.

Sunlight vs. artificial studio lighting?

I just went through the sizing and Kona's 52 looks like the Domane 54.

I would buy the Reynolds 853 Butted Cromoly LTD frame and build that thing up myself, if I were to rob a bank or win the lottery.

Has anyone run wider tires than the stock 47mm ones and had sufficient clearance? Also, does anyone know the stock weight of this bike?