m2244

Hey Everyone,

So I've been doing a ton of research, trying to decide which bike I wanted to pull the trigger on since it's a big $$ purchase for me. Anyway, after talking to a local dealer I finally decided on a Kona Rove. They had a 2018 in stock but it was too big for me. No problem, let's look at the 2019 (which is about $600 more due to discounts on the 2018).

Seafoam.

Seafoam is the ONLY color this bike is available in for 2019. They went from some sort of olive drab to seafoam. Seafoam with cream decals.

I can't believe someone actually made the decision to go with seafoam as the only color available for the year.

It's looking like the search continues. Which sucks because I really wanted to use my local dealer, I've been talking to those guys for a while now.

Spoonrobot 

I think it's a decent enough looking colorway. Certainly wouldn't let it keep me from a bike that met all my other criteria. Then again I find most modern bike paintjobs either boring or excessive so ymmv as it obviously has

gus6464

Hmm I dig the seafoam. What's wrong with the regular Rove NRB? Unless you are against 1x.





You don't want steel? The LTD is nice as well and good color.

m2244

I'd like something light and responsive.

gus6464

I'm failing to see the difference. The frame geometry is identical. Reynolds 853 is very light. Kona aluminum is not known to be super light either. I'd bet the weights to be much closer than you think.

m2244

Well, I just google'd this and I see your point now. I was just going on my perception from talking to different people.

m2244

What is 1x? It will be a while before you fellas get to the end of my ignorance in this sport! lol

m2244

Ah, 1 gear up front, got it. No, I'll be commuting quite a bit so I want the additional gearing.

Clem von Jones

Those rigid Konas have insanely long ETT. I'm 6'1" and would buy a size 52cm. It's almost as if they were designed for flat bars, aside from that though I like 'em.

pbass

My 2019 Rove ST is hella playful and fun. I'm having a blast whipping it around on all the trails I used to mountain bike on. I agree about the sizing too - I sized down on this bike and am glad I did.

gus6464

Just noticed that the Apex 1 nrb doesn't come with hydro brakes which is flat out criminal for an $1800 bike. Classic Kona though and their overpriced shenanigans.

Spoonrobot 

I don't think they do. The ETT for the 52 is 546mm - this is right in the medium cloud that manufacturers design compact 52/54 size frames. It's extremely close to the Soma Double Cross Disc for example.

If you're 6'1" riding a frame with a 74/71 st/ht angle and 383 reach you're not sizing yourself properly or have some musculoskeletal uniqueness. The geometry chart reads like a fairly generic "gravel/cross bike" albeit one following design cues more from 2014/2015 than 2018 but it's still normal IMO.

The design philosophy for gravel bikes has moved away from cross/road blends and more towards mtb influence. This is seen in slightly longer top tubes, slightly shorter stems, longer headtubes and wider handlebars. This gives more trail for stability during impacts descending and at high speed, leverage to lean the bike around corners as well as keep the rider in a reasonable spot with respect to being over or behind the front wheel. The stack is obviously going to be higher than a road bike so the top tube needs to be a little longer to account for that as well.

ETT is a driven parameter of frame geometry design, the bike is not designed around it. It is the outcome of several other design choices.

Clem von Jones

I've been considering the Kona Sutra LTD and using https://www.bikegeocalc.com to see if I can set it up the way I want with massive bar drop, basically like a road bike with fat tires and shorter reach. Here's what the 52cm looks like for my 6'1" positioning. ETT is 553mm which I maintain is pretty long for a "52cm" frame. I prefer the old school squarish geometry. Even on this medium frame I'd require a negative 25 degree stem to get the bars low enough. That's my primary issue with 29ers. The first rigid 26" mtbs often were set up with lots of drop and long stems and I'm trying to do something similar here. The wheelbase on this 29er is quite a lot shorter than that of my vintage 26" mtb which might be fun if I can tolerate the lack of toe clearance.

Spoonrobot 

This thread was about the Rove, which has a longer stem and shorter top tube, the Sutra is a slightly different style. Anyway, if the bikes were designed for flat bars the top tubes would be 30-50mm longer. This is obvious because Kona has rigid flat-bar bikes to compare. The 52 Dr Dew hybrid has a 576tt and the M Unit rigid MTB has a 596 top tube.

Your specific preference for a fit isn't indicative of the relative length of the top tube. If the bike was built with a level top tube the seat tube would be close to 58cm and would be fairly unusual for a square frame. Call it a t-rex frame if it was a road bike, my dentist has a similar bike. Squash the tt to run a very long and low stem, never use the drops, lots of group riders on similar bikes - it's as often fashion as it is a misguided attempt to have a pro fit for performance.

The 52cm size comes with a 60mm stem. The relatively long top tube on paper is eaten up by the high stack and short stem reach which puts the actual rider-to-bar reach in near the same place as a shorter top tube/longer stem as on a road bike. This is to get the rider in a position the designer prefers - back behind the front wheel with consideration for how the bike and steering angle will work descending. There's a reason NORBA fit/geometry went away for off-road bikes, it's extremely hard to ride on anything other than relatively buff, flat terrain. The terrain/speed/position window for going over the bars is extremely large and the steering requires shorter bars to account for the excessive stem length. I spent a season racing a mountain bike fit almost exactly like you have your Kona mocked up, it was terrible in comparison to modern geometry.

This is the bike as shown on the Kona website, it's a 52 and closely mimics a lot of the bikes with similar geometry I see in real life. Compact frame to reduce overall weight, provide good standover (CPSC req.) and provide a little additional relative stiffness. Lots of spacers to get the bars up and behind the front wheel. Would work ok for most people at most speeds on most terrain. Most people would not be able to ride your fit, if the same ratios applied, effectively on most off-pavement terrain. The top tubes are on the longer side of normal but IMO still normal for the overall geometry and design intent.

rumrunn6

https://www.ascentcycles.com/products/b18rvr?variant=44388836238&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-8WBgNip3wIVhMDICh3OBg0ZEAQYAyABEgLIRvD_BwE

I'm often in Burlington but I'm not buying a bike for this much $$

https://www.skirack.com/kona-rove-nr...SABEgKeLvD_BwE

chas58

As much as I whine about 1x (it is the current fad), I wouldn’t rule it out.

1x can have the same gear range as 2x (well, except maybe the top end). The biggest usable difference between 1x and 2x is that 1x is going to have bigger jumps between gears, and its often hard to accelerate hard (i.e. race conditions) in the 30-40mph speed range (unless you give up the low end).

For many people, those drawbacks don’t matter. But if you really need to keep your RPM at 100 (+/-5) and/or ride in groups that will drop you at speeds over 30mph – you need 2x. If not, don’t sweat it.

TimothyH

Color doesn't matter if the bike gets dirty like it is supposed to.

EdwinHeadwind

I'm 5'9.5" with a 32.3" inseam. I usually ride a 54 or 55cm "square" road bike, but the 52 Sutra LTD fits me like a glove -- a 2018 Kona glove, not a 1983 Stumpjumper glove! I'd be worried that lengthening the stem to 90mm, regardless of its angle, would undermine some of the design characteristics that makes the bike so agile. I'd be surprised if the 54 didn't fit you better and handle less twitchy.

Marcus_Ti

Sage wisdom.

rumrunn6

please excuse my ignorance & for taking advantage of this opportunity to ask: what does this do for the rider? for example, does it make the bike easier to steer on hard corners in loose soil? & less twitchy on the road?

tdilf

I like the seafoam version.

TenGrainBread 

Getting the bars higher and closer to the saddle gets the rider in a more upright position, which for 99% of people is more comfortable for long rides, especially those that involve off-road riding. It takes pressure off your hands and wrists and lets you get your back in a more natural position that isn't as stretched out. It also shifts your body weight back on the bike, meaning it is more difficult to go over the bars in a crash or hard braking situation.

While everyone's personal preference is legitimate up to a point, the riding position that Clem von Jones posted about is entirely impractical for off-road riding. It's only advantage is aerodynamics, which is irrelevant for 99% of people riding off-road, and even on road. That geometry is antithetical to everything engineers and designers have learned and implemented with off-road bikes in the last 20 years. Besides the hindrance on handling that an aggressive position like that causes, it also puts the saddle in a position that blocks any effort to get the body's center of gravity low and behind the bicycle, a position that is necessary when going down steep terrain or navigating technical terrain.

TenGrainBread 

The first mountain bikes in the 80s, especially early 80s, had a very touring-oriented geometry. Super long chainstays and wheelbase, bars level with or above saddle, etc... The aggressive saddle to bar drop that Clem von Jones is thinking of is more a characteristic of 90s "NORBA" style mtbs. A decade after "the first 26in mountain bikes".

ericzamora

I'm sorry, but which is the "seafoam" Rove? The Rove NRB DL? That's not so bad but I do understand your frustration. Is it too late to find one of the last of last years' models? Personally I was looking at the Konas too. I already have a "seafoam" bike, a Bianchi circa 1983 But that Rove NRB DL isn't so bad. Embrace color! Personally I was looking at the Rove NRB. It comes with TRP Spyre mech disc brakes instead of hydro, but what i eventually ended up with, a 2018 Norco Search XR, has the same TRP brakes and they're fine.

In the end, get a color you'll love. I just stare at mine and it's love at first sight over and over again

eric/fresno, ca.

EdwinHeadwind

Kona manufactures and ships their bikes in fairly small batches throughout the year, so they rarely end up with overstock, especially in the popular sizes. You might get lucky and find a dealer who has one on the floor, but that can be a tedious process. Calling Kona would be the best way to find out.