kramazeek

Hey there,

I've been looking at a the Kona Sutra LTD for a flatbar single speed build up. Before I continue please accept my apologies for my limited knowledge and for the fact I believe I am comparing an old-school hardtail mountain bike, a CX bike, and a road\rouring bike I believe.

I currently own and ride daily a 1991 Cannondale sm800 26er and a 2015 Giant Revolt 1 700c. The Cannondale, a bike I've long suspected is slightly too large has a standover height of 31.10(789mm) inches and a effective top tube of 23.25 inches(590mm).

At 5'7" this bikes top bar is right up against the bits but regardless is a pleasure to ride and causes absolutely no pain for longer rides. It's actually still my favorite ride based on both it's history and quality of ride surprisingly(not a super modern bike guy here).

The Revolt 1 has roughly a 22 inch top tube and standover that is an inch or two lower than the Cannondale due to it's more sloped top tube. This bike is also very comfortable to ride and seems to fit fine.

I can only go up to the 48.5cm frame size on the Kona Sutra LTD before the standover is maxed out for me. In this size the effective top tube is barely 21 inches(540mm) which gives me a lot of concern based on what I'm used to. This is further complicated by the fact there are not many Kona dealers around and their supply of built up bikes is extremely limited.

I'm afraid this frame might yield a bike in which I ride too upright with my hands too close to my body making it overly nimble in it's feel since there will be no drops to stretch out in due to this being a flatbar build.

Any thoughts on the potential pitfalls, benefits, or reasoning behind the geometry of this frame?

Thanks!