Big Lebowski

I really like the look of a couple of the new 2013 Kona's

The Jake (aluminum) @ $1,149



The Rove (cro-mo steel) @ $1,649



I ride a mix of MUP's and road, so I think either one of these would be ideal. Too bad my Kona LBS has no intention of ordering any of these anytime soon. They said they'd be happy to order one for me, but I'd have to commit to whatever I have them order. I know that others buy bikes sight unseen, but I just don't think I am that brave.

E.S.

Yeah all the LBSs in my area are pissed off @ Kona since they went direct.

Andy_K 

I plan on test riding both of these the first chance I get. There's a great shop around here with tight Kona ties, so I imagine I'll be able to try them both. Either way, my 2008 Jake will likely be gathering dust or visiting craigslist soon.

Jaye

If that 08 Jake is a 58cm or similar please let me know before you CL it. I am in Milwaukie and may be interested depending on price.

Andy_K 

Sorry, it's a 52.

Jaye

Aside from cutting myself off at the shins and forearms that probably won't work. Thanks anyways though.

alan s 

The Rove looks like a nice bike. Pretty much everything I would want in a commuter bike. Is it named after a certain political operative?

jsdavis

What does this mean?

E.S.

When I was hunting for a bike, I called a bunch of local LBSs and asked about their Kona bikes. Several people told me that they no longer carried Kona because they had gone direct. Apparently the shops think that it screwed them over.

ROJA

Why is the Rove so much more expensive than the Jake? It's about the same price as JTS. How do the components on these three bikes compare? Looks like Apex (Rove) versus Tiagra (Jake), but I can't tell much about the wheels and the quality of the brakes.

Big Lebowski

The Rove is Cro-Mo steel, Hayes brakes and all that fancy SRAM. My LBS has the 2013 Jake in my size, but they still need to assemble it. I'll try to take a pic or two once they get it together.

Andy_K 

I'm also waiting for a Jake to be assembled. Possibly today.

I was considering the Rove, but I can't justify the price difference. I've heard people claim Apex is on par with 105, but I really prefer Shimano. The brakes on the Rove look nicer, but I've got BB7's in the garage.

ROJA

Interesting.

Are the brakes and wheels on the Rove better than those on the Jake?

I also like Shimano stuff (have never tried SRAM) and it seems surprising that going from Tiagra (Jake) to Apex (Rove) would cost $500 more.

Anyone know the weight of a stock Jake, JTS, and Rove?

Shouldn't the Rove frame (steel) be the same price or cheaper than the Jake's fancy aluminum frame?

Andy_K 

I can't find anything about the wheels on either bike, aside from what Kona says about them. The Rove has a full Formula set. The Jake has Formula hubs with Alex "Black Dragon" rims. The Black Dragons look semi-deep section (~25mm, maybe), which probably means they'll be heavy but tough. I wouldn't expect either set of wheels to be anything special.

I do think the Jake frame looks nicer. Steel zealots will say that any steel frame is better than any aluminum frame, but the Jake frame has some nice features. I would definitely expect the Rove frame to be cheaper to produce. The geometry is fairly different, so that comes down to preference.

The Rove brakes are almost certainly better. The tires are the same make, so that's a wash. The Rove has a slightly nicer saddle, I guess (Comp vs. Sport). The Rove does have a Rival rear derailleur, but most it seems to come down to a marketing decision to price the Rove higher.

I don't think it's coincidence that the Rove is priced the same as the Apex-equipped Salsa Vaya 2. The nearest equivalent I can find to the Jake is the Jamis Bosanova, which is at $1275. I think the Jake is just a really good deal.

ROJA

Thanks Andy- that's very helpful.

What do you think about the geometry differences between the Jake and the Rove? I can see the numbers, but I don't know what they mean. Is the Rove essentially more relaxed and the Jake more aggressive, or is there more to it than that? How can I decide which bike is better for me?

waynesworld

I think he meant what does "gone direct" mean? I would like to know that as well.

Big Lebowski

Before anyone else says it, a test ride will be the best answer. A test ride will be tough, though, since Kona's are not always widely available and both of these are new models.

UPDATE: I stopped by my LBS in KC this week and they are getting 2013's. In fact, they have a 2013 Jake in my size, 53 cm. I saw it sitting in a box on the floor. I asked the main guy there and he said, "yeah, I just need to put these bikes together.", so I'll try to post a pic once he gets that done.

Andy_K 

Here's what the Jake looks like on my back deck!

Andy_K 

Basically, yeah, the Rove is more upright/relaxed. However, the Jake isn't particularly agressive. For instance, it's significantly more upright than a Cross Check before you add the spacers and sloping stem to the Cross Check.

I couldn't bring myself to wait to test ride the Rove, mostly because the geometry of a 53cm new Jake is nearly identical to the geometry of my 54cm 2008 Major Jake. But really I wouldn't expect a lot of difference between the Jake and the Rove. In a 53cm, for instance, the stack height (vertical difference between the bottom bracket height and the top of the top tube) is only about an inch more on the rove, and the reach (horizontal difference between the bottom bracket height and the top of the top tube) is less than 1cm shorter on the Rove.

ROJA

Thanks Andy! Great looking bike! So did you just buy a 2013 or is that an older one? That picture is very helpful because it shows that there is only a tiny drop from the saddle to the bars. On Kona's website, the drop looks a lot more drastic, which is no good for me. Is yours stock?

Andy_K 

Yes, this is a 2013. Within hours of the shop finishing assembly, I was wheeling it out the door. As pictured it is completely stock except for the handlebar mirror. I hadn't even taken the reflectors off yet.

The ridiculous drop from seat to bars is a style thing, I think. If you visit the road forum here and read through the "Hot 'R Not" thread, you'll see that those guys love the big drop. That's also the reason you see bikes pictured in the biggest gear and with the cranks aligned a certain way. (I did make that concession.)

Some really tall guys with long arms and legs do ride their bikes like that. Pro CX racer Ryan Trebon, for instance, has an outrageous seat to bar drop. Mine's a 53 and I'm 5'9" so I don't need to do that.

groovestew

...or the dork disc...

You even got the valve stems right!

Nice bike. I'm not ready to give up my JTS yet, but I'm slightly envious!

Andy_K 

Somebody else setup the rear derailleur, so I'm leaving the dork disc until I get around to checking it out myself.


The front wheel is a little over-rotated.

mtb123

The photo on the Kona website shows the bike with the stem angled towards the ground. The photo above has the stem flipped over and angled towards the sky.

groovestew

If this was the roadie forum, someone would have already posted the comment, "flip it".

But this is the commuting forum.

I'd totally flip it though.