Recently I've been riding an older klein for commuting/fun, and have been checking out freeride/dirt jumping 26in'ers. mostly because the way I ride is so "20 inch" styled (i have ridden BMX for 15+ years) that I find myself feeling poorly setup on a singletrack style moutain bike. Some of you on here seem to know whats up with these bikes so I thought I would get opinions, while the local sales guys are also riders, they are still salesmen.... I was looking at a brand new 2009 Kona Cowan in the Large size, as a full bike, not just a frame. http://www.konaworld.com/09_cowan_u.cfm I like some of the way it feels, but I would probably get a higher rise handlebar setup, as I like to be able to get the front wheel off easily by leaning back. Otherwise, I don't know anything at all about new components etc. or what to look for... so I thought I'd ask...what do you (who know) think of this bike in it's stock form, keeping in mind that I will ride it to and from work, but also beat on it a bit on the weekends. If it matters, they're offering me the bike at 800$ plus tax.
Not a bad deal for 800.00. The fork is okay, shifter and dérailleur are junk (entry level), the fork only has rebound adjustment. Marzocchi used to have crown issues. I went through 2 DJ2 fork a few year back due to crown issues. Otherwise they ride well. I don't know crap about the wheels. If you're truly going to jump back into dirt jumping and urban freeride then it looks like this bike would be okay for a season or two, depending on how you ride. However, I'd ask them to upgrade the shifter and rear dérailleur before taking it home.
good to know, I don't really plan to "jump back in" more like weekend warrior it, and ride it the 3 miles to and from work. somedays when I have the time and don't have to worry about gearing. I really don't know components any more, suggestions on shift and derailment units would be welcome. if you have any. also: do you suggest it would be ok to ask for the upgrade at that price, if not: how much more would I expect to pay?
I'm not gonna say the shifters and derailleurs are junk until you break them, hell if it ain't broke don't fix it. You know how many Rockhoppers I sold with those parts on them? Too many ... and maybe 3-5 came back wanting better stuff.
Just saw this so maybe there is no reason for me to post, but I will anyway. The 575 discs are a few generations newer than the 525s which had (and proly still do have) a major cult following. They never struck me as spectacular, but they functioned as well as I ever asked them to, so I have no complaints. They (525s) moved from my wife's fs trailbike to my hardtail and are still there. Haven't been bled in 3-4 years, just did an all winter commute for my wife, and only need new pads. The 525 rear hub is a Deore hub. I actually really liked it's quietness. Only complaint I had was that is didn't engage as quickly as I wanted. But that precision is what you pay for in higher-end and aftermarket products. The Holy Rollers are dirt jump/urban tires. Both my wife and I ride the Kenda 2.3 K-Rad for commuting/urban and they are pretty similar in design. Good choice, I would say. I find the 36 tooth chain ring perfect for urban and commuting. You can overspin it on a decent downhill but you can also get a good deal of speed from it. I have only used it in a 9-speed config, but it opened up the gearing much better than the 32 tooth that came stock had done. I can't speak to whether the 8-spd would be the same or not. In my experience, 8-spd stuff is getting harder and harder to find, so good wear or a spectacular wipe out might leave you needing more than just a new rear derailleur. Specifically, the shifter and cassette might need replacing if you can't find a new rear mech. Personally, I would talk to the shop about swapping out the shifters, rear derailleur and cassette for something 9-spd and mid-level with the purchase. In the shifters/rear derailleur upgrades you get precision. The mid-range stuff will be crisper, more precise, and possibly quicker shifts. The top end might add a little bit of precision but mostly it takes off weight. I used to ride a lot of XT and it was noticeably more delineated between gears (shifts) than was the LX. Alivio (was) 2 levels below the LX. Now I ride SRAM X.9 stuff but Shimano has made a lot of changes since I switched so they probably have some good options that they didn't have when I switched. E.13 makes THE best bashguard out there. The front hub and rims I would guess to be pretty intro level. I have an OE 2003 Dirt Jumper 2 on my hardtail. It is fine with commuting and I can't speak to dirt jumping. It is better on trails than what it replaced. All in all, I would say that you are looking at a good deal for a bike that fits what you say you want to do with it. I would check into the drivetrain upgrade - shifters, rear deraileur and 9-spd cassette, proly a chain, too. But even if they say, no, or quote a ridiculous price, it may be a good way to go. On all the other points I would say watch the local bike boards, maybe craigslist, and even mtbr.com. You can put together the parts for upgrades at good prices that way and save money over building from scratch or finding the only stock model with all the parts you wanted.
