To all you 29er's out there!

Nice looking new carbon fork from Kinesis.

I think our Olympic track cyclists are using that

Well, at 490mm A-C, I can now see what caused the early " steering issues " for Phillip Hindes ;-)

New Kona Unit looks nice!

Ha! that's really close to the colour I want to paint my orange unit. Fortunately I don't like kinked down tubes though.
Do you know if there are other differences than colour and tires?

^ A few geometry things seem to have changed, including a steeper head angle shorter fork, slightly higher bb & shorter headtube. Obviously these things vary throughout he size range.

Here's the specs from the site.

2012 Unit £850

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Frame Material**                                                                                  Kona Cromoly Butted                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Sizes**                                                                                  16", 18", 19", 20", 22"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        **Fork**                                                                                  P2 29er                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Crankarms**                                                                                  FSA Comet                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Chainrings**                                                                                  32T/BashGuard                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **B/B**                                                                                  FSA MegaExo                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Pedals**                                                                                  Kona Jackshit                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Chain**                                                                                  KMC Z610                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Freewheel**                                                                                  Formula 18T                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        **Brake Calipers**                                                                                  Avid BB-7 MTB Disc                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Front Brake Rotor**                                                                                  Avid G2 180mm                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Rear Brake Rotor**                                                                                  Avid G2 160mm                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Brake Levers**                                                                                  Avid FR-5                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Headset**                                                                                  FSA                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Handlebar**                                                                                  Kona Energy                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Stem**                                                                                  Kona XC/Road                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Seatpost**                                                                                  Kona Double Clamp w/offset                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Seat Clamp**                                                                                  Kona SeatClamp                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Grips**                                                                                  Kona Race Light LOG                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Saddle**                                                                                  WTB Valcon Comp                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Front Hub**                                                                                  Formula Disc                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Rear Hub**                                                                                  Formula Disc                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Spokes**                                                                                  Sandvik Stainless 15g fr / 14g rr                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Rims**                                                                                  WTB SpeeDisc All Mountain                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Front Tyre**                                                                                  Maxxis Ignitor 29x2.1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Rear Tyre**                                                                                  Maxxis Ignitor 29x2.1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Paint Colour**                                                                                  Orange                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

2013 Unit £799

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                **Frame Material**                                         Kona Cromoly Butted                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Sizes**                                         16", 18", 19", 20", 22"                                                                                                                                                                                                                          **Fork**                                         Kona P2 29                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Crankarms**                                         FSA CK-7152PDHS (170/175mm) / CK-7050PDHS (180mm)                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Chainrings**                                         32t                                                                                                                                                                                                                         B/B                                         FSA MegaExo**                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Pedals                                         **Kona JackShit**                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Chain**                                         KMC Z610 **                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Freewheel **                                        Formula DC52                                                                                                                                                                                                                          **Brake Calipers**                                         Avid BB7                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Front Brake Rotor                                         Avid G2 Clean Sweep 180mm                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Rear Brake Rotor                                         Avid G2 Clean Sweep 160mm                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Brake Levers                                         **Avid FR5                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Headset**                                         TH ZST No.10                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Handlebar**                                         Kona Energy                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Stem**                                         Kona XC/Road                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Seatpost**                                         Kona Double Clamp w/offset                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Seat Clamp**                                         Kona Clamp                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Grips**                                         Kona Race Light LOG                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Saddle**                                         WTB Volt Comp                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Front Hub**                                         Formula                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Rear Hub**                                         Formula                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Spokes**                                         Sandvik Stainless 15g fr / 14g rr                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Rims**                                         WTB Speed Disc i23                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Front Tyre**                                         Maxxis Ikon 29x2.2"                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Rear Tyre**                                         Maxxis Ikon 29x2.2"                                                                                                                                                                                                                         **Paint Colour**                                         Matt Raw Steel w/Orange & Black

I do much prefer the colour & the older style decals of the new one. Not sure about the kinked downtube. I didn't actually notice it, so I must be used to seeing them now.

They still appear to have the picture of the old one.

http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=unit#1

1st generation Karate Monkey x large

I am currently dibbling around with a Croix de Fer and have been thinking about the Surly KM but not sure how it would ride with drops. This looks pretty much ace though! anyone had an experience of a KM with drops? I would probably get some Woodchippers to go on it.

^I think there's a lot of people using that Karate Monkey/ Drop bar setup over on MTBR.

http://forums.mtbr.com/surly/lets-see-your-km-builds-490622-21.html

I have tried the Woodchippers though. They're pretty comfortable & give you plenty of control. I only took mine off as they were awkward in traffic ( which of course they're not really designed for )

A bit tricky to set up just right & The Monkey has a fairly long top tube/short headtube so you may end up with a mad spacer stack or hi rise stem.

yeah I noticed the geo didnt really suit drops, ideally a SIngular Gryphon would suit and I am not feeling the Salsa Fargo's looks. I have a pretty agressive saddle to bars drop on my CDF which is not great for off roading, dont mind the aesthetics of spacers.

Off to check that link now- many thanks

^ A few geometry things seem to have changed, including a steeper head angle shorter fork, slightly higher bb & shorter headtube. Obviously these things vary throughout he size range.

Getting a shorter fork with the resulting increased HTA was among the first things I did to my Unit:

^Oh, I remember that one now! What fork did you get ( looks carbon? ) & has the handling improved?

on-one 26er. not carbon.
not much difference actually, at least what I can feel.

Some rather expensive Ti awesomeness from Spot.

More here.

http://twentynineinches.com/2012/08/13/out-of-the-box-spot-rocker-single-speed-ti/

& here.

http://spotbrand.com/bikes/product-page/rocker-ss-ti/

Anyone free on Monday?

http://www.lfgss.com/thread91116.html

Some rather expensive Ti awesomeness from Spot.

More here.

http://twentynineinches.com/2012/08/13/out-of-the-box-spot-rocker-single-speed-ti/

& here.

http://spotbrand.com/bikes/product-page/rocker-ss-ti/

Center track belt system. Nice. The geometry, and build quality of my spot 29er is pretty amazing. Rode it to work this morning, which was a blast. I have the old gates belt system, and its never given me even a hint of a problem. The old spotbrand tensioners are shocking though. They work when set up perfectly. But I'll cry if I need to remove the rear wheel on the trail.

I'll cry if I need to remove the rear wheel on the trail.

It's a good job that punctures never happen at the worst possible moment during terrible weather then ;-)

Oh, & just checked out your Spot belt drive. Lovely looking build!

Going to replace the white bits with black, as and when they wear out.

Saddle to black Gobi
Grips to same in black
Rims to P35 in black.

But the ride is pretty amazing. Weighs nothing, so despite appearances, you can throw around like a BMX. To be honest as someone that grow up riding a BMX around steep valley woods on the edge of dartmoor. Thats how I ride it.

At 5'7" on a 29er. I guess I look like a kid whos dad bought him a BMX a few sizes up so it'll last.

Need to change those tensioners too.

Going to replace the white bits with black, as and when they wear out.

Saddle to black Gobi
Grips to same in black
Rims to P35 in black.

But the ride is pretty amazing. Weighs nothing, so despite appearances, you can throw around like a BMX. To be honest as someone that grow up riding a BMX around steep valley woods on the edge of dartmoor. Thats how I ride it.

At 5'7" on a 29er. I guess I look like a kid whos dad bought him a BMX a few sizes up so it'll last.

Need to change those tensioners too.

I've been on my P35/Hope combo for almost a year now and love them. Nice and stiff, even with 110kg rugby player single speeding up hills, and give the big tyres a lovely shape and plenty of cushion with a ridgid front end.

I've been on my P35/Hope combo for almost a year now and love them. Nice and stiff, even with 110kg rugby player single speeding up hills, and give the big tyres a lovely shape and plenty of cushion with a ridgid front end.

It'll be moving up from my Blunt/Hope combo. Which is basically an identical rim just a few mm narrower. It'll be an interesting comparison back to back. Just not a very justifyable one.

At 5'7" on a 29er. I guess I look like a kid whos dad bought him a BMX a few sizes up.

Won't want to have a go on this then? I'm 6'7", so I may look relatively normal riding it ( from a distance ).

I think there's enough steel tubing in it to build a transcontinental oil pipeline.

Brakes fitted & steerer chopped now. Just need some decent pictures and a free morning to take it for a proper test.

Take Monday off and come to Bath and you too could be tearing through a crop field on your hardtail singlespeed 29er.

^Love to, but I can't even find the time for a local ride lately. I look forward to reading a race report though. Sounds like a fun event. :-(

I haven't had a Raleigh mtb since my Mustang around 87/88. This one looks my kind of thing though!