Kona Haole

Kona’s road bikes have never quite made it on to my short list when I’m searching for a new bike, they always catch my eye in the preliminary rounds with snappy colour schemes and loud graphics but have been let down by lowish spec levels considering the price. On the 2010 Haole things have changed though!

The Deda steel frame and carbon fork are carried over from 2009 but virtually everything else has been upgraded a notch and all for the same price as last year. A full Shimano Ultegra 6700 groupset (excluding the chainset which is taken care of by FSA), Ksyrium Equipe wheels and a smattering of FSA finishing kit complement the frame building a superb all round road bike.

I love a steel frame, the way they look with their thin tubes but most of all the way they feel, especially one as light as the Kona. Using Deda’s Zero Replica tubeset to create a semi sloping frame, a blend of classic with a modern twist. The Zero Replica tubeset is basically a good quality chromoly as far as I can tell although Deda claims this "new generation" tube can be used to build lighter, stronger frames… it's got to be said the Haole is light. Beautifully finished in terms of welding and painting it is one of the best frames I’ve seen.

The test model was a 53cm which I was worried might be a touch small for me being 1.80m tall but after adding a 110mm stem as opposed to the 90mm supplied it fitted fine. The small compact frame gave sharp handling and was any absolute joy to descend on with perfect feedback being sent back to the rider without any road buzz at all. My second ride, a hill climb up Bowden Hill, Lacock proved it could climb (it also proved that I couldn’t!!) with no flex apparent anywhere even on the steepest sections where I was flinging it side to side in an effort to find another 0.001mph but the descent after was unbelievable. Bowden Hill has a rough road surface but even with lactic acid in all my muscles the Haole was sure-footed and planted even under hard braking into the corners on the way back down to the HQ.

The Deda Fin fork's chunky lines look slightly at odds with the thin frame tubes but it certainly delivers in the handling stakes, no flex can be felt at all. With a steel steerer it’s no lightweight but this never shows and adds to that planted feel of the frame.

Mavic's Equipe wheelset also add to the overall package, I’ve ridden all kinds of Mavic wheels from handbuilt Open Pro’s and CXP22’s to Cosmic Carbone’s and never once had one lose tension or snap a spoke and the Equipes were no different. My own Ksyrium Elites have done 15k miles and haven’t ever needed truing. The Equipes on the Kona are really stiff with no noticeable flex, the hubs were smooth running straight from the off and the braking surface didn’t even need running in. They are shod with Conti’s UltraRace clincher, a fast training / entry level race tyre which actually rolls well. Grip is also good wet and dry, and when traction does break it’s very progressive. In typical Continental style the rear one started to go square after 1500 miles which makes fast cornering fun.

The new Ultegra 6700 group is virtually identical to Dura Ace 7900 in looks and feel with the exception of being a touch heavier and a considerable amount cheaper. I actually preferred the Ultegra shifters as they have a slightly heavier feel to the gear change. The ergonomics of the carbon levers are much better than previous incarnations coupled with the hidden cables makes for a very clean uncluttered front end. Braking from the Ultegra callipers is also much improved with great modulation through the lever which is great on fast technical descents. Shimano’s new pad compound is also a massive improvement especially in the wet, which was their aim as the blurb states a 100% increase over the previous pads. They work brilliantly for the first 100 miles then they seem to fade off into a bedding in period of 200ish miles, then they return to full performance from there on in. The rear mech looks smart and also the gear change is very precise over the 12-25 cassette even under load. The front mech has also been redesigned and shifts positively with the FSA Energy 53-39T chainset (a compact option is also available) which looks smart in gloss black and priced at £200 in FSA’s catalogue is a decent performing piece of kit. Using FSA’s MegaExo bottom bracket with outboard bearings it’s a good stiff setup with no flex at all.

Finishing kit is also supplied by FSA, the wing shaped handlebars have a very shallow drop which is perfect for the non competitive rider that wants a slightly aero position that's comfortable too. A matching alloy stem completes the cockpit, it’s nothing flash but everything works together providing good solid handling and very little flex. The alloy seatpost is another quality item, easily adjustable and a good tight fit in the frame. It’s odd not to see carbon at this price level but a good quality alloy post easily out performs a cheap carbon one in both weight and longevity. At first sight the Selle Italia XO SE saddle looked far too soft and squidgy to be any good on a race bike but I must admit it was very firm but comfortable and all credit to it, it remained so even after 5 hours in the wet.

Verdict

The Haole is a very well thought out bike,with a cracking frame, good wheels and a high level groupset backed up by sensible finishing kit.It's a great all rounder that is so easy to ride and the more experienced rider can really chuck it about to get the best out of it. Top marks for Kona's design team, they have built a classic.