Kona Dew Drop

State the frame and fork material and method of construction. List the components used to build up the bike.

Frame tubing: Kona 7005 Aluminum Butte

Fork: Kona P2 700C

Headset: TH

Crankarms: FSA Alpha Drive (45-54=170, 56-62=175mm)

Chainrings: 48/38/28

B/B: RPM 7420

Pedals: Wellgo LU-A9 / Xerama SP-50

Chain : KMC Z-72

Freewheel: Shimano HG40 (11-34, 8spd)

F/D Shimano

R/D: Shimano Deore

Shifters: Shimano

Handlebar: Kona Sweeper (31.8mm x 620mm Wide)

Grips: Velo Wrap Gel

Brakes: Avid BB7

Brake: Levers Shimano

Front hub: Formula Disc

Rear hub: Shimano M475 Disc

Spokes: Sandvik Stainless 15g fr/14g rr

Tires: Continental CountryRide 700x37C

Rims: Alex DC25

Saddle: Kona Comfort

Seatpost: Kona Road

Seat clamp: Kona QR

Colour: Metallic Black or Matte Black

Tell us what the bike is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike?

Kona say- "Now things are getting serious. You've got some miles to bang off, and it better be quick. Take the paradigm shifting frames of the Dew series, throw on drop bars for road bike like posture and speed, toss in Avid road disc brakes for control, long-lasting durability and stopping power on the mean, wet streets of the inner city. You're hardcore, your bike is your chariot, and we're feeling wonderfully fantastic to have made it for you"

Thanks for that guys, I'll just go translate marketing burble into English shall I?! I'd guess that a bike like this is going to be primarily for light touring, commuting and load hauling.

Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork?

The P2 fork is an old favourite, tried and trusted. The frame is good, but the paint has already rubbed off one of the seat stays where a pannier bottom has chafed it.

Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?

Steel fork, massively oversized 7005 aluminium for the frame.

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

Relaxed and steady. No twitchy racing angles here!

How was the bike in terms of height and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?

Despite being a 54" frame it has a very small cockpit. That's not a problem but the riding position is very upright and I ended up flipping the stem to drop the bars a little.

Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality.

It's a lovely ride, helped by the upright riding position, long seat post and fat tyres. The short cockpit pretty much forces you onto the drops, which isn't a bad thing as they fall nicely to hand and the extra bar length helps to take the sting out of crappy roads.

Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible?

The tubes are huge, especially the head tube, which adds up to a very stiff frame. Even with a couple of panniers on the back it doesn't flex.

How did the bike transfer power? Did it feel efficient?

It's not a speed machine but if you're hauling luggage it's as stiff as you need.

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so, was it a problem?

No problem, even with mudguards.

Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?

You never feel like you're astride a thoroughbred but the stable handling is reassuring and designed for load hauling and long distance touring. Unladen it's not a sparkling ride, but that's what race bikes are for.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's comfort? would you recommend any changes?

I thought I would need to swap the saddle but it's actually very comfortable. I did flip the stem to drop the bars slightly but I wouldn't swap out any of the components.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's stiffness? would you recommend any changes?

No, it's a good balance of very stiff frame with 'soft' components like the long stem and tyres which take the edge of the frame's harshness.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's efficiency? would you recommend any changes?

The tyres help with comfort but they are slow and a little dead in feel. The Conti City Contacts fitted to the Kona Ute I tested last year were much better.

Tell us some more about the drivetrain. Anything you particularly did or didn't like? Any components which didn't work well together?

The cassette goes from 11t through to a huge 34t using only 8 sprockets. It's very gappy and finding the right gear can be a bit of a challenge. Having said that, the 34t came in useful on a recent audax, so I wouldn't lose it!

Tell us some more about the wheels and tyres.Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the wheels or tyres? If so, what for?

You could certainly build up something lighter, when they finally wear out, but these aren't out of place on a bike like this. The real weakness is the tyres. They feel slow and dead and I suspect that a change of tyre would make a big difference to the way the bike handles. The front wheel was out of true by a couple of mm, easily fixed, and I tightened up the rear wheel which was built quite soft.

Tell us some more about the controls. Any particularly good or bad components? How would the controls work for larger or smaller riders?

Sora style levers aren't my favourite. The sweep of the big lever is very, very long which might be an issue for some and the thumb lever is only reachable from the drops if you perfect the 'Sora thumb lunge'. I'd prefer Tiagra but I've learned to live with Sora, they do the job well enough and they're a reliable choice.

Anything else you want to say about the componentry? Comment on any other components (good or bad)

It's modest but respectable. The highlight is the Avid BB7 mechanical discs, which are great.

Anything further to say about the bike in conclusion?

Nice bike and very versatile. The only let down is the poor design of the rear eyelets.