Kona Smoke 2-9
My first commuter specific bike was a Kona Smoke. I paid $300 out the door from my LBS about 4 years ago. The guy gave me a deal because the bikes were not good sellers, commuter bikes were not ‘in’ back then. Kona is known for building bulletproof bikes, my Smoke was certainly that. The only complaint I had about the bike was the gearing, the bike was not really a fast bike on the flats. When RL told me that Kona sent us a Smoke 2-9 to test, I was really stoked.
Here are my first impressions:
Looks:I still like the look of the bike, although I prefer the matte black of the original bike. Fenders are still a love-it or hate-it, I really dig them, I don’t have to worry about getting dirty when I cross puddles of water.
Comfort:My old Smoke was really comfortable, the saddle and geometry really suited me. The 2-9 version is no different, although I did opt for a 16″ frame this time, my 26″ Kona was a 18″.
Shifting: I learned to like grip-shifts because of my old Smoke, the 2-9 has the same shifting mechanism, the feel is not fast, but not clunky.
The Ride: I was expecting a harsh ride, boy was I wrong!!! this bike is super smooth, even in bumpy terrain.. Steel fanboys, rejoice.
Nuisances:There’s a couple things that bother me… The lack of a rear rack, but most important, the lack of a chainguard.
That’s it for now, I’ll have the full review soon.
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