Kona Smoke 2-9 out of the box
Has the venerable Kona Smoke improved by sporting 29″ tires? Let’s find out:
Riding the San Gabriel River Trail
About me:I’m 37 yrs old, 5′7″ 165 lbs. My commute is 21 miles round trip and it is mostly flat. I usually ride with panniers and about 15lbs worth of cargo.
Kona Smoke with accessories.
About the Bike:
Frame sizes: 14″, 16″, 18″, 20″, 22″. 16″ Tested
Frame tubing: Kona Cromoly Butted
Fork: Kona P2 29er Disc
Headset: TH
Crankarms: Suntour CW-XCC-T208
Chainrings: 48/38/28
B/B: CH-46
Pedals: Kona Jackshit
Chain: KMC Z-72
Freewheel: SHIMANO HG-30 (11-32, 8spd)
F/D: Shimano Altus
R/D: Shimano Altus
Shifters: SRAM MRX
Handlebar: Kona Riser
Stem: Kona Control
Grips: Kona Mooseknuckle
Front Brake: Tektro 855AC
Brake Levers: Tektro RS-384A
Front hub: Formula
Rear hub: Formula
Spokes: Stainless 14g
Tires: Continental City Contact 700 x 47c
Rims: Rigida Cyber 10
Saddle: Velo Comfort
Seatpost: Kona Thumb
Seat clamp: Kona Clamp
Color: Smoke Grey
MSRP: $369
Weight with rear rack, top tube bag, mirror and light: 34lbs
Highlights: Obviously, the price of this bike is a huge selling point. For the price of about 6 gasoline fill ups you get a bicycle that is very well-equipped and ready to take you to work right out of the box. The combination of the steel frame, 700X47c tires and the Velo Comfort saddle made this bicycle very comfortable and a pleasure to ride on a 21 mile commute.
Velo PLUSH saddle, plush indeed.
I’m a stickler when it comes to saddles, but just like the saddle from my old Kona (I still have it), it is very plush and what I would call ‘beginner commuter’ friendly.
Kona Jackshit pedals.
Most entry-level bikes feature cheap pedals. Not the Smoke 2-9; you will be riding on Kona Jackshit pedals that are very sturdy and those little studs really grip the soles of your shoes.
Sram Gripshift Max 8 speed shifters
SR Suntour Triple Crank/Altus front derailleur
Altus rear Derailleur
Since most of my commute was flat, I found myself riding the big ring most of the time with occasional downshifts . The Gripshift/Altus combination worked rather well; the shifting is not the smoothest or fastest, but it was definitely reliable. If your commute is rather hilly, I have no doubt that the gearing of this bike will conquer most of the ugliest hills.
Loaded Smoke
Lowlights:I don’t really have anything bad to say about the Smoke 2-9 — the only thing that annoyed me was the occasional noise and vibration that came from the fenders. If you buy this bike from a shop, make sure that your mechanic really tightens up the screws and adjusts the fenders so they won’t rub against the tires. I wished that a rear rack would come standard with the bike; there are a few other bikes that come with one as a standard feature.
Final thoughts: I still believe that the Kona Smoke 2-9 is an awesome commuter bike for the money. It is comfortable, reliable and well spec’d. Did the 29″ inch wheels improve the bike? Oh yeah, the bike is faster and the geometry was not radically affected. So if you are looking for a bike that will not break your bank or your back, the Kona Smoke 2-9 is it.
For more information, go to www.konaworld.com
Click here for a great selection of fenders at PricePoint.com
Popularity: 80% [?]
Bike Commuter Essentials at PricePoint.com
16 responses so far ↓
1 Rick // Mar 17, 2008 at 7:22 pm
I talked a friend of mine into a Kona Dew a while back. It was a pretty nice bike for the price. I’m thinking my next bike might be a Kona.
2 wannaCmore // Mar 18, 2008 at 5:24 am
Nice review. I do have one question though: Did you have any issues with the lack of a chain ring/guard?
3 Moe // Mar 18, 2008 at 6:34 am
I wear shorts when I ride (love SoCal!), I only experienced the dreaded ’shark bite’ stain once. Once I got to work, I was easily wiped off. I can see where it can be an issue for those who like to wear pants while riding to work.
4 Quinn // Mar 18, 2008 at 8:35 am
I really enjoy my Jake, though I don’t like the ride of aluminum, Kona is still a Quality brand.
the Smoke 2-9 - 47Cs Are Not 29″er tires.
5 Quinn // Mar 18, 2008 at 8:36 am
I really enjoy my Jake, though I don’t like the ride of aluminum, Kona is still a Quality brand.
the Smoke 2-9 - 47Cs Are Not 29″er tires.
(sorry, IM cranky this morning)
6 Ghost Rider // Mar 18, 2008 at 9:24 am
Quinn, that’s a bunch of crap about the Kona’s wheels — sure they are — 29er merely refers to the diameter of the rim…which is also known as 700c. If a rim is 700c, it is also ALWAYS a 29er!!!
7 Moe // Mar 18, 2008 at 9:41 am
One may argue about Kona’s marketing strategy by labeling the Kona Smoke a 29er. Yes, the 29er trend in MTB is running strong, but commuters and roadies have been riding 700c bikes for quite awhile. If Kona’s marketing strategy gets more people interested in riding a bike to work, more power to them.
8 Ragged Claws // Mar 27, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Quick question: what kind of panniers were you using with the Kona Smoke, and are you happy with them? Also, thanks for the smart review.
9 Moe // Mar 27, 2008 at 7:40 pm
They are the Banjo Brothers Panniers. I absolutely love them. Use our search function to find my long term review.
10 wannaCmore // Apr 3, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Question-How much narrower could/would you go on tires on this model?
11 canuck // Apr 14, 2008 at 8:25 am
Hey Moe, are the cranks’ chainrings riveted?
If so, that’s the only real cost cutter that bothers me (I wear out middle rings), otherwise like you said it’s a decent spec for the money.
My LBS doesn’t have this bike in stock to look at… (they just carry the Dew which is aluminum)
12 Moe // Apr 14, 2008 at 8:41 am
Canuck, although I had to send the Bike back to Kona :(, I do recall the cranks being riveted. I will confirm it for you though.
WannaCmore: Sorry I missed your comment.. I would probably go with a 35, I think anything narrower may compromise the ride quality.
13 RL Policar // Apr 14, 2008 at 9:32 am
Canuck,
I found out from Kona that these bikes are SUPER popular, so if you place an order, you’ll get one, but you may have to wait for it. Which isn’t too bad since its totally worth it.
RL
14 Rate My Bicycle » Blog Archive » Kona Smoke 2-9 // Apr 14, 2008 at 9:44 am
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15 Mark // Apr 29, 2008 at 8:54 am
A year ago, to replace my wrecked truck (no more 4 wheels now), I bought two commuter bikes: 2007 Giant Trans Send DX and 2008 Kona Smoke 2-9. My commute to work, gym, grocery and back is 6.5 mi/day.
After two months on the Kona, it is the better ride of the two. To make it more utilitarian, I added Kenda Komfort 700 x 42 tires (better tread for snow/ice), Planet Bike lights and a ToPeak MTX Trunk Bag DXP, which features zip-up side panniers. After a year, I no longer miss my 4 wheeler, and on the worst weather days, my bus pass suffices.
For short commutes, I would whole-heartedly endorse the Kona for $350. I feel it’s sturdier than my Giant and offers a smoother ride with the fatter tires and chrome-moly steel construction.
Just today, an oil analyst had predicted $10/gal gas ($250/bbl oil) in two years. Maybe that’ll encourage more folks to ditch their cars and join the bike commuter lifestyle.
16 mike // May 8, 2008 at 8:34 am
I have ridden a friends kona smoke 2-9 and imo it’s too heavy and rides as stiff as most aluminum frame bikes. The 700×47 tires are too heavy/wide and kona should have used size 700×38 for easier/faster pedaling. I guess they chose the wide tire too offset one of the stiffest steel frames made in some time.
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