Kona Jake the Snake

[seddo]

Have been riding my Scott Sportster P3 now for about 2.5 yrs and have put close to 2500km's on it, I have made 2 slight modifications to it -Kinesis carbon fork and some clipless pedals which have made some difference to my riding but something is lacking.

I feel it is time to take the plunge and go for a dropbar bike. I do have some reservations as I have never ridden a drop bar bike before, although I realise that it may take some time to get use to.

Most of my riding is done on bikepaths - commuting - 28kms and riding around Lake Burley Griffin 31kms. The longest trip I have done is 72km's and the ultimate goal is to crack the ton/ne. I must also confess to being 122kgs and 185cm, I did lose 31kgs 2 yrs ago but easy to take the weight off not so easy to keep it off.

I have been doing the rounds of the LBS and searching the net, checking the usual suspects

Giant Defy range
Gitane Mach 1600 (09 model) which I can pick up for $1200
Avanti (numerous)
Merida (numerous)
Malvern Star Capo pro

Flat bar variants(I know I stated dropbar)
Giant CRX2
Diamondback CRT 4

BUT today I came across a bike that might fit the bill - a Kona Jake the Snake cyclecross bike $1599 (08 model) - I would probably fit smaller tyres 28/25 but this may be the ticket - ANY THOUGHTS from forumites.Will the smaller chainring make much difference to climbing hill etc 46/39

Usual disclaimer - I will test ride as many of the abovementioned bikes I can before making a decision

[alchemist]

The Jake is a good solid bike. As an added advantage if you leave the "fat" tyres on you'll be able to take on any of the off-road single track Canberra has to offer.

Climbing wise the smallest gear a 46/39 double will offer you is similar to most road doubles and being a compact you can go as low as a 34 up front (but you probably wont want to go this low unless you take it off road)

[seddo]

Another dumb question regarding the chain ring size at 46 it will accelerate well but will not have the top speed of the other bikes I have mentioned

[richiec]

You should track down a bloke on here called 'Stankape' - who owned a Kona JTS, and traded it for a Norco VFR1. (very sweat flatbar roadie).

That guy is a total convert and reckons the VFR1 the best thing since sliced bread. I reckon it would be perfect for Canberra as well.

I have ordered one, and waiting for the bugger to arrive into Australia. I spent a month researching and in the end, nothing touched it for quality components and price.

Actually, I think you might need to track him down over at bikeforums.com - a US based site, frequented by plenty of Aussies!

[seddo]

Thanks Richiec will attempt to track him down

[thirtytwospokes]

The Jake would be a very versatile bike. A mate of mine in the US rides one as his commuter and road bike. He runs 700x32s for commuting, and has a second wheelset with 700x23s installed for road rides.

Bar choice is a personal thing, but my strong preference is for drop bars. They give you a few more hand positions than a flat bar, which is incredibly useful on long rides. While probably 80+% of my riding is done with my hands on the brake hoods, there's also the corners of the bars, the 'flats' either side of the stem, and the drops themselves (useful for headwinds!).

With the length of rides you're talking about, I'd definitely recommend drop bars.

The 46T on the Kona might be a little low for road riding, but it's easy to change it. If it's equipped as spec'd on the Kona website, it should have 46/36 chainrings on a 110BCD crankset. You can easily change the large ring out for a 50T; I'd ask the LBS about doing this before you ride the bike out of the shop, as they might offer you a good deal on a switch.

[seddo]

Thanks 32spokes- spoke to the LBS yesterday re: 50 tooth sprocket and the mechanic stated would not be a drama - one LBS tried to sell me a Malvern Star Bol'dor but I think a full carbon bike as a first roadie is tempting fate with what you have to go thru if you drop them.