It's been 6 months now since I bought and started riding my Kona Big Kahuna 29er. My first impression was pretty enthusiastic
and I can't say that I've been let down yet. I ride this bike to work just about 5 days a week. During my lunch break I ride
it on intermediate terrain consisting of hilly single track and rocky jeep roads. The only times it stays back at the house are the
days I ride my road bike which is once or twice ever couple weeks. So lets begin at the front of the bike and work our way back.
By the way, in case you are wondering, this is the 09 model and some of these components have changed for 2010.
Here is a photograph of my Kona Big Kahuna 29er taking a break from the action
while I fiddle with electronics and adjust my stylish fannypack.
Starting up front as promised, I have added a Panaracer Rampage 29 to the front wheel. I really dig this tire for its ability to keep
my wheel from sliding out from under me when cornering on loose terrain. The bike originally came with a Maxxis Ignitor 29 on the front
and rear. The rear tire is still rolling with it today, I haven't changed it. I complained about the Maxxis Ignitor when I first started riding this
bike but now I think it's been a decent rear tire so I have yet to replace it. The Sun EQ SL 2.3 rims that hold the tires on have been durable
and stiff. I have never once felt like I was going to break this rim, even with the added frailness of a 29 inch wheel.
The brakes that shipped with this bike are Shimano M575s on the front and rear. These brakes are merely alright, nothing mind blowing.
I'm sure there are better brakes out there for even just a few bucks more. There are complaints on the internet about the shape
of the levers but I have none. I don't have mutated fingers or two right hands so they have performed adequately. These
brakes, as lackluster as they are, have always stopped me when I needed to stop and that's the bottom line. They haven't failed
yet and the last time I checked the pads were still in good shape. The brakes are also pretty quiet and they have only made a bunch
of noise once and that was because my rotor was tweaked. They are starting to get a tad spongy but I'll let my bike mechanic
fiddle with this adjustment, trust me. Don't try to convince me that it's easy and all that malarkey, I don't mind feeding a mechanic for this type of stuff.
This Big Kahuna came with the RockShox Tora Race 29 up front. It's a pretty nice shock for the price and a bit of an upgrade
from the Dart 3 that shipped on the standard Kahuna model. It's a pretty responsive air shock and doesn't weigh a ton.
I really dig the lockout. It's easy to reach (and move) and I almost always have it locked out during my commute. I even like
to throw this fork into lockout on really sandy steep jeep trails and on steep sandy descents. I feel like I have better control in the
lockout position in those conditions but that might just mean they are more laterally stable when locked out and that is a bad thing.
Either way, they have worked very well for being a nice entry level air shock. I checked the air for the first time on Sunday and
it was still right in the sweet spot for my weight range. I should mention that the lockout has not been as stiff lately as it has been in
the past but I suppose this is to be expected with aging components.
A week old and things were exciting. It had shiny reflectors, brilliant chrome and smelled like a bike store.
The frame itself is a nice rigid frame with plenty of room to maneuver my body around the top tube. I guess it's pretty responsive
and snappy but I don't have much in my mental arsenal to compare it to. Cool root-beer float paint job and the name alone screams
Frankie Avalon pompadours and reminds one of the days when real men rode surfboards that were as big as a coffee table.
Cool frame, holds the components together nicely.
Stem and bars. These have been a source of frustration for me. The stem and bars are both generic Kona product with no real
inspiration. I mean, it's aesthetically unique and all but performance wise, very plain. The stem that shipped with my bike is really
long, luckily it seems to fit me but I have often thought of replacing it first, regardless of whether the bike is due for a new one or not.
I have yet to get the handlebars to where they feel just right. I think the angle is slightly awkward compared to how normal human
arms extend. These handlebars have been close contenders with the stem when it comes to dreams of replacement on that
proverbial "next payday." Grips were Kona brand that made my old gloves smell funny when they began to deteriorate. I replaced
them with some WTB lock ons for 19 bucks. w00t!
OK, now on to the crank-arms and drive train. It came with Shimano SLX cranks and Shimano Deore shifters. The SLX cranks have
been very tough and rigid. I have no complaints with them whatsoever. The Shimano Deore shifters, which seem to have a
bad reputation online, have been very very reliable for me. I have yet to really have to fiddle with them and they still shift smoothly.
Same goes for the chain. I clean and lubricate it weekly and so far it has not failed either. The seat post that shipped with this bike
was the wrong size by like, a nano centimeter. I snapped the Kona seat clamp and took it in to the dealer for replacement. A few
weeks later I was told that the seat post was too small and sort of recalled so I got a replacement from Kona for free. I took the
WTB Rocket V seat that came with it off and put it on my old bike. The seat I replaced it with was a WTB Speed V from the same
old bike because the colors matched the Big Kahuna and it was already worn in. I hate wearing in new seats, what a pain in the ass.
That's my Kona Big Kahuna 6 months-down-the-road review. It's been an awesome 29er. It makes 26ers feel like a BMX bike.
The cornering is really great, it has enough clearance from the big ring to the ground and those big bumps feel so much smaller.
I can't wait to see what the next 6 months and beyond will be like.
P.S. This could possibly be what airing up a fork looks like.
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