Kona Big Kahuna 29er review
A great match for the more powerful rider
GBP £1,450.00 RRP Skip to view dealsPublished:
Kona were one of the first mainstream companies to follow Gary Fisher into the world of bigger wheels. Add a similarly advanced interest in freeride and aggro riding in general, and it’s no surprise the Big Kahuna is one of the ballsiest frames around.
Ride & handling: Rough and ready
Kona are one of several brands using backswept bars on their big-wheeled bikes, which combine with the steep seat angle to give an overly compact, hands-by-your-knees riding feel at first.
When you knock the saddle right back on its rails and get off-road, though, that weirdness disappears in favour of a naturally surefooted and relaxed feel that’s still light and nippy enough through the tight stuff. The stiff frame puts maximum power through to the back wheel, which will please powerful riders.
Even with the smooth wheels and rearward weight shift of the bars, the basic fork and stiff frame mean that ground shock soon starts to make your wrists and soles of your feet ache on rough ground. It’s a heavy bike too, so beyond short grunt climbs, upward mobility isn’t a strong point.
Frame & equipment: For fork’s sake
The short, stout tapered head tube is backed up by big square-section main tubes, with shared seams up front and a broad ovalised overlap at the bottom bracket. Big machined plate chainstay heads, a steep seat angle and the broad stance, round tube A-frame stays give plenty of tyre room.
It’s an IS brake mount out back and the dropout rack mount drillings aren’t matched on the stays, if you’re thinking of off-road touring with it. The biggest black mark in equipment terms is the fork, though.
The RockShox Recon has simple damping and soon gets overwhelmed on long rocky or step sections. And despite the tapered head tube, the steel steerer isn’t tapered to match and the stanchions are steel too, which adds some serious weight.
At least all of the negatives are in one easily – if expensively – upgradable area and the wheel package almost makes up for it. Easton wheels are light and tight and the Maxxis Aspen tyres are our favourite 29er speed rubber, offering surprising grip and smoothness.
The 10-speed SRAM shifting was less than smooth after only one ride though, and the bottom bracket started grinding in under an hour, so check that your shop has prepped the bike properly.
With a big, stiff frame and sorted angles, the Big Kahuna is an obvious choice for big, powerful riders. Despite a good wheel package, the very basic fork really lets it down and you’ll soon ache if you get too aggressive with it.
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Product Specifications
Product
Name | Big Kahuna 29er (11) |
Brand | Kona |
Available Colours | Matt Green |
Rims | Easton XC 29er Wheelset |
Top Tube (in) | 23.5 |
Standover Height (in) | 31.1 |
Seat Tube (in) | 18 |
Chainstays (in) | 17.1 |
Bottom Bracket Height (in) | 12.2 |
Spoke Type | Easton XC 29er Wheelset |
Brake Levers | Avid Elixir 5 |
Weight (lb) | 26.78 |
Weight (kg) | 12.1 |
Stem | Kona XC/Road |
Shifters | SRAM X7 |
Seatpost | Kona Primo Double Clamp w/offset |
Seat Angle | 74 |
Saddle | WTB Valcon Comp |
Rear Tyre | Maxxis Aspen 29x2.1 Kevlar |
Available Sizes | 19" 19" 16" 19" 18" 18" 19" 20" 18" 20" 22" 18" 20" 20" 22" 20" 22" 16" 16" 18" 18" 20" 18" 20" 22" 18" 19" 20" 19" 19" 20" 22" 19" 19" 22" 19" 19" 19" 19" 19" 19" 16" 16" 18" 19" 20" 16" 19" 20" 16" 18" 16" 18" 19" 20" 22" 16" 18" 19" 20" 16" 18" 20" 16" 18" 20" 22" 16" 18" 20" 22" 16" 18" 20" 16" 18" 16" 18" 16" 18" 16" 19" 19" 20" 22" 19" 19" 22" 19" 22" 20" 18" |
Front Derailleur | SRAM X7 |
Brakes | Avid Elixir 5 |
Cassette | SRAM PowerGlide 1050 11-34 (9 spd) |
Chain | SRAM PowerChain 1030 |
Cranks | Shimano SLX 42/32/24 |
Fork | RockShox Recon TK Solo Air 100mm |
Frame Material | 7005 Alu Butted |
Front Hub | Easton XC 29er Wheelset |
Rear Hub | Easton XC 29er Wheelset |
Front Tyre | Maxxis Aspen 29x2.1 Kevlar |
Grips/Tape | Kona Race Light LOG |
Handlebar | Kona Energy Deluxe |
Head Angle | 70 |
Headset Type | FSA No.57B |
Rear Derailleur | SRAM X9 SGS |
Wheelbase (in) | 43.5 |