Still looking for that Cross Bike ... Jake the Snake?

[Zippy]

I am now leaning towards the Kona Honky inc. as it has the longer top tube than a cross bike of equivalent size and so a less upright position against headwind. It also has disc brakes which have been recommended on here.

My lbs tell me it also robust and "playful" enough to take on forest trails and cider tracks so it sounds about right to me.

I prefer a closer road ratio in gearing and any off road stuff is going to be flat or unulating - no MTB stuff as I have my Specialised Hard Rock for those days.

It would be good to hear from Kona Honky inc owners for a bit of feedback.

 

[lpjr]

Just to add another bike to the mix. I was looking at the Uncle John's Planet X cyclocross bike. Uncle John . It gets a good write up Review Bike Radar.. Something I will consider next year. You would have to order over the internet but appear to have a good service team.

 

[Zippy]

I went out today and bought a 49cm Kona Honky Inc. I fancied the conventional steel frame and I think my Mum would have approved (she ddn't approve back in the day when I took my birthday money and spent it on a Raleigh Chopper!). Nowhere near as chunky as I thought a steel frame bike would be.

Brake lever gears will take some getting used to as I have used MTB gripshift for years. Geometry and balance completely different to my Spec' Hard Rock MTB commuter. First time on road is gonna be fun!

Thanks for all the suggestions folks.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I went out today and bought a 49cm Kona Honky Inc. I fancied the conventional steel frame and I think my Mum would have approved (she ddn't approve back in the day when I took my birthday money and spent it on a Raleigh Chopper!). Nowhere near as chunky as I thought a steel frame bike would be.

Brake lever gears will take some getting used to as I have used MTB gripshift for years. Geometry and balance completely different to my Spec' Hard Rock MTB commuter. First time on road is gonna be fun!

Lovely bike.

Lever shifter wise I was in same boat three years back when going back to drops after a 30 year break during which time I'd spent a lot of time on gripshift equipped MTB's

My mantra is "smaller lever smaller ring, bigger lever bigger ring"

 

[snailracer]

Apart from the now redundant 'rules' aspects of cantilevers, are there any advantages to such brakes?

By varying the angle of the yoke wire (the bit that connects the arms), their mechanical advantage vs. travel can be adjusted to suit your type of riding and individual preference. In the early days of mountain biking, fiddling with the yoke angle provided mountain bikers with endless hours of amusement. With most other types of brakes, including V-brakes, you get what you're given.