Reviewing the range

This is the first in an ongoing series of reviews of models in our bike range. We try to have the most relevant city, commuting, shopping and town bike range possible (plus touring bikes and load bikes but these are different kettles of aquatic lifeforms) and these reviews should help give some insight into why we’ve got the models we do in stock. Anyone who owns these bikes or is thinking of test riding or purchasing is invited to contribute to the discussion on each post.

Introduction to the Kona Dew, this review and its limitations

This review is of the Kona 2010 model Dew. The Dew is a no nonsense commuting bike: 24 speed, flatbar, v brakes, comfy hybrid tyres, rear rack mounting points.

I did around 100 kilometres on the Dew. Actually, around 20 k on the 52cm Dew before swapping to the 56cm frame for the next 80 k. This distance allowed me to test it over range of applications sufficiently to write the thoughts below though I acknowledge that more testing could be undertaken to make this review more comprehensive (two oversights were not having tested the Dew with a rear rack and full pannier load and not having tested it with a trailer in tow). Note that I do have a stack of photos from the test riding that I’ll publish here soon…

It was difficult to shift out of my normal cycling headspace into the Dew zone. What do I mean by this? Well, it’s not like any of the bikes I normally ride so it was difficult to compare:

• It is sluggish compared to my fixie (”Bill, it’s not a fixie, it’s a completely different application and it wins over your Pista for rough terrain, hill work and carrying racks and bags”).
• It’s not like my Focus (”Bill, it’s not a mountain bike and it’s not a load bike, it’s way faster and wins for getting to work on time and weekend rides too”).
• It’s not like my Metro (”Bill, after years of working on geometry, gearing, tyre choice etc of course a bike you’re familiar with will feel more confident and comfortable. And its price tag is heaps less so it wins there!”).

Anyway, it took a few days to let go and come at it without those expectations.

Hopefully you’ve got the time to read through this whole post. It starts with Bike sizing. This covers the issues I found most interesting with the Dew. Then I talk a bit about the Scope of testing including on-road, on-path and a bit of off-road. The I’ve dumped a fair bit of info on the Dew specs (much of it directly from Kona’s specs). Don’t get too concerned about this unless you’re looking for more details about the components on the bike and the sizing data. It finishes with a Wrap up of my thoughts about what the Dew is best at and what I’d do to be bike to improve it further if I owned it.

Bike sizing

My change from the 52 to the 56 cm frames was interesting, as the Dew headstem is quite short (90mm on these frames) and in hindsight the slightly smaller than optimal frame would of course be too short even with a longer top tube than seat tube. On the 56cm, the top tube is 573mm so with the 90mm stem gives a total extension of 663 mm. My initial assumption that the 52cm would be closest was significantly incorrect (the 52cm frame gave 549+90=639mm extension). I ride a 52.5cm tall by 53.5 cm long road frame, so 655mm extension on road geometry and drop bars. Note that the stem length does change through the range but is the same for the 52 and 56cm sizes: Kona Control (8°± , 45-49=70mm, 52-56=90mm, 58-62=100mm). I think that the quite upright position and riser bars mean I need to stretch forward more to get a good riding position. One benefit of this is that getting more upright postures is simpler with this style of frame than something more competitive or aggressive.

Another shift from the 52cm to the 56cm frame models is from 170mm to 175mm crank arm length. I prefer the shorter cranks but it’s not a huge difference.

We’ve got a Dew Plus in stock, which I’ll talk more about later. The Dew Plus is one model up from the Dew and gives the full range of frame sizes: 45/49/52/54/56/58/60cm. It may be worth considering the Dew Plus over the Dew if you are committed to achieving the best frame sizing and final bike fit for you. (The 54cm frame model would be better suited for my body but isn’t imported to Australia – I’ll talk more about bikes that fill these gaps in the next review).

For more on the Dew sizing, go to http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=dew and click on Detailed Specs.

Scope of testing

The testing I did was a few distinct riding styles. First there was the daily commute, riding to and from work on road. Second there was the bike path adventures, riding the Capital Trail, mainly over sealed paths through both rain and shine. Third there was a little bit of incy wincy gentle single track, gravel and mud mainly out of interest and wondering how the Dew would handle it.

Daily Commute: Braving the roads through peak hour

This was the first section of my testing. Riding to and from work on road and considering how the Dew is suited to on road commuting

In many ways the Dew is highly competent for this application. This is essentially what it is designed to do.

The Continental CountryRide 700×37C tyres (also found on a number of the higher grade Dew models) have the advantage of soaking up much of the bumps and shocks from rougher roads and are quite puncture proof. I had no punctures while testing the Dew. They are unnecessarily chunky for pure on-road use… but keep reading the next sections where the tread becomes more relevant. I guess the emphasis is on being more universally applicable and not specific to one application.

The gear range is overly wide for road use. The Dew comes with a Shimano HG40 11-34, 8 speed cassette and FSA DynaDrive 22-32-44 tooth cranks. This gives a range from approximately 17.5 to 108 gear inches. This isn’t a criticism and the extra range would help on occasion. The 8 speed drivetrain is fantastic in concept – the chain and cogs are all wider and more durable than the 9 or 10 speed options and there is absolutely no need for more gear resolution for city commuting. The KMC Z72 chain gets good reviews for smooth shifting (though it isn’t nickel plated and may not be super durable) but in combinations with HG40 grade cassette the shifting feels more solid than smooth. Hopefully you know what I mean!

The braking is acceptable. The long levers on the integrated EZ-Fire gear shifter-brake lever are comfortable and suited to the application. The brake pads started off with limited effectiveness but bedded in quite rapidly to give confident braking.

The riding position is probably best suited to this kind of city riding. Of course it isn’t as upright as an old school step through dutch bike with swept back bars but it is a lot taller than a road or mountain bike. The Kona bars give 20mm rise but could be replaced quite easily with something taller. Note the bars are 31.8mm clamp (Kona’s mountain bike background?) so you’d need to shim an old one inch riser bar to fit the stem.

The Kona dimension don’t show the height from the ground at each end of the top tube but the greater height of the head end is quite clear (I’ll try to remember to measure and post details). It gives quite an enjoyable upright ride through traffic.

Bike Path Adventures: Melbourne’s Capital City Trail

Part two. Some rides out the Capital City on the Dew. Including up the Yarra from Chandler Highway, up and down Merri Creek, and Gardiner’s Creek.

I think these rides were where the Dew shone. The fatter tyres and slight tread were helpful and the wider gearing was helpful but if I’d been carrying a load the gear range would have been completely necessary.

Some Gentle Off Road

And then I got a bit bored. And started wondering: How do ya reckon the Dew will go off road? Well, not so good. I readily admit this is completely outside the intended application for the Kona and I didn’t push it hard. The upright geometry felt unstable, the tyres weren’t suited to the mud. Both of these points could be addressed somewhat with a different stem angle and length stacked lower on the steerer, and application specific tyres. Anyhow, not worth going into as this isn’t what the Dew is best at.

Dew specs

Much of this info is copied from the Kona web site. The detailed specs have been shortened and my commentary added (in italics). Skip past this section if you’re interested in the reviewer’s thoughts rather than component brand names and frame angles.

Frame sizes	C45cm, C49cm, C52cm, C54cm, C56cm, C58cm, C60cm, C62cm the Australian range is only the 45cm, 52cm, 56cm and 60cm
Frame tubing	Kona 7005 Aluminum Butted
Crankarms	FSA Dyna Drive (45-54=170, 56-62=175mm)
Chainrings	48/38/28
B/B	RPM 7420
Pedals	Wellgo LU-A9 / Xerama SP-500
Chain	KMC Z-72 note not nickel plated
Freewheel	Shimano HG40 (11-34, 8spd) (cassette, not freewheel)
F/D	Shimano Altus
R/D	Shimano Altus
Shifters and brake levers	Shimano EZ Fire Integrated the combination of this chain, cassette
Handlebar	Kona Riser (20mm Rise, 620mm Wide)
Stem	Kona Control (8°± , 45-49=70, 52-56=90, 58-62=100mm)
Grips	Kona Race Light
Brakes	Tektro M530
Both hubs	Formula
Spokes	Stainless 15g fr/14g rr
Tires	Continental CountryRide 700×37C
Rims	Rigida Cyber 10 / Alex ZC-1000
Saddle	Kona Comfort
Seatpost	Kona Thumb
Seat clamp	Kona QR
Color	Metallic Blue or Matte Black

Geometry

UNITS	SIZE	C-T	TTH	STA	HTA	RC	FC	WB	FL	OF	BBH	SO	HT	BBS	FD
mm	450	400	525	74°	70°	440	591	1022	392	45	274	701	105	68	31.8
mm	520	470	549	73.5°	70.5°	440	608	1038	392	45	274	751	145	68	31.8
mm	560	510	573	73°	72°	440	613	1045	392	45	277	789	175	68	31.8
mm	600	550	595	72.5°	72.5°	440	626	1058	392	45	280	823	205	68	31.8

GEOMETRY LEGEND:	RC = Chainstay Length	BBH = Bottom Bracket Height
	FC = Front To Center	SO = Standover
TTH = Top Tube Length	WB = Wheelbase	HT = Head Tube Length
STA = Seat Tube Angle	FL = Fork Length	BBS = Bottom Bracket Size
HTA = Head Tube Angle	OF = Fork Offset	FD = Front Derailleur Clamp Size

Wrap up

So you’re looking for a reliable, versatile bike. Something comfortable. And not to pricey. Something you can upgrade over time as things wear out. Bingo, it’s called a Dew. This is what the Dew does so well. This is why so many of them are floating around town. I mentioned above that the Dew Plus has the finer sizing increments. This could be worth it if you’ve put the thought into sizing and if the major sizing steps the Dew uses leave you stranded (like me). Also, the Dew Plus moves up to a Deore rear derailler (though still the HG40 cassette), so it’s moving into the next component quality grade. At the Dew price and quality point there are a stack of other brands to check out. We also stock the Allegro City 3 which is very similar but with slightly different sizing which can suit some riders better.

Another point worth mentioning is modifications and future upgrades I’d do if I owned a Dew. These include:

• cutting down the bars (at 620mm width they’re unnecessarily and uncomfortably wide for me)
• replacing grips (the standard grips weren’t super comfy)
• when the supplied KMC chain and Shimano cassette wear down, replacing them with a nickel plated chain and a smoother shifting cassette
• considering tyre options as the CountryRides wore down. Possibly choosing something like a Vittoria Randonneur (slightly less tread) for on-road commuting
• considering the need for accessories including:
  • lights and lock (absolutely necessary and I’m mentioning to make sure that these accessories are considered as part of the real purchase price and not an unexpected sting at or soon after purchasing a bike)
  • rear rack and pannier bags (depending on the application)
  • possibly mudguards, kick stand etc (again, some bikes come with the full kit of this gear as opposed to the Dew that comes as “just a bike”)

These points aren’t criticisms. Any bike off the shelf won’t be suited to any particular person and changes may be made over time. All in all my experiences testing the Dew were positive and reinforced that it is a solid and versatile commuting bike. After spending the time test riding it then thinking through what I wanted to write about it then writing this review and the additional research it required, I feel much more confident in selling this model. I have a better understanding of what its strengths are and what type of riding it is best suited for.

Next review

The next bike due for testing and a write up is still to be confirmed. I haven’t rushed into the next one mainly because I kind of almost broke my shoulder just a tiny bit almost on Thursday night. And I’ll be walking and not riding for a couple of weeks. Well, the doctors say 4 weeks but I reckon it’ll be 2. We should probably split the difference and agree on a 3 week break!  (I’ll put a link to the next review here when it’s posted).

Please leave your comments on the Dew below and I’ll make sure I respond to any questions. Or drop in and test it out first hand!

Cheers,

Bill