With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.
The frame
Kona’s experience means you shouldn’t be fooled into thinking the initially
simple looking frame isn’t up to the job. Not only do the top tube and curved
down tube share a long double-barrel seam behind the head tube but there’s a
big tongue shaped reinforcing plate on the underside of the down tube that acts
like a neck brace for the frame. There’s an extra gusset between the top tube
and extended seat tube too, and the seat slot is forward facing to stop back wheel
spray getting into the frame.
The down tube is ovalised for a broad weld footprint across the bottom
bracket shell, which gets three threaded ISCG tabs so you can fit a direct
mount chain guide. Other fixtures include a triple cable and hose guide under
the top tube, and mudguard/rack holes on the simple dropouts. There are no
matching four-point rack mounts on the seatstays though, and you get an old-school
IS brake mount that needs an extra bracket to hold the rear calliper. The
S-bend rear stays with A-frame bracing look pretty retro too, and the matt
‘garage floor red’ colour is a definite contrast to the rest of the neon
line-up.
The equipment
As the most expensive bike here, the Kona has got a lot of explaining to
do in terms of kit. According to the sticker on the back of the 120mm (4.7in) travel
Spinner Cargo 340 fork, it’s only for 4X and dirt jumping, and shouldn’t be
used for “all-mountain, freeride, downhill or extreme freeride”. The 34mm
stanchions and thick-set legs and crown are by far the stiffest on test though,
steering with unerring accuracy when the tyres allow and ploughing a straight
course through random rock heaps. We got 115mm of travel out of it once we’d
shunted it past its initial stubbornness too.
The Geax Goma tyres look promisingly like Maxxis’s excellent Ardent but
the extremely slippery character of the hard, plasticky tread in any remotely
damp trail conditions proves just how important rubber compound is. The 32mm
wide rims help fatten them up, but they never feel as supple and smooth as the Kendas
on the Commencal or even the Specialized street tyres and are ripe for
immediate upgrading.
Kona really score with the excellent contact points though. The usefully
broad own-brand handlebar gives lazy leverage through corners, you get lock-on
grips that stay put whatever the weather and proper metal Kona Jackshit flat
pedals. The Gravity Step Up cranks get steel pedal thread inserts, a thick
polycarbonate bashguard and ribbed ISIS bottom bracket. The Tektro hydraulic
brakes work in a consistent if rather blunt and basic way, but keeping the
cables clean is essential to get smooth, low-effort shifts from the SRAM X4 pods
and Shimano Altus gears.
The ride
The first thing you notice out on the trail isn’t weight or gear spec –
it’s the generous bar width and slack angles that create an instantly confident
feeling. The fat legged fork puts the front wheel exactly where you want it and
actually soaks up some of the impacts on rocky trails without throwing them
straight back in your face.
The smoother feel of the Kona’s relatively soft back end (compared to the
other bikes on test) meant it was noticeably more controlled and stayed on
target better on the boulder run sections of our test trails, and we felt less
battered afterwards too. The brakes are consistent enough for authoritative
anchoring and the cranks feel solid underfoot. Extending this same basic
confidence and surefooted stability on to more natural trails depends on
upgrading the tyres to something less slippery when wet though, which adds
extra cost on to an already comparatively pricey package.
The hefty weight of the Shred and the less direct drive from the rear is
noticeable when you’re trying to get things moving and when stoking it back up
to speed after slow-speed corners or sudden steep climbs, meaning it’s
definitely sturdy rather than sparky in feel. You’ll be less beaten up and
knackered after long rides though, making the Kona a properly versatile
all-rounder.
SO GOOD
Easy and confident handling Quality contact points and fork Not as
brutally stiff as the other frames
NO GOOD
High weight makes for a steady not snappy character Spending on fork and
contact points impacts other areas Hard plasticky tyres need changing if you
want any wet weather traction
Lock-on:
Pioneered by ODI, lock-on grips have metal rings at the end that clamp
on to the handlebar for all-weather security
ISCG mount:
Three threaded tabs on the BB shell that allow you to bolt a chain
device directly to the frame
WEIGHT 14.41kg (31.77lb)
FRAME Butted 6061 alloy
SIZES S*, M, L
FORK Spinner Cargo 340, 120mm (4.7in) travel
HEADSET Internal
WHEELS
Hubs: Joytech 20mm F, Shimano
M475 QR R
Rims: Alex DM24
Spokes: 32 stainless
Wheel weight: 2.41kg F, 2.95kg R
TYRES Geax Goma, 26x2.25in
CRANKSET/BOTTOM BRACKET FSA Step-Up,
24/36t + bash/FSA ISIS
DERAILLEURS Shimano Altus
SHIFTERS Shimano Altus, eight-speed
CASSETTE/CHAIN Shimano HG318, 11-32t/KMC
BRAKES Tektro HDC300, 180/160mm
BAR/STEM/GRIPS Kona XC/BC, 710mm/Kona DH, 55mm/Kona S-LOG
SADDLE/SEATPOST Kona OB/Kona Thumb
