When I was lucky enough to go out to the Kona launch in August; there was one bike that I was really excited to ride, and that was their Rove. I’m a big fan of all things cross, so the chance to get on something new lit my eyes like a little child on Christmas morning. From the start, the Rove is drastically different from any other cross bike out there. Kona lists it as a “ultimate cyclocross/gravel-grinding/commuting machine.” So to say that this one bike is a utilitarian machine would be an understatement.
With slightly different geometry than their Jake series,
this bike gives you the best of all worlds. Longer wheelbase gives you
stability. Different angles in the seat tube, head tube, and longer chain stays
gives you comfort. Being equipped with disc brakes will give you the stopping
power you need when you need it; when you are either commuting in the worst of
weather, or racing in your next cross race.
Out of the box highlights are as follows; with a mix of Sram
Apex & Rival with cross gearing (36/46) up front with an 11-32 in the rear.
I was a little skeptical of the 36/46 up front, only because I am used to a
more traditional compact up front (34/50); but more on that later. A solid
Formula Disc wheelset, with your braking provided by a set of Hayes CX5 discs;
which are beefy reliable brakes. They do
provide more adjustment than the Avid BB7’s, so you are able to really fine
tune the brake feel. And with the
ability to throw on a set of 40c tires and hit the gravel roads for an all day
adventure.
The frame is a 4130 CroMoly; which is on the higher end of
the ‘steel’ scale. A lot of companies are getting away from this material; but
believe me, when you use this bike for what it was built for you will be
thankful. It will absorb what the road throws at it, and your body will thank
you for it.
I immediately put on full fenders and a rack. I plan on
mostly using this for my commuting needs throughout the year and dealing with
Cleveland weather fenders are a must. I also want to use my pannier bags
instead of using my messenger bags. This will take weight off of my back and
feel better while I ride.
I already have about 70 miles on it with my commuting and
riding so far (one week of ownership).
First I would like to say how smooth and responsive the frame is. It
soaked up the bumps of the Cleveland streets and the pavement on the Metroparks
trails. I was also able to get off the pavement and feel how it handled. It wasn’t anything too rough, but it blazed
right through the mud and chipped wood like a champ. And again smooth as can
be. No excessive vibrations coming up through the frame. In addition, with
carrying my pannier, the bike stayed grounded. Often riding with lighter weight
frames with panniers the rear end would start to wander over bumps. The Rove
kept everything where you’d expect it. That being said, you are not buying the
Rove for any weight savings.
As I was skeptical about the cross gearing up front (36/46),
I am used to a more of a compact gearing up front (34/50), but with the weight
of the bike, plus the weight of my gear and the wide range of gearing in the
back (11-32), it made gearing up hills pleasant. Also, with the 46 up front, I
was able to play more with the gearing in the cassette than if I had a 50 up
front.
The Rove is going to become my ‘go-to’ bike for this up
coming year. I doubt with the set-up I have on it now, that I will take it to
the mtn bike trails, but you never know.
Here is a link to Kona's page on the Rove http://konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=rove
keep the rubber side down...
