Hi, I've just moved to a new city for work and wanted to use the opportunity to start biking to work more. I've been a casual bike rider for the past 5 or 6 years, mostly around cities and occasionally on paved trails. I have an old hybrid bike that I got used, cheap from a friend about 5 years ago. This is a fairly hilly town and I hope to bike commute most days, so I think I'm ready to invest in something a little nicer and more efficient. But I'm not a super serious cyclist and don't have a big budget to draw from. When I told all this to the guy at the bike shop, he recommended from their selection a Kona Dew (https://www.konaworld.com/products/dew). Now, I know nothing about bikes and their specs, so when I look on the website at the details, it's hard to parse. And I don't know the Dew's or Kona's reputation among cyclists. But the reality is, I just need a basic, reliable bike without many frills. Hopefully I can attach a rack on the back. Bonus if it's not too heavy, relatively speaking.
Do folks have thoughts on Kona bikes generally, or on the Dew? If I'm a casual commuter (at least for now) on a budget, do they seem like a decent option? If not, are there other brands or models that I should look at in a similar price range? Thank you for any help or insight!
by thesecondfire
2 Comments
It is a very solid bike for the price, though I would say to consider the higher in the range/higher spec models that come with hydraulic brakes and upgraded components if you will be riding a decent amount (Dew Plus/ Dew Deluxe)
The Kona Dew is a great low-mid-range option that checks all your boxes. You can’t go wrong.
Going cheaper is really hard – at this price point you start making big sacrifices in repairability and performance. On the other hand, spending more starts to get a bit “frilly”. I think you’ve picked well. My wife and I were looking at one and she had similar needs.
Kona is a well known brand of good quality.
This years Dew also comes in a nice olive colour as an option.