Kona Dew (2017) - Review

The Kona Dew (2017) is built on a 661 aluminium butted frame. The 6 series of frames are the most commonly used on hybrid bicycles these days. The 661 aluminium frame is softer making the ride comfortable. The tubes are shaped evenly in size and the welds are perfect. The frame is lightweight and comes in 6 different sizes namely 46cm, 48cm, 52cm, 55cm, 57cm, and 59cm.The Kona Project Two rigid aluminium fork was shaped neatly and contributed to the light weight of this bicycle. These forks also contributed to the smooth handling of this bicycle.

The drivetrain on this hybrid bicycle was modestly spec’ed. The Kona Dew comes fitted with a Shimano Tourney at the front and Altus at the back. During the test ride the gears changes were smooth without any lag or hiccups. The front derailleur was a bit noisy but nothing which affects the gearing performance. The Shimano trigger shifters were placed in a comfortable hand position on the handlebar, which made sure I was able to operate it without stretching out too much.

The Kona Dew (2017) which I test rode came in a full grey colour. There were just 2 shades of grey on the frame. The gloss finish paint job was of top quality and looked like the bicycle was shining. The simple design and graphics were elegant with not much colour coding. This eyelets for pannier racks and mudguards at both the front and back also made this bicycle ideal for touring. The Kona Dew (2017) also comes in a full black colour variant.

A touring focused hybrid, the Kona Dew (2017) depends quite a bit on the brakes to always keep the rider in control. The Promax V-brake at both the front and back had long brake pads and brake arms. The brakes worked well on both dry and wet conditions. Turning and braking, interval braking and jamming of the brakes all worked smooth and were safe.The wide Kona aluminium handlebar makes this bicycle a good mix of comfort and performance. Touring on this bicycle is splendid and the quality and size of this handlebar is a major reason for that. The handlebar grips felt a little hard and could have had more cushioning.

Tires are another main component on a touring focused hybrid bicycle. The Kenda K935 7C x 35C hybrid tires were well supported by Shinning MT2 alloy rims. These wheelset was lightweight and this made sure the rolling speed was fast. The treads on the tires looked minimal but when riding these rubbers had enough grip to keep the bicycle balanced on roads. The Kona comfort saddle was of perfect length and width. During the long test ride my sit bones were always comfortably places on the widest part of the saddle and dint feel slippery at all. The padding was just enough to prevent soreness. The overall ride quality was smooth and comfortable on tarmacs.