Kona Sutra?

[tulip]

The Sutra is a nice bike, with a great name. It will take you where you need and want to go without any problems. It will certainly work for commuting (lock it up bigtime), longer rides, and the occasional triathlon. Why do you say that if you get this bike you will still need a performance bike? Remember, it's the rider who makes the most difference, not the bike (assuming the fit is right). Put Lance on a low end bike and he'll still beat most people on a custom carbon.

It's also a steel bike (chromoly), whereas the Jake is aluminum. You might want to ride the Jake to see how it compares.

I've found that I have different bikes for different uses, and they are not all top of the line by any means. My Luna is for longer road rides, and it's nicer than my abilities call for but I don't care. My Jamis Coda is for commuting and it has taken the place of a car in my life for the most part. My Dahon Matrix (a folding bike) is for winter commuting (with Metro involved), my mountain bikes are for offroading (but I don't do too much of that anymore at the moment), and my JC Higgins 3-speed is for getting groceries and looking at flowers in the neighborhood. I've accumulated these bikes over the years.

[Eden]

Why do you say that if you get this bike you will still need a performance bike? Remember, it's the rider who makes the most difference, not the bike (assuming the fit is right). Put Lance on a low end bike and he'll still beat most people on a custom carbon.

ummmm yes to small point. There are always some who will be competitive with one arm tied behind their backs on a tricycle, but the difference between a touring bike and perfomance bike is enough to make a difference to us mere mortals if we want to do more than simply finish a race. The truth is most of us race against people who are fairly similar in ability to ourselves. The sport is (somewhat) orgainized to move people up who show greater talents, so we don't have to race against our local Lances. An ultra light top of the line bike is not necessary to racing, nor will it make you competitive if you are not already keeping up, but a bike that has the proper geometry for and is geared for racing likely will make you more sucessful.

Really it depends on trailrunners goals. If she intendeds to just do the occasional tri any bike she wants to ride will get her through - people do them on mt. bikes and hybrids all of the time- but if she intends to start racing competitively she's right, the Sutra wouldn't work too well.

[trailrunner]

Everyone has had such wonderful input - thank you!

Well...to answer some of your comments (and hopefully this will help me make a decision - with your feedback, of course!)...

1. I definitely don't plan to *replace* the bike, but maybe buy another one to add to my collection . (I never in my life thought I'd be saying something like this.)
2. I am definitely more a "runner" type. Even on my trail run on Monday, I realized I just love running and feeling the dirt under my feet, hopping over rocks, crossing streams, etc. I can't imagine feeling that connected to the trail on a bike. Of course, that's not to say I wouldn't try it, because I'd love to! But I think the feeling will be different, and I will always consider myself a trailrunner first.
3. Racing...I think I'm OK on a road bike, but definitely not competitive enough. I will probably keep my competitive bug for running events only. But who knows, I may do my first tri (IronGirl Columbia, actually!) and decide I need a lighter, faster bike.
4. I do like the idea of having a good, reliable bike I can keep for long time. Maybe do a charity ride here and there. Possibly even a century (though it won't be fast by any means).

Do you think the Sutra will fit the bill? Eden, I had thought about the price. It's a bit much for a "casual" bike, but I also loved it. I wanted to test ride that thing all the way back to my house 30 miles away! But if I consider it my good ol' reliable, go-anywhere bike that will start my collection, maybe it's a good investment?

AAAAHHHH. The more I learn about the bikes, the more difficult this decision has become!!! Two years ago, I would've been totally happy with a $100 bike from Walmart.

[Eden]

Do you think the Sutra will fit the bill? Eden, I had thought about the price. It's a bit much for a "casual" bike, but I also loved it. I wanted to test ride that thing all the way back to my house 30 miles away! But if I consider it my good ol' reliable, go-anywhere bike that will start my collection, maybe it's a good investment?

If its in your budget it is a sweet bike, and I think it would retain its value well. It would be very versatile - you could ride on pavement or dirt/gravel roads just as easily, though I would guess that it wouldn't really be suitable for mt. bike territory (single track and the like). Its all outfitted to take racks and fenders so it would be a super slick commuter and good for centuries / randoneurring too.

If you really get bitten by the tri bug you may end up wanting a completey different kind of bike anyway, that isn't really good for other things (another bike for the collection ), but many many people do tris on non-tri specific bikes.

[trailrunner]

Yeah...it's steep, I was ready to thrown down twice the $$ for a Luna before rethinking my premature dedication to the sport. Getting ahead of oneself in a sport like running is pretty harmless -- you might "throw away" $100 or so on a pair of good running shoes, but cycling...

I think I'm going to have the LBS order the Sutra so I can test ride one closer to my size (I test-rode one that was slightly big since that's all they had). I can make a decision then without any risk.

LBS did suggest the Jamis Nova also. Any thoughts one which might be more suitable?

I think for now, I'll stick to running on single track, but really would like to see what it feels like to be on trails with a bike between me and the dirt. One thing I know - I love love love how fast you can go on a bike relative to running! (Also helps in the mega heat we're having in VA right now!)

[KnottedYet]

I have the Kona Dew, which is the same geometry as the Sutra, but in aluminum. (and with very different components)

I am so happy with the geometry, I can't even tell you! And even though the Dew is a "bottom" of the line bike, I really can't complain. Kona is decent stuff.

I would think the Jamis Aurora would be more similar to the Kona Sutra. Both are more in the loaded-tourer side of the equation. Take a peek at the Burley Vagabond while you're at it. (another loaded-tourer geometry/build)

All that being said, my next bike is (at the moment, subject to change without notice) going to be a Soma DoubleCross custom build. I'm too picky, and while I love (love love) the Dew/Jake/Sutra geometry, if I'm gonna blow the big (for me) bucks, I'm gonna choose everything.

Edit: PS, neither of the bikes I mentioned have disc brakes. If you love disc, you should check to be sure you can fit them to whatever frame you end up choosing.

[WrensMom]

I was planning on trying the Kona Sutra out, but I ended up falling in love with my Bianchi Veloce first, and never got that far It really does look like a nice bike, though. I will be interested to read more of the responses here.

[trailrunner]

All that being said, my next bike is (at the moment, subject to change without notice) going to be a Soma DoubleCross custom build. I'm too picky, and while I love (love love) the Dew/Jake/Sutra geometry, if I'm gonna blow the big (for me) bucks, I'm gonna choose everything.

Mmmm...yeah, the cost of the sutra is making me pause and really think about this decision. I just can't believe how GREAT the bike felt. During the test ride, I felt like I could just ride and ride and ride. It was sooooo nice. The fact that it's good-looking doesn't hurt either.