Kona Rove AL spc. edition - 830 USD. http://www.bikester.dk/472086.html
I might be able to get a deal on a GT Grade AL 105 at around 1300 USD.
I would use it to commute, Winter riding and mostly to ride gravel and forrest paths/roads. Maybe some single track.
I have never ridden a steel frame so I have no idea if it is better than the AL frames. I am looking for a relaxed geo and i am a heavy rider, around 95kg. Except the GT I cannot test ride any off them because the only gravel bike Danish bikeshops in my area have is the Spez Diverge.
I have a Trek carbon racer for tarmac rides but need a bike for everything else.
Hello, I have owned a 2015 Kona Rove Al for about 2 thousand 3218 km. Looks like they tweaked the geo for 2016 other than that they are basically the same. The Rove is built solid and can take whatever you throw at it, single track, gravel you name it. However stock it is on the heavy side. I would call the ride quality neutral in the middle somewhere. I upgraded many parts to get it to my liking and after all the upgrades I could have gone up a tier for a better bike. I am similar weight too.
Pros: Relaxed geometry, comfortable Solid build, welds, fork , internal headset Lifetime warranty Not slow Front fork low mounts Rear rack mounts Threaded Bottom Bracket Disc Brakes 40c tires w/room to spare Handles good
Cons: Entry Level shifters, derailleurs Entry level disc brakes Wheelset (mine were hard to keep in true) Crankset (heavy) Bars ( to narrow) Seat ( squeaked after awhile)
In summary the Rove Al will do all you ask but it may take some tweaking which equals money. The stock cranks are 50-34 and steel+ heavy I found myself constantly shifting on most surfaces. The stock cassette for me was all over the place. By putting a 36-46 CX70 crankset and a nice cassette on back I made it into a much better all around bike. The bars were to narrow, uncomfortable for me,wheelset wouldn't stay true and the seat while usable started squeaking . The square taper BB is also heavy and cheap.
Out of the box it would make a decent commuter but to make it an above average all around bike some upgrades are needed. The shifters worked flawlessly and never missed a shift. Brakes are adequate.
This model has the same basic geometry as the touring model same year. Having said that it does make a nice light touring rig. Kona should put some better components and gearing on this to make it a better bike. But I did ride the heck out of it and enjoyed it in it's upgraded sys config. Check out the Fuji Tread better parts good reviews...similar price...
