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Ahh that old £1000 bike question again. Kona Vs Focus

Hi all



Been an avid reader for the past year but only now joined up.

As with many of the newbies on here i am after some bike advice.

I've got an xmas bonus burning a hole in my wallet and have £1000 to spend on a new bike.

It's a big purchase for me so i need to get it right and need it to last.

I have got my choice down to two bikes...



Focus Cayo 2008 £999 on Wiggle

Kona King Deluxe 2007 £999 (from £1800) on Chain Reaction.



Problem is i cant choose between the two and need some spec advice.

Looks to me like the Kona has a better frame but lower spec components (Shimano 105), and the focus has the better spec shimano kit (Ultegra Ice). Is the Kona frame so good that it justifies last years £1800 price tag - it seems too much of a bargain?!

Is the quality of the frame or the components the bigger factor?



I'll be using the bike for mainly sprint & oly distance races but have also got the UK70.3 in June to worry about!



Any advice would be great, especially if you've got or ridden one of these.



Cheers in advance

Comments

  • I know nothing about bikes, but if I had a spare grand I'd spend it on the Focus Izalco Tria 2008.
  • Tri AdTri Ad Posts: 4
    Hi Man of Steel



    I'd seriously considered it but am not totally comfortable with idea of riding everywhere tucked down on bars.



    Thought a road bike would allow me to use the bike multi-purpose i.e train, communte and compete.



    It does look blooming nice though
  • Good point. Well you can't top the write up the Focus Cayo Expert 2007 got on Cycling Plus. So that would be my next choice, in my completely ill-informed opinion. [:D]
  • BARNYBARNY Posts: 157
    Focus cayo is used by a few of the top tri poeple and has had great reviews... Problem is sizing it right when you buy from wiggle.



    Never seen a kona road bike. I wonder if they are trading off their MTB name....??
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    Fingers crossed I'll soon be in a similar position, with £1000 to spend on a bike.



    As you've already narrowed your choices down, I'm interested to know what turned you off from the Planet-X Ultegra SL Pro-Carbon bike? This is my top choice at the moment (if I get a road frame), although I'm also considering their TT bike at the same price.



    Maybe I missed something in the specs? I'm also a bit nervous about buying a bike without having sat on it. Think I'll get myself measured up very carefully beforehand.



  • Tri AdTri Ad Posts: 4
    D'oh! never seen it before - now the choice is even more confusing!



    I can't find any reviews of the Kona bike, whilst all the Cayo and planet X reviews look great.



    Going to have to spend some quality time in front of google tonight reading as much info as poss before making my mind up.



    If anyone out there does know anything about the Kona road bike i'd love to hear about it.
  • zoezoe Posts: 28
    Not that i am an expert either, but a friend on mine has a Kona and it is truely awesome- the frame is a fantastic build quality.



    Couldn't say much about the Cayo- but it does seem on the heavy side.



    Similarly, the Planet-X is a good price, but the bikes build up very heavy. My coach keeps telling us that cycling performance is based on power to weight ratio, so I always go for the lightest i can build for my money (!!).



    You can always put a better group-set on later, but the weight gains are not much, and i haven't found much difference between the Tiagre on my road bike and the Dura-ace on my TT bike!



    Good luck choosing!
  • DedeDede Posts: 35
    You are primarily making a decision from 2 bikes, and with the spending power of £1000. This has limited your choice, if you were able to spend more, then the greater the option for you. However hard as it seems £1000 will by you a 'good standard race ready bike' Not many reviews on kona, but i am not denying their quaility they have a mountain bike top pedigree. Focus Cayo has received good reviews from cycling plus and I read that they are a german company who are producing great frames/bikes out there. To which they are now importing to the UK. The most important thing on your road bike will be the frame and the quality of wheels, parts can be upgraded to lighter components etc. You say you want a road bike for most uses, ok, but when racing consider putting clip on tri bars and have a race only wheelset. Some people will probably have 2 bikes, one to train/commute the other for racing and other type of riding. Personally I would go for the Focus.
  • bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    People on this forum are rather nice, but they do tend to answer bike questions with more dilemma's than you had before.[:D] So, as I am one of those people and to utterly confuse you, here comes my advice. GO FOR A PLANET X BIKE, THEY ARE FENOMENAL AT THIS PRICE!!!!!!



    disclaimer: I am by no means an expert, just a guy that dreams about these bikes. So I don't know if my writings are a real help to you?

    Let us know what bike you've choosen, soyou can make us jealous[:@]. [;)][:D]
  • PC67PC67 Posts: 101
    Focus bikes:



    I've no doubt they're excellent bikes and excellent value.



    However, the cynic in me notes that the bike mags always give them the highest marks and always beat comparable bikes in tests but Focus bikes are only available via Wiggle, who happen to be the most prominent and regular advertisers in the same mags.



    Am I being too cynical?



    I'd certainly consider a Focus bike but I think it's worth bearing in mind.



  • BARNYBARNY Posts: 157
    Magazines are Bias - burn them!!!



    Truely though - I dont think they would give a false reveiw.... the fact that most focus bikes are reveiwed within weeks, if not prior to their lanch is the advertisers wonga talking - they get way more coverage than almost any other type of bike... Subblinimal control... Advertising is destroying the world from under us, marketing IS the root of all evil..... .... ..... must buy carbon wheels to win - - - I'm gonna go buy some carbon wheels this weekend... anyone seen the Dalkiia sixzero ones... they look hot (at primera and GBcycles). and great price too.....
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    Similarly, the Planet-X is a good price, but the bikes build up very heavy.


    Hi Zoe... I haven't managed to find weights for these bikes on the P-X web-site. How much do they weigh, and what would you call heavy? My current bike is about 12kg [:(]



    Personally speaking, I could probably spend a load of cash getting a bike 5kg lighter, or I could save a load of cash by getting myself 5kg lighter. Cheapest way to improve my p/w ratio is to lose some lard [:D]
  • bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    I agree with bopomofo, and not only will that 5 kg help with the bike, it will be a great help on the run. Thats 2 for the price of 1[;)]
  • PC67PC67 Posts: 101
    BARNY wrote:


    must buy carbon wheels to win - - - I'm gonna go buy some carbon wheels this weekend... anyone seen the Dalkiia sixzero ones... they look hot (at primera and GBcycles). and great price too.....

    I'm probably going to get a set of Corima aeros in next few weeks. I did like the look of the Dalkiias alright. Might reconsider.
  • MGMG Posts: 470
    I ride a 2007 Focus cayo and they are awesome bikes, had mine for a year now done plenty of races on it and it flies!!!!![:D] Just put some aero bars on it and youl have a rocket ship for under a grand (wiggle got a sale on 2007 model bikes!!) ..............and no I dont work for wiggle!!!!!
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