I already owned a Kona Kula, but the rocks of Glyncorrwg had finally wrecked my ageing body, and I needed a full suspention bike. I loved the sharp handling Kula, and so The King seemed the obvious choice. I wasn't to be dissapointed.
I'm about 5'11" tall, and went for the 19" size. It fits like a glove. With "only" four inches of travel there are plusher bikes out there, but The King loves twisty singletrack, and that was the main reason for me going for it. This bike loves singletrack. There's enough travel to get you through the rockiest sections of Afan Argoed, and it climbs very well. It's by no means superlight, coming in at about 26lbs, but the bike rides light, and is a great marathon machine.
I swapped the FSA wheelset, fo a Chris King wheel set I had lying around, and put the FSA set on the bike I ride to work. They've ridden many road miles and are still going strong. I also put a set of Hope discs on The King, leaving the Hayes discs that came as standard for my road machine. I really like the WTB saddle on The King. I've always had a tender rear end, and the WTB saddle is a god send. The grips on the other hand look a bit naff and insubstantial, but after 18 months, they are still going strong. The Fox forks are very compitent as is the Fox RP3 shock
To date, other than changing a set of cables, and putting a new chain on it, The King has needed very little mantainence. The linkages are still working, although a little play is starting to develope, and I think the bushings will need replacing in the next couple of months.
If you already own, or have ridden a Kona, you'll recognise The King as soon as you throw your leg over the top tube. If you've never ridden a Kona before, and are looking for a bike to whisk you through some sweet singletrack, look no further than The King. A great marathon bike, great on singletrack, but I wouldn't try launching myself off three foot drops on it.
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