Do-All Bike: Kona Sutra

Fantastic idea! That’s a bike that’s easy to love. Getting a bike that’s truly practical for every-day use means people who don’t want to identify with the “athletic” crowd can get a decent piece of equipment too.

i just picked up a 2010 sutra 58cm. the day i took it home i realized a huge design flaw in the new model. there is only 3 1/2” from the center of the pedal threads to the back of the front tire. my shoes hits the tire when the bike is turned slighlty. i even clipped my wifes size sevens in and they hit the tire also. called the seller. he told me to bring it back tomorrow. seems like the only way kona can solve the problem is to put a front fork with some bend on the new model.

Walley,
The front center of the Sutra is shorter than the same size Dew Deluxe by about 15mm. This would be the first time anyone has complained about pedal overlap though. Also, changing the fork would have no affect on the overlap because the straight fork uses the same dimensions as a curved fork. Also when Kona works out the geometry for any model they compile as many geometries as possible and average them all out. In most cases all dimensions between all of the bikes falls within 5mm of each other. The 15mm shorter front center is a result of the bike being 15mm shorter in the top tube length. The rider is not as stretched out on the Sutra but instead they are positioned a bit more upright. The slightly slacker angles means that the bike is a bit more stable descending under heavy load.

Keith,

I think I remember reading some reviews about toe overlap being an issue on the Sutras in the past.

However, I think you are right in that it’s not a design flaw per se. It seems like Kona just doesn’t make a Sutra that is big enough for people with big feet. I have an older Sutra and have no problem, but I am not a big guy.

Also, someone posted a detailed review of this bike on bikeforums.net recently HERE

Toe overlap is not a design flaw. Toe overlap is something a lot of racing bikes have. It is something you get used to fairly quickly, and is no longer a problem.

Bianchi, Cube, Ridley, Specialized, many models have toe overlap.

If you don’t like it, tant pis.

I have a 2008 Sutra and love it. This looks even better. There are three key improvements that I can see.

1. The rear disc mounts on the chain stay, so there is no interference between it and the rack and mudguards, which can therefore mount lower. This is a massive improvement as it will increase the strength of the rack mounts and lower the centre-of-gravity, making the bike even more stable.
2. The mudguards and rack are included. I had to do some hacksaw work to fit standard mudguards onto mine so this is a boon.
3. The paintjob is a lot more subtle, and thus less of a thief magnet. In fact the styling of this looks ace, especially with the saddle and bar tape matching the paint. A brooks saddle would be even better though:D

With regards to toe overlap – that’s pretty normal on road bikes. It’s true that you might hope for it not to be there on a tourer, but the handling of the bike is so good you can forgive it.