Kona Kikapu 250.00 at wheelworld? v. budget change

[BAD_S197]

I'm headed down the technical trail known as divorce.

Therefore my plans of getting a really bitchin ds frame/bike is all but gone for now.

The Kikapu frame is still on sale at wheelworld and only in 19 and 20' frames that are left.

I ride a 19 now so thats not an issue.

Kikapu is not very expensive and fits my new pricerange

Is it a good entry level dual suspension frame?

All things considered, the shock could be swapped out later.. but is this a good place to start?

[autoduel]

Check out some reviews here: http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/xc_full_...t_123017.shtml

[guero]

it is a good 4" frame. the stock shock can be tuned pretty good only if sent to PUSH, if not, its not all that great (limited adjustability).

what type of riding are you planning on doing? if it includes drops of over 3 or 4 feet, the kikapu really isn't the frame to be doing those on.

[BAD_S197]

I'm just a rider... i dont do jumps except maybe a little ramp off a rock or something tame. I dont ride down sheer cliffs.

I'm not hard core anything at the moment.

[PacMan]

I looked at one awhile back and decided it wasn't burly enough for my liking. The rocker arm looks really small and thin, but that may just be my opinion.

I would think it would hold up fine to regular trail riding though.

<cough>I do have a Reign for sale<cough>
2005 Giant Reign (not stock)

[guero]

then the kikapu would be just fine for ya my friend.

[PacMan]

Originally Posted by BAD_S197

I'm just a rider... i dont do jumps except maybe a little ramp off a rock or something tame. I dont ride down sheer cliffs.

I'm not hard core anything at the moment.

Keep in mind that riding style usually changes after you get some good saddle time in.

I'm not trying to tell you not to buy it, just saying to be careful and not be blinded by a low price. I've made that mistake before.

Good luck and keep us posted wiith what you decide. And by all means--if you buy it and build it up, I want pics!!

[sandblast]

Sorry to hear about the divorce.

[PacMan]

Originally Posted by sandblast

Sorry to hear about the divorce.

Oh yeah, me too

I got so caught up in giving bike advice.


I went through the mother of all nasty divorces awhile back and my advice is--use MTB'ing to get you through it. I hadn't gotten into riding yet when I went through mine and looking back, I sure wish I had MTB'ing back then to help me cope.

Good luck bro.

[BrewMaster]

Sorry to hear about the divorce.

If I remember correctly, Crash Maxwell's daughter was flying on a Kikapu up and down Blackstar to Beek's last month. Looked like a pretty solid bike, but I didn't see it much since she was waaaay ahead of me.

Not that this should affect your buying decision, but Kikapu always makes me think of Pikachu.

[Marshall Willanholly]

Sounds like a good deal. The Kikapu was cbharping's first full suspension bike, and she loved it. We never had any problems with it. Guero's right, however. It's not really made for drops and jumps.

[tkblazer]

thats a sweet deal on the frame, i would ride it as is but i would get a better shock for sure.. you can find float r's on ebay for cheap or just step up to something like an rp3/23... a rocco shock is also a good option although it will not climb as well

[Waldo]

I'd say it's a good choice as long as you're not a hucker (as you've stated) and aren't a clyde. If you are, rear end flex might be an issue if you're sensitive to that, though the frame is solid enough to hold up. A friend who is a pure XC rider bought one a couple months ago and loves it.


Sorry about the divorce. Best wishes for better things to come.

[BAD_S197]

Originally Posted by PacMan

Oh yeah, me too

I got so caught up in giving bike advice.


I went through the mother of all nasty divorces awhile back and my advice is--use MTB'ing to get you through it. I hadn't gotten into riding yet when I went through mine and looking back, I sure wish I had MTB'ing back then to help me cope.

Good luck bro.

This is my second Divorce and it's going relatively smooth except for the fact that I have a daughter.

It's very hard for me to get a divorce because of that but when your wife refuses to take any responsibility for the things that made me have an affair.. I have no choice.

I've been told my reasons are silly, whichi means that she doesnt take me seriously. It's a long story.


My goal is to be the best father I can be to her despite the fact that I wont be with her 24/7.

I'll check my finances after i get this paperwork rolling and it will most likely be a kikapu frame buildup.

thanks guys/gals
jake

[mntbiker12]

Konas are solid and the Kikapu is nice XC frame, especially at that smoking price. The Kona frames are burlier than they look and I wouldn't hesitate to really thrash that sucker on the trails. But as mentioned, if you decide in the future to go bigger, you may need a different bike.

[KonaDupee]

Bad,
First of all, sorry to hear about the divorce (then again, congrats might be in order, for all I know!).

I bought the exact same frame you are looking at back in June (though the sale price was *only* $295 then). It's my first full suspension and I gotta say, I love it. I built it up with the components that I had on my hardtail and have a pretty decent ride right now.

You're right, the rear shock could use an upgrade. But, even if you factor in the cost of an RP23 of something similar, you are still getting a deal. Luckily, as a newbie to the FS realm I am perfectly happy with the stock Vanilla because I simply don't have anything to compare it to.

The Kikapu frame with the components I built it with have given me a bike that does EVERYthing I need it to do. Pretty much all I do is XC, so the bike is neither cheap nor top-of-the-line. As a biker on a budget, it is all I need.

And, given that WheelWorld ships out of Burbank (I think), I got the frame in 2 days.

I say go for it! Good luck!