FAST BIKE FRIDAY – Kona Rove DL

This week our Fast Bike Friday feature focuses on the Kona Rove DL gravel bike; on first impressions this is an uber-cool, quirky gravel bike with a retro feel, but beyond the styling is there a bike that rides well and meets the demands of modern gravel riding? Well, yes! In this case steel is most certainly real…

As we’ve mentioned in previous features, when it comes to gravel bikes there’s an increasingly wide range of ‘sub-types’ within this genre of riding – from super-lightweight carbon aero race machines to tough alloy options with slack geometry and a playful setup. Kona have most definitely focused on the more utilitarian, bike-packing & adventure approach to gravel and have put together a very comprehensive range of bikes with frames made from a wide choice of materials,  650b or 700c wheel sizes, 1x or 2x drivetrains and flat or straight handle bars. We featured a brief overview of the complete Kona gravel and adventure range HERE recently; today we are taking a detailed look at the all-new Rove DL.

The all-new Kona Rove DL…

Kona tell us that the Rove DL replaces their previous Rove ST model, taking everything they had perfected with the ST and changing things up significantly by building the Rove DL with their own Kona Butted Cromoly steel tubing for a stunning frame and Project Two Cromoly Disc fork producing a bike that not only smooths out your ride but is guaranteed to catch plenty of attention thanks to its super-stylish retro looks.

The Kona Rove DL embraces the ‘steel is real’ mantra…

Kona have embraced all that’s good with steel bicycle frame construction and then brought it bang-up-to-date with all of the small detailing and technical innovations you’d expect from a modern gravel bike. You’ll hear enthusiasts of steel bikes talking about the unique ‘feel’ of the ride when compared to carbon or aluminium bikes; Kona have never strayed from featuring bikes made from this material somewhere in their range as they recognise steel’s shock absorbing properties, durability and supple ride characteristics. It’s exactly these properties that makes steel such a great material for gravel bikes that have been designed to handle long-distance, mixed-surface adventures where comfort, durability and load-carrying capacity are all non-negotiable.

Kona’s Cromoly Butted steel construction produces a comfortable, durable frame…

Looks can be deceptive, beyond its headlining Cromoly steel construction and retro-styling there’s still plenty of technical innovation going on in the construction of the Rove DL’s frameset. The head tube of the frame is tapered with more girth positioned at the bottom to help better distribute shock force from rough terrain and helping eliminate any potential for front brake shudder. That tapered head tube also means that the bikes’ lower headset bearing is safely stowed away internally inside the frame / fork junction to significantly increase the life of the bearings.

There’s a modern tapered headtube on this retro-styled gravel bike…

Continuing the theme of a cutting-edge gravel bike that’s cleverly disguised as a retro classic Kona have included contemporary axle spacing with a rear 12×142 thru-axle keeping things stiff and responsive, your wheel secure and the rear wheel’s disc brake rotor remaining perfectly aligned; the 12mm diameter rear axle creates a stiff interface between the rear hub and the frame, further adding to just how responsive this bike feels when you’re stomping on the pedals, there’s no loss of energy through this setup.

The durable Rove DL frame features neat welds and subtle graphics…

Upfront Kona have spec’d a Project Two Cromoly Disc fork; once again this is just a good way to utilise the inherent properties of steel – that springy, compliant feel decreases the vibration through to your hands reducing rider fatigue. These durable Cromoly steel forks are thru-axle too, just like the setup at the rear of the frame this means that your front wheel is extra-secure and your disc rotor is perfectly aligned all of the time. The 100x12mm hub / fork interface helps provide precise steering with excellent tracking through rough terrain and as you’ll see from the photos the Project Two fork also includes multiple bolt-on bosses to allow you to load up your Rove with bags for multi-day bike-packing adventures.

A Project Two Cromoly Disc fork with thru-axle and multiple bolt-on bosses…

Neat front brake hose routing and stylish graphics adorn the Project Two steel forks…

In days gone by a robust, steel bike built for riding on cycling adventures and designed to carry a load would have featured a triple chainset including a tiny 28T ‘granny ring’ up front combined with a rear cassette featuring a  32T cog to give you the gearing required to climb steep hills when your bike is fully laden. Thankfully things have moved on quite significantly since then and this is most certainly the case with the drivetrain spec on the Kona Rove DL. To keep things simple and efficient the Rove DL features a SRAM Rival 1x 11-speed drivetrain which consists of a single 40T chainring upfront combined with a massive wide-ratio rear cassette; the smallest cog is a tiny 11T and the largest is a whopping 42T. This clever, stripped-back system gives you all the gearing you’ll need so that you won’t spin out on fast, flat roads or run out of climbing gears on the climbs, even when you’re fully loaded up with all of your bike-packing gear.

The SRAM Rival drivetrain keeps things simple but brilliantly functional…

If you’re unfamiliar with this type of gearing you may be wondering about chain security – the ability to keep the chain on the front chain ring and rear cassette, particularly over rough & unpredictable terrain. Traditionalists may well panic at the lack of a front derailleur which, as well as allowing you to change up or down gears on a conventional drivetrain also prevents the chain from dropping off the chainrings. Fear not! The SRAM Rival drivetrain takes technology first used on their mountain bike groupsets and applies it here for the similar demands of gravel biking; the 11-speed rear derailleur includes a built-in clutch which cleverly adds tension to the chain to help prevent it from unshipping. Similarly that single chainring upfront features a narrow-wide tooth profile which also helps to keep the chain safely located.

The Rival rear derailleur features a clutch to help prevent the chain from unshipping…

The 11-speed SRAM Rival shifter simple to use…

SRAM’s right hand DoubleTap lever takes charge of gear-changing duties…

The SRAM Rival single chainring creates a simple, uncluttered drivetrain…

SRAM’s narrow/wide profiled 40T chainring helps to keep the chain securely located…

Kona have spec’d mechanical disc brakes to the Rove DL rather than an a hydraulic option; this has enabled them to keep the Rove DL at a competitive price point and whilst mechanical disc brakes are sometimes seen as a significant compromise compared to fit-and-forget hydraulic units these TRP Spyre brake calipers stand out as one of the most powerful, user-friendly mechanical disc brakes available. Unlike many other mechanical disc brake options the TRP Spyres actually have dual pistons rather than a single piston, which makes them significantly more powerful and much easier to set up and maintain; this dual piston setup means even pad and rotor wear because the rotor does not need to flex to one side during braking. The calipers also feature a cable barrel adjuster to allow you to fine tune pad / rotor clearance and are paired up with 160mm rotors front and rear to provide plenty of stopping power even in wet off-road conditions.

TRP Spyre mechanical disc brake calipers are powerful and easy to adjust…

Kona have spec’d 160mm rotors for enhanced stopping power…

The TRP Spyres feature cable barrel adjusters for on-the-fly adjustments…

In a move that reflects how Kona sees this bike being used – for rowdy riding and off-road adventures, they have spec’d 650b rather than 700c wheels. By using the slightly smaller diameter wheels Kona are able to fit a larger volume tyre for enhanced comfort and control off-road while retaining an overall diameter that is very similar to a larger 700c wheel with a smaller-volume tyre fitted; this means that the wheels roll just as fast as a conventional 700c wheel but with the added comfort and compliance of a larger volume tyre. Kona have spec’d a wheelset consisting of tough WTB KOM Light Team i23 rims laced to durable Formula thru-axle hubs with fast-rolling WTB Venture TCS DUAL 650x47c tyres which feature a minimal tread pattern down the centre of the tyre for fast road sections and smooth terrain combined with a more aggressive tread pattern on the outer edges of the tyre to keep you in control on tight, technical off-road terrain.

650b WTB wheels are ready for rowdy riding…

There’s plenty of clearance between tyre and frame even with large volume 47c tyres…

Kona have spec’d durable Formula thru-axle hubs on the Rove DL…

There’s a minimal tread pattern down the centre of the tyre for fast road sections…

Finishing kit on the Kona Rove DL consists of lightweight, durable alloy Kona stem, handlebar and seatpost as well as a comfortable and hard-wearing WTB saddle that includes Kona branding.

Light, strong Kona components finish of the Rove DL…

The Kona handle bars are wide without being ridiculous and suit this off-road-focused gravel bike…

A clean, clutter-free cockpit leaves plenty of room for a bar bag…

The Kona branded saddle is actually made by well-respected component brand WTB…

The Kona Rove DL is a fantastic contemporary gravel bike that’s cleverly hiding behind some very cool retro looks. The Cromoly steel frame and fork brings its own unique feel which is perfectly suited to the demands of gravel riding and multi-day bike-packing adventures; similarly the smaller 650b wheelset fitted with large volume 47c tyres encourage you to push your riding to the limit, making this a fun bike to ride if you’ve only got a couple of hours spare to blast around your local woods. By fitting the Rove DL with a SRAM Rival groupset Kona have given you all the gears you’ll need regardless of the load you’re carrying, with the simple 1x drivetrain keeping things simple and brilliantly functional in all riding conditions. Whether you’re dreaming of days gone by and want to rediscover the joys of riding a classy steel bike or are considering your first foray into steel the Kona Rove DL is a versatile, durable, FUN option to go for.

Considering your first foray into steel? The Kona Rove DL gravel bike is a great option…

The Kona Rove DL is available in-store and online now.

Written by Johnny Dodgin

Photos by James Vincent

 

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