Cycling UK Forum

Hello!
I'm in the process of buying a bike for both day-to-day use in the city, and to go from time to time to work (15 km there, 15 km back). And also to make some short trips with a couple of saddlebags through rural areas. Essentially I have reduced the search to two models, one more expensive than the other. I want to know to what extent it's worth betting on the most expensive model.

- (A) Kona Dew Deluxe for about 490 (plus a piece to change the handlebar stem and go more ergonomic), total about 520 : https://2019.konaworld.com/dew_deluxe.cfm

- (B) Ortler-Mainau (which costs about EUR 315): https://www.bikester.co.uk/ortler-maina ... 85945.html

In principle I think that both will resolve my needs but I have looked for two representative bikes of two different price ranges.
Can they be worth to pay the extra 180 £ for the Kona?

Thank you!

You probably won't find someone who's had experience of both those bikes. I've used a Kona Dew Deluxe as my main bike for many years, so here's some observations based on my experience of the Kona and looking at the spec of the Otler:

The Kona has got hydraulic disc brakes. I love these because they work so well with almost no maintenance requirement and it means you can have lighter wheel rims, which is good for acceleration. I find my Kona much nippier than my other hybrid bike, which is lighter but has rim-brakes. So I'd say the Kona wins that one.

The Kona has straight steel forks and no suspension. When I first rode mine, it hammered my hands. The solution was to buy some good-quality flared grips, which act as shock absorbers and completely resolved the problem. The Ortler has curved forks, so probable wins on comfort.

The front hub dynamo on the Ortler might be a useful thing. Certainly a lot of people rave about them on here. I've got a folding bike with a front hub dynamo, however it's broken and I've never felt the urge to repair it as modern battery lights are so good. You'll have to decide whether a hub dynamo is important to you.

I don't know enough about components to compare the two bikes. All I can say is that I've used the Kona for fully-loaded touring and regular commuting/carrying heavy shopping and all the original components are still working great.

I prefer the ahead headset on the Kona to the Promax quill stem on the Ortler. It looks better and is more rigid. (I've got a Promax on another bike - it's okay, just not as nice as the Kona one.)

The tyres on the Kona look huge, and you might end up swapping them for ones more like the Schwalbes on the Ortler, as they'll probably be faster.

Ultimately, I think I'd go for the Kona because of the disc brakes and I prefer the looks (although my one is an older model which looks a lot different to that pastel-coloured modern version.) Other than the styling and the brakes, there doesn't seem a lot between the two - unless someone else can give a verdict on the quality of the components on the Ortler.

No, in absolute terms the Kona won't be x% 'better'. But it's a Kona and there's something about them IMHO, so if you can readily afford it, I suggest you do

I think it depends on the primary purpose of the bike.

If you want a bike to enjoy riding on then the Kona is definitely the bike to buy. The frame the gears, the brakes will be better.

However as a commuting bike the dynamo, tthe cheaper to replace gears, the less flashy non butted frame, will all make a solid commuter.

Cheers James

Hi Orimar, I've ridden a Dew Deluxe and was left very unimpressed, having commuted on a steel Lava Dome more often than I'll admit! If these are the only two bikes you can consider, try them both for at least 10km in the sort of conditions you'll be riding through.