# Kona Shred vs Kona Stuff. advice please.



## coryjohn (Sep 15, 2009)

So i decided i wanna get a Kona dj/slope bike for my dirt biking and occasional trail rides. I just can't decide between a 2010 shred or stuff. The differences between the bikes are the forks which the Kona Stuff comes with Marzocchi Dirt Jumper 2 100mm w/20mm Dropouts and the Kona shred comes with Marzocchi Dirt Jumper 3 100mm. For the brakes the Kona Stuff comes with ektro Auriga Comp Hydraulic Disc 6" and the Kono Shred Hayes MX4 Mechanical Disc 6". Everything else is somewhat similar i think. I don't know a lot about bikes and which parts are good and what not.

The Kona Shred will cost me 680$ and the Kona Stuff will cost me 920$. Ill probably 50% trail ride and 50% dirt jump. Would the Kona stuff with better forks and better brakes be worth the extra money?

thx anyone's input would be greatly appreciated!!

added: links to both bikes.
http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=shred
http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=stuff


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## xDetroitMetalx (Mar 19, 2009)

It really depends on what you're going to do with the bike. You have to ask yourself that question first. How many times are you going to go out on mountain bike trails? A few times a week or maybe once a month? Do you already have a cross country bike? If you do I probably wouldn't go with either option. 

Aluminum frames are nice for XC due to weight and rigidity. Sadly they can't take much beating because of how rigid they are. I cracked two frames in the beginning of the summer riding street / park / dirt. Once I went with a Chromoly frame I haven't had an issue sense and the responsiveness of the bike is almost 10 fold even with the additional weight.

Secondly if you do have a XC bike and you will just use this bike for Street / Park / Dirt I would try to avoid any bike with derailes. Single speed is by far the best way to go because you don't have to worry about breaking those pricey components throwing / casing / or clipping edges with your bike. Also even with a nice rear de-rail you will go through a lot of annoying chain slippage due to the heavy impacts you will put it through. Also removing the shifters, derailers, cog and extra sprockets you save your self a ton of weight!

The next important thing I think is the fork. Don't buy anything equipped lower than a DJ3 (ie RST / SR Suntour) as anything lower will break and almost kill you. The DJ2 is a great fork that is burly and feels alright. It never broke on me but I did blow through two seals on the DJ2.

If you did go with one of these bikes, however, I would go with the Stuff. The fork in itself is worth the extra bones.

Sadly Kona doesn't have a decent Chro-mo DJ but the Cowan looks nice even though it's 7005.


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## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

hydraulic disc brakes are pointless on a dirt jumper. mechanical disc work awesome, they feather better, 
and they require less maintenance.

>
http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=shred

Aptly named, perfectly built, and ruggedly dressed, the Shred is our crossover out-of-bounds, dirt jump and all round mountain bike bruiser. Built to last and, ahem, shred. Shimano drivetrain, Hayes mechanical disc brakes, Marzocchi Dirt Jumper fork, all at a price that leaves room for a sweet pair of *our new Paul Bass designed dirt jump jeans. *

http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=stuff

_Built with the same skeletal DNA as the Shred, the Stuff has the money to throw down for a Marzocchi Dirt Jump Two fork with a 20mm thru-axle, hydraulic disc brakes and shinier Shimano derailleurs. You'll be the black sheep hero cousin at your family reunion barbeque, bunny hoppin' the picnic table spread, adding a succulent beef dish to the mix. _

_We have designed a line that you can wear while riding a Dew Asphalt bike or out on the town. We have great fitting hand drawn graphics T-shirts and hoodies with soft Sherpa lining. Our Demo Dave short has been a go too short for most of our riders and team. Our launch of our new Bass jean was designed for the rider who jumps dirt and doesn't want his chain to eat away at his cuffs. Get out there and wear Kona it just feels good! _


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## XSL_WiLL (Nov 2, 2004)

In the past, the Stuff and the Shred have been the same frame (even shared the same geometry with the Cowan for several years). The frame is still currently the same for the Stuff and Shred. You'll probably upgrade as you break regardless of which you get.

Mechanical discs do not feather better than hydraulics. Nor do they require less maintenance. The brakes that come with the bike are not very good, but they will do the job.

Kona DOES do a cromo frame. It's the Shonky. Just because it's aluminum does not mean it will break. Yes, aluminum is more rigid and has a limited fatigue life. But if you broke the frames in such a short amount of time, they were either not for the intended purpose, old, or not very well built/designed. Alternatively, a cromo frame with a good tubeset can be just as light as a aluminum frame. As for responsiveness... I'm sure a lot of that has to do with geometry. Steel does tend to be a little more supple and forgiving.

As for gears. I never had any issues with slipping or ghost shifting. But you're right, getting rid of gears will make it cheaper, lighter, and quieter. I did clip a couple of derailleurs.


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## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

XSL_WiLL said:


> . . . .
> Mechanical discs do not feather better than hydraulics. Nor do they require less maintenance. . . ..


Well I can't speak for the brakes on the Kona, but my Avid BB7's definitely do feather better than every hydraulic brake I've ever ridden. And you don't need a bleed kit.


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## XSL_WiLL (Nov 2, 2004)

cmc4130 said:


> Well I can't speak for the brakes on the Kona, but my Avid BB7's definitely do feather better than every hydraulic brake I've ever ridden. And you don't need a bleed kit.


All of my Shimano hydros and Elixirs have had better modulation than BB7s. Yes, I realize that you can dial out the static pad a bit more for more modulation. But you also have to fiddle with the knobs every couple of rides to compensate for pad wear. And you need to replace the housing relatively frequently if you ride in nasty stuff.


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