# Squirly Kona Dew Plus



## greasemonkeee (Nov 7, 2010)

My wife is commuting on a Kona Dew Plus. We both like the bike but two problems. It's too upright. I am going to lower the handlebar height and see how that helps. But it's hard to keep it above 15-17 on flat stretches, especially in head winds. Secondly, it feels a little squirly, especially if you stand up for a quick start. I was thinking maybe a larger tire up front? Kenda Khan 38c right now. I think I could easily squeeze another half inch between the fork. Maybe a different bar would help both problems. It's got a riser bar, about 630mm wide. Open to suggestions. Thinking possibly longer stem maybe also but worried about loading too much weight on the front tire.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Don't do anything until you get the handlebar position dialed in. Lowering it will mellow out the ride. A longer stem would also mellow out the ride. It sounds like you're already doing that - so get the bike comfortable, and if it's not handling as you'd like it to, ask again. But I bet you see an improvement.

Speed is all about how much power it takes to overcome resistance at whatever speed. The biggest source of resistance when riding on the flat is air, something you've already noticed. There are two ways to get faster - reduce air resistance, or increase the rider's power output. (I guess also getting rid of sources of mechanical friction, but the biggest source of that is tires, and you might be better off staying away from a racing tire until you and your wife are more comfortable riding bikes.) Lowering the handlebars should help with air resistance. Switching to a road bike would too. The only thing that helps with power output is more riding, or doing targeted workouts.

EDIT: Oh yeah. The front tire can withstand a ton of weight. And a longer stem probably won't even move enough forward to merit increasing tire pressure. So don't worry about that. Really, you'd turn the bike into an endo machine long before effecting wear life or durability of the components.


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