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Kona bites into CX racing with all new Jake the Snake, Major Jake, and Super Jake

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Kona bites into CX racing with all new Jake the Snake, Major Jake, and Super Jake

Cyclocross season is just around the corner, so it’s not a big surprise that the first bikes to drop from Kona’s 2018 range are the new Jakes. Gravel bikes like the new Rove that we saw at Sea Otter mean that brands like Kona are no longer trying to make their CX bikes a ‘Jake’ of all trades. That has freed up their designers to refocus on cyclocross racing first and foremost with a ground up overhaul of the complete line up. Given that the #cxiscoming hashtags are already taking over social media, it seems like the new Jakes will land just in time…

Kona bites into CX racing with all new Jake the Snake, Major Jake, and Super Jake

Kona bites into CX racing with all new Jake the Snake, Major Jake, and Super Jake Kona bites into CX racing with all new Jake the Snake, Major Jake, and Super Jake

Kona bites into CX racing with all new Jake the Snake, Major Jake, and Super Jake

Broken down into three models, the top two Jakes will receive a redesigned carbon frame. Along with refined geometry, Kona’s engineers envisioned a lighter, stiffer, and better handling frame in either frame material. The carbon frame then delivers with a stiffer head tube/down tube junction and a 10% stiffer frame overall. In spite of the increased stiffness, the frame is also 10% more compliant and 10% lighter with a 56cm frame claiming a weight of 1050g with paint and hardware. Add to that a 450g full carbon fork for all of the models and you have a respectably light frameset.

But in a typically Kona way, the frame has some hidden secrets. All cable routing is internal with three entry points on the head tube, with each cap putting a bit of pressure on the housing to keep things from rattling. The lower door on the PF86 bottom bracket shell opens to reveal 4 grooves for a bike that will typically only have two or three cables. Why?  If dropper posts for CX catch on, and if you’re running 1x, you can route the dropper hose in the 4th groove for stealth routing. The dropper compatibility only works with 1x since there are only three openings at the front of the frame, but you could probably figure out both if you really wanted to.

Flat mount brakes don’t seem to be going anywhere, and we’re seeing them pop up on almost every new high end road, CX, or gravel bike. Naturally, the Jakes including the Super Jake shown above run the new standard with 160mm rotors front and rear (though it can run 140mm). You’ll also notice the Jakes include mounts for fenders and two bottle cages inside the front triangle to make those hard training days a little more bearable. The bikes also all move to thru axles front and rear with 100 x 12mm up front and 142 x 12mm out back. In this case, Kona employs their own ratcheting thru axles that function similar to DT Swiss RWS axles. The dropouts also include a new derailleur hanger design which is now the same for every thru axle drop bar bike.

Kona bites into CX racing with all new Jake the Snake, Major Jake, and Super Jake geometry

As mentioned, the carbon frame runs a PF86 bottom bracket with a removable front derailleur braze on mount which makes an appearance for the stock Major Jake. Tire clearance is said to be 700c x 40mm, or 700c x 35mm with fenders.

Ready to race right out of the box, the Super Jake will sell for $3,999 with a SRAM Force 1x drivetrain featuring a 40t chainring and 11-32 cassette. The Clement Ushuaia wheels are tubeless ready and will set up with the addition of sealant. A frameset is also available with the Kona Carbon CX fork and axles for $1,899.

Kona bites into CX racing with all new Jake the Snake, Major Jake, and Super Jake

Getting the same frame but a very different build, the Major Jake will sell for $2,999. The 2×11 drivetrain features Shimano 105 components with hydraulic RT64 brakes, and WTB i19 Asym rims that are ready to go tubeless right out of the box along with the tubeless ready Clement MXP tires.

Kona bites into CX racing with all new Jake the Snake, Major Jake, and Super Jake actual weight

The only bike available for weigh in at the demo, this 50cm Major Jake came in at 19.97lbs with a bottle cage, tubes, and no pedals.

Kona bites into CX racing with all new Jake the Snake, Major Jake, and Super Jake

Finally, the only aluminum bike in the Jake line up is now the Jake the Snake. Also featuring a new frame, Jake the Snake adds a lot of little refinements that you’ll see across the Kona drop bar range for 2018 like the internal cable routing (external brake)…

Kona bites into CX racing with all new Jake the Snake, Major Jake, and Super Jake

…and new thru axle dropouts. Part of the redesign was to allow the use of both rear racks and fenders at the same time without interference between the struts. To do so, the mounts are offset and are built into the casting that includes the new derailleur hanger and the flat mount disc brake perch. Also running a front derailleur, the round seat tube allows for a clamp on front derailleur with the cable popping out of a tunnel from the DT/BB junction to meet the derailleur. Like the carbon bikes, the aluminum Jake runs 100 x 12mm/142 x 12mm thru axles. Unlike the carbon bikes, the aluminum frame sticks with a threaded bottom bracket shell.

Kona bites into CX racing with all new Jake the Snake, Major Jake, and Super Jake

The Kona Road (Road Light for carbon bikes) drop bars have a noticeable flare to the drops which should be welcome on more technical courses.

Fitted with a Shimano Tiagra 2×10 drivetrain with hydraulic brakes, even Jake the Snake features WTB STP i19 rims that can be set up tubeless, though the tires included in the stock build are not listed as tubeless compatible. Retail price for Jake the Snake is set at $1,799.

konaworld.com

 

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21 Comments
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Tomi
Tomi
6 years ago

“The Kona Road […] drop bars have a noticeable flare to the drops which should be welcome on more technical courses.”

Why? Serious question. I have used unflared drop bars for decades, what does flare provide in term of handling?

Jukka
Jukka
6 years ago
Reply to  Tomi

I quess flared out bars provide more stability, and in some use cases its beneficial to have a wider, more stable handling position in the drops and a more traditional position at the hoods. But its a personal thing – I like just a touch of flare on my bars, having none at all feels weird for me. But these “gravel bars” are definetly over the top for me.

Sean
Sean
6 years ago
Reply to  Tomi

A flared bar gives you a grip location that is a few cms wider when you’re in the drops. If the bars are “44s,” they will measure close to 44cm center to center at the hoods, but probably closer to 45 or 46cm at the end of the drops. And wider bars = more control, at least in my experience. That being said, I am in no way defending the use of flared drop bars. I think they are kind of silly, personally.

Tomi
Tomi
6 years ago
Reply to  Sean

Well if you want control I don’t see you can simply size up. Why you would want it only at the drop. It’s not like there would be any advantage at having a narrower top of the handlebar.

dontcoast
dontcoast
6 years ago
Reply to  Tomi

More aero, better shoulder fit on the tops; descending in the wider drops on the loosy/steep stuff..

Tomi
Tomi
6 years ago
Reply to  dontcoast

More aero ?

Better shoulder fit on the tops ? What about shoulder fit on the drops ?

It doesn’t make any sense.

gnardahl
gnardahl
6 years ago
Reply to  Tomi

my bikes blue and has cx bars on the top and is aero on the bottom tom

Jake
6 years ago
Reply to  Tomi

Most people run drop bars that are too wide, so it allows you to get the hoods narrow enough to not stress your shoulders/arms while still giving you control while in the drops.

JBikes
JBikes
6 years ago
Reply to  Tomi

My wild guess after tooling around on my wife’s bike…flared drops allow more room to move your bike around while standing in technical terrain without contacting the hood area of the bar with your forearms.

That is literally the only benefit I could see, and in technical terrain, I do think it is a benefit (just not a make or break)
Roadies stand and sprint, but the positioning is different

Tomi
Tomi
6 years ago
Reply to  JBikes

If your forearms are contacting the bar area in the drop my reasonning is your handlebar is simply too low and/or your arms are too straight. A proper fit should make sure it doesn’t happen.

JBikes
JBikes
6 years ago
Reply to  Tomi

Its when your standing on a steep climb trying to get our weight up on your front wheel while also tipping the bike over to the side.
Rare, yes. And literally the only advantage I see unless one just likes the flare.

JBikes
JBikes
6 years ago
Reply to  JBikes

But maybe you are right as I was on my wife’s bike which is about 4 sizes too small.

Trite Mediocrity
Trite Mediocrity
6 years ago

#ridingcirclesinaparkrunningthroughvolleyballcourtsandcarryingyourbikeover2x4siscoming

Mike
Mike
6 years ago

#hastagsthatPOP

Tom in MN
Tom in MN
6 years ago

Looks to me like the internal cable routing entry points are in the down tube. I hope there is lots of internal strengthening there with so many holes in one location on the down tube.

The internal routing will make keeping the bike clean much easier and just looks neat.

Homme
Homme
6 years ago

When can we expect a post on the new Kona Rove LTD?

mudrock
mudrock
6 years ago

20 pounds is heavy for that Major Jake

Ronnie rippd
Ronnie rippd
6 years ago
Reply to  mudrock

Especially on a 50cm bike

silverlining
silverlining
6 years ago

I dig the dropper option. An issue for shorter folks though, is that the seat tube length can make it harder to fit one.

martin
martin
5 years ago

no 63 cm anymore , not a good new for near meter inseam like me

AJ
AJ
5 years ago

Very attractive front end geometry.
I wisn they offer JTS frame only option…

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