[newbiker88]

I have been looking for an entry level bike for some time and found 2 Kona bikes in my price range. I am not sure how to decide which bike would be more worth my money and give me a better ride. The first bike is the Kona-Honky Tonk (KONA 2009 - Honky Tonk), and the second one is the Kona-Jake (KONA 2009 - Jake).
Also, if anyone knows a good entry level bike around the same price which would be better than either of these, please advise.

Thanks.

 

[hophead]

What type of riding do you intend to use this bike for?

 

[newbiker88]

Commuting (5-10km), sprint and olympic triathlons, and some road trips (350-500km) to start. The most important are the triathlons for me.

 

[hophead]

If you're going to use it mostly for tri's, you probably don't want either of the two that you mentioned. The Honky Tonk is kind of a retro road bike with shift levers on the down tube and the Jake is a cyclocross bike which would be a good choice for commuting, but maybe not for tri's.

I don't know much about tri bikes, so hopefully someone else here will be able to point you in the right direction.

 

[bantam700]

Yeah cross bikes are pretty lousy for tri's, they are too bulky and not geared high enough.
Unless you're willing to buy a used bike I don't you'll find a tri bike in your price range. Your best bet would be to get an entry level road bike and add some clip on aerobars.

For a bike in that price range I'd look into this one: Specialized Bicycle Components : Allez Double but if you're going to be riding it competitively I'd suggest saving up a bit more and finding a bike with a better set of shifters and derailleurs.

 

[newbiker88]

Ok thanks for all the help.