The Radavist

For this week’s Readers’ Rides, Yann from Cycles Khelonys sent over a beautiful truss fork touring bike. Let’s check it out!

Kumo Cycles displayed this stunning Combini-Chaser touring bike at the Australian handmade show Spoken last weekend, and this week, we’re featuring it as a Readers’ Rides. Read on for Keith’s words and photos of this neo-classique steel steed!

Kona makes some of our favorite steel production frames, all at more than reasonable pricepoints with build kits that speak to each model’s versatility. For 2025, the brand’s classic models have remained mostly the same with a few minor part spec tweaks but the entire lineup of classic Kona models received new colors. Let’s check them out below!

2025 Kona ESD Complete: Silver

The Radical Slacker – Kona initially built the Honzo ESD as a test case for the long and low geometry the brand was developing for the Process X. Most hardtails tend to be somewhat conservative in their geometry. The Honzo ESD is anything but that. Its cromoly steel frame features a head and seat angle that would be right at home on a modern long travel full suspension bike.

Read our review of the Kona ESD in our archives.

2025 Kona Sutra LTD: Bone

The Sutra LTD is one of those bikes that just changes everything. You thought you were a mountain biker, but you find yourself sneaking off on adventures and enjoying the drop bars on the LTD. You thought you were a roadie but find yourself absolutely destroying singletrack when no one else is looking and suddenly getting rad is all you wanna do! That’s the best part about the Sutra LTD—it broke the mold of what a bike has to be. It’s got bigger tires, burlier construction, and enough mounts to hold a horse. But who needs a horse when this is your horse?

Read our review of the Kona Sutra LTD in our archives.

2025 Kona Sutra: Pistachio

The Sutra is many things. It’s functional. It’s stylish. It’s incredibly versatile, and it comes ready for the long haul on the bike tour of your dreams. Our Kona Cromoly steel frame is outfitted with a Brooks saddle and matching microfiber bar tape, integrated shifter/brake levers, proper fenders, and a real Tubus Tara Big Apple low-rider front rack. It’s a modern take on the classic touring bike. It’s a grocery getter that’s easy on the eyes. It’s the feeling of steel across pavement that reminds you why you love turning the cranks on long rides. Just like its name suggests it’s the perfect guide for your every ride.

2025 Kona Unit X: Copper

The Unit X has become a cult favorite among die-hard Kona fans. Maybe it’s the Cromoly frame. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s a bikepacking monster, or its well-geared 12-speed drivetrain, or modular dropouts which give you the ability to run it as a single speed if that’s your thing. Maybe it’s because the rigid fork makes it that much more of a classic.

2025 Kona Unit: Tan

If the Unit were to put out a wanted ad for its ideal rider it might look something like this: Cromoly, single-speed badass ISO someone to adventure with. It can be converted to a 12-speed if that’s your thing.

2025 Kona Rove DL: Tan

You’re looking for a smooth ride across mixed terrain. Fun is the main goal. You’re a fan of steel. You have discerning taste but aren’t caught up in trends. You want a bike that looks good, rides great, and will last you a lifetime. You’re the person that buys a great product at a great price. Look no further than the Rove DL. It’s been a workhorse for years. It delivers every ounce of performance without overpaying for it while checking all the boxes for functionality, comfort, and style.

2025 Kona Rove LTD: Navy

Picture sunny gravel roads lined with fields, pastures, fences, and views for days. That’s where this bike is home. The Rove LTD is everything you’d expect from a bike made for going the distance across mixed surfaces. This gorgeous Butted Cromoly frame features a tapered headtube and our Libre Full Carbon flat mount disc fork. You can’t find a bike this pretty with spec this nice at this price. It’s a bike afficionado’s value bike. The Rove LTD is the perfect blend of function and aesthetics and is ready for your next adventure…

If you’d like to check one out in person, please head to your local Kona dealer. We need to support our local bike shops!

If we’re lucky enough, we might have a love affair like Riley has had with a bicycle. Read on for a special Readers’ Rides featuring Riley’s words on his long-term “bad romance” with his Crust Bikes Romanceur…

The Fairlight Cycles Faran is a crowd favorite with its cargo capacity and all-steel chassis. The UK brand just announced the latest version, 3.0 with a few updates. Let’s check it out…

Wilde Bicycle Co‘s Supertramp is its all-rounder, do-everything rigid mountain bike. With a steel fork, boost-spaced chassis, and large front triangle for optimized frame bag space, it’s as capable as a bicycle camping sled as it is a singletrack jibber and everything in-between. The Minneapolis-based brand just announced a few key updates for the new 2025 batch…

After running bar “inners” on his trail bike and hardtail all last summer, John was stoked to hear of Rogue Panda‘s newest component offering, Bamboo Shoots. Much like Rogue Panda’s recent releases, these made-in-Arizona aluminum bar “inners” have some clever detailing so let’s check them out…

Scolarian is a small-scale production bicycle company based in India. It specializes in making fixed, gravel, and touring bikes using chromoly steel. The brand just announced its all-new, no-nonsense touring bike, the Kettlexpress. Let’s check it out…

Esker Cycles has refreshed most of their hardtail lineup for 2025. Let’s check the models and their updates out below…

UK folding bike company Brompton launched its first-ever 20″ wheel chassis last year dubbed the “G Line.” Our First Ride Review ranked as our number one bike review in 2024 and with good reason. These gravel focused bikes come equipped with a rear “roller rack,” off-road handlebars, disc brakes, and can be outfitted with your favorite touring or bikepacking bags. It took some time but the G Line is finally arriving in the USA ($3,300) on March 6th. These 20″ wheeled folders come in three sizes and in three colors, shown above.

See the full specs and more at Brompton.

Many people’s introduction to bicycle touring was via the Surly Long Haul Trucker, or LHT for short. Anne has quite the story of her attachment to it for this week’s Readers’ Rides!