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Kona Cindercone or Raleigh Talus?

800 views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  jacksonpt 
#1 ·
For the past couple of years I've been a distance runner, but this year I'm looking to get back in to XC. I'm a pretty big guy (6'1, 190ish pounds). My current bike needs some work to get back into good shape, so instead of spending a couple hundred on a 10 year old bike, I'm thinking of buying a newer one and putting slicks on the '94. I'm looking for a hardtail in the LX component range, with disc brakes. If I buy now, I can spend about $700ish. Here are the bikes I'm looking at now:

'04 Kona Cindercone for $775 from Midwest Cyclery (5 miles from my house)
'04 Raleigh Talus for $750 from Waldo Bikes (4 blocks from my house)

These bikes seem pretty similar to each other. They both have XT rear derailleurs, the Raleigh has an LX front and slightly better fork, the Kona is Deore. They both have Shimano LX disc brakes (not the best, from what I hear, but I might be able to afford new brakes this summer). They're both about $100 off what they normally go for at these shops. The Raleigh doesn't have many reviews, the cindercone reviews hint that the '05 should be a step down from the '04 which would be reason to snap up the '04.
 
#2 ·
I'd go with the Kona. For all practical purposes, the parts specs are the same. If you've been out of riding for 10 years, you probably won't notice a difference once you're riding. IMO, Kona builds better frames, and that's the difference maker for me.

Have you thought about steel? I've been looking for a bike similar to your needs as well, and the Jamis Exile looks like a pretty nice deal.
 
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