The Kona Sutra is unashamedly a touring bike. It’s heavy, it feels more like a mountain bike than a road bike when you’re on it and it’s got enough carrying capacity to take the kitchen sink. If you’re going for a quick ride with your mates on their carbon bling, the Kona is going to disappoint you. If you’re planning to cruise into the sunset, it’ll put a smile on your face.

That’s just what I did when I got my hands on it. I took a Friday off work, rode it in the Thursday before with everything on it and just set off after work for a three and a half day jolly. I deliberately loaded it up with more than I would normally take for such a short tour to give it (and myself) a good workout. I work in Bristol and set off towards Gloucester, crossed the Severn and on to Abergavenny through Monmouth. Then up to Rhayader, across the Elan valley to Tregaron, back across the mountains to Builth Wells and the train home to Bath from Abergavenny. The bike passed with flying colours. I was impressed with the comfort of the saddle and the bars and the stability of the bike under load (especially crawling up devil’s staircase – the sign says 25% if you’re not familiar with it).

Read the rest of the review at Road.cc