Kona Rove Vs Sutra Vs Libre – 2022 Models Compared

Kona’s gravel bike lineup offers the perfect bike for everyone. Which bike is best? We are going to compare these rather popular gravel/touring/adventure bikes side by side and see what the difference is between each. In this article we are going to compare a total of 12 different bikes together.

The new 2022 models have some options and we will touch on which is best for the different types of intended uses. When it comes to price they range from $1,232 to $6,492 But what really is the difference and which one is best for you and your riding goals?

Below you can find a detailed table which closely compares all the different bikes together. Organised in model groups and each Rove, Sutra and Libre is organised from cheapest model to most expensive. I have included details like climbing gear inches so you can see which bike would be best if you want a bike that is best at climbing steel hills. Stack / reach ratio which shows which bike has the most comfortable upright riding position. Also a breakdown of all parts and other specs. So check out the table below.

A quick introduction to the line up!

Let’s take a quick look at each model and see what the intended purpose for each bike was from Kona.

The 2021 Kona Rove LTD is Kona’s new and improved Rove, back better than ever. A steel frame gravel bike that includes the highest end components in this comparison with a versatile 2 x 11 gravel groupset and the Rove Verso Full Carbon flat mount disc fork, with hydraulic disc brakes.

The other Rove we are going to look at is the 2021 Kona Rove DL. This is Kona’s other gravel bike. Which features a full steel build, upper mid-range components and mechanical dis brakes.

For the Sutra’s we have the 2021 Kona Sutra ULTD these are Kona’s newest touring bike options. Full steel build that features upper mid-range 1 x 11 NX, Rival 1 groupset. Hydraulic disc brakes and dropper post.

Lastly is the 2021 Kona Sutra LTD which is not much different from the 2020 model, only a gold paint job! A touring bike that still has upper mid-range 1 x 11 Rival groupset with hydraulic disc brakes.

2021 Kona Rove LTD

I am personally a big fan of the 2020 Sutra LTD. But since Kona has dropped these 2021 Rove and Sutra models. I am starting to have a love affair with this Rove LTD. All thanks to that Carbon fork! Riding the 2020 Sutra which is a steel frame and fork build it feels rather supple. But I could just imagine how much more suppleness you could get from the Kona Rove Verso Full Carbon fork. There is something about a steel frame and carbon fork that I believe is the best combination. For bikepacking and adventure cycling that is!

But let’s take a deeper look and see what other specs this new Rove LTD has going for it. Gearing! It features a 2 x 11 GRX 800, GRX 600 (high-end) groupset with the Shimano GRX 810, 30/46t crank and Shimano 105 11-34t cassette. Rolling on some 650b WTB Venture TCS DUAL 47c tires. Giving the bike a 23.58″ climbing gear and a 111.99″ highest gear. That is a gear ratio of 0.88 to 4.18 and for example you can expect to travel at 30 mph or 48.3 kph at the highest gear with 90 RPM cadence.

There is a few other differences when it comes to parts between all these bikes as you can see below the more descriptive sections of each bike, I have included a table comparing all the differences for a more visual guide. Also we will touch on the differences in geometry later on.

2021 Kona Rove DL

Both the 2021 Rove bikes have the exact same geometry but this Rove has a full steel build with the Kona Project Two Cromoly Disc fork. And is powered by the 1 x 11 Rival 1 upper mid-range groupset. And has mechanical disc brakes instead of hydraulic. Breaking down the groupset, the bike has a SRAM S350, 40t X-Sync crank and SRAM PG1130 11-42t cassette. Still with 650b wheels you do get the same WTB Venture TCS DUAL 650x47c tires and WTB KOM Light Team i23 TCS 2.0 wheels.

You do get a more limited climbing gear at 25.45″ while the highest is 97.52″ giving you a gear ratio of 0.95 to 3.64. Riding at an example 90 RPM on the highest gear this would result in a speed of 26.1 mph or 42 kph.

2021 Kona Sutra ULTD

The brand-new Sutra Unlimited! is it really limitless? This new Sutra ULTD has me excited with some new changes that it includes from other Sutra models and the Roves for that matter. If off-road touring is in your future this might be the better option. As it comes with Maxxis Recon Race EXO TR 29×2.25″ MTB tires that are also claimed to be the World Cup-winning XC tires, meaning that are still fast rolling. It also includes some changes to the frame with more mounting options for gear.

Along with this you get an interesting geometry which will be talked about below, in the geometry section. It is a full steel touring bike still with mid-range components in the form of a 1 x 11 NX, Rival 1 groupset and hydraulic disc brakes. Along with a Trans-X Dropper post and stronger WTB KOM Light Team i27 TCS 2.0 rims.

It features the SRAM NX, 36t X-Sync crank and SRAM PG1130 11-42t cassette. The bike gets a 24.93″ climbing gear and 94.79″ highest gear. Which means a gear ratio of 0.86 to 3.27 and a speed of 25.4 mph or 40.9 kph at 90 RPM.

2021 Kona Sutra LTD

I must admit that new gold is popping! Practically the same as the 2020 model but a different colour and different bar tape. You get a full steel touring bike with mid-range 1×11 Rival 1 groupset and hydraulic disc brakes. Powered by the RaceFace Aeffect, 36t Narrow/Wide crank and SRAM XG1150 10-42t cassette, which has one less tooth on the smallest ring. Resulting in a climbing gear of 24.45″ climbing gear and 102.33″ highest gear. With a gear ratio of 0.86 to 3.60 and a max speed of 27.4 mph or 44.1 kph at 90 RPM. From what I could tell all the other bikes have tapered headtubes while this LTD remains the same with the straight headtube. Meaning if you wanted to get a carbon fork it would be more suited for the bike with tapered headtubes. And it ads a little more road dampening and suppleness.

You can check out my 2020 Kona Sutra below

Okay lets get into the geometry differences and figure out which bike will be best for different riding conditions. Just quick here is a spec comparison table of all 4 bikes.

Geometry – Rove Vs Sutra

Geometry can play a big part in the difference of how I bike rides and feels. It is definitely something to consider when buying a bike. After looking at these bikes side by side I am starting to like the Rove LTD for having the best gear range and lower gear inches for climbing the steep stuff, especially with a loaded bike. But what does it mean when it comes to geometry when the Rove’s chainstay and trail is shorter? Let’s find out! All the measurements below are in mm and are for both 54 cm sized bikes or medium frame size.

Want to learn more about understanding bike geometry? Read this article which goes through all the jargon and what it means for a comfortable ride!

So as you can see from the table above, both the Rove models have the exact same geometry. If we start by comparing the Rove’s with the Sutra LTD. We will see that the Rove has a more aggressive or less relaxed gravel bike geometry. But still on a rather comfortable side compared to more racer geometry gravel bikes out there. This is evident with the 435 mm and 1048 mm wheelbase on the Rove. Compared to the 445 mm and 1059 mm wheelbase (Sutra LTD) or 1094 mm (Sutra ULTD). The shorter chainstay on the Rove makes the rear of the bike feel like an all-rounder with a bit of quickness. Which is perfect for lightweight bikepacking! While the both Sutra’s have a 445 mm chainstay that puts them in the more chill feel and closer to feeling stable than quick. Which is better if you want to carry extra weight for better stability. The difference as noted is the Sutra’s having different wheelbase lengths and both longer than the Rove.

Combined with the larger trails on the Sutra compared to the Rove. The Sutra LTD and Rove feels more predictable in the front as they only have 2mm difference between them. But with the ULTD with a 67mm trail it puts it more into the stable category. Which makes so much more sense. As the ULTD seems to be the bike you choose if you want to explore the roads and trials less travelled. Having more bike length rolling along the ground is best.

Both the Rove and Sutra LTD have similar front centres with 1mm difference. While the ULTD has a larger one by 34mm thanks to a longer wheelbase and trail. Allowing for more room for gear up front without the worry of hitting your toes.

The stack/reach ratio on the Rove is lower then the Sutra’s making it less upright, but it is still above 1.5 which is consider upright enough for long days in the saddle and maintain comfort. But the LTD and ULTD have a 1.55 and 1.54 putting them rather upright. compared to the Rove’s 1.52.

The interesting thing I found was that the ULTD has the lowest standover height at 781 mm compared to the Rove at 794 mm and LTD at 820 mm. That is one of the things I don’t like that much about the LTD is the higher standover height it makes getting on and off the bike a little more difficult then it should be. But it make sense to have a lower height for the ULTD and it should for all these bikes as intended for adventure cycling with a loaded bike. But only the ULTD really has the decent height here.

Overall it depends on what you plan to do with the bike, to decide ultimately which is best. It is such a hard choice as both have great features. The Rove is rather limited with only up to 47 mm tires. At least that is the max Kona recommends. I do like the Sutra ULTD for having those 2.25″ MTB tires. The wider the better. But it is limited when it comes to gearing. Only if Kona made a bike from the frame of the Sutra ULTD with the gearing of the Rove LTD and the carbon fork too would be nice. Then in my opinion it would be a great option. Because you can change cranks and get better climbing gear inches from changing components out and not so much when it comes to tire clearance. My choice would be the Sutra ULTD. Again I all ready mentioned I have the Sutra LTD 2020 and have no need to want to buy another bike soon, as it does the job (I was able to change out the 50mm tires for 29×2.3 MTB tires.

It is difficult to choose, and I feel I am trying to force myself to. If you are more into commuting on gravel and roads or even gravel racing, not on single track and MTB trails. Then the Rove might be best. If you want to explore some rough and more adventures terrain than the Sutra. As it allows for wider tire clearances and more comfortable adventure geometry to get you further!

About The Author

codey

Codey Orgill, a seasoned bicycle adventurer, has been exploring the world on two wheels for over 10 years. Since embarking on his initial cycling journey, Codey Orgill has traversed numerous countries, experiencing a series of epic adventures.

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