Kona Sutra LTD Long-Term Review After 5 Years

Update: 20th July 2025

Dreams really do come true! I’m now the official owner of a Kona Sutra LTD 2020, and after years of adventures together, I can confidently say this is one rad bike that rides like a dream! A massive thanks to the team at Commuter Cycles in Brunswick (re-branded to Off Course Bike Shop Australia) ~ It’s so good that I had to buy it! If you’re in the Melbourne area hunting for the perfect adventure bike, these guys have some seriously sick rides!

Looking for a drop bar bike that Kona categorizes as “a drop bar bike that feels like a mountain bike, rides like a mountain bike but also has the speed of a road bike”? It’s essentially a mountain biker’s road bike – but after owning and riding this bike for 5 years since early 2020, with countless adventures and thousands of kilometers under my belt, I can tell you the reality is more nuanced than Kona’s marketing suggests. This is fundamentally a touring bike with adventure aspirations, and that’s exactly what makes it special.

A Journey with the Sutra LTD

Here’s something I need to be completely honest about – my work here with Cycle Travel Overload has allowed me to fulfill my childhood dreams of getting to ride and review bikes for a living. Across the spectrum from fast carbon fiber race-oriented gravel bikes like the Polygon Tambora G8X to solid steel stable touring machines (like the Surly Long Haul Trucker). Through all these test rides and reviews, there’s one machine that I consistently return to: my trusty Kona Sutra LTD.

I’ve personally owned and ridden this bike for several years now, and it has been my faithful companion through countless adventures across Australia and New Zealand. Ever since I decided to explore the roads less roamed, this bike has been my go-to choice. There’s something about its reliability, sturdiness, and unwavering consistency that keeps drawing me back, ride after ride, adventure after adventure.

This bike is so versatile that it has become my ultimate do-it-all machine. From ripping mountain bike trails and singletrack in the Blue Mountains to cruising around Melbourne’s laneways for coffee runs, from overnight bikepacking getaways in Tasmania’s wilderness to expeditions across New Zealand’s South Island – this bike has done it all with me. And through every kilometer, every climb, every descent, it just keeps delivering.

The 2025 model remains largely unchanged from previous years, except for new paint colors and slight changes in geometry with some extra mountain bike accessories like dropper posts compared to the earlier models, with Kona maintaining the proven formula that has made this bike a favourite among adventure cyclists. The complete 2025 Kona Sutra LTD retails for $2,199 USD or $599 USD as a frameset only. With the standard touring model priced at $2,500 AUD and the LTD model priced at $3,300 AUD

What Makes the 2025 Sutra LTD Special?

The Sutra LTD sits in a unique category – it’s technically a touring bike due to its geometry, featuring a long wheelbase and decent-sized chainstay that accommodates panniers. The front center is quite extended, meaning your toe won’t hit the front wheel with front panniers attached. It’s also more upright, making it genuinely suited for touring, but with a dash of off-road adventure capability that makes it an excellent bikepacking bike as well.

The bike has really good tire clearance – I’ve been able to fit maximum 29er 2.3 inch tires, which are proper mountain bike tires. That’s as wide as I’d go on this frame; when riding in mud, it gets pretty close to the limit.

Frame and Construction

The heart of the Sutra LTD is its robust Kona Cromoly Butted steel frame paired with a Kona Project Two Cromoly steel disc touring fork. This all-steel construction provides exceptional bump absorption and ride quality that you simply can’t get from other materials. Coming from experience with Surly bikes, I can tell you that Kona’s steel feels more modern and lightweight compared to traditional touring steel, though it maintains that bombproof durability that steel is known for.

At around 13 kilograms (28.7 pounds), yes, it’s a little heavy compared to carbon bikes in the 8-10 kilogram range, but remember – this is a touring bike, and touring bikes are inherently heavier. The weight doesn’t matter as much when you’re designed to carry full panniers anyway, though this particular bike isn’t suited for full front and rear pannier setups like Kona’s more traditional dedicated touring bikes with racks.

Updated 2025 Specifications

Frame & Fork:

• Kona Cromoly Butted steel frame
• Kona Project Two Cromoly steel disc touring fork
• Multiple mounting points for racks, bottles, and accessories
• Built for extreme versatility and the ability to carry everything you need

Drivetrain & Components:

• SRAM Rival 1 components with hydraulic disc brakes
• 1×11 speed drivetrain for simplicity and reliability
• TranzX dropper seatpost (a game-changer for technical terrain)
• Wide flared drop bars with 16-degree flare for aggressive descending

Wheels & Tires:

• Big 29×2.25″ Maxxis tyres for maximum traction and comfort
• WTB wheelset designed for adventure riding
• Generous tire clearance allowing for various tire options

Geometry & Sizing:

• Available in 6 sizes (48cm-58cm) to fit a wide range of riders
• Modern adventure geometry with 69.5° head tube angle for stable handling
• Modern trail bike-inspired geometry with shorter stem and longer top tube

Kona Sutra Sizing

Choosing the right bike size is essential for comfort, performance, and the best riding experience. The Sutra LTD’s geometry is designed to provide that comfortable, upright touring position we talked about, but getting the right size is crucial to maximizing this benefit.

To help you select the correct size:

• Check the sizing chart below to determine the size range that works best for your height and riding style
• Get personalized recommendations: Not sure which size to choose? Fill out Kona’s sizing form, and their staff will provide suggestions to help you find the perfect fit

For reference, I ride the 56cm frame at around 182cm height, which puts me right in the sweet spot for that size. The fit feels spot-on for the long-distance comfort this bike is designed for and really fits like a glove!

Kona Gravel / Drop Bar Sizing Chart

Height (Imperial)	Height (Metric)	Inseam (Imperial)	Inseam (Metric)	Frame Size
4’10” – 5’1″	147 – 155 cm	24″ – 27″	61 – 69 cm	48 cm
5’0″ – 5’3″	152 – 160 cm	26″ – 29″	66 – 74 cm	48 – 50 cm
5’2″ – 5’7″	157 – 170 cm	27″ – 30″	69 – 76 cm	48 – 52 cm
5’6″ – 5’10”	168 – 178 cm	29″ – 31″	74 – 79 cm	52 – 54 cm
5’9″ – 6’0″	175 – 183 cm	30″ – 33″	76 – 84 cm	54 – 56 cm
5’11” – 6’2″	180 – 188 cm	32″ – 35″	81 – 89 cm	54 – 58 cm
6’1″ – 6’5″	185 – 196 cm	33″ – 36″	84 – 91 cm	56 – 58 cm

Remember, the higher standover height we discussed earlier (840mm on the 56cm) might be a consideration if you’re between sizes. But this was for the 2020 model which has a more horizontal top tube compared to the mountain bike oriented upright slanting top tube on the newer models.

If you’re on the border between two sizes, the Kona sizing form can help you make the best decision based on your specific measurements and riding preferences.

The Real-World Experience: Components That Matter

SRAM Rival 1 Drivetrain: Upper-Mid Range Excellence

The bike comes with a 1×11 SRAM Rival 1 drivetrain, which sits in that upper-to-mid range component level. Coming from Deore and changing to Rival like this – oh, it’s so clean! You probably don’t need to go any higher than that unless you want to race and need ultra high-grade components. I wouldn’t recommend going for a bike with better components unless you want something like a belt drive chain.

The only real issue I had with these components was the Rival brakes wearing down after about a thousand kilometers of riding, but that was because I was riding pretty hardcore. I took this thing on the Vic Divide – a 550-kilometer ride up steep hills to Mount Buller and back down with a loaded bike. I was hard on the brakes for a whole day, just grinding them down, so it’s pretty expected to have those brake pads worn down. Once I changed the pads, away we go again.

SRAM Rival Hydraulic Disc Brakes: Power When You Need It

The SRAM Rival HRD flat mount hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm SRAM Centerline rotors are really good brakes – powerful brakes. They do get pretty hot as expected with disc brakes when you’re sending it down really steep hill sections and holding on for dear life. Coming from just disc brakes on my Surly, these hydraulic brakes were my first real experience with hydraulic systems. They get so hot you can smell the burning, but they perform extremely well.

Gearing: The Reality Check

Here’s where we need to talk honestly about this bike’s limitations. The groupset features a 36-tooth Race Face Effect narrow wide crank with a SRAM XG1150 cassette (10-42 tooth). When you break down the numbers, this bike has a gear ratio of 0.8 to 3.6, with a granny gear of 24.45 inches for climbing.

This bike is pretty limited with its current 36-tooth front setup when it comes to climbing, especially really steep single tracks. It struggled, particularly with a bikepacking setup – I had to get off and push it up some steep hills. While other riders on the Vic Divide had proper mountain bike gearing, this setup just isn’t optimized for serious off-road climbing.

For the bike’s current setup, it has decent range for touring if you’re planning to ride with around 10 kilograms of gear. If you want to do anything over that, you probably want to opt for a dedicated touring bike with racks and a 3x drivetrain that’ll give you huge range (18-110 inches). This bike sits at 24.5 inches to 110 inches, which is pretty good if you’re wanting to ride fairly lightly.

But here’s the thing – if you want to do serious off-road touring, it’s limited. You want to try and get down to 18 gear inches, and this bike just isn’t capable of that, even if you change your gears. However, if you plan to ride gravel and some tarmac with a little bit of single track and trails here and there, this bike is completely capable.

Stock Tires: WTB Venture 700c x 50mm

The bike comes stock with WTB Venture 700c 50mm tires. They’re pretty beefy and fast – they’re a low profile tire with a little bit of wall on the side that has chunkiness, so when you’re cornering it grabs into the terrain. I found them really fast and speedy on gravel.

I did have some issues with those tires, which is why I ended up changing them. They spun out when I was riding really steep, loose gravel terrain – they couldn’t grip as well. Since I wanted to ride this bike a lot more on single tracks and mountain bike trails in the national parks, I opted for those 29×2.3 mountain bike tires, which made a world of difference.

The Things I Absolutely Love About the Sutra LTD

Kona Road Bars: Perfect Flare

One great thing about the bike is the Kona road bars. They come with a 16-degree flare, which is pretty nice without being over the top – just a slight little flare that adds a bit of aggression for those downhill sections when you ride in the drop bars. I found riding in those drop bars really comfortable; you’re in an upright position thanks to that stack-to-reach ratio, but you’re in the drop bars and it feels nice, cruisy, and comfortable.

Geometry That Works: Stack, Reach, and Real-World Feel

I have the 56-centimeter frame, and the geometry really shines through in real-world use. With a 1.58 stack-to-reach ratio (anything over 1.5 is considered upright), this bike is super comfortable – you’re not hunched over and don’t get a sore back.

The chainstay length at 445 millimeters makes it feel rather chill in the rear – not quick, but also not overly stable. It’s somewhere in the middle where it’s not sluggish in the back when climbing hills, pretty relaxed and chill. The trail at 63 millimeters makes it feel rather predictable in the front when cornering. It’s not sluggish, so there’s no delayed response when cornering around obstacles on trails.

Mount Points Galore

This bike is a pack mule’s dream! Those mounting eyelets I mentioned – four on either side of the fork – are fantastic for bikepacking, adding cargo cages, and whatever else you need. It’s always great to get a bike that has so much mounting capability for adventure cycling.

Areas for Consideration

Standover Height: The One Geometry Complaint

One thing I don’t like about the geometry is the standover height – it’s rather high. With the 56-centimeter at 840 millimeters, it makes getting your foot over the bike or your legs over the bike a bit harder. It’s a bit high compared to other bikes, though the 54-centimeter is lower at around 820mm.

Paint Durability: A Real-World Issue and DIY Solution

The paint durability issue became apparent pretty quickly with my bikepacking setup. When I got my bike brand-new, I learned the hard way about frame protection. After setting up my frame bag and doing some really rough riding, I started noticing the paint scratching – it was pretty faint at first, but I caught it just before it got really bad. The corner of the bag had been rubbing and actually pulled off paint right by the Sutra logo.

On closer inspection after stripping all the bags off, the frame was pretty beat up, which was disappointing. The damage was most significant where the frame bag contacted the top tube, with additional rubbing around the front area where the handlebar bag rubbed against cables, and along the back where the seat bag had been sitting.

Compared to Surly bikes I’ve owned, which seem to have really good paint quality that holds up well to bag contact, the Kona’s finish just doesn’t seem as durable. However, I found an effective DIY solution using 3M helicopter tape – the same type that Kona actually uses from the factory around the chainstay area.

Weight Considerations

At 32 pounds (around 14.5 kg) in size 58cm with a stock build and front rack, it’s undeniably heavy. When I weighed my bike, it came in at around 13 kg for the stock build. If you’re searching for a drop-bar bike to race one weekend and rip along rocky trails the next, you’ll almost certainly be disappointed by the Sutra. But remember – this isn’t a weight-weenie bike; it’s built for reliability and versatility.

How This Bike Really Performs

Mountain Biking: More Capable Than Expected

Don’t let the drop bars fool you – this bike absolutely rips on singletrack! The wide, flared handlebars provide excellent control on technical descents, while the dropper post lets you get your weight back for steep sections. Those 2.25″ tires (or the 2.3″ upgrades I run) provide incredible traction on everything from loose dirt to rocky technical sections.

Bikepacking Adventures: Where This Bike Truly Belongs

This is where the Sutra LTD really shines. I’ve loaded this bike down with everything from ultralight bikepacking setups to expedition gear, and its character barely changes. The stable geometry keeps the bike composed whether you’re carrying 15 kilograms of gear or more for extended expeditions.

However, this isn’t the kind of bike you want to be riding with full panniers in the front and full panniers at the back – it’s not suited for that. Kona has their more traditional dedicated Sutra touring bike for that kind of setup. This bike is ideal if you want to run smaller micro panniers or bikepacking bags, which is what I recommend.

The Touring Reality Check

For the bike’s range with the current setup, it’s decent for touring if you’re planning around 10 kilograms of gear. If you’re going to do anything over that – say 25 kilograms of stuff – that’s traditional touring bike territory, so go for a dedicated touring bike with racks and a 3x groupset that’ll give you huge range like 18-110 inches.

What is the difference between Kona Sutra and Kona Sutra LTD?

While both bikes carry the Sutra name, they serve different purposes:

The Classic Sutra is built for traditional long-haul bicycle touring with:

• 3×10 Shimano Deore drivetrain for wider gear range
• Rear rack and fenders included
• Brooks B17 leather saddle
• Schwalbe Marathon Mondial 700x40c tires
• Mechanical disc brakes
• More traditional touring geometry
• Price point around $1,499 USD

The Sutra LTD targets adventure and bikepacking with:

• 1×11 SRAM Rival drivetrain
• Dropper seatpost
• Larger volume tires (29×2.25″)
• Hydraulic disc brakes
• Mountain bike-inspired geometry
• Price point at $2,199 USD complete

The LTD sacrifices some pure touring optimization for increased off-road capability and modern mountain bike features.

Upgrade Recommendations

Based on years of real-world use, here are my top upgrade suggestions:

1. Smaller chainring for better loaded climbing (essential for touring) – maybe a 34 or 32 tooth
2. 2.3″ mountain bike tires to maximize the bike’s off-road capability
3. Frame protection (3mm helicopter tape) to preserve the paint finish
4. Ergonomic grips or bar tape for enhanced comfort on long rides
5. Quality bikepacking bags to take advantage of the excellent mounting options

Alternative Kona Options

If the Sutra LTD doesn’t quite fit your needs, Kona offers several related models:

Kona Rove ST: A more budget-friendly adventure bike that still delivers excellent performance for those wanting to spend less.

Kona Libre/Libre DL: The ultimate adventure bikes from Kona with premium specifications, though they command a significantly higher price point.

Final Thoughts: The Bike That Defines Real Adventure

After years of adventures together, the Kona Sutra LTD continues to be my go-to choice – and that says everything you need to know about its character. This bike has been bloody amazing, and I’ve been really, really happy with how it’s performed, maybe with just those few small issues I mentioned.

If you’re looking for a bike that has the feel of a touring bike – that super comfortable riding feel for month-long, multiple-month-long touring adventures – but you also plan to ride off-road and get off the tarmac, this is your bike. In my journey riding from Melbourne to Cairns, all on the road pretty much with some trails here and there, I found I just wanted a bike that was capable of tackling gravel and some light off-road stuff so I could get off the road and away from cars rushing by me all the time.

That’s exactly why I chose the Sutra – it had that ability to go off-road as well and maybe even push it a little bit further on some single track trails. It holds up pretty well on that kind of terrain too.

Whether you’re planning your first bikepacking trip across Victoria’s rail trails, dreaming of tackling technical mountain bike trails, or plotting something truly epic across Australia’s remote gravel roads, the Kona Sutra LTD 2025 deserves serious consideration. It’s not just a bike – it’s a reliable partner that will expand your definition of what’s possible on two wheels, as long as you understand its touring DNA and plan accordingly.

The 2025 model maintains everything that made me fall in love with this bike while continuing Kona’s tradition of building honest, capable machines for real-world adventures. If that’s kind of the riding you have planned, I definitely recommend this bike for you.

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