Bicycles can be too pretty. The swooping, tapering carbon-fibre and hydroformed aluminium frames of most modern mountain bikes are immensely covetable without doubt, yet with each winters ride, with each stone chip from each poorly executed dismount a once glossy countenance will inexorably fade. There are, of course, the enviable few who manage to shrug off a seasons worth of trailer rash with the observation that “It’s just a utensil bro” or, “It’s remiss to cling to the material world as we are each but transient arrangements of organic matter, destined to return to the dispassion of the void.” However, I imagine for many it’s never an unemotional affair to watch the culmination of countless hours spent poring through forum recommendations, comparing geometry measurements and counting coins slowly sullied.

Enter the Kona Honzo, a striking piece of brutalist bicycle design so emphatically utilitarian and industrial that it’s difficult to lament even the heartiest of dents. There’s nothing delicate about this machine. Straight steel tubes, big gussets and a raw paint finish give the menacing impression of a dreadnought but rest assured, the Honzo doesn’t handle like one.

Still, there are likely to be those who will obstinately decry the performance of big hoops on a trail bike and of course they were once wielded disproportionately by cross-country thoroughbreds and unremarkable price-point mules. However, big wheels have found their way into the dropouts of descent-focused bikes for the past few years now, Kona’s Honzo being one of the first models to capitalise on their positive characteristics and minimise their disadvantages when it was released in 2012.

Having spent a fair amount of time on the Honzo’s little brother, the 27.5” Explosif, for 2016 I was eager to see what difference wheel size would make to a similarly intentioned hardtail; the effect is pronounced. Usually a hardtail will ask you to ride with more weight over the front of the bike, allowing the rear to skip over rough trail surface. Conversely the most noteworthy quality of the Honzo is that its big wheels and low, roomy chassis enable a much more centred riding position, that which those accustomed to a full-squish steed will feel familiar with.

High speed, chattery portions of trail can be set upon with confidence aboard the Honzo, a situation where hardtails are typically at a disadvantage. There are times when, having set out with the intention of a gentle and undemanding ride, I’ll find myself BB deep in a rooty chute with no hope of slowing down before the next corner. Hands numb, hoping I won’t regret the tubes in my tyres or skipping that toilet stop. So emboldening is the Honzo that it’s possible to forget you’re piloting a hardtail, right up until a cruelly positioned rock or root puts you in your place.

It’s hard to overstate how integral the 29” wheel is to the performance of this bike. Just as the Honzo’s big wheels enable greater control through straight rough sections, they also allow stability with a steeper head angle and comfort and traction with a shorter travel fork. The Fit4 damped, 120mm Fox 34 prevents any drastic changes in wheelbase under hard braking or through corners while having just enough travel to soak up decent sized impacts.

The Honzo’s 68° head angle never leaves the front end feeling dull or indistinct when climbing and is sharp and responsive when a tight line needs to be drawn. However it’s the rear triangle of the Honzo, rather than the front, that is the most distinctive. 415mm chainstay length makes manualing a breeze and quick direction changes not to mention rad skids. The adjustable, modular dropouts should help taller riders who might otherwise have too much weight over the rear wheel when climbing and will appeal to any masochistic single speeders rushing to haul the Honzo’s 14kg+ heft against gravity.

It does take marginally more work to pop the Honzo off the lips of jumps in comparison to a hardtail sporting 26 or 27.5” wheels but, once in the air, the Honzo is exceptionally stable and balanced, more so than any hardtail I’ve thrown a leg over. Small, sharp transitions can upset the big wheels with more attention required to prevent the rear wheel from getting too exuberant in contrast to the front.

The fit of the Honzo should suit any rider accustomed to modern trail bike geometry. The front is long, the rear is short, the bottom bracket’s low as is the standover height. Other than swapping the stock 60mm stem with a 50mm replacement and nudging the saddle forward for a steeper effective seat-tube angle everything felt very familiar.

Perhaps because the Honzo’s frame is so excellent and it’s geometry traits so appreciable, its stock components don’t stand out, even though they function well and are reliable. It’s likely many who purchase the Honzo will look to replace the Shimano Deore 10 speed drivetrain with something lighter and wider in range. The stock Shimano Deore brakes keep the rrp of the Honzo down but they definitely lack much of the bite of Shimanos slightly dearer SLX stoppers, most noticeably on prolonged descents.

The Fox 34 and direct-mount Race Face Aeffect cranks have performed without complaint but heavier and more aggressive riders should profit from a volume spacer or two in the fork for a bit more support at the recommended air pressure. Comprising the wheels, the unbranded hubs laced to WTB i29 rims are good on paper; lightish, wide-ish, boasting sealed bearings and thru-axles but initially required some fettling with spoke tension and with noisy seals in the hubs. That being said, the Maxxis Tomahawk tyres they are shod with are superb. Big toothy side knobs provide excellent cornering traction while lower centre knobs roll quickly with just enough meat for climbing and braking traction. The Tomahawk’s soft 3C Maxx Terra compound offers excellent grip but is showing significant wear after a month or so of riding on predominantly roots.

For those looking to commit to a hardtail as their primary mountain bike, the Kona Honzo is surely one of the most capable options on the market. In light of its relative simplicity it’s remarkably composed when the trail gets tough but still agile when it needs to be. Brilliantly considered frame geometry is the star of the show while most of the stock components play adequate, if undistinguished, background.

Insider Rides looks at the bikes that we ride, the bikes that industry insiders ride, that racers ride, and everyday folk ride. For this instalment, ChainSlap’s illustrator/reviewer/GC Patrick gives us a look at his beloved steel hardtail, just one example from his vast stable of ferrous steeds, most lacking any suspension or gears, but oozing character and old-school cool.