Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Our Reader’s Rig of the week comes from Adam in beautiful Poznan, Poland. He shares a peek at his do-it-all titanium Kona Rove and some of the backstory behind the evolution of his dream bike. Meet Adam and find details on his Ti Rove here…
Words and photos by Adam Wilkoszarski
Hi, my name is Adam, and I live in Poznań, Poland. Since I can remember, bicycles have been part of my life. As a kid, I used a bike to explore my neighborhood. After that, as a teenager, I got into BMX and visited skateparks all around the country. Then the fixed gear came, and when I was studying at university, I earned some extra money working as a bike messenger. After that, there was a brief hiatus, but thankfully, I rediscovered cycling as a tool to explore the world and keep myself in shape. I also found that it’s a great therapeutic tool to relieve everyday life stress.
This bike is the latest evolution of my dream bike. I have always loved steel frames, and I probably romanticized them because of my BMX background. When I got my first Kona Rove LTD, I was hooked. When I learned that Kona had a short run of titanium Roves, I knew I had to try to get one. Thanks to the Kona Owners group on Facebook, I was lucky enough to find a brand-new frame in one of the bicycle shops in Athens, Greece.
I swapped all the parts from my original Kona and upgraded over time. I really love picking out components and having a mix of different brands. The first major upgrade was these lightweight (1,350-gram) 27.5″ carbon wheels that truly transformed how the bike rides. Also, I can’t praise the Specialized Power Mirror saddle enough for its comfort. The fork came off a GT eGrade, and it forced me to use a 180mm rotor. I finished the build with Cane Creek eeWings cranks and silver edition GRX components paired with Hope RX4+ calipers. I love the Vittoria tires used on this build; in over 5,000 kilometres, I only had one puncture (that I know of), and it sealed itself up.
- Frame: Kona Rove Ti (56cm)
- Fork: GT
- Hubs: Cannondale HG
- Tires: Vittoria Mezcal 27.5 x 2.1 (front) / Vittoria Terreno Dry 650 x 47mm (rear)
- Handlebars: No-name carbon gravel handlebar
- Headset: Chris King
- Crankset: Cane Creek eeWings
- Chainring: Works Components (40T)
- Pedals: Xpedo M-Force Ti
- Cassette: ZTTO 11-speed 11-46T
- Derailleur(s): Shimano GRX
- Brakes: Hope RX4+
- Shifter(s): Shimano GRX
- Saddle: Specialized Power Mirror
- Seatpost: Tito
- Stem: Kalloy UNO (100mm)
- Front bags: Musguard Harness
- Rear bags: Specialized/Fjallraven Seatbag Harness
- Accessory bags: Baby Legs stem bags
As for my bikepacking setup, I’m always looking for ways to improve the experience. For a year now, I’ve been using a Specialized/Fjallraven seat harness, and it works great. The Musguard handlebar harness is a reliable and lightweight option that I enjoy, too. I’m not leaving the house without Baby Legs stem bags. Zefal Spring is a solid and cheap bottle cage option for accommodating all kinds of cylindrical items, from tool kegs to 1.5L Nalgene bottles.
This is a perfect “do it all” bike. I use it for everyday riding/workouts as well as bikepacking trips. So far, my Rove Ti has taken me to Tenerife, from Lisbon to Malaga, and on many overnighters. At the time of writing, I’m less than two weeks from starting one of the biggest adventures of my life, the Great Divide!
You can keep up with Adam on Instagram.
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Use the form below to submit your bikepacking rig. We’ll choose one per week to feature in a Reader’s Rig Dispatch and on Instagram. To enter, email us your best photo of the bike (preferably at a 90° angle), your Instagram username (optional), and a short description of you and your rig. If your bike is selected, we’ll need a total of five photos and a little bit more info.
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