Reader’s Rig: Marc’s Kona Ute

Words and photos by Marc Kitteringham

Hello, my name’s Marc Kitteringham. I’m living and riding on Vancouver Island, on the traditional and unceded territories of the K’omoks First Nation, but I’ve been known to skid around in other parts of western Canada. It started with a Haro BMX back in the day, and after a few years away from riding, I got back into it to commute to university. Since then, I haven’t spent a day not thinking about bikes. I’m a big bike advocate, especially ensuring our communities are friendly and accommodating to bikes. I am interested in making sure the cycling space is accepting and welcoming to everybody. It doesn’t matter what kind of bike you ride.

I hold an annual group ride for people who don’t see a space for themselves in the current race/fundraiser rider/bike park laps paradigm on the Island. I’m also a journalist, rock climber, photographer, hiker, compost enthusiast, community gardener, and fiction writer. On and off the bike, I like to explore the idea of radical decomposition, whether by challenging bike culture in the community, experimenting with composting systems, or telling stories that offer new ways to view and exist in the world.

I’ve been riding around on several different retro rebuilds, including a drop bar 26″ touring bike and a single-speed basket bike (both of which I pulled from the dumpster). But when this 2004 Kona Ute came across my path, I found my game changer. This is my 2004-ish Kona Ute. I picked it up secondhand for about $400 and have been thinking of many ways I can use it. I’ve taken it for errands, trail rides, and a few times to the community garden and library, which makes me endlessly gleeful. It feels like the possibilities are endless.

• Frame: 7005 Aluminum Kona Ute
• Fork: Kona P2 Disc
• Rims: Rigida ZAC-19R
• Hubs: Formula (front) / Shimano (rear)
• Tires: Continental City Contact, 700 x 47mm
• Handlebars: Kona Riser
• Headset: Ritchey LB-Plus
• Crankset: FSA Alpha Drive, 36/26, bashguard
• Pedals: GT flats
• Cassette: Shimano Alivio, 11-32, 8-Speed
• Derailleur(s): Shimano Deore
• Brakes: Hayes MX4 mechanical disc (front) Tektro 855AC linear-pull (rear)
• Shifter(s): Shimano Alivio
• Saddle: Spa Cycles Nidd Sprung Leather
• Seatpost: Kona Thumb
• Stem: Promax adjustable
• Front bags: Outer Shell Drawcord Handlebar Bag, Swift Industries Sidekick Stem Pouch
• Rear bags: Blackburn Grid Seat Bag, Kona Ute Pannier bag
• Accessory bags: Random stuff sacksattached by a ratchet strap
• Other accessories: Full fenders, Blackburn Outpost Cargo Cage, Crankbrothers GEM Pump

While I haven’t taken it for an overnighter yet, I did a test run packing it up with my car camping (yep) gear and realized that bikepacking wasn’t ever going to be difficult again. Just a ratchet strap holds down all of my gear, and then I’m good to go. The gears are low enough that it should be fine on the Vancouver Island hills, even under load.

The bike is basically stock, though the people who owned it before me got an adjustable stem and some fenders for it. I put a leather saddle and some used platform pedals on it, and it’s basically good to go. It’s a really great instant bikepacking bike. I feel like cargo bikes are about to get super popular. That’s my 2024 prediction.

Check out my website Dirtbag-Cycles.com for more info on the next Rambler group ride, some new bike builds I’m working on, and other goodies.

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