Honzo
vsGrowler
Two aggressive hardtails, two very different geometries.
The Kona Honzo is the playful, snappy trail bike. The Rocky Mountain Growler is a slack, long-wheelbase bruiser that wants to be ridden like an enduro rig.
Honzo
- Snappy, playful handling — short 425 mm chainstays make it easy to manual, hop, and snap through tight corners.
- Wide build ladder — four trims from a $1,299 base to a $2,399 Cromoly ESD, including a steel option.
- Lower standover — sloping top tube design opens up dropper post fitment across all four sizes.
- Aluminum frame is notably stiff — lighter riders report harshness on long, chunky descents.
- Stock Shimano MT410 brakes with resin-only rotors are widely flagged as the first thing to upgrade.
Growler
- Slack 64-degree head angle — full-suspension-style descending confidence at a hardtail price.
- Long 1,210 mm wheelbase (md) for unflappable high-speed stability through chunk and rock gardens.
- 2.6-inch Maxxis tires stock — act as makeshift rear suspension when run at 18–23 PSI.
- Only one build offered — no cheaper entry point and no upgrade path within the lineup.
- Long wheelbase and slack front end feel sluggish on tight, twisty climbs and mellow trails.
Editor’s analysis
Both are sub-$2.5k aluminum 29ers — but one rewards agility, and the other rewards speed.
On paper, the Kona Honzo and the Rocky Mountain Growler look like the same bike: 6061 aluminum, 29-inch wheels, ~140 mm fork, Shimano Deore 12-speed, $1.6–2k. Both come from brands with deep hardtail roots, both target the rider who wants modern geometry without paying for rear suspension. But the head angle alone tells you they're not chasing the same ride.
The Kona Honzo is the lively one. A 66.5-degree head tube, 425 mm chainstays, and a 1,176 mm wheelbase (size M) give it the snap that reviewers use words like 'zippy', 'playful', and 'speed demon on tight singletrack' to describe. The Honzo wants to manual, bunny hop, and rip flow trails. It's also the only side here with a build ladder — four builds from a $1,299 base up to a $2,399 Cromoly steel ESD with a 150 mm Marzocchi Bomber Z1.
The Rocky Mountain Growler picks a lane and commits. A 64-degree head tube, 1,210 mm wheelbase (md), and 435 mm chainstays put it firmly in enduro-hardtail territory — slacker than most full-suspension trail bikes from five years ago. Reviewers across PinkBike, Bike Magazine, and Bigbluetire all say the same thing: they rode it like a full-suspension bike, taking similar lines, with similar commitment. That stability comes with a 150 mm Marzocchi Z2 fork, 2.6-inch Maxxis tires for damping, and a frame that 'doesn't yield a millimeter' — fast and stable above the speed limit, sluggish and unwieldy below it.
Put another way: the Kona Honzo is the bike you buy if your trails are flowy and tight, and you want to feel every pump and pop. The Rocky Mountain Growler is the bike you buy if your trails are steep and chunky, and you want to point and shoot. Same wheel size, same frame material, opposite philosophies.
Where the builds differ.
Comparing our editor's-pick builds side-by-side. Winners highlighted row-by-row — lower price and weight, and the better-spec component, each mark a point.
Build variants & pricing
The Honzo offers four trims from $1,299 to $2,399. The Growler ships in a single $1,999 build — no cheaper entry, no flagship upgrade.
Editor's picks compared: Honzo DL ($1,599) vs Growler 50 ($1,999). Both run Shimano Deore 12-speed and a ~140–150 mm coil-or-air fork on a 6061 aluminum frame, which is the closest apples-to-apples pairing the two lineups allow.
How they fit, how they steer.
Both at the medium frame — Honzo M (455 mm reach, 646 mm stack, 66.5° HTA) vs Growler md (450 mm reach, 643 mm stack, 64° HTA). The Growler's wheelbase runs 34 mm longer (1,210 vs 1,176) and chainstays are 10 mm longer (435 vs 425) — that's the slack-and-stable vs short-and-snappy split in numbers.
Which size should I buy?
Sizing recommendations based on stack, reach, and effective top tube. Both lineups cover S/M/L/XL with similar reach progressions, so most riders end up at the same nominal size on either bike.
→These are starting points. Flexibility, riding style, and preferred position all shift the answer — if you’re between sizes, a professional fit beats a chart.
What the magazines said.
Published reviews from trusted cycling outlets. Click through for the full write-up.
Which one should you buy?
If you ride flowy singletrack and want to pop, manual, and snap, get the Kona Honzo. If you ride steep, chunky descents and want point-and-shoot stability, get the Rocky Mountain Growler.
Honzo
If your trails are flow, jumps, and tight singletrack, the Honzo's short chainstays and 66.5° head angle reward an active, hopping, popping riding style. The build ladder is also the most versatile in the segment — start with the $1,299 base or step up to the steel ESD when you're ready.
Growler
If you live on steep, chunky descents and want to keep up with full-suspension friends without paying full-suspension money, the Growler's 64° head angle and long wheelbase do exactly that. Just know that climbing and tight switchbacks are where you'll pay for the geometry.
Questions buyers actually ask.
Short answers to the things we get emailed about most often.
01Which is better for flowy, tight trails?
The Kona Honzo. Its 425 mm chainstays and 66.5° head angle make it the snappier, more maneuverable bike — reviewers consistently call it 'zippy' and a 'speed demon on tight and twisty singletrack.' The Growler's 1,210 mm wheelbase and 64° head angle make it feel sluggish in tight switchbacks and on mellow trails.
If most of your riding is pump tracks, jump lines, or swoopy flow trails, the Honzo is the more engaging tool.
02Which is better for steep, chunky descents?
The Rocky Mountain Growler, by a clear margin. Its 64° head angle is slacker than most modern enduro full-suspension bikes, and the long wheelbase delivers what Bigbluetire calls 'insanely stable' high-speed handling. Reviewers from PinkBike and Bike Magazine both said they rode it like a full-suspension bike, taking similar lines with similar commitment.
The Honzo holds its own on descents but will demand more careful line choice when things get really chunky.
03How much fork travel does each bike have?
Honzo (editor's pick — DL build): 140 mm RockShox Revelation. The Honzo lineup ranges from a 130 mm Recon on the Base build up to a 150 mm Marzocchi Bomber Z1 on the ESD trims.
Growler (50 build): 150 mm Marzocchi Z2 Float EVOL Rail with a 44 mm offset. Only one fork option since there's only one build.
04What sizes are compared on this page?
Honzo: size M (455 mm reach, 646 mm stack, 66.5° head tube angle, 1,176 mm wheelbase).
Growler: size md (450 mm reach, 643 mm stack, 64° head tube angle, 1,210 mm wheelbase).
Reach is within 5 mm and stack within 3 mm — the headline difference is the head angle (2.5° slacker on the Growler) and the 34 mm longer wheelbase.
05Are the brakes any good on either bike?
No, both need help. The Honzo's stock Shimano MT410 hydraulics with resin-only RT30/RT54 rotors are universally flagged as underpowered — and to upgrade the pads to sintered metallic, you also have to swap the rotors.
The Growler's two-piston Shimano MT4100s draw the same criticism: PinkBike said they 'don't have enough initial bite and lack power.' Both bikes are easy upgrades — metallic pads and larger rotors are the standard fix on either side.
06Which has more build options?
The Honzo, easily. Kona ships four trims: a $1,299 Base (130 mm Recon, Deore 11sp), the $1,599 DL (140 mm Revelation, Deore 12sp), a $2,299 ESD with a steel Cromoly frame and Shimano XT/SLX, and a $2,399 ESD with SRAM GX Eagle.
Rocky Mountain only sells one Growler: the $1,999 50 build. There's no cheaper entry point and no flagship upgrade — you get the geometry or you don't.
07What tires do they come with, and does it matter?
Honzo DL: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5 front / Dissector 2.4 rear, both EXO TR.
Growler 50: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.6 front / Minion DHR II 2.6 rear, both EXO TR.
The Growler's wider 2.6-inch casings are a deliberate choice — reviewers describe them as 'all the suspension you got,' running 18–23 PSI to soften the hardtail's ride. The Honzo's narrower 2.4–2.5-inch tires feel more precise but offer noticeably less damping on rough terrain.
08Are these good first mountain bikes?
Both can be — but for different riders. The Honzo Base at $1,299 is one of the cheapest credible aggressive hardtails on sale, with modern geometry and a Shimano Deore drivetrain. It's a great learning platform for newer riders on green and blue trails.
The Growler is more of a specialist — its slack geometry shines on steep, technical terrain, but a beginner riding mostly mellow trails will likely find it sluggish and overkill. If you're not sure where you'll end up riding, the Honzo is the safer bet.
Similar bikes
If your priorities don’t map cleanly onto either of these, one of these adjacent bikes probably fits better.
San Quentin
A dirt-jump-inspired alternative that rivals the Honzo for agility — built around tight corners and jump lines, with even shorter chainstays and a more compact wheelbase.
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Torrent
The most direct competitor to the Growler — Norco's enduro-leaning hardtail with similarly aggressive geometry, available in both steel and aluminum frame options.
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Chameleon
Splits the difference between the two — playful intent like the Honzo, but with a more refined frame feel and Santa Cruz's brand polish.
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