which has a stronger frame? specialized rockhopper or kona blast

I know these questions can get annoying and i am sorry but just need to know which bike has an all round better frame.
I do trails with some pretty technical uphills as well as downhills. Its pretty rocky here. Although i dont plan on doing 5ft drops with this bike, i do want a frame that will last and wont crack on the downhills or hitting them huge boulders.
oh and btw does kona offer lifetime warranty on frames.... i cant find anything about warranty on their site. I might just not be looking hard enough, maybe.
thanks for your help.

 

Warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship, not hitting big boulders. Buy whatever and worry more about improvng riding skills and not ending up in ICU from colisions with big boulders.

 

Kona does have a life warranty. In 2002 a friend of mine broke the frame on his 97 Moko Moko and they replaced the frame with a new 02 no questions asked.

I'm a pretty big guy and I ride a 01 Kona King Kikapu and a 99 Kona Cinder Cone. The Cinder Cone shares the same frame as the Blast. It's been a wonderful frame. No cracks yet and it gets ridden pretty hard. My bro has a Rockhopper and hes a pretty big guy. His frame is cool also.

I dont think you can go wrong with the one that fits you the best.

 

i just got my frame replaced it was a 97 cindercone now i have an 03 frame kona has a reliable warranty

 

I used to have a Specialized Rockhopper for over 5 years and now have a Kona Fire Mountain (Special Edition with Deore front/rear). It's about the same frame as the Caldera, Cinder Cone or Blast models, except for the disk mounts.

I like the geometry of the Kona better. The frame seems to be beefier and therefore better damped and less harsh that the Rockhopper. The frame of the Rockhopper was a bit lighter and never gave me a single problem, but the ride was very harsh and stiff.

Also, the head and seat tube angle on the Kona is a bit less steep than on the Rockhopper models, so the bike is more efficient on steep climbs (front doesn't come up as easily as on the Rock).

Both Specialized and Kona make good bikes though.

 

7005 alluminum on the Kona is better than A-1 alluminum on the specialized.
Frame design is better on the Kona as well.
Both tube-sets are butted and gusseted for strength.
Both use forged dropouts.
As a complete bike the Kona is spec'd better.
I think Kona is a better bike for my needs, and overall.
Ride them both and see how you fit to them.
You will not go wrong with either, if you break one of them I would think that it is either a fluke, or maybe you need a much better bike to begin with.
They are guaranteed against manufacturer defects, not droping off big things.
--hope that helps

 

my freind was interested in buying a rockhopper and it seems the frame is larger
than lots of other bikes ive seen i have a 18" kona cindercone 98' and the 18" frame for the rockhopper seems alot larger but my kona has never let me down even survived a few "boulders" my forks didnt though....

 

I'm also a Rockhopper Comp user with LX shifters and XT derailleurs. I'm using it for XC training and racing. But I don't know how stiff it is and how big drops it can handle. Can you also share your experiences with this frame? (I am 84kg [190lbs] ) Mine is 2003 and I would be thankful if anybody writes the weight of the frame. Thanx.

 

I have a 2005 Kona Blast which I really like. The welds seem stout, as does the tubing itself. I bought it in part due to recommendations about its strength. I tried out several bikes including a Stumjumper - rode them on trails for an hour or so each. I liked the feel of the Stumpy, but would guess that the Blast is actually stronger, hence the greater weight. Once I install a straight bar, I think that my bike will more closely replicate the feel of the Stumpy that I rode. On a related note, the Blast does have great climbing ability, as long as I stay in the saddle.