Zakir

comeback implies that the company was down before. Kona's comeback kind of started in 2012, though

@Anonymous I don't think you realize how close we are to more chainsaw massacres. Mountain biking is not as popular as you think it is, and the opposition is just as fierce as it once was. while most LBSs nowadays carry mountain bikes, it pales in comparison to other outdoor sports. Besides, the votes come first for the DNV. The Lynn Valley residents have long hated us, and if we get in their hair, the district will start to make mountain biking less and less accessible on the shore, eventually ending in a cypress-style chainsaw massacre. As it is, land managers think that opposing mountain biking would be a popular move, and are liable to start shutting down trails. If we start disregarding the district, we open ourselves up to massive kickback. As for trails that have not had maintenance done, such as Jerry Rig and Circus, well, no one is going to adopt them. They are seen as a liability to the adopter, and nowadays, time must go elsewhere. These days the NSMBA has massively increased costs and demands on their time, and putting on trail days for the trails that only the top few riders can ride does not make the top of their list. If there was someone like Dangerous Dan still living on the shore who was willing to maintain those trails it would be a different story.

@anonynous we're keeping trails like digger and Jerry rig, the new trails like bobsled and floppy are just so that a wider range of riders can be able to ride. I totally understand you, and Ladies is my favorite trail, but I was a beginner not too long ago, and having about 3 trails that I was, at the time, able to ride was not very fun. I am of the opinion that trails like natural, with ride-arounds for the big features are the way to go, but I do enjoy a lap down bobsled.

in what way is Zink not " one of the best badass gnarly bike riders ever"?

the only problem was that Red Bull refused to not use helicopters. Strait's exposed steeps and T-Mac's massive drop were not nearly done justice because Red Bull wanted to show off. here's an idea: how about we save the 15-30 thousand dollars spent on helis, and pay the goddamn riders already. The shots of T-Mac's drop on road to rampage are some of the coolest I've seen. and maybe they could have a gopro just under the lip of the sender.

all the yelling was a cover up for the noise.

wow. Such danger. Much freerides. very McGarry. wow.

That was last year.

the reason these bikes are so hyped is that Kona really dialed the geometry to get the most out of them. The travel was decided by just seeing how much they could get into these frames. Most of the time a company will say "let's make a 150mm Enduro bike" and then make a bike that is half way between a 100mm XC bike and a 200mm DH bike. Kona has managed to actually dial the geo properly for Enduro riding, and also just pure fun.

I have my Tanuki with a 160 fork, and I've done everything from XC to Whistler on it and had a blast. I have never gotten the hate for Kona. Their bikes are just built for pure fun, and so maybe it's because they are not the fastest bikes around. They are more than enough for the average person, and somebody was riding a 170mm Entourage at rampage