Kona has been a key player in the mountain bike industry for decades, and there are some great stories behind how their products have evolved from the first bikes they produced way back when. We chat with Product Manager Paddy White who has been involved with Kona almost as long as the brand has existed. He takes us from his start with the company, up until the end Fabien Barel's involvement in 2008 in this video.
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edit..someone beat me to this comment.
photo of another Kona dog.
Kona 1- 2001 King Kikapu, my first FS, looked cool, had an X-Vert 100mm fork, I raced some XC badly on it
Kona 2- 1998 Munimula, single speed and rigid, fun
Kona 3- 2014 Process 111 DL, ridiculous fun, completely changed my riding “style,” very sad that the 111 is gone from the lineup. The 111 introduced a lot of people to the burly short-travel 29er idea.
Dont believe me? Ask the kid who was in whistler found out the hard way... Wasn't pretty
The decal just said "Slut", so his bike looked like a factory "Stinky Slut"! Let me tell you that bike got more comments than a Pinkbike article on wheel size!
How’s that for ya! Brand sparking new
I've still got it (along with six other bikes, including an Explosif) but it's still got a big place in my heart despite having been single-speeded up and wearing Maxxis Hookworms.
Unbelievably, around the mid-to-late two thousands, I was using it as a pit-bike at the Roc d'Azur race in the south of France and was stopped by an English guy and his mate riding through the showground, who used to own Cycle Care in High Wycombe (where I got it from) WHO FLIPPING RECOGNISED THE BIKE.....
Damn, that still makes me smile.
I’d also like to note that the Stab in the video was a dream bike of mine. Brings back tons of great memories.
Both bikes are gone now and I'm on an a 2015 NS Snabb which is a great bike too but I am at a point where I may sell it for something with a little different geometry and newer parts or just get something for beating up at the park and downhill trails and keep the snabb as my adventure bike.
Anyways Konas are great! and maybe I will take a closer look at their bikes as I consider something new this season.
Genuinely interested in the circumstances around it given how much of Kona's history is spent leveraging off those original designs.
This was at a time when there was still a threaded steer, quill stem, but fortunately 1 1/8". Had larger bearings in the lower and a rubber surround for the lower. At a time when an XT headset lasted 6-9 months the kona impact lasted... well, it lasted me 5+ years of actual riding, its still going strong in retirement. I actually have a spare impact control headset that I never needed.
My only regret is not buying that ti project 2 fork.
They'd clearly gotten a stock bike and attacked it with a hack saw and blow torch. The rocker was completely homemade.
Homemade fork crowns too and I think Oliver Bossard made the shock and fork internals from scratch, only the stanchions and lowers were Marzocchi.
I seem to remember reading some of the geo numbers and just thinking they couldn't be true, especially the wheelbase
"AVAILABLE AS FRAME WITH ROCKSHOX SUPER DELUXE RCT REAR SHOCK & SRAM MAXLE ULTIMATE"
You can also upgrade the YARI into a Lyrik with a new damper kit.
konaworld.com/process_153_al_dl_29.cfm
$2499
I miss that feeling. Kona was the first bike that ever gave me that feeling. I would love to get another.
I finally bought a Kona in the fall, an '18 Big Honzo DL. I love how it rides.
Kona's hit more than missed I think. I am interested to hear Paddy explain the Magic Link, I think that was pretty f'd. However, that's interesting to hear about the feedback from Fabien Barel and his mechanic... Kona got really good, really quickly, at making freeride and DH bikes in the early '00s.
Kona 2- 90’s Hei Hei titanium with Dr. Dews.
Kona 3- 90’s black explosif
Rode once with Joe Murray up at Grand Beach trails in Manitoba.
I've googled it and both seemed well, at least in the last few years
Not sure I know what he meant with that comment
Second kona - stab primo
Third kona - jake the snake
Fourth kona - 2013 Process - last of the 26" and designed by interns. Complete POS design for chainstay pivot. Frame and swing arm cracks within 18 months. I really liked all these bikes but I don't trust the engineering anymore.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/15678680
Was that just because they were the park bike that everyone abused? Never owned one but rented a few clapped out Stinkys at bike parks and they rode great but were clearly beat to sh*t. Haven't heard of any recent issues with their frames. Overbuilt and tough AF.
ps. old konas looked like $hi&, always did, always will.