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Worlds most versatile rider,
Worlds most versatile bike.
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If it is such a great brand, why any top riders ( DH or XC) has signed with Kona in the past 5 years (with the exception of Aggy).
And yeh, Kona has one of the largest names in XC, but brands like Specialized, Yeti, Trek, Cove come first:
www.ehow.com/list_7458426_xc-bikes.html
Kona doesn't have as many funds to invest in technology (read geometry, components, etc.) as Specialized, Yeti or Trek has, so those brands are one step forward in terms of technology.
You can argue that Kona has improved a lot their bikes and designs, I agree, but u could never compare Kona with the other big brands.
And who is designating this formally rank-ordered list of top brands? Your link just mentions three of the biggest bicycle name brands... I doubt it's all inclusive. It forgot to mention Specialized, Santa Cruz, Rocky Mountain, etc. Let me just say that you don't have to have the biggest company with the most funds to make great innovations or a great, competitive bike: Intense, Saracen, Turner, Transition and Devinci, are all examples of this - not saying Kona's bikes are all as cutting edge as their flagship rigs, but I don't think your specific point is valid to say that Kona is set back as far as technology goes. People thought the same thing about Norco...but look at the Aurum and tell me that you can't compare it with others out there. When you look past "brand", yes I think you can compare some of Kona's better bikes with those of other big brands. But don't take my word for it - try one!
Let me give u another example, Gee Atherton. Won the UCI DH overall with Commencal, which is quite a young brand, now he switched to GT, a company with a lot of experience...a bigger company, u may say. Has he won anything?...he hasn´t, and I reckon its because he hasn't adjusted to the new bike and crew.
Lets compare this Kona case with the automotive industry. Hyundai, a company that has been growing heaps and heaps. If i'm not mistaken, it's the 3rd largest automotive company in the world. They recently launched the Genesis Coupe, which is a sport car. According to the reviews it is great car, with a fairly good performance, and most of all, its cheap! ($24 thousands usd). Would I buy it having the $24000?, hell no, I´d buy a second handed car from a company with a large history in sport cars (Audi, BMW, MB, Lambo or whatever) Here is where my point and opinion of Kona make sense, I don't like taking any risk with my money, if I'm gonna buy a bike I'm gonna buy it from a company with a larger history producing top bikes (Yeti in my case). But that's just me, and we can keep arguing about Kona and it would be endless. If u're happy with ur Kona or trusting in the Genesis Coupe, well good on u mate. I'll stick to my well known, reliable, awesome and sexy Yeti...that's just me and a couple of thousands riders around the world.
Also, please reassess my comment above when considering the first claim - Nowhere in that paragraph did I argue that Connor earned his result as a function of the bike he was riding. You asked the question "What top riders have signed with Kona in the last five years?", and I simply answered it. It is not as if this company shuns away good talent. Fearon could probably ride a Dyno BMX to the bottom and still score a podium. Not my point. And I disagree - Graham Agassiz is not an exception to that argument (what would make it one?). And don't count out Paul Basagoita either...He too rides a Kona.