Join Kona in the Alps on the All New 2016 Precepts - Video

Nov 13, 2015 at 11:05
by Kona Bikes  
Views: 11,332    Faves: 38    Comments: 0


To showcase the breadth and depth of Kona’s Precept Platform, we headed deep into the Swiss Alps, the heartland of up, down and all around mountain biking. With trails that wind through every type of challenge and vista, it was the perfect place to capture the pure, all-mountain essence of Kona’s 2016 Precept 120, 130 and 150.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  Our shoot started with a well-organized plan. Take a super fast enduro racing Irish brother and sister, put them on a plane to Switzerland, get them on board our Precept range, then set them free. The mountain though, had other ideas. On what would be the third shot of the trip, Kona Super Grassroots rider Leah Maunsell went down. It was an awkward bail that left her with a cleanly broken wrist. Time for a plan B.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
It just so happened that Leah's chaperone, sponsor and fully converted fat bike rider Garry Davoren was on hand to step up.
Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
The question was, could he remember how to ride a "normal" mountain bike? The answer was a resounding yes.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  After getting Leah back from hospital, we awoke the next morning to a light drizzle that soon turned into a heavy snowfall. Extremities begin to freeze and once grippy roots relinquish any and all traction.


Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  The trails in and around the Crans-Montana resort are massively varied, with roots, rocks, pine needles, and ball-bearing sized pebbles around every corner. Want a bit more excitement, just add water - or in our case, snow.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
   Kona's in-house filmmaker, Joonas Vinnari knows a thing or two about the cold. Born and raised in Helsinki, the Finn came prepared for the wild fall weather that can often hit the Alps in September.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
Outside of the Crans-Montana Bike Park boundaries we found ourselves sharing the trials with a multitude of users
Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
From horse riders and walkers, to ski-pole-totting mountain runners, and just about the entire Swiss Jeep Club.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  When fingers and toes went numb, we retreated to our chalet's outdoor fireplace for a quick warm up.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  The clouds and snow didn't stick around though, and the sun soon pushed through, revealing what was hidden from us earlier in the day - a high-speed ribbon of Swiss bliss singletrack.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  Paralleling a high mountain stream, the ride was pure natural flow, punctuated by the perfect amount of tech.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
Crans-Montana had invited some of Europe's leading graffiti artists to cover up every bare bit of concrete on the hill.
Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
Literally every mountain building (and there are a lot of them) had a coat of fresh spray paint, with some amazing artworks on display.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  As much as we wanted to find more hidden graffiti, one epic hike-a-bike was calling our name. It didn't look that steep from a distance, but riding up this thing just wasn't happening. Bikes were shouldered and the awkward pelican case housing the drone was reluctantly dragged to the top.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  We'd been promised an epic backcountry descent off the back, but the previous day's snow had hidden any sign of trail. When we did eventually find it, it was under a foot of snow and then half that again of sticky mud.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
Lunchtime in the Swiss Alps is all about cheese and sausage.
Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  The sun had been out all day, and what looked like a black ribbon through white mountainside earlier had changed dramatically after lunch. The snow was melting fast and that meant staying on track was becoming a whole lot easier. The flipside was the trail had become a veritable river of smile-inducing mud.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
Not only did Joonas have to look out for his own low-flying drone, he had to contend with angry eagles.
Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  Alpine rocks gave way to high-speed alpine meadows as we descended out of the slush zone. The Precept 150's were on fire, bobbing, weaving, and boosting along surprisingly technical trails.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  This is what alpine riding on 150mm travel bikes is all about.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  When we spied this piece of track we decided a little detour was in order, that was, until the cliff above us started spitting out diner plate size pieces of shale as the snow continued to melt.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  After traversing across the top of Crans-Montana we performed a bit of a loop and headed back mid-mountain.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  This traverse kept us on our toes and offered insane views. At times it was fast, others it was steep, the whole time rocky as hell.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  The traverse puts you back at the top of the Crans-Montana Bike Park proper where you have a couple of classic European bike park options down. Berms, tables, and even more berms await on the intermediate trail, while the black advanced trail is a rugged, steep and raw descent that would have your hands shaped like a claws after only a couple of runs.

Join Kona for Two Days in the Alps on the All-New 2016 Kona Precepts
  We opted for a little of both.

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Kona would like to thank Marilyne at Crans-Montana Tourism as well as the Crans-Montana Bike Park. We’d like to thank our athletes Leah and Jonathan Maunsell, and Garry Davoren for stepping in to fill Leah’s shoes and spending a few days on a narrow tired bike. You know you love it.


MENTIONS: @konaworld



Author Info:
konaworld avatar

Member since Nov 18, 2008
137 articles

51 Comments
  • 24 0
 Kona rocking the best out of single pivot.
  • 10 0
 Life Time Warranty is all you need to know. They stand behind their frames.
  • 3 1
 not for carbon though
  • 2 4
 Do they make a carbon bike?
  • 4 0
 ^yes
  • 2 1
 that's cause no one offers lifetime warranty on carbon...
  • 1 1
 One?
  • 2 2
 Santa Cruz gives lifetime warranty on not only carbon frames, but pivot bearings as well.
  • 1 0
 @trails801 atttention, it's not real life warranty, but life warranty of the frame material, which is 10 years i think for a aluminium alloy frame. Real life warranty with no limits aint exist .. Smile
  • 6 0
 I bought the 2014 model and this bike shreds. I've used it in Silverstar, Rossland, Nelson, Coleman and Fernie on everything from Flowy blue to Black jumplines to gnarly techy steep stuff. It also feels remarkably close to the Process. For probably 90% of riders this bike is all you need.
  • 1 0
 comparable with the process really ? I mean geometries aren't the same at all.. i tested the process153DL, and it was a so good experience that it for sure will be my next bike
  • 1 0
 My friend recently bought a 153 and the two bikes feel similar. The Precept and the Process feel really close, the only thing I noticed geometry-wise when comparing them was the headtube and stability, The Process was more stable at high speed cause it's longer and lower. The Precept feels more "Flickable" with the shorter wheelbase and steeper HA. I'm looking at the Norco Range this year and if I don't like how it feels my next bike will for sure be the Process.
  • 10 1
 Kona: Where a 2k single pivot is race-ready.
  • 3 0
 depends on the race and who's in it. anything that will get you to the end still smiling is race ready to me. Nothing to stop that happening. not like kona are trying particularly hard to win any major world titles. I like there give the young ones a leg up way of racing. plus whizzing past cashed up santa cruz riders is way more fun on a lowly kona single pivot.
#single pivot for life :-)
  • 1 0
 The Precept 130 is $5000 in NZ. $5k for Deore hubs and a Sektor TK :-/

Making me feel even more happy with my used Nukeproof Mega TR.
  • 1 0
 ouch that's not cheap. well there cheap in the UK at least. guessing that's summat to do exchange rates
  • 1 0
 Its a pretty similar story in Aus unfortunately. Captive market for established brands + high export costs & logistics = pricey bikes. Fortunately the online sales model is slowly but surely making headway down under...
  • 1 1
 I can't imagine it costs Kona THAT much more to import their bikes compared to Giant who can sell a Trance 2 with Fox Performance suspension for $3700. Kona are trying to market themselves as a premium brand in Australia and NZ.
  • 1 0
 Shoot. Sorry for partying @PhillipJ
5k got me a Kona Supreme operator.
  • 1 0
 @PhillipJ Having just spent a few months down in NZ all your bikes are expensive, so to complain that the Precept is expensive is sort of redundant. The only bikes I saw that were comparable in price were the Norcos and that is because they are one of the only brands shipping in bulk down to you guys.

To put it in perspective, my truck that cost $65,000 CAD is worth well over $135,000 down there according to the Ford dealer I talked to in Wellington. We are considering moving down there and I wanted to know if it was worth bringing my truck down and converting it to right hand drive.
  • 3 0
 Yeah for sure bikes and cars and pretty much everything is more expensive here but the Precept line is supposed to be the affordable line. $5000 gets you a Santa Cruz Bronson here, $4500 gets you a Banshee Spitfire.
  • 1 0
 Buy from an American or Canadian Kona distributor like Streamline or Cambria, With a price match from a place like alcycle you could make up the shipping cost.
  • 7 1
 Nothing revolutionary, however nice to see companies making price point bikes.
  • 4 1
 These are really fun bikes. Nothing ultra flashy but they check all the boxes in a reasonable fashion. Got to demo the 130 and had a blast. I found them to be that kind of bike that is great to get your GF, wife or buddy into riding instead of going the used bike route. They are worth upgrading parts on as well which is always good.
  • 2 0
 Could someone explain the main differences between the process and precept in terms of suspension kinematics, ride and manufacture? I'm just wondering what makes this bike their budget offering. There must be differences in terms of the frames performance, or is it down to the spec of the kit on the bike too? Cheers.
  • 5 0
 lovely bikes, reasonable price.. i'll be looking at Kona next time i buy looks like a great trip!
  • 6 0
 imagine if GWIN joined kona
  • 6 1
 Who else thought this was a competition?
  • 4 0
 Same, the title threw me off. Kona and pb should do one and the winner makes some kind of a promo video for them like giant does for the crankworx whistler contest. Or just a free trip to the alps would be nice!
  • 2 2
 yeah #we'vebeenrobbed
  • 4 0
 i was starting mtb-ing after saw my brother's kona...maybe one day i would buy this bike..Smile
  • 3 0
 I have a precept 150, it is literally the best enduro bike i have ever had and i have had many
  • 2 0
 good to hear that, man..the only thing is kona is a bit difficult to be found in my country...especially the new models..
  • 4 0
 Amazing place to ride and great pics and videos! Can't wait to go there!
  • 4 0
 nicely done all
  • 2 0
 G Unit looking good dude! Fine Magnum Shot eating the cheese. Sweet riding bro!
  • 3 0
 ALPS.... the magic word...
  • 1 0
 Great vid G-unit - some mighty fine skidding ' going on! Nice mullet you're rockin' too ????
  • 1 3
 Disgrace on the rider for cutting the trails 3:47"
Riders like him trying to show off beyond their skill level for the conditions and trails.
SHAME ON KONA FOR PUTTING THEIR NAME TO SUCH TRAIL DESTRUCTION.

If every rider rode Crans like this they would close off the trails for the rest of us who live here. If you are going to come to the alps you should understand that all the open trails are only open as long as bikers do not destroy them and cutting the trails is a sign of gross ignorance about the local situation as well as a gross sign of the bikers lack of skill in navigating them.
  • 2 0
 While I agree with strong trail etiquette. Sometimes people just make a mistake while riding. I promise you that I have never intentionally run into a tree in my life. Yet I have run into more than a few trees. Sometimes while riding shit happens. It didn't look intentional and riders accidentally going off line every so often will not cause any serious damage to the trail. Get over yourself.
  • 1 1
 I beg to differ. Cutting switch backs is almost always avoidable by a good rider. But please understand the local situation in Wallis. It is a biking paradise with Crans on one side and Val d'Anniviers on the other amongst others. All the best trails are mutli-purpose and for the moment there is minimal trail closure.
However trail destruction due to rapidly increasing MTB use is a very serious issue. When you bike in these areas please bear in mind that after self preservation you should be 100% committed to zero additional trails damage by NEVER cutting a switch back (and don't give any additional ammunition to the anti-biking lobby by posting it on youtube if you do) and being over polite to hikers while always riding in a manor that allows you to offer right of way and not to scare the bejesus out of them.
Yes all it takes is a DH few riders to cut a switch back to get a line started down the front of it. From that moment on, the local hikers use this as evidence for closing a trail.
  • 2 0
 I would like to buy the frame and build it up!
  • 1 0
 They are not sponsored by g force pads, but they wear them.


2:52" check
  • 1 0
 No video for precept 200?
  • 2 0
 Stay tuned.
  • 1 0
 The precept 150 is such a good bike, i love mine
  • 1 0
 Looks like a Sess...no wait Spark.
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