To All The Konas I've Loved

Editor's Note: After Friday's announcement that Kent Outdoors is seeking to sell the Kona Bikes brand, leaving Kona's future uncertain, we felt compelled to share some of our love for, and experiences with Kona's bikes over the years. If you've ever loved a Kona bike, or had a memorable ride on one, please share your memories, and we'll publish a compilation of reader, and other editor anecdotes.

The Kona COG is littered with photographic love letters to the company. They feature the brand’s most recent bicycles and those spanning back over the three-plus decades that Kona has been making their take on humanity’s most beautiful machines. Over the years I’ve had a great deal of enjoyment looking at photos and it doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of passionate Kona fans out on the roads and trails.

I’ve owned many a Kona myself. That’s a bit of an understatement. I’ve owned twice as many Kona bikes as every other brand rig I’ve owned put together. For me it’s a brand inextricably linked to my cycling experience. I’ve pulled my kid around behind a Ute and a Rove and heard “Nice Honzo” hundreds of times over a few models of the bike.

None of the bikes pictured here are mine. They’re just a random collection of wonderful rigs from the COG that sort of sum up the Kona experience. There’ll be a piece up next week where I’ll talk more in depth about my personal experiences, years ago, working in a Kona dealer and riding their bikes. For better or worse, Kona as a brand will be talked about a lot this year. Particularly what the future may hold. What else could you expect when everyone writing about bikes has a Kona story?

Today we’re here to support folks who work at, and have previously worked at Kona. And, we’re here to support folks who ride the bikes for whom they’re simply more than just a tool or an object. How can you not be sentimental about bicycles? With its history and character as the biggest little bike company, how can you not be sentimental about Kona Bicycles?

View the 5 images of this gallery on the original article

The Hardtail Holdouts

I think the record for the most Honzo’s on a ride that I’ve been on is ten, including my custom painted 2013 that now belongs to my friend Brent. Maybe half of them were single-speeded. Whether stock or dressed to the nines for the occasion none of them were particularly lightweight but there wasn’t a scale in sight. As Billy Connolly put it, “I’ve come to the conclusion that wildebeest don’t know that they’re wildebeest. For there are no mirrors on the Serengeti Plain. You can be anything you like.”

Indeed from rigid forks to lightweight double-crown action, and from the lightest XC rubber to full-on DH tires with CushCore, I’ve seen the Honzo built every way imaginable. But as much as the super-fun, super-steel, 29’er released in 2012 really changed the game for a lot of my friends in terms of what big wheels were meant for, Kona has a long history of hardcore hardtails going to aluminum bruisers like the Chute and Roast or their steel Scab.

They also have a long history of nice steel and aluminum hardtail mountain bikes, followed much later by carbon models. Some for racing, some for riding, most for whatever you want to do having fun on two wheels. It’s a testament to the quality of their rigs how many old bikes are around still serving in their next life as a commuter or gravel rig, or rebuilt in a period correct way so the owner can revisit their bicycle dreams of years past.

Thank you, Kona people.

View the 5 images of this gallery on the original article

Gravel, Groad, and Dew. And ‘cross. 

I credit a 2015 Kona Explosif with changing my mountain bike experience. Combining my love of single-speeds and rigid forks with my love of steep janky trails in a mulleted package that’s a direct ancestor to my custom bike today. But, the only Kona bike I regret selling was my frame-up Paddy Wagon and my all time favorite bikes to sell in a shop were any number of years of the Dew Deluxe – alloy frame, steel fork, hydraulic disc brakes, solid drivetrain, for a great price.

There’s a fleet of Dew rigs from every generation in every city in North America out griding up miles getting people from one place to another. Utilitarian rather than toys, but all cycling is joy. They’re joined by Kona’s faster commuter and gravel series, the Rove, their more niche touring-esque Sutra, and the fast all-road Libre, along with many examples of more premium steel road machines.

Of course there’s also the Jake The Snake. On paper a cyclocross race bike but in purpose a gravel, groad, and commuter bike series as well. When folks ask about what makes Kona unique amongst the larger bike companies I also point to the Private Jake, or the drop-bar Honzo if you prefer. I don’t know that Kona can claim to have created any cycling categories, but they’ve certainly added flavour to anything they’ve put their hands to.

2016 Kona Roadhouse in red anyone? Maybe a 2005 Kapu in Columbus Nivacrom tubing? Or stretch it back to a ‘90s Ti Haole?

Thank you, Kona people.

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Hei Hei, it’s a Stab at a Stinky Process

It's interesting that many folks I know identify Kona as a hardtail brand, or a city-bike brand, when they’ve been making full suspension bikes essentially as long as anyone. Kona is probably still best known for their lineup of Stinky bikes – originally longer travel rigs with enough gears to be winched up to the top. Certainly they belong in any discussion of how ‘Enduro’ is just mountain biking, same as it ever was.

For years their longer travel Stab DH bikes and shorter travel rigs like the Coiler and Dawg-neé-Bear all shared a distinct Kona silhouette and basic-but-bomber construction that made them attainably priced and easily supported. And, they supported interesting riders doing interesting things on these bikes with trips, and photographs, and video that inspires today.

The 2014 Process series marked an aesthetic departure - which ended up being short-lived as the current bikes are timelessly Kona – but more importantly was a harbinger for the bikes we’re riding today. The Process 111 was the first non-DH suspension rig, following the Honzo as the first hardtail, that I sold and rode that didn’t accept a front derailleur. It’s weird to think that it’s only a decade ago.

Whether aluminum or carbon, Kona’s never been chasing the lightest-weight game. Even with their ever-evolving Hei Hei XC bikes there’s always been a lot of trail-fun baked into the mould. Marin bikes put it into words with their “Made For Fun” slogan, but I’d argue that Kona’s been consistently designing to that ethos longer than any brand.

Thank you, Kona people.

View the 5 images of this gallery on the original article

I love that Kona puts sliding dropouts on so many of their hardtail frames. Play with different wheelbase settings from more spicy to more stable, or set them up single speed. I love that Kona uses big, well shielded bearings in most of their full suspension frames even if it adds a few grams. I love that they have fun with graphics and colours and take chances in both regards. I love that the Dew Deluxe comes with a kickstand.

But most of all I love how many passionate Kona owners and employees – past, present, and hopefully future – there are out in the world who are genuinely reflecting current events and are popping up to share their favourite Kona stories. Regardless of who owns the company, there’s a massive amount of value in bicycle experiences that we share.

Thank you, Kona people.

If you, like us, have ever loved a Kona bike, or had a memorable ride on one, please share your memories, and we'll publish a compilation of reader, and other editor anecdotes.