The end is no longer nigh: Kona Bikes

[Titiritero]

I'm no Kona expert but as a steel lover I always check what they have as, together with Marin, they are one of the few manufacturers still producing a significant part of their models in steel.

And the Unit is one of the few modern "mountain bikes" I like, maybe because it is just a modernised version of a Retrobike...

 

[romanrinos]

Clearly, you're a Kona fanboy and bought into the mythos - and that's OK. Others are similarly affectionate and misty-eyed about the other bike brands, like Marin and Raleigh. Maybe not Trek though . Even when positioning themselves as taking the road less trodden, it's still branding and good marketing. Just one that happened to tick your boxes and get you in the feels. We aren't talking about a guy handcrafting frames to a unique vision in his shed here, but a company that, at least at one time sold tens of thousands of bikes which were near identical to each other and garnered a fanbase (sadly not a large or dedicated enough one to survive the current era) - and that the founders sold off for (presumably) a big pay day. Nothing wrong with that either, it's a perfectly fine legacy.

Yes, I like Konas No points there on observation skills.

And unless daddy payed for your obsession with boutique brands, a hand-built frame was off limits for anyone without a sponsorship deal or inheritance.

Hence, my response that Kona brought much more to the table than just a clever spin on marketing and mass production.

 

[Russell]

Did Kona stick with thumbshifters because they were ‘race proven’ or did they simply have an overstock and needed to (pardon the pun) ‘shift’ them?

People don’t like change, what better way to clear excess stock than market it as ‘race proven’ and sell it as a benefit.

Having said that, I’ve got a lot of love for late 80’s/very early 90’s Konas and have owned a ‘splatter paint’ Cinder Cone and Fire Mountain. Never felt the desire to buy one new though, certainly not recently. I guess no one else has either.

 

[romanrinos]

Not looking for an argument but need to raise a few points of order here!

In 1993 Marin took the same route with weight saving (having started in 92) and they made a big deal out of how light all their components were. It certainly wasn't just Kona.

Plenty of other manufacturers offered similar top to bottom ranges, GT being one, including hand built exotica.

Orange did survive although there's no official race team this year.

Kona and Marin seemed pretty similar to me tbh and there's plenty of people collecting the brochures, banners, posters and jerseys from Marin and Raleigh, just have a look on Facebook!


Kona never really registered with me bitd but that's probably because I got the Orange bug early. Never owned one (I don't think?) but I did collect and ship on a couple of the splatter bikes for a RB member years ago and remember them being lovely. Defo be a shame if they go under.

GT.

Did Kona stick with thumbshifters because they were ‘race proven’ or did they simply have an overstock and needed to (pardon the pun) ‘shift’ them?

People don’t like change, what better way to clear excess stock than market it as ‘race proven’ and sell it as a benefit.

Having said that, I’ve got a lot of love for late 80’s/very early 90’s Konas and have owned a ‘splatter paint’ Cinder Cone and Fire Mountain. Never felt the desire to buy one new though, certainly not recently. I guess no one else has either.

They stuck with thumbies because it was more robust with less possibility of miss-shifting in the mud. Without SIS enabled, it gave the possibility to be able to manually trim gears on the fly.

That, and the fact that it was marginally lighter..

 

[Roasted]

A Kona was one of my first proper bikes, and I still have it. I always liked the names, they were fun, different and a bit rebellious against what other brands were doing. The sloping top tube was a big selling point for me, it helped them look like dedicated mountain bikes. Other brands looked like they retained road bike geo and therefore a bike my grandpa would ride, not cool for an 18 year old.

For me they went off the rails around 2002 when they released the clump tubing. While it was probably stronger, it just wasn't aesthetically pleasing and looked cheap. But this was an early version of hydro forming which then rose in popularity with other brands experimenting with it. Kona being a pioneer again?

I hope Kona can be saved. I'd like to see them go back to their roots, be pioneers again and a bit crazy. Like to see weight weenie XC bikes, special ti frames, long travel DH bikes and strong jump bikes. I'd like a return of the huck bike of the early 2000s, a 13" travel 29er with modern geo. Kona could be that brand.

 

[d8mok]

Im not a Kona fan boi but nobody can fault their 90s bikes. They were some of the most iconic of that era.

2002 onwards they lost it and were left behind.


Kona and Orange seem to be same in that they made great bikes back in the day but now they hold little desire for most people now.

I see Colnago is reporting massive profits and increase in turnover which I didn’t expect since Ernesto left. Shows there are still people out there buying expensive bikes.

 

[Russell]

They stuck with thumbies because it was more robust with less possibility of miss-shifting in the mud. Without SIS enabled, it gave the possibility to be able to manually trim gears on the fly.

That, and the fact that it was marginally lighter..

Yes, I’m aware that was what the marketing blurb said at the time, but is it the actual reason or did they just have an overstock?

 

[BerthaPog]

Yes, I’m aware that was what the marketing blurb said at the time, but is it the actual reason or did they just have an overstock?

Can’t have been that much of an overstock, as my ‘91 Fire Mountain came with STI.

 

[Russell]

Shimano Thumbies were either Deore or XT2, why would you offer them on a bike with 300LX?

 

[Attempted Mustache]

Not wishing to add to what seems to be rapidly escalating into a flame-war, but I am a little surprised and disheartened by some of the negativity on display in this thread, particularly the ‘ah well it was just another bike brand’ kind, given that the reason we are all on this forum is literally to celebrate/reminisce about/trade stuff from old bike brands.

And, yes I am unapologetically a Kona fan - it’s not that I’m offended, I’m just a little disappointed as I had thought this forum had moved beyond petty Kona vs Marin vs Orange vs Trek vs Whoever type discourse.