Category Archives: 2013

Spain’s MTB Pro Magazine Reports on Kona’s Press Camp

Click the image to read the report (Spanish).

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2013 Zone Two – Sneak Peek

Nearly three years in development, Kona releases our first ever, custom-designed carbon fiber road bikes—-the Red Zone and the Zone Two. Considering the growth of GranFondo and endurance road riding, the Kona Road Product Development Group decided it was time to design a road bike that seriously considered the ride requirements of this burgeoning discipline. Longer rides necessitate more comfortable geometry, while year-long training necessitates 28c wheelset compatibility. Highlighted by a detail-oriented sub 1000-gram monocoque frame and fork that’s light and speedy, but not delicate or brittle, the Zone Two comes loaded with a host of innovative features, like a press fit BB30 bottom bracket, compact 50-34 gearing, hidden fender eyelets and a tubeless wheelset. Bottom line: The Zone is a pro peloton worthy road race bike that can handle any road surface in any weather condition.


The Zone Two: Tough enough to ride every road surface, comfortable enough to ride forever, and always fast. Weight on the bike is 16.8 lbs. or 7.6 kilos.
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Posted in 2013, Asphalt, Review, Sneak Peeks | 2 Comments

Laajavuori Bikepark Finland- Grant Fielder Returns

2 weeks ago i received a phone call asking if i wanted to go over to Finland for the annual Nasse ride event hosted at the Kona Bike Park Laajavuori. With an early friday start i set off to Heathrow for my 3 hour flight to Helsinki followed by a 3 hour drive to Jyvaskyla.

The trip was a wet one for sure but to brighten things up i was lucky eneough to try out a fair amount of the 2013 bikes on display. I chose the Entourage, Mikko was on the operator and tapbeir (probably the coolest name in history, i called him beertap!) was shredding Konas latest member of the family the Process. Despite the weather we managed to get in plenty of runs and certainly didn’t care about the mud and rain. We were filming out there so expect to see more info on the trip shortly.
Peace.

Posted in 2013, Bikeparks, Downhill, Enduro, Finland, Freeride, Kona Europe, The Team | Leave a comment

The Path Bike Shop Reports on Kona’s 2013 Launch and More

Tani Walling, Owner of The Path Bike Shop reports: Visiting Kona Bicycles Headquarters in Washington, then driving up to Whistler, B.C. – a trip I will always look back on with great pleasure.

Every summer for years, I have been telling myself that this would be the summer I would make it to Whistler. After years of letting myself down, I was beginning to lose hope. So when our long time friend and Kona rep Kelly invited me to join him for three days in Whistler following the 2013 Kona product launch, I jumped at the chance. We flew in to Bellingham, Washington on Wednesday August 22nd. We arrived at around 4PM, and before sunset, we were racing around Bellingham on Kona Dr. Good bikes. The team up at Kona all are passionate and ripping riders who really know how to share a good time. Read more

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Kona 2013 Bikes on All Hail the Black Market

…Upon waking up to ‘George of The Jungle’ blaring on my hotel room’s television set, I first exclaimed a few expletives and then shuffled away to get some food, read up on Lance’s disgrace, and get my head straight for another day of riding. After my previous day’s romance with the Rove and Satori, I shucked and jived my way through the collection to find the one that was waiting for me. It was across a crowded field when the Honzo and I crossed glances, and I knew ours would be an afternoon filled with affection; read more

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Bike Magazine on Kona 2013

Kona recently officially launched its 2013 bike line. This week we’ll take a look at some of the new models as well as a few that have been given significant face lifts. Today we’ll focus on the massively re-worked Magic Link bikes.

One of the first things that struck me was the absence of the Magic Link-equipped CoilAir freeride model and 2+2 cross-country model. What remains are the Abra Cadabra and Cadabra models. While on its face this might suggest that Kona is stepping away from its unique Magic Link design, it’s clear, on deeper inspection, that this is far from true.

“What we’re doing with Magic Link,” says Kona product manager, Paddy White, “is focusing it on a bike where it makes the most sense. We were finding that cross-country riders mainly wanted something that’s as light and simple as possible. Riders who were interested in something like the CoilAir wanted something more purely focused on gravity. The Abra Cadabra, though, is the perfect bike for that Enduro style of riding where you need a bike to climb and descend exceptionally well, so that’s where we’re focusing Magic Link now.” read more

Posted in 2013, Enduro, News | Leave a comment

Vital MTB’s First Look: 2013 Kona Bicycles Launch

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Dirt Magazine – First Look: 2013 Kona Process DL


View the full feature here

Posted in 2013, Enduro, Freeride, Sneak Peeks, Videos, XC | Leave a comment

Kona Reveals More 2013 Models

Kona is proud to announce the launch of six new 2013 models. Click the images for massive zooms.

With our all-new Process DL, we have created a lightweight, efficient pedaling platform with geometry and frame features that inspire confidence while descending. Basically, the Tits Magee of all-mountain/enduro trail bikes. Versatility is the key word here—a bike with a host of subtle but innovative design cues makes the Process DL one of the most ridiculously fun bicycles we’ve ever made.

Kona’s freshly minted all-mountain Process combines a lightweight, efficient pedaling platform with geometry and frame features crafted to inspire forestloads of downward bliss. Our goal was to build the mother of all-mountain/enduro trail bikes, built the Kona way, with versatility imbued in every feature; it’s a bike with a host of subtle but innovative design cues that makes it one of the most ridiculously fun bicycles we’ve ever made.

In the two years since we launched our Supreme Operator, this bike has become cherished and loved by riders all over the world. We kept it simple, focusing our efforts on high-performance characteristics that last. What sets the Supreme Operator apart is its ability to take a carefully tuned, rising-rate leverage curve, ideal for fast, technical, big-hit riding, and combine it with features like low standover, oversized pivot axles and bearings, and a tough-but-light shot-peened and anodized Kona 7005 DH Butted frame. Tricked out with Shimano’s new 2013 Saint groupo and RockShox Boxxer World Cup fork, the Supreme Operator is a gravity weapon for the ages.

For the money, it is one of the best downhill mountain bikes on the market. Light, quick, really maneuverable and super plush, the Operator is designed specifically for those who need excellent big-travel value. Make no mistake: this is a high-performance downhill bike made to endure the rigors of heavy-duty shuttling, bike-park riding and flat-out downhill racing. It has oversized pivot axles and bearings, bomber Kona 7005 DH frame and components selected to maximize the performance equation. No surprise then, the 2012 Operator was voted to Dirt Magazine’s prestigious Top 100.

Introduced in 2012, the Entourage DL comes with a host of refinements for 2013, making it the most fun short-travel DH bike currently on the market. The 170mm travel Entourage DL is the Operator on a diet. Designed to be quicker, faster and more maneuverable than a standard 200mm DH rig, this bike is all about ramping the rad quotient to the next level. It’s the bike freeride superstar Graham Agassiz used to huck massive backflips, style downside tailwhips and spin lofty 360s in Anthill Films’ Strength in Numbers. With super-short 415mm chainstays and geometry specifically designed to broaden your gravity horizons, this year’s Entourage DL sees new improvements from an anodized finish and Shimano’s new Zee Group.

Front and rear travel of 170mm mean the Entourage is a trimmed down Operator. With radically shorter stays for fleet of feet both on the ground and high above it, and a low bottom bracket and slack headtube for stability and confidence at speed, the Entourage is the epitome of fun—our freeride team’s bike of choice for obvious reasons. If a long-travel DH bike is too much cushin’ for your pushin’, and a long-travel trail bike ain’t enough lovin’ for your oven, try this biscuit.

Posted in 2013 | 10 Comments

Kona Sneaks Some First Looks at 2013

Our first run of 2013 bikes are starting to arrive at Kona Headquarters in Vancouver, B.C., Ferndale, WA and Geneva, Switzerland. It just happens to be our 25th Anniversary and we’re proud to be offering the most focused collection in our history. Over the coming days we’ll be releasing pictures of new 2013 models as we get closer to our official launch date: August 6, 2012.

In our first 2013 Sneak Peek, we profile the Jake series of Kona Cyclocross bikes and our Kahuna/Kula Race Light XC bikes. Click each image for large views. Enjoy!

Our top-of-the-line, get-on-the-podium, go-faster-than-the-speed-limit cyclocross champion, featuring a super-light, incredibly stiff monocoque Kona Carbon Race frame and fork imbued with Kona’s perfected ‘cross geometry.

Race, commute, train, then do it again, the Jake the Snake does it all extremely well, at a price that only amplifies the smile quotient. This year the JTS sees new tapered chainstays for a stiffer and more responsive ride.

A sweet riding Kona Race Light 7005 Aluminum frame comes with a new rear triangle highlighted by a more compliant seatstay and stiffer chainstay shape and new Tektro Lyra disc brakes with 140mm rotors.

Tough enough and stiff enough to tackle super-technical singletrack, light enough and quick enough to break the backs of your competitors, the King Kahuna has features like 142×12 rear axle, UST tubeless wheelset, and race-heritage born geometry that combine for one of the most lightning-quick carbon fiber bikes on the market.

With geometry specifically purposed for cross-country racing, the Big Kahuna features all of the high-performance benefits of a Kona Scandium 6069 frameset and comes with a stiff 142×12 rear axle, tapered HT and direct-mount front derailleur.

Our legendary race-bred Kula geometry-well-known for its agility, speed, comfort and durability-returns adorned with all the high-performance amenities of Kona Scandium 6069 Aluminum, one of the most technologically advanced alloys in the world.

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