If you take a look at bikes now versus ten years ago, it’s easy to see a lot has changed. Bikes are so much longer, lower, and slacker now. Dropper posts are the norm. 1x drivetrains dominate the scene. But how did we get here? What bikes paved the way for today’s nearly-perfect machines?

Bike Magazine has listed its top 10 most influential bikes of the decade, and our beloved Honzo has made the cut. “The Honzo was likely the first mainstream brand to take a big leap into modern frame geometry, but at almost the same time, Mondraker was doing some very similar things over in Spain. History calls this “Multiple Discovery” or “Simultaneous Invention.” The microchip, the periodic table of elements, and punk rock music each arose in two different places at once. But Kona was a more established brand with wider distribution at the time, so its idea got in front of the most eyeballs, so we’re going with Honzo. Long, low and slack were not terms often strung together until this bike hit the airwaves. And then, the Process line took the concept to full-suspension. It popularized the geometry trends that would later become ubiquitous in the industry. The best part about the Honzo? You can still go buy a new one today. It was, and is, that good.” -Bike Magazine

The entire list is fun to read and there’s more good stuff written about the Honzo. You can check the full article here.