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 Kona Coilair Magic Link is now available in Kona dealers.
What is the Coilair Magic Link? - Climbs like a short travel XC bike & descends like a long travel DH bike. The new 2008 Kona Coilair range uses the new Magic Link suspension technology to bridge two worlds. On the climb the head and seat tube angles are steep, 6 inches of rear travel remains stiff, channeling all your power into the up. Go downhill and the bike’s geometry becomes more slack, the travel increases to a plush 7.4 inches, and the wheel path becomes more adept at dealing with descending, braking & big bumps. The magic part? The 2008 Coilair is designed to react to terrain and riding forces all by itself, automatically finding the right suspension set-up for the job at hand. Instantly, instinctively... Read more & find your nearest Kona dealer HERE>>
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 Kona Mash-Up 2008 - Afan, Wales. An exciting new development in Mountain Bike Racing.
Glyncorrwg Mountain Bike Centre, 30 August 2008.
Headlining the UK 2008 events calendar is the brand new Kona Mash-Up. Stirring a two wheeled culture clash we’ve laid down the ultimate challenge to unite riders across the board. From XC whippets to the most technically gifted downhill riders and every breed of trail warrior in-between this race breaks down traditional riding boundaries, encouraging a step out of regular comfort zones to go against the clock on seminal sections of Glyncorrwg’s trails. Read more HERE>>
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 MBR - DIRTY DOZEN TEST - JULY 2008
12 of the best entry level hardtails
The overall winner is the Kona Blast
10/10 - SIMPLY THE BEST, WITHOUT FAULT
Bringing us neatly to this year’s top dog from Kona. In 2007 the Blast impressed us
enough to award it a 9; for 2008 it supplies the same effortless performance on
the trails with minor hidden refinements to the frame & finishing kit.
And thanks to the arrival of a Deluxe version, it's a whole £65 cheaper, hiking the Blast up to a victorious 10.
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 What Mountain Bike - May 2008 Issue 82
Biggest Bike Test EVER 7 £1500 Full-Suss Bikes.
Out of the 7 bikes tested the Winner is... The Kona Dawg £1375
Excellent all-round trail fun in high-value, upgradeable package 9/10
Ride a Kona Dawg at your Kona Demo Dealer - Find a Dealer.
Kona has made some big changes in the way it has joined the dots. For a start, it has moved scandium alloyed tubing from it's race bikes and into its trail bikes, which means significant weight loss from the frame.
. By changing the whole cockpit leverage, it gives a real vitality, lightness of touch and speed of steering. The slack head angle and long top tube mean the short stem doesn’t cut into high speed/steep descent stability or breathing space on climbs either. Kona offsets most of the easily charted wonders of linkages and altered wheel paths just by getting the shock tune right. Add the generous top tube length and fast rolling tyres, and the Dawg was scrabbling up the banks far better than it should. You can still get the Dawg to pull it’s back wheel off the ground when sprinting out of corners, or smack hard off the face of bigger blocks, while pedalling through rockeries, but that’s a good sign.…..the Dawg feels totally sorted for the technical riding, right from the off.
Apart from setting the sag, and checking the tyre pressure, we didn’t do anything else to it….with the Kona, all we had to find was our favourite bit of singletrack. The great thing about the Kona is that we wanted to absolutely thrash it as soon as we got on it. Because we didn’t need to flick the lockout lever on, we didn’t forget to flick it off for descents. The simple truth is that it [the Dawg] is good fun. Enough travel to really let rip, not so much weight that you’ll die on climbs, and so much fun on the best bits of the trail that we just wanted to ride it again and again. Despite having the lowest price tag here [out of 7 bikes], there’s nothing that screams for an immediate change, although there’s bags of upgrade potential for future investors.
What clinches the win though, is the totally sorted handling balance that you just can't help thrash, launch, sprint and slide through the singletrack all-day long.
We know it's corny, but this time man's best friend really is his Dawg.
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Moseley Captures First World Cup DH Win Of Season
Over the last six years, the World Cup downhill course at Fort William, Scotland has treated elite Kona Factory Team rider Tracy Moseley with a bit of royalty. Last weekend, the British-born DH wiz took the top prize at the third DH event in the series. For Moseley, the win was her first in a World Cup race in two years and her first this season.
Pointing her bike down a technical course, Moseley stood atop the highest tier of the podium after crossing the finish line with a blazing time of 5 minutes, 20 seconds - besting tough World Cup competitors Sabrina Jonnier (France) and Rachel Atherton (Great Britian) by five and six seconds, respectively. Having raced full-time on the UCI World Cup circuit for seven years, the victory was Moseley's fourth at the well-respected venue and the site of her first-ever World Cup win in 2002. For a story on Moseley check: www.telegraph.co.uk.
Due to her much needed race triumph last weekend, Moseley climbed from fifth to third place overall in the World Cup DH standing after three events. She has 507 points, while leader Jonnier has 630. Keep up to date with Tracy on her website>>
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 The Lake District National Park have chosen to purchase Kona Blasts in order to allow their
National Park Wardens ability to use MTB when appropriate rather the
motorized vehicle. This is a new initiative under going trial to see how it
works. They chose the Blast over other bikes because of its total
suitability, value and ease of maintenance.
Scott Henderson, National Park warden and keen MTB advocate collected the
new bike from Kona Dealer Keswick Mountain Bikes on 28th April and intends to start using it immediately
for his work.
All of us at KMB hope this is just the start of much wider use of bikes by
organizations like the National Park, National Trust and local Police
forces.
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CLUMP Riders Flyin High In Munich
- Basagoitia Grabs Fifth, Andreu Lacondeguy 12th At Biggest Qashqai Course Of Year - KONAWORLD (May 12, 2008) –
Hitting jumps and impressing the crowd of 25,000 at the biggest course of the year at the Nissan Qashqai Challenge event in Munich, Germany over the weekend, 12 riders battled it out in the finals for top honors.
Competing in Munich’s Olympiapark, the site of the 1972 Olympics, Kona CLUMP riders Paul “Bas” Basagoitia and Andreu Lacondeguy faced some stout competition at the third event of the four-gig Qashqai Challenge series.
Riding a course that featured two doubles in the upper section which transitioned into a big drop into the lower section that concluded with two huge jumps, “Bas” held on to fifth place overall, while Lacondeguy, who was coming off a first-place finish at the Madrid event last week, took 12th. With his top-five placing, “Bas” remained in contention for the overall series title which will be determined at the final event May 24 at London’s famous Tate Modern Gallery.
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Good Times, Bad Times in Madrid
- CLUMP Superstar Andreu Lacondeguy Throws Down For First -
KONAWORLD (May 5, 2008) –
Over the course of last weekend Madrid, Spain dished out first-place medals and first-class crashes to members of Kona’s CLUMP and Factory Team riders.
Competing in the heart of the European city, Andreu Lacondeguy showed off his hard-to-compete-with-talent at the Nissan Qashqai Challenge – blowing all other competitors out of the aqua en route to seizing the top prize.
Scoring the highest mark of the day after ripping off a Superman back flip, the young gun continued his final run by stomping a 360 on the step up, hitting another huge extended Superman and following that up with a clean 360 tailwhip. Fellow CLUMPster Grant “Chopper” Fielder also competed in the event but missed the cut for the 15-rider finals.
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Kona supports the Dirt Divas
Dirt Divas run women's mountain biking day courses for beginners through to advanced riders who are looking to gain confidence and push their mountain biking skills to the next level. This is a chance for them to hone their skills in a testosterone free environment and meet up with other like-minded women. The super fun courses are run by fully qualified coaches and are based in Crowthorne Woods, Berkshire. Courses available: Back to Basics, Singletrack Skills, Drops & Jumps and Bike Maintenance, also private lessons.
Check out further details at www.dirtdivas.co.uk |
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Kona to Donate 1,000 AfricaBikes - In its third year, BikeTown Africa program sees increased awareness and more bikes -
KONAWORLD (February 20, 2008) – From its inception in 2005, the Kona BikeTown Africa program has had a simple, primary focus: provide durable, easy-to-maintain AfricaBikes to healthcare workers to assist in the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients.
To date, Kona has donated roughly 500 bikes, and will double their output this year for the project.
The scheme is simple; Kona donates one bike for every two purchased to BikeTown or other non-profit and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) whose missions include helping to improve the quality of life in sub-Saharan Africa.
Sparked by an idea from ‘Hank & Frank’s,’ a northern California Kona bike dealer, Kona, with tremendous support from Bicycling magazine and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s ‘Secure the Future Foundation,’ created the strict not-for-profit ‘Adopt an AfricaBike’ program. With roughly 2,000 AfricaBikes being sold around the world in the last year, Kona will donate 1,000 to the project. All proceeds from sales go into the production and delivery of AfricaBikes to Africa.
Kona Chief Jake Heilbron says “The idea that we can help in Africa has clearly hit a nerve in the minds of cyclists everywhere.”
Making at least three trips to Africa in June and August, BikeTown representatives, volunteers and bike mechanics will be stopping in Mozambique, Swaziland and twice in South Africa to educate Africans about the bikes and lend support in their healthcare mission.
For more information about Kona BikeTown Africa and how to adopt an AfricaBike check www.konabiketown.com |
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Announcing the Kona Clump for 2008 - Kona Freeride Team Ready to Log Air Time in 2008
The team’s top two performers, Paul Basagoitia and Andreu Lacondeguy, both have their goals set on improving on their 2007 performances while dishing out some new aerobatics along the way.
In his fourth season riding for the CLUMP team, Basagoitia has his eyes fixed on the top spot of the Qashqai Series Overall title. “Bas” took second in the series last year with the chase for the overall win coming down to the final event – where he narrowly missed the crown. He’ll also be looking to make his way back onto the podium at the Kokanee Crankworx Slopestyle event – a comp that he’s won twice before.
Cruising into their second season with the team, the Lacondeguy brothers, Andreu and Lluis, are poised to have a breakout year. Andreu has been raising the bar ever since he exploded onto the freeride scene in 2006. His aggressive riding style, fearless mentality and array of skillful tricks go along with his larger-than-life personality. He has quickly become a fan and media favorite and has the results to match. Andreu took second at the Kokanee Crankworx in 2007 and first at the Qashqai Dirt event in Milan, Italy. Lluis continues to refine his tricks and riding style and is looking to improve his performance in 2008. He flows with confidence and excels during the video afilming sessions. Lluis is looking to makethat translate over to the Dirt Jump and Slopestyle Competitions in 2008.
Also in his second season with the CLUMP crew is Grant “Chopper” Fielder. Fielder makes the most of his riding season and puts some serious time in on the Animal Demo tour throughout Europe. He has demonstrated the ability to compete in the grandest of competitions and has the potential to put together his best year yet.
Finally, CLUMP team manager Cowan will continue to offer his sage advice throughout the year to all riders. He has been a solid force and excels in Dirt Jump and Slopestyle events. With competition days behind him, “Uncle Crusty” hasn’t lost his touch and always finds time to show the youngsters he can still pull off some nasty tricks when the mood strikes. Cowan will be a stabilizing figure for the team throughout the season. |
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Cornwall goes Slope Style with Kona
Legendary west country jump spot ‘The Track’ in Portreath,
Cornwall with Kona’s backing is set to become the first official
‘Slope Style’ park in the UK. Kona bring their ‘Groove
Approved’ bike park expertise to the already established dirt
jump, national 4X and Olympic standard BMX track backbone.
Kona will put the international experience of Slope Style Clump pro
Grant ‘Chopper’ Fielder to good use with invaluable input
during ‘developments of ‘The Track’. Utilizing the
blue prints of jump box, wall ride and other woodwork features from
our overseas Kona bike park comrades, such additions will not only
complement the flood lid, foam pit and sound system prepped environment,
but take this infamous site to the next level.
Incorporated within ‘The Tracks’ Kona treatment is a fleet
of Kona jump bikes available to hire. Not only benefiting the established
schools programme, jump or indeed mountainbike virgins from kids through
to pensioners can grab a ride for the duration of their airborne visit.
‘The Track’ will also host round 7 of the King of Dirt
BMX series on August 4 and 'Tonkins Backyard Jam' on July 28th. Check
out www.konaworld.uk.com and www.the-track.co.uk
for more info and updates on continued Kona led developments. |
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Kona headline first Welsh Bike Park
Extending the UK leg of our worldwide Bike Park operation, in association
with Skyline Cycles Afan Forest Park’s Glyncorrwg trail centre
gets the rubber stamp of Kona approval alongside the Hub in Glentress.
Supplying an already much publicised network of over 100km of meticulously
groomed trails, Afan’s hallowed Welsh centre just north of Port
Talbot caters for family ambles through to technical challenges such
as the 46km Skyline trail to cater for even the most accomplished
riders. Servicing these arteries of inspired rocky singletrack is
Skyline Cycles on site Kona demo centre where Kikapu’s, Dawg’s
and six-inch travel Coilers vie for attention next to the celebrated
larder of the Dropoff Café.
Kona’s park scheme was born on Canadian shores back in ‘98
with the infamous ‘Grove Approved’ Whistler resort. Next
to Scotland’s Hub and this latest Welsh wonder, Kona now support
a total of 18 Bike Parks across Europe, Canada and the US. Go to www.konabikeparks.com
for info on the new addition or to plan your self contained world
tour. |
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MBR Dirty Dozen Group Test -
Kona Blast 9/10
"Fifteen years ago Kona designer Joe Murray started the
whole sloping top tube thing. Ever since then, the firm's hardtails
have been some of the best-shaped bikes around and this Blast is no
exception..."
"All in all, a solid, splined chainset/bottom bracket
junction, nine speed drivechain and the most balanced geometry on
test combine to make a very, very well rounded performer that's much
better than the sum of its parts."
VERDICT: ..."as it stands the Blast was the the boxfresh
bike any of the test crew would be happy to ride round the woods for
hours. For the money, it would be difficult to get a better overall
machine"
You can order one of the award winning Kona hardtails (Caldera,
Cinder
Cone & Blast)
from your local
Kona dealer. |
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Kona
Hei Hei Supreme Review: Kona Reigns Supreme.
The Hei Hei Supreme is unlike any bike I've ever ridden. It had to
be torn from my hands at the end of the race. I can hardly get on
another cross-country bike now. I occasionally dream about the bike
at night. Lust is a terrible thing. I can't concentrate.
Read the full review HERE>> |
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Kona
King proves it’s title for the second year running.
The Kona King has grabbed a What MTB magazine Gold Award for the second
year running. In a recent group test the King scores an impressive
9 out of 10 as reviewer Guy Kesteven waxed lyrical about the bikes
abilities;
“Light weight and an impressively stiff
chassis meant it got us to places noticeably quicker than the other
(5) bikes…..with the King charging from one to the next (corner)
with an enthusiasm and natural speed you can’t help but get
caught up in”.
And in summary Guy described the bike as;
“…far
more than just a race bike though, and while it’s still on the
whippet side of hound dog, its taught frame, confident handling character
and surprisingly smooth suspension action make it a faithful and very
fast trailmate”.
The Award Winning Kona King is available now from your local
Kona dealer. |
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Grant ‘Chopper’ Fielder Wins Leogang
WhiteStyle.
Kona Clump rider Grant Fielder has grabbed victory in the Leogang
WhiteStyle snow jump competition in Austria.
The competition was held on the snowy lower slopes of the ski resort,
with the course consisting of ‘shore style drops and sculpted
snow jumps. The Kona rider bombed his run with suicide and tailwhip
drops and his signature massive superman indian air to claim a decisive
victory.
It was a Kona Clump one-two with new signing Andreu Lacondeguy on
the second step of the podium. Andreu pulled flips and a competition
first no-hander flip to gain himself a silver gong, and a successful
weekend for the Kona team. View
the WhiteStyle Movie clip HERE... |
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Kona Paddy Wagon is Cycling Plus magazine ‘Bike
of the Year’ fixed gear Category.
Kona’s Paddy Wagon has won ‘Bike Of The Year’ award
in the fixed gear road bikes category. The ‘Wagon has always
been a firm favourite with everyone who has tested the bike, and this
award is testament to the unbeatable ride quality of the Kona bike.
View the Award Winning Paddy
Wagon HERE>> |
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Mountain Bike Action December Issue, Dawg Primo
Test.
MBA - Tests the Kona Dawg Primo:
'Kona has such a strong rep for going big that riders forget they
also make bikes that win national cross-country championships. The
Dawg Primo has a balanced suspension that delivers stronger performance
throughout the entire range of climbing, descending and hammering
along a singletrack. The Dawg Primo is designed to take a beating
in the worst riding conditions imaginable, but it is not so tough
that it feels slow, heavy or utilitarian.'
Read the full MBA Dawg Primo review HERE.
The 2007 Lighter Dawg Primo is in store in Kona
dealers now, to take a closer look at the awesome Dawg
Primo Click Here>> |
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KONA SIGNS THE LACONDEGUY BROTHERS TO THE KONA
CLUMP
Lluis and Andreu Lacondeguy Join the Ranks of Freeriding’s Elite
KonaWorld (October 4, 2006) – In a move that injects our freeride
team with explosive energy and raw talent, Kona is proud to announce
the signing of Lluis and Andreu Lacondeguy to the Clump.
The Lacondeguy brothers burst onto the dirt jump scene in 2006 with
podium finishes at the Austrian King of Dirt, Red Bull Trailfox, Braun
26TRIX, Red Bull District Ride Catania and Red Bull District Ride
OVERALL. John Cowan, dirt jump legend and Clump Team Manager, said
he is expecting big things from the Lacondeguys. “We've been
scouting European riders for a while, and the Lacondeguy brothers
are at the top of the heap; young and ready to rip,” said Cowan.
“With the support of the Kona Clump team, they’ll push
the level for sure."
“Lluis and Andreu know slopestyle,
and they’re built for it and that is where the sport is headed.
Slopestyle is going huge right now, and it’s going to be a big
part of freeriding in the future. The Lacondeguy brothers are young
and raw, and they’ll be able to hone their skills and progress
as they compete." So, as we say to all our new recruits, let
the hazing begin.
Photo John Gibson.
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Kona and Whistler continue relationship started
7 years ago and continues to drive evolution of sport
Whistler, BC (Wednesday 17th May, 2006) – For the seventh
straight year, the Kona Bicycle Company will be the official supplier
of mountain bikes to the Whistler Mountain Bike Park in Whistler,
B.C., building on a relationship that continues to push the envelope
of what a mountain bike park, and mountain biking itself, can be.
As the official bike supplier, Kona will furnish the Whistler Mountain
Bike Park with 210 high-performance, special edition Garbonzo
series downhill bikes...MORE>>
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The Kona Clump Team Lands a Chopper
-UK Dirt Jump Star Grant ‘Chopper’ Fielder Signs with
the Kona Clump-
In a move that diversifies their European team’s riding disciplines,
the Kona Bicycle Company announced today the signing of twenty-three
year old UK dirt jump superstar Grant ‘Chopper’ Fielder
to the Kona Clump Team.
“I’m very excited to
ride for Kona,” said Fielder. “They’re the perfect
company to allow me to branch out into freeride events around the
world while staying true to my dirt jumping roots.”
Fielder plans to focus on District Ride and Slopestyle events this
season, and will compete in the UK, Europe and the United States in
2006. He will be riding and competing on a signature Stuff
hardtail for dirt jump events and a Howler
for slopestyle events.
Choppers Blog now online>>
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Kona BikeTown Africa
The Kona Bicycle Company has always designed bikes for specific riders'
needs. In partnering with Bristol-Myers Squibb and Bicycling Magazine’s
BikeTown Africa, Kona has embarked upon the design of what could be
the most important bicycle the company has ever developed. The site
(www.konabiketown.com)
will track the design, development and delivery of more than 200 Kona
bikes, designed specifically to assist health care workers treating
HIV and AIDS patients with the delivery of home health aids and services
in two Botswana cities, Bobonong and the capital city of Gaborone,
beginning in late March 2006.FULL
Story>>
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Kona
Dealer - J E James Cycles have been voted 2007 UK Kona dealer of the year, all the
2008 Kona models and much more! Visit them @: 
