I’m usually firmly in the ‘Haterz’ camp for Kona bikes. They usually look so ‘agricultural’ and unrefined and just downright fugly.

Seems somebody bought the chief designer some glasses…

Kona, WTF happened?

Pinkbike Article…

Now, if Ellsworth could take some of this on board… 😆

Im loving Kona at the moment just bought a Jake which is exceptional and a Operator which again is amazing, but having seen this I now want this too lol.

But the current range are the business.

and pretty cheap.

Ugly??? How dare you! 😆

They’ll always be pretty to me. I used to have one very similar to this. Gorgeous, gorgeous bike

Ugly??? How dare you!

OH……….MY………..DOG!…
😯

They’ll always be pretty to me. I used to have one very similar to this. Gorgeous, gorgeous bike

Yeah, you can’t go THAT far wrong with a steel hardtail, they have some nice ones. It’s their history of full sussers which offends my aesthetic sensibilities..

If you’re going to nick the tagline, you might as well post the link

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Kona-what-happened.html

As someone who started out on Kona, I’m glad to see them doing nice stuff. Process looks good too.

I have always loved the look of Kona hardtails, generally they get the proportions just right.

The full suss range however always manage to look like tesco specials.

honourablegeorge – Member

If you’re going to nick the tagline, you might as well post the link

I did, maybe you need glasses too… 😉

Is this news the Operator and Entourage have been about for a while now.

And TBF the old designs weren’t really all that Gopping, just a bit dated… (I’m still riding a 2005 Stab, I’ve previously owned a 98)

I don’t know if it’s news to you, but it is to me, and Pinkbike seemingly.
Imho, the stab is just the sort of bike they’re talking about. It’s not exactly pretty is it now?
Eye of the beholder and all that though…

Depends really on whether you’re approaching it as an aesthete or someone who just wants a bike to ride down a hill…

Stabs Pretty? No. But functional? Well they got the job done, the planet is awash with old Stinkys and Stabs and while they certainly ain’t cutting edge or liable to get many people’s happy juices going, they’ve gotten a lot of people out riding and enjoying DH and FR type riding for over a decade… not to be sniffed at IMO.

That PB piece is pretty standard promo filler really.
Kona have spent some time and money updating
their “Gravity products” line over the last 3 years or so, They’ve not made a Stab for 2 years, but I don’t think the new improved Kona image has filtered through at all levels.

With shiny new bike season upon us they need to do a bit of promotion so that those who’ve not been snoozing at the back are made aware that they’ve got some sexier looking bikes now…

The one thing I did think though looking at those beauty shots is that they’ve basically stuck by the old “Faux bar” configuration, nowt wrong with that, but I reckon you’d be forgiven for mistaking a de-stickered 2013 Kona Operator for a Commencal Supreme DH perhaps…

Paint that black and take off the logos, Kona or Commencal?

All IMO of course…

I reckon you’d be forgiven for mistaking a de-stickered 2013 Kona Operator for a Commencal Supreme DH perhaps…

Very true. I love Commencal normally so perhaps I was subconsciously drawn to the newer Kona…

‘Looks like a Trek’

I think there is only so much you can do with bike design, a bit like cars

‘Looks like a Trek’

The bike equivalent of “Tastes like chicken”.

🙂