What happen to Kona

Personally I think you can argue about spec v price and whatnot till the cows come home, but we still live in a world where Santa Cruz sell a huge amount of bikes when their frame-only price will buy you a decent spec complete bike from a more mainstream maker and a top spec bike from one of the online retailers.

Again this is only my opinion, but they lost their way in the UK at least because they focused their marketing energies into the Freeride scene in the 2000s when there really isn’t much of a following in the here, the brands that do well here are the brands that ran a front running downhill team.

To be fair you can buy a complete Bronson C with decent(ish) kit on for £4k.

To be fair you can buy a complete Bronson C with decent(ish) kit on for £4k.

I’m not snobbish, or inversely snobbish, I don’t begrudge people spending money on the things they like, but I do question the amount some people I see at Swinley must be spending on the sport, when I’m riding £400-£1000 bikes which I’ll admit are probably the cheapest bikes that will hold together under serious use.

Also on 2 wheels for £4k………..

Carbon did this to sailing too, marginal improvement in performance (less marginal than cycling, you’d have to be very good to win in an older boat in a class that allows carbon) but a huge increase in cost. Eventually the bottom falls out the market when the guy in the middle and the newcomer decide the arms race isn’t worth it.

Not saying £4k bikes shouldn’t exist. But the industry really needs to try harder not to normalize them.

How long is that seat post?!

Nearly as long as that stem!

Had a bit of a fetish couple of years back for 90’s kona’s !! Only have the cindercone now 8)

All legs hence the long posts(as all my bikes) 😉

Untitled by Plus one2010[/url], on Flickr

Untitled by Plus one2010[/url], on Flickr

I loved my Kona. 18″ ’96 Fire Mountain, bought with a loan from my Dad when I was 15 and repaid using my paper round wages! I kept it all the way up to 2011, upgrading everything bar the frame (itself stove-enamelled white with a rear disc mount and brace brazed on, rear canti bosses removed and Crud Catcher bosses added) ending up with full XT, Fox forks and loads of Hope kit. I’d still have it today, but some thieving little unmentionable decided I’d had it long enough. 🙁