Kona Bicycle Company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kona Bikes is a bicycle company specializing primarily in high-performance mountain bikes; their product line also includes racing bicycles like the King Zing, cyclo-cross bicycles including the U.S. Cyclo-cross Championship winning Jake the Snake, and touring bicycles like the "Kona Sutra".
The company was founded in 1988 by Jacob "Jake the Snake" Heilbron, Dan Gerhard and early MTB racer and champion Joe Murray. (who has since moved on to Voodoo Bikes)
Kona is known for three things currently. First, for their irreverent and humorous take on cycle culture. Things like wacky bike names (Stinky, Muni Mula, Jake the Snake, Humuhumu Nukunuku A'Pua'a) and catalogs featuring stream-of-consciousness commentary have made Kona known as the "fun" bike company.
Secondly, Kona is known for being the first major company to be "on board" in regard to the style of mountain biking known as Freeride, or "North Shore" riding. (a reference to the style of riding pioneered in the mountains around Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada). Kona had heavy but durable long-travel suspension in the front and rear of its bikes, while other bike companies still thought it excessive and unnecessary. With this style of riding currently the king of the industry, Kona has risen in prominence thanks to its early stand in favor of freeriding.
And thirdly, Kona is known as one of the only large companies who will make bikes that are odd, simply because they want to see them on the market. For example, 2004 "Bikehotrod", a chopper with 4 foot long forks.
Kona bikes have proven to be more than just fun, though, with examples like the Jake the Snake winning the national championships in cyclo-cross. The team bike only differs from the retail model in that the team model comes equipped with a full Shimano Dura Ace gruppo, while the retail is downgraded to a Shimano 105 outfit.
Kona Full-Suspension Bicycles use the "4-bar" linkage system, which can be identified by the swingarms (mostly black until 2005, mostly silver after 2006) attached to the seat tube, that activate the rear suspension, inverting the forces generated by the swing of the chain stay.
Kona has been developing parterships with many bike parks around the world, primarily with Whistler Blackcomb Bike Park, in Whistler, British Columbia, where riders can rent customised "Park Bikes" manufactured by Kona.
Kona is based in Ferndale, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia, in the volcanic Cascade Range. The company name comes from the owners' love of Kailua-Kona in Hawaii.
[edit] Kona/Les Gets Factory Team
The Kona Les Gets Factory Team races internationally on the World Cup, NORBA & Maxxis International Circuit. These riders compete in Downhill, Cross Country and Four-X competitions:
- Fabien Barel (France)
- Tracy Moseley (United Kingdom)
- Kamil Tatarkovic (Czech Republic)
- Barry Wicks (USA)
- Ryan Trebon (USA)
- Kris Sneddon (Canada)
- Peter Wedge (Canada)
