Do you like kona bikes?

gregmorris234

I've looked at the new Kona 2010 range and to be honest im not sure if i'm keen on them. They look a bit childish and they seem to just put the biggest components on their bikes and it just doesn't look right. Does anyone else think this?

nicklouse

gregmorris234 wrote:

I've looked at the new Kona 2010 range and to be honest im not sure if i'm keen on them. They look a bit childish and they seem to just put the biggest components on their bikes and it just doesn't look right. Does anyone else think this?

so maybe the Heading is wrong.

would not "Do you like the 2010 Kona range?" be better?

gregmorris234

Yeah but its also Kona bikes in general.

Whytepeak

I do like kona bikes, new and old. I think that they are generally good for value. Don't forget that the frames are great.

ride_whenever

Really, i always though the kona bikes were overpriced, underspecced and realtively heavy. However pretty tough for their catagories, and they get heavily discounted.

geordiefreerider

Konas are like cult classics of the mountain bike world,

they're cool but im not sure I know why !!!!!

Well I do know really but im not about to share it with you lesser mortals !!!

supersonic

Greg,

Have you ridden any? Or is this purely on looks and preconceptions?

MeddlE

Yes, I do like them. Obvious answer from me maybe?

Dowse40

geordiefreerider wrote:

Konas are like cult classics of the mountain bike world,

they're cool but im not sure I know why !!!!!

Well I do know really but im not about to share it with you lesser mortals !!!

Most Kona riders do NOT have the same arrogant attitude as this gentleman.

It's not cool to shout about how cool you are!

clu

I had a Kona Pahoehoe which I bought in 1999 and I absolutely loved it, it never let me down and it was great to ride.

I was completely hacked-off when some lowlife though decided to pinch it. :x

Although I've since replaced it for another ride, but I do think back and wonder what happened to my little gem.

KnightofCydonia

Mate of mine got one when we were all 14, and it was awesome. Since then I've not really been keen on the aesthetics that i've seen.

fcumok

When I was younger I used to think that they were awesome. They seem to have lost their way a bit.

Anonymous

I like their hardtails, but abhor their full suspension designs.

Anonymous

that reminds me of a song doesn't it Johny, yes it does Johny..

Ooh my little pretty one, pretty one.
When you gonna give me some time, my Kona?
Ooh you make my motor run, my motor run.
Gun it comin' off the line my Kona
Never gonna stop, give it up.
Such a dirty mind. Always get it up for the touch
of the younger kind. My my my i yi woo. M M M My My Kona...

yeah I like Konas, dont have a new one though.

They do appear to be overpriced a little, but the 2nd hand market is full of em.

canada16

Frames is good.

Parts suck!

they are really overpriced for the spec they offer.

Well the parts dont suck, but they are just something you should not see on a 1500.00 bike, standard shimano parts, not even lx,slx or xt.

It was like that a year or so ago, not sure if it has gotten any better.

DVV

Kona were the daddy when I were a lad in the mid nineties. Never ridden one, but the aesthetics don't really appeal to me.

ccc

Same, don't really like the look of most of the full sus designs, but the couple I've tried have ridden really well.

Anonymous

if they ride well, that's all that matters really.

Raymondavalon

ride_whenever wrote:

Really, i always though the kona bikes were overpriced, underspecced and realtively heavy.

The Kula HTs aren't heavyweights.. Let's not mention the Scandium Kula Supreme frame

The Caldera HT range have won numerous awards as best sub £500 hardtail
The FS range were very early adapters of the Horst Link design and have used it for years as it's simple and it works.. and is still used today by many brands

The naming conventions like Stinky, Shonky, Dawg, Kahuna etc. leave a little to be desired and the differentiators like "Supreme, Primo and Deluxe" sound more like pizza choices.

The components have always been good, remember on a good entry level bike you are paying for the frame and if you go bottom of the range, you get exactly what you pay for.

That's my 5¢ worth.

xtreem

I only liked the Kona Bass 2009. Looks awesome. But the 2010 model looks ugly.
Also I don't like the letters of "Kona", they aren't modern or too old, it's something in between, which I don't like it. Plus they don't have the best paintjob.

I'm commenting only on the aesthetic look.

SDK2007

Kona make some good bikes but in the UK they are over priced.

This is reflected in the end of year sales where the Primos and Supremes are reduced by £1k-1.5k, even then they are just about competitive with other similar spec bikes from other brands.

naefearjustbeer

Never ridden one but I dont think they are pretty bikes! How shallow is that.

Anonymous

liking pretty things aint shallow dude....if we never had a bit of vanity from time to time the world would be full of John Major bank manager types.

Anonymous

Raymondavalon wrote:

The FS range were very early adapters of the Horst Link design and have used it for years as it's simple and it works.. and is still used today by many brands

Kona don't use the Horst link. They use a very low pivot, single-pivot swingarm, but have a linkage driven shock.
I hate the way the suspension behaves (and looks) on them. Sure, it's super active, but that's not all that's needed on a bicucle.

zero303

I like their high end scandium stuff - a Hei Hei supreme or a Kula Supreme would be high on my list for a racing rig.

I've not liked the graphics since about '07 now, some of the 2010 stuff is looking promising though!

Konas were the bike to have back in the nineties, '94 was a vintage year and I had a Cinder Cone and a Fire Mountain from that year.

pte1643

I like 'em, but that's why I bought one.

jay12

i like them a lot but overpriced and underspecced

llamafarmer

Not a great fan of their aesthetics these days, but never really ridden one.

I really liked their older hardtails - Kulas, Cinder Cones and Explosifs from the nineties and early noughties....

lawman

nothin wrong with konas great bikes, 2 mates have them one has a hei hei supreme the other a 10 year old kula

they are expensive but then they are quality bikes, they seem to have lost the plot abit with magic link but other than that great bikes in the whole range, and come on on the clump is the bigest freeride team around

Belv

DVV wrote:

Kona were the daddy when I were a lad in the mid nineties. Never ridden one, but the aesthetics don't really appeal to me.

zero303 wrote:

I like their high end scandium stuff - a Hei Hei supreme or a Kula Supreme would be high on my list for a racing rig.

I've not liked the graphics since about '07 now, some of the 2010 stuff is looking promising though!

Konas were the bike to have back in the nineties, '94 was a vintage year and I had a Cinder Cone and a Fire Mountain from that year.

I agree with these two - buying a Kona this year was the realisation of a teenage dream!

The Spiderman

Like their Kula hardtails,not so keen on their full sussers.
2010 models have terrible colour schemes,but have always loved the 2007 Kula Primo in orange/pearlsecent white.