please educate me on kona...

what is up with the kona stuff? i've never seen a more rabid group of fans. anyway, i've been paying more attention to it as a result. can i get a brief summary of the line and history? there are many kona bikes in my town and i see them and wonder if they are the same models so many here seem to like.

Try
www.konaretro.com

or

www.kona.dk

There is a bit of history mentioned in these articles...

http://www.mtnbikehalloffame.com/induct ... =99&mID=94

http://www.mtnbikehalloffame.com/induct ... 99&mID=122


I had seen a TV show about these fellows. It gave the impression that there had been a falling out among the principals of Rocky Mountain at the time, which led to the formation of Kona and Brodie.

You simply can't learn Kona - you have to "feel" it.
I suggest you grab a ride on a pre-98 steel hardtail to begin with, and feel the magic!

You have much to learn young paduan!!!

(Kona.dk - excellent site.)

Nice to learn Didn't already knew that piece of history.

I do not see Konas really often in NL. At some point they were marketed as K-bike overhere. Do not know the reason, but maybe because of the confusion with Koga? - don't know. Later Murray started with the Voodoo brand - also not often seen overhere.

There are more brands that seem to have a pretty huge following on the Retrobike board, like Alpinestars and Orange. For the later that can be easily explained as it is British and there has never been a proper distribution in Holland. Probably Alpinestars were bigger in the UK too back in the day.

Will have my own Kona soon. Actually it will be a Verlicchi that will get the Kona labels on, but that will make it 100% a Kona EFS

Will notify you people whenever I see an interesting Kona for sale in Holland

- Melvin

Yep - Konas.

Konas. Konas. Konas. Konas everywhere.


Or as Jo Burt once said on a Mint Sauce strip - "As common as Konas"


All good. Love the way they ride and look. My old riding buddies liked them too and rode through different incarnations.


However I feel that he meant to say "As common as Raleigh Lizards" as I tended to see more of them at that time...

I've got a few Kona Hei Hei's on my website...got all fanatical when I bought a Hei Hei several years back...check it out!

Rich

Pre 98 they looked great. And different too. You could spot a Kona a mile off. You could even spot the silouette a mile off. And they rode impressively well. There came in metallic orrange and plum purple. Not your run-of-the-mill red, blue and yellow.

They were spec'd with the likes of Avid, Curve and Gripshift X-Ray. Not excluslively Shimano and that made me think that actually put some thought into it.

They had the whole Hawiian vibe going on in the mid nineties, and not the usual hardcore-extreme-mtb-macho image.

Essentially,they were different. I suppose that gave them a certain gravitas that equates to collectability nowadays but it is a much more accessible collectability than say, Salsa or Fat because dispite being different in style to ther brands, they were of course very popular so there are more of them about.

Post 1998 they went all 'Halfords' and became exactly the same as every other major brand like Trek, Specialized, Giant, Scott etc..

I have had 14 Konas pass through my shed over the years. The most I have had at any one time is 5. I have three now and have two brand spanking new bikes in my garage, neither are a Kona (Although the 2006 Kula Supreme does look the dogs bollox).

Are you saying my 99 Lavadome is a Halfords bike !!

Shame on you ....

Soz. Only my silly 2 cents opinion.

If it makes you feel any better I do have a very small willy.