Kona and Rocky Mountain

[Kona Paul]

Hey Fluffy. Yeah, I probably should have mentioned "here is a link." I agree with you about the spiraling out effect. Back when mtb design was in it's infancy, there had to be a starting point(s) which were then refined and built on. I've always liked RM, but was given a Kona (97 Lava Dome) as payment from a boss who's restaurant wasn't doing so well. I took the bike, loved it and never looked back. My brother also had a 1995 Kona Kilauea (still does actually, original spec and in mint condition!) so that may have had an influence. Funnily enough, he got the Kona from insurance money after his RM was stolen...it was an early 90's Altitude or Blizzard...and he says he still prefers his old RM and would rather have that back I sold the Lava Dome to my now friend who owns a bike shop. I remember him drooling because it was an old steel Kona...Canadian bikes and bla bla bla...hehe. They were so common in Vancouver, I really couldn't see what he was all excited about. Of course now when I go back, I'm the one getting excited about all the old steel Kona's being used as commuters. If I were to compliment their bike and drool over it they would think I was a nut. Maybe I should try to buy some up and ship them home!

 

[gump]

Thanks Anthony, thats very interesting

Shows again that history is only whats told, not what happened.

Just out of curiosity, why is it that when I posted the link that Anthony has copied and pasted here (that might be where he came across that information) in the thread that spawned this one http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... sc&start=0 you were somewhat offended by me saying one similarity was that they were founded by the same guy, yet when Anthony offers the same information you thank him and say it's very interesting? No hard feelings, I'm really just wondering. Perhaps you mised the link under my comment?

Sorry Paul, the link I followed didn't show the same info as Anthony pasted.
No reason.

 

[bagpipes]

9 Rocky's at the moment. I'd love a Kona but never found one that fit as well as the Rocky's.

For what it's worth, 2 of my Rocky's have Kona rigid forks on them. Very nice fork those Project 2's are.

 

[Neil G]

Own two Konas but did own a 1990 Summit which I brought back from Vancouver at the time

Now gone..had by the tea leaves :cry:

 

[Anthony]

9 Rocky's at the moment.

I don't believe you Bagpipes. Why don't you prove it?

 

[gump]

Some of th RM I have had, and a newer Blizzard which seems to have crept in as my regular rider.

 

[beepbeep]

Wow, the Altitude is a complete babe!!

 

[bagpipes]

9 Rocky's at the moment.

I don't believe you Bagpipes. Why don't you prove it?

Ok but I am only able to post 4 pics so they are jammed together and most are in various stages of build and paint.

Grey one, 92 Slayer,........ back of the garage is my black 92 Equipe, ......... closet is a 90 Hammer and 87 Blizzard, .............. "bike closet" bottom to top right is a 93 Blizzard, 97 Blizzard (now painted), 00 Oxygen Race (being painted this week), 90 (I think) Cirrus, and last is a 96 Hammer Race.

And lastly is my 04 Slayer but I have to attach it in another posting. That makes 10 now that I count them.

 

[bagpipes]

and the 04 slayer

 

[Anthony]

Are you any relation of the Schlumpf family by any chance Bagpipes? Still at least we know they're all safe.

I wonder if you agree that these two 1987 Blizzards, one of them yours I believe, illustrate some kind of milestone in the development of both Rocky Mountain and subsequently of Kona? 1987 was I believe the year in which the RM catalogue offered Blizzards in these two different styles. It is tempting to think that it was to some extent Paul Brodie's influence, with his move from just painting frames into welding them as well, that prompted the introduction of the sloping top tube option alongside the previous design. Certainly the green bike looks to me like his work, in the paint as well as the geometry.

Similarly, we can look at the Cascades designed by Joe Murray and see very little of the later Kona style in them. Then Brodie went independent and left Rocky, but worked with Murray on the new Kona designs. Suddenly the Konas bore a much greater resemblance to this green Blizzard than to those Cascades. Whether that means that Paul Brodie was the dominant partner in the relationship with Joe Murray I don't know, but it seems to me that both Rocky and Kona benefitted enormously from his influence. And both still largely follow his style to this day, over twenty years on.