Rod_Saetan
Old School Grand Master
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Bridgestone specced some bikes with thumbies after the introduction of RF too, and explained in detail why in one of their adverts, but I can't find it now!
The end is nigh: Kona Bikes
- Thread starter al-onestare
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One complication on the STI front is that first generation, even DX level, had reliability problems. I had a set on my bike, and they failed about about six weeks. Being a naive young lad, I didn't trouble my bike shop assuming I was at fault. But I immediately replaced them with DX thumbshifters, and kept the same pair across multiple bikes until about 2000. My guess is that there were a ton of warranty claims on early STI, and so those manufacturers that could - specced thumbshifters for a few years instead.
Had Shimano not stopped supplying quality thumbshifters at 7+ speeds, I'd probably still be using them. I suspect Shimano recognised that part of the market, and simply stopped supplying them as it became pretty much impossible to find quality thumbshifters of any kind for at least a decade.
Had Shimano not stopped supplying quality thumbshifters at 7+ speeds, I'd probably still be using them. I suspect Shimano recognised that part of the market, and simply stopped supplying them as it became pretty much impossible to find quality thumbshifters of any kind for at least a decade.
MattiThundrrr
Kona Fan
I find it appropriate, perhaps even telling, that the "demise of Kona" thread evolved into a discussion on the merits of thumbshifters. Perhaps this is part of the problem, we seem to be Kona's biggest fans, but we aren't exactly famous for embracing new tech...
They knocked it out of the park with their Process & Honzo bikes, but sadly everyone caught up around 2017, it's been down hill ever since. I still have a '19 Process 153 CR & love it, but it really needed the cascade link to make it feel right for mw. Compared to the 2015 process 153 which was just RAD stock, but the reach was a tad short.
Competition has really been stacking up since the 90's & early 00's when Kona was really popular. Transition has really replaced Kona as the local PNW cool brand. Transition has an awesome headquarters (Red S) 1.5 miles from the trailhead at Galbraith, tons of parking beer and food. https://www.transitionbikes.com/FactoryStore.cfm
To add to the issues, locally Evil is now in Bellingham, Norco & Rocky Mountain just across the border have stepped up their games big time.... Kona is not able to compete.
Kona is 15 miles north, no cool stuff aside from some old bikes, which I'm a HUGE fan of, but do nothing to help Kona be a better brand today.
Competition has really been stacking up since the 90's & early 00's when Kona was really popular. Transition has really replaced Kona as the local PNW cool brand. Transition has an awesome headquarters (Red S) 1.5 miles from the trailhead at Galbraith, tons of parking beer and food. https://www.transitionbikes.com/FactoryStore.cfm
To add to the issues, locally Evil is now in Bellingham, Norco & Rocky Mountain just across the border have stepped up their games big time.... Kona is not able to compete.
Kona is 15 miles north, no cool stuff aside from some old bikes, which I'm a HUGE fan of, but do nothing to help Kona be a better brand today.
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GT.
They stuck with thumbies because it was more robust with less possibility of miss-shifting in the mud. Without SIS enabled, it gave the possibility to be able to manually trim gears on the fly.
That, and the fact that it was marginally lighter..
So why did they stop using thumbshifters?
Yes, I like KonasNo points there on observation skills.
And unless daddy payed for your obsession with boutique brands, a hand-built frame was off limits for anyone without a sponsorship deal or inheritance.
Hence, my response that Kona brought much more to the table than just a clever spin on marketing and mass production.
I think you may have missed my earlier point. I can see why someone who spent the 90s drooling over the mags over an unaffordable handbuilt frame like a Chas Roberts might get misty eyed about them - even now.
Less so over a mass market brand that has obviously lost its way that even their 90s fans don't buy them anymore. I still liked their bikes (I've got a Kona frame sitting in the shed waiting to be built some day).
But I appreciated your spirited defence of Kona, and drubbing of brands like Marin, Trek and Raleigh. It was a fun read.
I blame M900 XTR. It introduced 8spd, which was never officially supported by thumbshifters. After that, is was only a matter of time. You want 8spd, you need rapid fire.
Attempted Mustache
Retro Guru
A nice, short ‘tribute’ to Kona has appeared over at bikepacking.com;
bikepacking.com
A Tribute to Kona Bikes
In light of its uncertain future, we put together this tribute to Kona Bikes, a brand we love and hope will stick around for years to come....
