Forum

As mentioned before, this is my return- head on, back to my love of all things mountain bike.

I've been reading magazines, watching vids online and reading forum articles to get back in step.

But some things seem so different this year compared to where I cracked my ribs and took a sabbatical in 2008.

Can anyone give me a heads up on why Kona now only sells cheap range bikes? They used to be, as I understood, to be a pukka company.

How comes Orange and Norco aren't the coolest rides no more? Now it's stuff like Le Pierre, Rose and Mondraker. Are these new companies a fad or actually quality manufacturers?

Nobody seems to bother about hucking and trials seem proper off the scene.

Is it just the tide of change or is there some real stories to it all?

Like anything dude stuff comes and goes - remember purple bar ends and tioga disk drives were all the rage once. All the companies you mention make good stuff.

Kona and orange haven't changed their fundamental designs (single pivot even with magic link) for ages which makes it difficult to be fashionable - doesn't mean they arent good bikes - the operator fr would deffo be on my list for a budget dh bike and the orange 5 is always raved about in reviews.

Better bearing technology has allowed multi pivot schwingamadigys to become the current vogue.

Pure trials comps seems of be a bit off the radar but http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o shows that nu school stuff still has huge appeal - 26 million views BOOM

Hucking is still there but more integrated into other disciples - watch last years rampage for a flowing 360ing huck fest!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBARTxHzyZ0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNkzmCsn2Wg

there are some many supposed sub sections that there will always be an ebb and flow as to what is in fashion

Hucking
Djing
Street
4x
Dual
DH
Mini DH
North Shore
Freeride
Trails
All mountain
Over Mountian
Big Mountain
Enduro
Slopestyle
XC
XC Endurance
29ering
Singlespeeding

i just call it riding my bike

Definitely noticed an increase in dual and freeride again. Used to be all DH and shore in them days lol

Well that's all reassuring to know that I've not turned into some kind of dinosaur!

I'll just keep on riding may bike

Kona have gone shit since early 2000.
The lower end frames (well, all tbh) have a reputation of cracking/snapping. And what hasnt helped is that they are available in halfruads.

I rode a La Pierre Prayer doen Plenny in France for a day last year. Was mint. Was quite short, so was good for tricking over the gaps/jumps etc

Just bought a kona makena last week for my son's 7th bday. So far it has survived a 10" drop Let's see how it performs at longleat next week. Hopefully the frame will still be in one piece when we get back!!!

I reckon the stress of a 7yr old on a frame will be a lot less than a 29yr old freeriding a stinky or doing fort bill somehow!

Kona get slagged these days for no real reason - I think they offer bikes at a price point which allows people to take the sport up. Lots of companies have periods were quality suffers for whatever reason, and they get a bad rep at that time, but it doesn't mean they are still shit - I think that applies to Kona. They are a bike park hire favourite (whistler rent em out) and as a result get massively abused - if they still cracked all the time they wouldn't be used in parks, even if they got a good deal on em.

A side effect of being a favourite for hire companies is that they become un trendy with da kidz

It's like mazza forks. They were well boom but now it's rockshox...

One thing I have picked up is well specced commencal are for the money.

All this does certainly mean that the extra you pay for rep is removed so a good bike (I.e. Orange) is not toooooo pricey as before.

Well i have a kona dawg and so far i cant complain its just won its first race with me at the helm and soon to be off to cwmcarn and afan so that will be the real test.

I think Konas have a bad rep as they are quite mass market and a global brand. ‘Cool’ is bespoke, exclusive… They are a good budget option in my experience, nothing flashy but mine gets the job done well enough. I picked up an 07 Kona Coiler http://www.klassickona.com/oldgold/2k7/ ... index.html in 08 on sale for £900 (rrp £1500) and can’t complain at all for that money – what else much better could you get for that? Serving well still after 3 years or so, no cracks or dents after pushing the intended lighter freeride use to DH, large road gaps & jumps; Cwncarn, Morzine, Chatel, including crashes that bent cranks, saddles, flat spotting the rear rim. Pretty much every thing has been replaced from breaking it or needing an upgrade for riding style but no problems with the frame and forks so far. Although on the other hand I do have a mate who says that Kona call them Stinky coz of the $h*t. I do wish I had 2 or 3k for a new steed, it would be nice to have some nice plush, light forks a bit more travel and sweet components but I ride what I’ve got until I’ve paid for my wedding! On another note I have cracked the rear triangle on an Iron Horse Yakuza Kumicho but that was not uncommon at all - I think that fault contributed to their downfall. I guess that Iron Horse would be a brand to come and go again in your time away DMRdan.

I think it could be said then that the price we all pay is mostly dependant to the coolness then the actual price.

Indeed I have seen stinkys and other less cool stuff with a great spec going for very cheapness compared to the latest Le Pierre (who???) bikes.

Whilst I think that feeling right in the bike is more important than the price to a certain extent I am starting to see a rather cynical view of pricing.

Still, I suppose that with a objective view on things it'll mean being able to spot cheap deals for being cheap deals.

Yeah there are good bargains out there but spec isn’t every thing remember - you could put the best forks and drive train on a scaffold pole, wont make it ride nice

I test rode a Lapierre - Froggy (2011) probably the best bike I've ridden.