Kona downhill Bikes

Kona Bike Company logo

Kona Bikes is a bike organization situated in the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1988 but still owned by Dan Gerhard and Jacob Heilbron in Vancouver, BC, their particular World Headquarters are observed in Ferndale, Washington, with Canadian distribution workplaces in Vancouver, and European distribution workplaces in Geneva, Switzerland.

Gerhard and Heilbron worked in the beginning with Mountain Bike Hall of Fame driver Joe Murray to generate a selection of custom metallic hardtails. Kona ended up being the very first brand to produce a total array of sloping top pipe design hill bicycle frames. The Canadian headquarters are observed nearby the famous North Shore mountains of Vancouver, leading Kona to develop a variety of Freeride mountain bikes in 1998 known for toughness and for their ability to address excessively technical downhill landscapes.

Kona moved onto develop a total array of road, commuter, cyclo-cross as well as a complete range of hill bikes. Utilizing a variety of materials including Carbon Fiber, Titanium, Aluminum and metal, Kona's bicycles can be purchased in over 60 countries worldwide.

Kona Timeline[edit]

1988

• Kona is created by Dan Gerhard and Jacob Heilbron, with workplaces opening in Vancouver, BC and Blaine, Washington. Very first bikes are introduced as Cascade, but changed later in the year to Kona. Joe Murray is the very first cycle designer/product supervisor.

• suppliers in The united kingdomt, France and Sweden bring Kona to European countries.

• Kona presents the first collection of front/rear MTB tires: Maximum/Reaction created by Joe Murray.

• Grassroots rushing system introduced in October. Above 4, 000 bikers have raced for Kona since the creation regarding the program.

1989

• venture Two, 1st straight leg MTB manufacturing fork is introduced. Throughout the Kona range today, there are many more than 10 variations with this fork produced for 26”, 29” and 700c wheel mountain and asphalt bikes.

1990

• Sandvik Special Metals begins production of the Kona Hei Hei in July. 4, 000 Kona titanium structures are manufactured throughout the after that 10 years.

• Max Jones of Carson City, Nevada joins the Kona Factory Team in March 1990. He's inducted to the MTB Hall of Fame in 1995.

1991

• World Champion DH driver Cindy Devine joins the Kona Factory Team. She takes the Bronze medal within World Championships in September 1991 and some sort of Cup DH victory at Mount Snow, VT in June 1992. She actually is inducted to the MTB Hall of Fame in 2003.

1992

• the long run Shock fork is introduced, a leading-link design by Joe Murray. Really amicable agreement with Specialized, title is changed to Z-Link. The fork is a total flop, is never safe to ride, and all sorts of stock is dumped to the Straight of San Juan de Fuca.

• Haole, initial Kona road bike, features a titanium frame made by Sandvik.

1993

• Kona Hahanna and Fire Mountain would be the first Kona Asphalt models, designated since, "hill Cross" hybrid bicycles with 26 x 1.50 slick tires.

• Kona Kilauea wins 1993 "bicycle of the Year" from Mountain Biking mag.

1994

• Sex One and Sex Too tend to be introduced in September, the first Kona dual-suspension bikes.

• Humuhumu-Nukunuku-Apu'A wins out as name for Kona single speed cruiser over device. It’s the longest name employed for a bicycle model and the first named after circumstances fish.

• the truly amazing Steve Peat races DH in the united kingdom on a Kona Hei Hei Ti frame. Future NORBA champ Kirk Molday events XC in Canada for a passing fancy cycle.