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Throwing Touring Tradition out the Window with the Kona Sutra LTD – Morgan Taylor

Reportage By: Morgan Taylor

Throwing Touring Tradition out the Window with the Kona Sutra LTD – Morgan Taylor

The touring world is changing, no doubt about it. Steel frames are still the norm for obvious reasons, but disc brakes are now widely accepted and people are venturing far and wide with component choices that only a few years ago may have been considered imprudent.

One group doing this is the young and adventurous among us, arguably oblivious to their equipment’s lack of serviceability. Under these pioneers, bikes go into the wild with sometimes ugly, yet highly functional home-hacked solutions that get the job done. They are out there for the pure experience, pushing the boundaries of equipment that only a few years ago was considered cutting-edge technology.

Another side of this coin is people at bike companies, with access to the newest stuff before it hits the market, building custom bikes to their own specs to push the limits. It’s not uncommon to see mountain drivetrains on road frames, tires that are too big to pass safety standards, and so on. These bikes, however, rarely make it past the engineers’ and product managers’ personal collections.

When product managers spec bikes, they are held to account by bean counters making sure bikes will sell through – and that means sticking to tradition and not taking chances. I love it when companies have the guts to spec a bike in a way that’s pointed at radness rather than tradition. When I see a production bike deviate from industry norms in this way, my eyes light up; the Kona Sutra LTD is one of those bikes.

Radar

Ashes to Agassiz

This looks like a wild project…

“It’s been a journey, you could say. A real barnburner. A man at the top of his professional prowess, his mountain bike a natural extension of him, one of the best riders the sport has ever seen. But like all great heroes, adversity comes a knocking. For Graham Agassiz, a relatively benign descent—one he’s done a hundred times before—reached out with its wicked limb and smacked him down. Shoved a fat slice of humble pie in his kisser. With his neck broken and a career in jeopardy, the road back to the top is now lined with dangers and demons.”

See more, including some great photos at Kona!

Radar

Kona Four Corners: Zone

For their next Four Corners video, Kona kicks it into high and heads south. The Zone is designed for a road racer who wants a little more from their bike. This Scandium frameset utilizes the same geometry as the carbon Zone and includes a carbon fork with a tapered steerer tube. It also features internal routing, fender eyelets and room for up to a 32mm tire.

See more at Kona.

Radar

Kona Four Corners Teaser

Kona’s newest campaign takes you along for a ride through the Four Corners on four different bikes. From north to south, east to west, on isolated roads through one of the most scenic areas in North America. Stay tuned for more, with the first video launch being the Rove AL (north) on April 7th.

Radar

Kona Bikes: Dew Files Finland

I can’t imagine what it’s like to ride a bike in Finland, much less in the middle of winter. Luckily, this new video from Kona gives a little insight into what it’s like to cycle in arguably one of the most cycling friendly places on the globe. With over 1,200km of bike paths, the cyclists of Finland utilize their bikes as a means of transportation, regardless of the weather…

Radar

Kona: The Humu 29’r Klunker

The history of the Humu within the Kona lineup dates back to 1992, mountain bikes were a lot different back then, which might explain its early design. Double top tube, moto-inspired handlebars and the body language of a beach cruiser, moreso than a MTB.

These days, simpler can still be better and just as fun, which is why the modern Humu comes with Kona’s original P2 fork, but gets modern upgrades like sliding dropouts, disc brakes and 29 inch wheels. Now let’s see some footage of it shredding dirt!

Check it out at Kona.

Kona’s New All Road Bike: The Esatto DDL

Radar

Kona’s New All Road Bike: The Esatto DDL

For those looking for a disc brake-equipped bike that won’t break the bank but will brake in all conditions, Kona’s got something new in their 2015 offerings. The Esatto DDL is their new “all road” bike. Spec’d to impress with a Shimano 11-speed drivetrain, Mavic Aksium Disc One wheels, TRP calipers and Continental Grand Sport Race 28c tires.

See more at Kona!

Matthew Slaven on the Kona Cinder Cone Past and Present

Radar

Matthew Slaven on the Kona Cinder Cone Past and Present

This conceptual video by Kona, featuring their Cinder Cone and Matthew Slaven has all the makings to land on any top ten list for 2014. Take a bike from 1988 and pit it against its modern equivalent (how many companies still have the same model in their catalog?) – then watch the obvious differences in riding style and presentation. Personally, I still love seeing bikes from the 80’s get their shred on but yeah, modern MTBs ride pretty ok.

It’s really amazing. Thanks for the heads Bike Mag.