KONA Leaves SEA OTTER EXPO Before It Even Starts *EMERGENCY Meeting Called*
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- čas přidán 17. 04. 2024
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dLike I said in the Video, This pretty much lines up with how our dual suspension mountain bike sales have been going for us, For some reason and it is not just our store but a lot of companies sales or want for these bikes have just stopped, Santa cruz literally no one asks for, Specialized had there massive sale for there stumpjumpers last December up to 30-40 percent off models, Seems like companies are struggling to sell there dual suspension mtbs for some reason.
Your comments straight up make me angry. For the amount of followers you have, learn the difference between there, they're, and their. It isn't hard, man. Get the guy in the shop with the best grammar to proof this stuff. You're prodigious with the content and it has built such a great brand (your CZcams channel). Now is the time to get the small things right.
Full suspension bikes are way overpriced to the point that its robbery , as you can buy a Honda 250f dirt bike for $5,000 . I'm sorry but there's a lot more material , labor and parts involved to build a dirt bike than a mountain bike . I don't care how they brand a full suspension mtb , but no full suspension bike on planet earth should cost more than 5 grand whether its a fully dressed racing bike or entry level.
I mean you do live in Florida, living in a mountain bike town is a very different story. Santa Cruz is our most popular mountain bike brand. Road bikes have completely fallen off for us, our road to gravel is like a 1:8 ratio at this point. I think a lot of these crazy sales you’re seeing like stumpys, fuel ex, etc.. is just developing new models. I mean yeah, Kona’s been fu**ed for a while, obviously explaining the 2 for 1 sale. I think the mountain bike world in mountain towns has grown quite a bit. It’s also definitely got to do with the direct to consumer companies, you can buy a yt or canyon for half the price of a bike shop brand, which will ultimately lead to the demise of the lbs.
That’s an interesting way to look at it. I know I haven’t asked for a Santa Cruz in a few years. But I’m also not in need of a bike right now. If I was I would be looking at a more local brand I already have a bike or two from.
@@manchesterexplorer8519 People might prefer e-MTB's for this price... I see a lot of e-bikes recently!
And demand is maybe too erratic, people all want the same thing at the same time, then nothing? I'm saying that because I couldn't get the models I wanted, not even a time frame, so I ordered online, in Germany...
I also see a lot of vintage bikes these days, just a coincidence maybe, or more people are servicing their old bikes... I'm not in the business, just looking around me, in Europe.
It's the economy. Same is happening in the automotive industry right now. Over priced vehicles are piling up on dealer lots. $2,000.00 and higher priced bikes are a luxury item, just like $75,000.00 pickup trucks.
All these big bike brands are getting exactly what they deserve. 10k carbon super bikes might be fine for pro level racers, but they aren't what the average bike consumer needs or can afford. Give people what they want rather than tell them what they need, and business will be a lot better.
The problem isn't the fact that it's a carbon super bike. It's the fact that they're charging 10K for it.
Big brands like Kona, Specialized, Scott, etc, all of top of the line offerings, sure, and they make the biggest margins on those products. But they all sell their lesser expensive models the most. I don’t get why these big bike brands get so much hate for having top-of-the-line products. You know they have cheaper bikes, too, right?
I think people are pinching pennies food and shelter before bikes.
yea This is the biggest thing i agree with, people are tight and not focusing on hobby items
@@GCPerformance18 Also feel like bikes are just expensive now
The prices got out of control from 2018-2022. This is just consumer push back. It isn't hard to get a job right now, but $10K bikes aren't worth it, even if you make big $. You can buy a Sur-Ron for $6K.
@@petedog9581 I agree whole heartedly. I put together a top of the line
Winspace SLC 2.0 with Dura Ace Di2 (9270) for less than half of any of the top brands.
Yeah. Full time jobs, Food, shelter, errands, kids, it all eats away of our time and money. Some people are even working 2 or more jobs 7 days a week. Its not just one issue, it's multiple issues in one typical American lifestyle which is actually unhealthy.
Pole bicycle just filed bankruptcy yesterday and are shutting their doors.
yea I heard about that too, unfortunately I think we have a lot of it to come
That’s really sad. They had an excellent innovative product :/
That stinks I have been wanting thahardtail the tiaval for a while
Not surprised. That company has such a bad rep already and their management was the worst. After some initially good ideas, they went down the "innovation at all cost" rabbit hole and tanked their entire reputation with very bad products.
@@bikesnblades6737 completely disagree, My Pole Vikkela is the best 190/190 Enduro race bike I've ever ridden, its so good, and you dont know unless you ride one . Leo is a brilliant engineer and a EWS top rider. the innovation and design are the strong point. Im very sad of course with this , im hoping that it gets turned around.
I'm no business expert or financial wizard, but I think private equity firms are ruining a lot of companies, bicycle or otherwise. The shareholders, the dollar, the bottom line is the only concern, so when legacy companies like Kona are bought, there is no longer any care for history of the brand, or what their place is in their particular market, in this case, mountain biking. Expendable in the name of the almighty dollar.
it's the way of the/our world now. It's funny that one of the new Konas is called Ouroboros, because it's what's happening in Capitalism. I don't have a whole lot of faith for the future.
If bikes were reasonably priced in the first place it probably wouldn't be a problem. None wants to pay 4k for an entry level bike. Times are also tough for a lot of people right now with the price of food and everything else on the rise.
Several large road cycling events here in Colorado just announced they are canceling for the year due to lack of interest. People just don't seem to have expendable income and are tightening their budgets this year.
yea I was suppose to go to sea otter this year for content, I booked the flight but ended up canceling because of all the expenses
No Telluride 100 this year. ODD.
No Ride the Rockies
I used to buy a new bike every season or two. I’m on my 4th year on the same bike now. I just can’t justify 6k for slightly longer and slacker bike.
3 bikes: 2017 Tallboy (warranty frame); 2016 Endorphin (frame sale as they started moving away from 27.5); 2012 Yelli. I’ll start looking at new bikes this year with all of these claimed discounts, but the Tallboy isa great bike, no rush to get something.
Yeah that's what happens when you price everything out of reach of normal people. The entire industry has lost its mind with prices!
I played hockey with the owner of Kona, Jake and a couple of original employees. They sold to Kent and it’s been downhill since
Just to say...i play hockey and mtb both very expensive scary
Not that this news isn't indicative of wider industry trends, but... Kona had been falling off the back since well before their acquisition. They hadn't offered an innovative or unique product for years and seemingly got caught in no-mans land: Not a 'premium' brand with a recession-proof customer base, no longer the 'cool' freeride brand they were in the '90s-'00s; Too small to compete with a company like Trek while offering essentially the same product lineup, but too big to be nimble and maneuver out of this pickle. I think they were probably already a 'distressed asset' when they got bought, and the post-covid crash has just hit them harder than both the bigger companies who could weather the storm, and the smaller companies who are a bit more 'en vogue' and offer a more unique, premium product.
Thanks for these updates.
I opted to have my 2018 Scott Spark RC rebuilt. New pivots and cables. Had the shocks and wheels rebuilt. Good as new. AND with the money I had left over , was able to get a new set of xo cranks. I like the geo on the older frame .
The economy sucks. Inflation and interest rates are through the roof. The entire world is in turmoil. Expensive mountain bikes are simply not on a lot of peoples radar right now.
And the liars in the media continue to cover for how very, very bad things are in so many areas of the economy. Millions more people are truly struggling than were 3 years ago.
That's part of the problem as well as the Covid turmoil where everyone bought bikes due to boredom and rode them 3 times as now the market is flooded with practically brand new , used bikes. The other problem that nobody seems to mention is that E-Bikes are taking over , residing in the small city of Manchester NH , where I ride through the city and all the local rail trails about 4-5 times a week , I've noticed that about 50% of people are now riding E-bikes . The majority of the E-bikes that I see are not bike store bikes , as most of them are cheap Amazon E-bikes.
@@manchesterexplorer8519 Dude, I'm near there. I ride the Goffstown RT into Manch sometimes.
@@festerofest4374 Cool we may of crossed paths 👍
E-bikes are not the problem. The problem is that MTBs & eMTBs are way overpriced to the point that it's f#@king ridiculous.
Surely once you've paid for the lot, flown everyone there, set up your stand etc most of the costs are already spent? The only reason I can think they'd close early is if they were showing product that was being cancelled?
That’s what doesn’t make any sense. Like hotels were booked and paid for and everything
We had the feeling Kona would be the biggest domino to fall the moment they started their buy one/get one for free deal sadly...I can't imagine a brand that big such as Kona not being around, anyway wish you the best this season mate
They were recently bought by Kent Outdoors, so there's probably more going on than you think.
Kona was Born in Vancouver. Majority of their Buyers is from Vancouver and considering what is happening there people will choose to pay Rent than to buy a New Bike.
this is the most truthful thing out there, people are literally struggling with housing and also food instead of disposable income
No Vancouverites are buying Kona bikes anymore. Rarely see one on the trails these days.
Oh! I thought Kona was a Hawaii bike brand.
Full suspension mtbs are notnselling well al the momento because most of MTB from 2021-2022 are absolutely great bikes! Most people are rather upgrading parts through the used market or even upgrading bikes the same route! Prices are ridiculously high even with the high discounts the industry needs to understand that bikes aren’t worth that much money
Yeah, the only time when you need to buy/replace a bicycle is if you outgrown it, getting into a different kind of biking, or the frame cracks or snaps, or you just didn't own one (like with me, I haven't owned a bicycle for the past 20 ish years until around a month ago).
Otherwise you just repair or replace parts when needed. A Bicycle can last for many years.
$500 is the most I'll spend on a bicycle, I'm not out there thrashing the mountain trails, or competitive biking, I'm simply riding the paved bicycle paths every weekend, I don't need a multi thousand dollar bicycle to do that.
2021 bikes arent even old. As much as the bike industry wants to pretend that 'ancient' bikes from 2021 w/ 'outdatted geometries' are obsolute, they're not and are very capable bikes. Most of us really won't see any practical benefit of going UDH Transmission vs AXS Eagle
My 2020 cannondale habit looks the same as the 2024, lol. Bought it used in excellent condition for under 3k for the carbon
I have a 2004 Kona howler 4x bike and its hands down the most fun jump/jib/trail bike ive ridden even compared to brand new bikes! Sad to see a local Pacific Northwest bike company not thriving
Yea a lot of it has to do with current economy situation. But also it never helps when the people who created the product and believe in the product sell and that passion is not there anymore
It’s very sad to see the potential demise of such a legendary brand! I used to race hardtail back in the 90s and they were the bikes to have. Unfortunately the cycling industry need a wake up call, massively overpriced bikes which nobody is buying and shops with massive inventory not able to pay bills. Changing models just by changing colours and increasing prices year on year. People are prioritising cost of living and the used market getting flooded with bikes. I’ve heard from dealers that even the Giant Defy has been a sales flop with massive inventory unsold, just one example of a once very popular bike that the average rider has been priced out of
Wonder if this has anything to do with the lack of bikes under $1500? Anything in that price range is out of stock.
I think the industry has missed the mark on reading their prospective customers. There has been a marked shift from all-out performance to more a (boutique or custom and usually self-built-up) bike for anything mentality - add financial strains - and the idea of shelling out car money or mortgage down payments on a bicycle seem ludicrous. The industry has been able to put high-end superbikes as a 'normal' for so long - even a recent podcast questioned where the 'sweet-spot' bicycle price was and that was almost $3k for a frame and wheels - and thats kinda what the average cyclist is expected to run, and the issue is - its difficult disagreeing with them... If the average enthusiasts bicycle is expected to cost $4k... The big name industry needs to be producing more $600-1000 bikes. In some part the blame should be focussed on YT content who have normalised expected costs - and raised the soft cost to entry ceiling of bikes outside of the reach of the average person.
I think they miss the entry level full suspension customers, I worked in a bike shop when we used to have 1500 and 1999 and 2500 dollar full suspensions, we sold tons of them. Later the cheapest suspensions were more like 3500, and I had to turn a lot of people away. Basically they jump from 999 for a decent but basic hardtail, right to 3500 for the cheapest full suspension. This isn't because the forks, wheels and groupsets to make such a bike don't exist, it's deliberate by the industry, they chose to not cater to that market, deeming them too poor, or just not committed enough. Last time I was at the shop they had kids 26 inch full suspension bikes at good prices, with technology that would absolutely, totally work on an adult bike, but they don't make any such bike. It's not hard, an aluminum frame with the cheapest OEM rockshok or suntour or whatever suspension parts, as long as they don't all break it doesn't matter, OEM off brand cranks like you get on Aliexpress, Deore or equivalent, mix in some sub-deore, use a couple parts from that 999 hardtail, I don't care, no-name wheels, OEM everything else, it shouldn't cost more than 1999, in fact, I don't see why it can't be less. There could be 2 or 3, from 1500 to 2500, or even a bit higher, but I don't see the point of higher than 2500 for the low end full suspension, cause they still wanna sell the 3499 and 3999 ones. The cheap one I'm imagining only has 120mm or 130mm of travel or therabouts, maybe 100 even, and isn't optimized for any particular type of mountain biking, it's a heavy dog of a full suspension bike with all cheap crappy parts, with no point doing any big upgrades because none of the top of the line stuff should even fit on it. For people who reckon that's not good enough, they have to just get a little bit more cash together, but from working in a bike shop, a lot of people buy these bikes. The truth is, the industry judges them too much hassle for too little money, since many of them don't become hard core mountain biker dentists and spend the price of a really good car every year on all sorts of bike stuff like energy gels and boutique bicycle specific soap, they don't come back and buy 500 or 600 worth of clipless pedals and shoes, they don't even buy new bikes every year, all they really do is come back trying to get you to fix their bike if it ever breaks. The attitude is that the profit from selling them the bike isn't enough, the normal rate they charge for service work isn't enough, the industry is so entitled, it's like they basically think everybody owes them a bunch of money. They get a few "whale" customers and then think "gee, what if I only cater to the whales" basically, and it might be just fine for business most of the time, but it does drastically reduce the number of people buying bikes at the local bike shop, and the number of people actually mountain biking. These sales are lost to other hobbies, these people get a kayak or a playstation or a camera or whatever. And the bike industry is like "mission accomplished." Note my prices are Canadian, but this gap exists in most bike lineups, maybe in USD though it hits price points that make more sense, but I kind of doubt it.
@@majun26 Yeah this is kind of my point. In the late mid 90's the industry got pretty dialled on their production, you could get a 'cheap' hardtail with a frame close to or same as the pro's - Aluminium was just taking over fro steel... Ironically it coincided with one of the first massive implosions within manufacturers with loads of buy-outs - but the fact that these bikes essentially don[t exist these days is crazy - some manufacturers like Marin and Jamis seem to be filling that niche, but why we don't see Giant, Kona and Trek so much... Seems to be post 2010, maybe 2006 that the divide between affordable and more premium killed the privateer racers off pretty suddenly (obviously there are some other factors like the UCI getting involved with MTB in the late 90's)... But why we don't see more decent framed, deore equiped upgradable bikes under 1500 does my head in. Though as you've said there seems to be this concept that you're either a commuter or a pro... I'd love to see a race class where frames must be metal hardtails / limited to say 11 speed / 100mm travel.
Honestly what would sell a lot of bikes, a sub $1000 bike with modern geometry and parts, give me a tapered head tube, thru Axle front and back, 120-130mm suspension, and a Shimano cues group set, basically give me an entry level bike that can be upgraded to match a riders skill as they progress without the need to buy a new bike in a year, but no manufacturer wants that because it costs them a certain amount of future sales for every entry level bike they sell.
@@blizzardskier89 exactly.
America and xanada has the higest rates of debt to income ratio at the moment no ine is even thinking about splutfing
Thanks for the update, Grant, heartbreaking news and to be told to leave THE major off-road expo must have been humiliating for the reps on the ground.
Laughing at Florida man trying to pronounce 'Ouroboros'!
lol I tried my best. My tongue wouldn’t allow it
@@GCPerformance18 in your defence it is definitely a difficult one if you aren't prepared for it!
To be fair, it's super dumb to give a challenging name to any product. People don't like to ask for a product when they're embarrassed that they'll mispronounce it.
Maybe it should be called...The Outro?
Wild times. My main bike right now is the 2020 Jake the Snake which is my do it all road/gravel bike and I love the paint and straight tubing. Never selling it. Glad I picked up a spare hanger for it. Checked not to long ago and they no longer made CX bikes which I thought was odd. Also built a 1998 Kona Kula that I found on ebay and it had the best headtube paint/logo. No way this brand can just go away... at least I hope not.
yea and it seems right now the cx category is still doing decent for bike manufactorer so to be without that in the lineup is not the best
My buddy had the Major Jake, and it was probably one of the best bikes ever made. He's now wishing he kept it instead of selling it.
@@PatrickJohannes-os5bv I was planning on a new steel all-road build, but now thinking of hunting down a Super Jake frameset. The geometry works so well!
In PA most of March and the first part of April have been rough in terms of rain. I've been riding my Walmart road bike a fair bit too because when the sun does come out the trails are frequently still too muddy from the last three days rain. It seems to be getting a bit better now. There's still a lot of showers but not enough that everything stays muddy for a long time.
I hear you. I've only ridden about 400 miles this year so far because it's either raining or I have to work. Record amounts of rain in Western Pa and more to come. Mother Nature is one sick bitch. The rivers are peaking and the land doesn't need any more water.
No surprise sales are hurting. Look at the price of these bikes! On top of that, the segment is stagnating like crazy with very few innovations other than tweaking geometry and changing wheel sizes. Yet prices keep soaring. Add inflation to that, wars, low morale etc.
since it is tax season. one of the accountants added up the numbers. he told the ceo not only did we lose money, the company is totally bankrupt. close the doors. call back the sales guys even though everything is paid. close the doors. I am going to work for aptera.
It’s a buyer’s market in used bikes right now. So many great bikes were snapped up like toilet paper during the pandemic, not ridden, and now the owners want to move them on. Cycling isn’t for them, it turns out.
Brands are going to be competing against the product they sold in 2020-2022 for YEARS.
Yes, I just bought a barely ridden 2019 carbon road bike, full dura ace, 16lb, that originally retailed for $6800, paid $2200
Not the same here in UK people still trying to sell used bikes for crazy money and being insulted by offers, then sitting in the used markets for months. Used market in the uk also stagnated
@@tombola4046there are still plenty of "out of touch" sellers in the used market here in Colorado. I have been looking daily for the past year (while riding my only bike, a gravel bike) and am only now starting to see some being priced to actually sell...
@@justinofboulder I think the issue being many non cyclists bought 8-10k bikes over here during Covid, hardly rode them and are still expecting to get 7-8k for them. I spoke to a guy recently who was trying to sell a three year old Aethos Pro for £7k, I pointed out you could buy a brand new one with warranty from a shop for 6.2k and all he said was his was like new and cost him £8k. Unfortunately that won’t ever sell unless he gets more realistic
@@tombola4046 Yes, it always amazes me how many people didn't pay attention to economics in school. Historically, bicycles have never held their value that great to begin with, but people think that just because they don't ride them, that they will be worth as much as they paid.
I've been riding bikes since 1978. I've bought six or seven brand new bicycles and well over 30 used. I usually go for high-end models that are a couple years old, but have been well taken care of, as I'd rather let someone else absorb the depreciation.
How much does a spot at sea otter cost? Maybe the check didn't clear? Even though you'd think they'd bill it over time
It was time for me to upgrade this past year and to be honest I was tired of these big brands telling me what I should ride. I researched and chose a chromag rootdown and built it myself getting exactly what I wanted.
The thing that surprised me the most from this video was that "Summertime is a slow time" which seems counter-intuitive since that ought to be when people are itching to get outdoors and ride.
For us we have a lot of tourist who come down “snowbirds” New Yorkers and Canadians who come down who have second properties. A lot of people who have high income come to Florida to get away from the cold and they all leave when it is summer bevhase it is unbearable. People don’t like being outside in summer time here. So much humidity, too many bugs, and the heat
@@GCPerformance18 Ah, I didn't realize you were based in Florida. That makes sense then. I'm in Chicago. We suffer through winter so that we can enjoy our summers.
That’s what you get for years of incrementally raising prices on these bikes t where they are more expensive than cars and motorcycles.
I mean those prices have been around for 10 plus years specialized had the McLaren venge in like 2013 for $18,000
I had a kona stab deluxe downhill bike years ago. Great bike but super heavy
Shocking to cancel a product launch at a big bike festival. Seems very shortsighted
Ouroboros (oo · ruh · bo · ruhs). A circular symbol that depicts a snake or dragon devouring its own tail and that is used especially to represent the eternal cycle of destruction and rebirth.
How ominous!
Let's be frank here. The problem with mtbs is that they've gotten too damn expensive. When I walk into Trek, Specialized, and etc, all I see are bikes that are $4,500 and up with ebikes topping $15k. Who are they targeting!? During COVID, when bike prices skyrocketed, it was all good as people who weren't really into mountain biking needed things to do that didn't require others to be involved. Prices went up substantially. Now that those traditionally non mountain bike types have flooded the market with their bikes, the industry is in conflict. Why pay $5k plus on a new S-Brand Enduro when I can get one for $3k ridden maybe 3 times on a gravel trail.
People are sic of paying out the ass for bikes. Bike company's got greedy and now they are crying
I don't think the companies are crying but the ex-employees are. I don't feel for these people though, they knew what they were doing.
There are far too many brands with far too many models. This was inevitable. For a long time, there was no reason to buy a Kona. Their biggest hit was a design stolen from a custom builder. Adios, Kona.
Really? Link?
And in a summer Olympic year where lots of new eyes see the DH and Mtb cycling
I heard they aren’t releasing new products until October of this year
Guess I’ll keep my old Pahoehoe hard tail. A collector’s item for sure now. lol
I have a new video coming out. I guess Kent is selling Kona again because the line is not what it’s suppose to do it
I don't expect big sales in Canada because all stores have small inventory.
Buy one, get one sound crazy tho )
P.S. Joe from China Cycling predicted in January that many companies will disappear in 2024.
yea it going to get tough out there
Just looked on their website and every full suspension bike says sold out.
I doubt they are gonna restock
Signs were there allreay if the frame colour stays the same for two years...😢 And nothing else changes as well. I have a 2021 prism blue Kona Woo, my first good bike. I really hope Kona can survive!
My 2016 Santa Cruz 5010 still shreds. A comparably spec’ed new Pivot Shadowcat (same suspension linkage, same wheel size, similar geo, more travel and a couple pounds lighter) is $7,000. Um…
I hope Rocky Mountain stays profitable. I just bought a new Instinct carbon for 40% off. Less than $3K for a Deore equipped, Marchoccci Z2, Fox DPS, etc.
i hope kona is still ok:( all the people i know are not buying them any more due to warranties being not the greatest , i had a stinky back in the day, great bike
they are really nice bikes a lot of my customers who have multiple bikes usually have a kona in the quiver
@@GCPerformance18 my whole stable is from kona (im from europe). four bikes.. big honzo, unit x and 2 kona sutras.. bought honzo and unit recently with big discounts :)
Kona was just recently bought by Kent Outdoors. They're okay.
@@barfo281maybe Kent just bought them
For the name. Or maybe Kona sold at the right time and now the brand is not doing what it was when the people who made the brand and loved it left. Kent could use the name for something else or maybe dissolve a lot of there business models. And you said a 4-5 day sale in the off season. It was was December 12th until the 31st that’s 2 weeks of giving away $4000 bikes of you spent $4000 that’s a massive sale
@@GCPerformance18 Okay, you're correct in that it was 2 weeks, not just a week....but it's still a short term sale in the off season, not a liquidation event.
"Wer Mama schlägt und Oma haut, der kauft auch das was Kona baut!"
It never get's old! DWL
Kerry Werner will need a new ride
He rides Enve now. Sad how they dumped the CX team
It's the perfect storm. Most buyed bikes before and during the pandamic. DH/FR Bikes, which Kona in my mind is known for, aren't practical in any type of daily commuting/riding in the city. The buying power isn't on the level before inflation, taking those bikes out on the weekend costs time and money on commute, food, maybe tickets for a bike park. Also the maintenance of any suspension bike can be annoying, servicing forks, shocks and bearings can be a real annoyance if you just want to take your bike out on the weekend to shred.
They have almost no significant dealer presence around my metropolitean area of 1,2million. I would have to go to the next city of 600k to have two shops that are marked as dealers on their dealer locator. Their whole line-up besides DH/FR and Fatbikes does not appeal to me visually. Their E-Bikes partially look dated.
They also seem to almost no presence around content social media, the most presence seem to have canyon, orbea, scott and rose. But i am not that deep into mtb youtube, since my dh days are a far memory.
I looked them up and the original owners sold Kona to Kent Outdoors 2022, maybe the founders got their bag, and can snatch back their brand for a bargain. Or they were already in trouble back then and had to sell.
yea its the truth, that sport takes time and money to go do, like an hour drive to the trail being there for two hours and then backl while buying equipment for the bike the cost of mtbing is getting expensive for the average consumer
POLE just Bit the dust yesterday!
yea I watched the video on that, that was so sad to hear
I hear old school Kona Hardtails make great donor bikes for electric conversions.
Dammm every mtb OG gonna remember the stinky and the hard tail kona scrap from 10 , 15years ago
The cost of new bikes in the industry (UK) are just madness, there needs to be a natural correction and unfortunately, i think natural selection will take effect with these large brands.
I was wondering why Kerry Werner was riding an Enve Fray.
I hear that ENVE Fray is really expensive. I guess there are still a few companies that aren't learning any lessons. Maybe ENVE needs to be the next company to go bankrupt. Greedy damn company.
Not looking good. I remember the 90s Konas,rode a few but never had one till 2012,a Kona Kahuna 29er hardtail.
Love that bike,had no issues with it and still have it.
Yep I bought a kahuna in 2013 , black with some orange accents. Tricked it out with gold parts , stan flow , hope hubs , xt brakes. Heck it was a Maserati when I got done with it. Now Im in the market for another one as I passed the kahuna on to my son for graduation as a gift. I look on their sight and it's all way overpriced full suspension and the good old kahuna line is no more. The specs on the bikes are horrible for how much they want. Im gonna switch to Norco.
My Kahuna is orange with blue accents,Deore with FSA cranks,WTB wheels and saddle.
Was cheap at the time and could be made much lighter but never felt the need to upgrade.
If the brand Kona goes under it will be very very bad for the bike industry as a whole.
yea I agree they are a big brand name that really shows that these companies are vulnerable if something like this is too happen
They're not going under. No reason to be hysterical.
Gravel bikes are whats in still.. i hardly ride my full sus Intense bike.. im tired of getting smoked on the way up to the trail the gravel bike makes easy work of climbs
Not seen a kona in the UK since 2020
Since their latest promotion my local marketplace "MTB" section is filled with brand new Kona. I used to love the brand I still have my 20 yrs old hei hei, anyway they're screwed I guess 😅
Ripping people off
2k is too much money for a bike
29 in wheels are possibly to blame. The fad may be over
Stick to 26 I say.
The 25-year fad...
Companies do it to them selves. They put out new bikes way to often. And the prices just keep going up. Normal people don’t need a new bike very year. Especially when they average around 4500$. Not everyone is an elite racer. They buy a bike and ride it for 5-10 even 15 yrs. These companies are out of touch with their consumers, point blank period.
I feel like these brands painted themselves in to a corner price wise and are going to sink from the weight of unsold inventory that consumers can’t afford.
Kona have always made good bikes, but they kinda disappeared, not just from stores, but from my feeds. I think if you go direct to consumer you should get in their faces, like YT.
I think the slowdown on full sus is a lot of things, bikes are more durable so people keep them, the shelves were emptied a couple of years ago which means more bikes in the used market, nothing truly groundbreaking has come out in nearly a decade so people are sticking with what they have. My workshop has gotten busier and busier, but I'm not hearing people looking for or seeing them coming in with brand new bikes.
It’s coming for road bike companies too. All these small to mid companies releasing high end road bikes are going to feel it or not make it. The big guys will make it fine. These brands are popping up everywhere with 8k-12k bikes. It’s the wrong time to be dropping those. All these brands at Sea Otter are dropping high end stuff. Wrong time dudes wrong time.
I'm looking to buy another full suspension. Problem is prices are still high and all the fun no interest financing options are no longer available.
Considering food prices, gas prices, travel costs, it's time to tighten the belt.
so its the 2nd or 3rd time for them if true
Really odd. Hope they're ok. They've gone to sea otter for years and years.
I'm hoping Kona will simply announce plans to "right size" Ilike Trek plans to do instead of filing for bankruptcy or insolvency. I'd much rather see Trek, Specialized, Giant, Cannondale, BMC, Pinarello, Scott, or a couple of the Pon Holdings bike go under. Those companies need to seriously trim the fat (aka absurd CEO/senior management to 'normal employees' pay ratio), significantly dial back marketing budget (we don't need to be fed the BS about aerodynamics, stiffness, compliance, watts, weight, etc.), reduce SKUs, and offer higher discounts on mid-range & top-end bikes. The trend of continuing to sell atrociously overpriced bikes is not sustainable. Circling back to Kona, I loved their Jake line of cyclocross/gravel bikes. Those were some of the most versatile bikes at that time. Wish Kona would have improved upon the Jake line.
Kona was just acquired by another company. What makes you think they're going under? Running an off-season, post-holiday sale for a few days? Jeepers!
@@barfo281 By whom? Unless you're referencing the Kent Outdoors acquisition that occurred in early 2022, there hasn't been any updates on Kona, at least from what I haven't been able to locate. Do you have a link to any updates?
@@PatrickJohannes-os5bv 2022 isn't that long ago.
And Kent Outdoors just announced that they are looking to sell Kona, at the same time as they announced that they received a $100 million investment from Eclipse Business Capital.
If the plan was to shut Kona down, they would have just done that instead of looking to transfer it to a new owner.
Crazy. Got two Kona's. 2008 Dew Drop and a 2008 Dawg.
It's funny that one of the new Konas is called Ouroboros, because it's what's happening in Capitalism; a snake swallowing it's own tail.
They would be great in Portugal with the right marketing strategy
they are a great bike anywhere I just think the demand is not there or if kent has other plans for the name who knows but I think a huge part for the company is dealers enhuthiast pushing the brand and I do not think they are a direct to consumer brand
@@GCPerformance18 I have never seen it here, but Kona, is our slang for pussy 😭🤣🤣🤣 they would be pulling mad numbers 😅
@@GCPerformance18 vagina lol
This is what late stage capitalism looks like.
Bidenomics...wake up
Average Joe is now buying a e bike
They make e-bikes
Must say kona are way too expensive for what in my opinion is an 80 per cent finished product. They ride well but always look half decent and are heavy as sin. Why would you buy a kona if you can get a better specced yt, giant etc for the same money? I hope they’ll pull through though, great people and an iconic brand in mountainbiking.
I think also after the lockdown boom manufacturers got greedy.
Santa Cruz wants $11.5k for their top electric dual suspension bike. You can buy a Yamaha YZF-R7 for $9.2k. Zero reason for a dual suspension mountain bike to cost more than a new motorcycle that can go 160mph+.
It's more complicated than that. Motorcycles are cheaper because they make way more units. Yamaha owns and runs their own factories as well, it's a multi-billion dollar corporation. A lot of parts and tooling gets reused and shared between platforms as well. More units made = lower cost.
That said, I agree with your sentiment.
Especially when you consider the lifespan and resale value of a motorcycle vs. an electric bike with all proprietary electrics and planned obsolescence bicycle parts. If Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, or Kawasaki ever decided to make a bicycle, the industry would be absolutely finished, they could all pack up and leave Sea Otter together then with their e-waste.
@@majun26 Yamaha makes e-bikes, YDX Moro 07 is the flagship model. I've never seen one out in the wild though.
@@majun26 I'm surprised with these companies charging $10-11k for bicycles that the big four haven't taken notice.
@@2WheelsGood.01 Santa Cruz and Trek have revenue per employee on the same level as Suzuki and Kawasaki. I think we can both agree that the profit margin on a high end bike is in another league to what motorcycle manufacturers deal with. If you took the frame cost out of a modern bicycle, the components are all pretty cheap. Almost all the cost is in the frame.
I'm more interested in Frameset nowadays, and all my friends are switching to hard tails, or boutique bikepacking rigs. Also e-bikes can't be helping brands that don't have any e-bike options.
A lot of people like frames right now
Hahaha LOVE TO SEE IT! I hope all these crazy inflated bike prices manufacturers do the same. Hope the industry fails. All of it !
It's too bad when companies count on their good name and rep to carry them without innovating, nor competing and Kona has done neither in any real way for the last 10 years. Too bad considering their successful history. Almost everyone I know has either owned or wanted to own a Kona at some point in the past.
Must be the gravel bike killing off dual suspension. A sense of survival makes the average person not try anything too difficult off road so suspension just slows the bike down.
Surrons!
It's not about to get any better for the markets, it's only going to get worse. Hopefully, some of these brands will survive it. They're going to have to get creative.
I know also the economy and stock market just took a tank this week because of the inflation reports
with pandemic helicopter money gone-and pandemic demand gone, the inventory can only be cleared by significant price reductions. that means Kona and others need to find ways to significantly lower costs. More bike direct is likely coming as result. reduced work force. reduce expenses everywhere (no sea otter, no sponsorships.). hopefully not a liquidation.
seems like they are searching for a buyer, or will shut down.
Pole = Pole - eh
And yeah the owner announce he is dissolving the company. It's a SAD day for the MTB world as Pole were very very innovative.
The world of cycling is struggling rn :(
yea too much inventory and too many competitive sales and not enough demand causing for bad times
@@GCPerformance18I hope when prices come down people will start buying again. The industry needs a huge reset
Eat local raw honey and develop immunity.
Really?? That’s new I’ll give it a try
Pole ... aswell
Well POLE kept selling bikes even though they knew they will go bankrupt so maybe Kona is trying to avoid a doing just that
Yea possibly
5:49 - or-o-bore-us
They became trash after 00s. Now they’re Walmart bikes just like trek and specialized
Their new gravel bike is ugly. Not seeing a mass appeal on that offering.
Said the same. They should have kept the Jake series CX bikes and promoted that more to the gravel race crowd. It clears 45c already. The super sloping top tubes are hella ugly haha
Yea when I saw that I was thinking the same thing
Very cool brand. Hate it for their employees. Must be a very scary time for them.
men dont want to ride a kona because they want it to ride them.....
Kona is way overpriced. Spec is poor on say a $5200 CAD Process 153. NX components...no thanks.
Kona are leaving the market. Kona UK are remaining
Any source on that? Just bought a process, wondering about long-term support
@@mattklassen8599 I received an email this week stating their intentions to leave the market. I'm in the trade just haven't been a Kona stockist for 3 years.
Everyone's in trouble, bigtime
No, this is just hysteria.
Truth
Planet cyclery just announced they are closing too
They're practically almost giving away their bikes.
yea I know which is sad
For a 4 or 5 day sale in the off season?