🚨 Breaking News! Kona Back Where it Belongs! Original Owners Return (But What Does This Mean?)

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🚨 Breaking News! Kona Back Where it Belongs! Original Owners Return (But What Does This Mean?)

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Күн бұрын

⚙️ Interview with John Bradley ⚙️ Is Kona About to Make a Comeback? Original Owners Repurchase the Brand (Industry Experts Weigh In!):
• As The Wheel Turns, So...
As The Wheel Turns, So Do The Days of Our Rides. This series is my reflection on current events in the industry and consumer perspective. With my 30 years in the business, I try to give a better understanding and some added context to today's topics. Let's have a look.
The latest news on Kona Bicycles is their reacquisition by the company's original founders, Jake Heilbron and Dan Gerhard. This happened in May 2024, after Kona had been under the ownership of Kent Outdoors for the previous three years.
Here are some key details about the acquisition:
✅ Return to Roots: Heilbron and Gerhard aim to bring Kona back to its original roots, focusing on the brand's core values of fun, quality, and a touch of quirkiness.
✅ Shift in Sales Strategy: Kona is ending its direct-to-consumer sales program and refocusing on building strong relationships with local bike shops.
✅ Product Line Refresh: A refreshed, but potentially reduced, range of bikes is expected in the coming years.
✅ Uncertain Future for Some Categories: It's possible that certain bike categories within Kona's lineup might be discontinued by the end of 2025.
This acquisition has generated a lot of buzz in the cycling industry, with many fans excited about the prospect of Kona returning to its former glory. However, there are also questions about the impact on product availability and the future direction of the brand.
Here are some resources where you can learn more about the Kona acquisition:
✅ Industry News Article: Kona Bikes is Back in the Hands of its Founders!
✅ Press Release (Bicycle Retailer and Industry News ): www.bicycleret...
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Пікірлер: 45

@IKnowAGuyBicycles 3 ай бұрын

Please "Like" and also " Share" to keep the conversation going. More insights from my perspective with 30 years of experience in the cycling Industry in the playlist: kzfaq.info/sun/PLdfUXv0-z1u42bZpCLWmT2VtNW-7AIf2A

@PAExploration 3 ай бұрын

Wish they would bring back the Stinky and the late 90s/early 00s graphics and colors. Those were the Konas I loved, I never should have sold my Stinky

@hippiebits2071 3 ай бұрын

I’m so glad to hear this! I’ve always loved that Kona is one of the very few “bike shop” brands that still offers the option of selecting a cro-moly frame on a number of their models. Reasonably priced in my opinion as well. I hope things go well for them. Nice bikes without the sort of implied pretentiousness that seems attached to many other brands.

@IKnowAGuyBicycles 3 ай бұрын

I totally agree! Thank you for sharing.

@leightonbohl1920 2 ай бұрын

Ah, the early Konas! Just finished rebuilding my 1989 Cinder Cone. What things have you got that that are 35 years old and still work as good as new - and look as good?!!

@mikefougere 3 ай бұрын

Manufacturing ( as much as possible) and assembly in North America is the key to gain a following of clients.

@guitarlessonsnow3431 3 ай бұрын

Kona were an awesome brand. Still have my Coiler, which I still ride regularly and they always responded to my emails when I had an upgrade question.

@shafiqjan1474 3 ай бұрын

It was a possibility when the bankers said they wanted to sell. The original owners coming back is the best result. I started looking at frames to replace my Process 153 but now I can keep her.

@Daniel-yf9iy 3 ай бұрын

I have a Rove DL and I love it.

@AndrewSmyk 3 ай бұрын

The colours on the Jake the Snake frames are stellar! Was hoping to build up a Honzo ST frame, but unfortunately, no restock this season.

@scmorton8 3 ай бұрын

This news has made my day! I truly love my 2020 Rove DL (AL model). I’ve customized and upgraded it over time and enjoy showing up to group rides with a more interesting brand over the big three.

@IKnowAGuyBicycles 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

@sprocketandwheel 3 ай бұрын

The Hungarian Schwinn was " Csepel Works," a large bicycle factory that at one time made hundreds of thousands of bikes. mainly for the Eastern European market before the regime change.. a factory that had truly horrible QC.. They had a joint venture with Schwinn in the early 90's..

@IKnowAGuyBicycles 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for your insights. I remember when they hit our shop. They were a challenging build.

@michaelcafaro4022 3 ай бұрын

Thank god, and please put the seat stay pivot on the chain stay , enough already.

@blizzardskier89 2 ай бұрын

Not sure if it's a sign of things to come, but if you take a look at Kona's site as of this week it looks like they adjusted the MSRP on a lot of models down by 30-40% , the honzo series now starts at $1000 with the process series starting at $1500, obviously these prices need to make it into the bike shops, but when they do you'd be hard pressed to find more capable platforms at a lower barrier to entry into the sport. I'm excited to see the rebuild because Kona might just be making a play at making independent shops price competitive with online sales while at the same time targeting a capable, entry level market that everyone else seems to think should either get you outdated component standards or be priced closer to $1500-$2000.

@IKnowAGuyBicycles 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for letting me know. I'll check out those changes. Hopefully, this will strengthen their brand and the Independent Bike Shops as well.

@n22pdf 3 ай бұрын

This is great news 😊 businesses always do well when they are bought back by original owners who understand the brand customers and there roots 😊 ❤ Pete 🚴🏻👍

@IKnowAGuyBicycles 3 ай бұрын

Absolutely!! The brand at least has a chance now.

@jokermtb 3 ай бұрын

had a 2000.5 kona jake the snake with glow in the dark stickers back in the day.........still have a Kona Bike Hotrod cruiser.

@IKnowAGuyBicycles 3 ай бұрын

I should have worn my glow in the dark KONA shirt.

@jokermtb 3 ай бұрын

@@IKnowAGuyBicycles Next Kona vid! If they come back....?

@curtvaughan2836 3 ай бұрын

Yeah, I have a couple of Transition mountain bikes - the bikes are high quality, but I really just like the company and the brand. I hope they make it through all this mess. I almost bought a Kona back in 2021 through the direct-to-consumer route, but went with Transition instead.

@jeffdible8171 3 ай бұрын

Curious. Maybe they will regain the soul they used to have.

@Daniel-yf9iy 3 ай бұрын

I’d love to see Kona build a TI frame again.

@IKnowAGuyBicycles 3 ай бұрын

Me Too!

@JoeOsChannel 3 ай бұрын

This is great news.

@felicetanka 3 ай бұрын

I hope Rotor is given a chance in the US market.

@curtvaughan2836 3 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@IKnowAGuyBicycles 3 ай бұрын

Thank you! Much Appreciated!

@michaelmann3636 3 ай бұрын

Kona needs to be the first brand to go Pinion and Pinion Electric exclusively. It’s the future of bikes.

@RedLevine498 3 ай бұрын

I have a Dew that I like a lot. I like the looks of the steel Rove. Unit is nice too. Great that they make some nice steel bikes.

@IKnowAGuyBicycles 3 ай бұрын

Totally agree

@inlikeflynt56 3 ай бұрын

I bought a Kona Lava Dome for my ex in 1989. Great bike designed by Joe Murray.

@stu7588 3 ай бұрын

Kona back ❤️❤️ a got 2 konas a lave dome and honzo looking for a process next

@ValiRossi 3 ай бұрын

I'm still angry and bitter that my parents didn't buy me a Schwinn Mag Scrambler. I got a Sears mono shock instead.

@IKnowAGuyBicycles 3 ай бұрын

Same here.

@jasonstella74 3 ай бұрын

Good luck Kona is this biz market

@Mtb9r 3 ай бұрын

Hei Hei. 🎉

@jdm3137 3 ай бұрын

A fresh Jake set up for gravel would sell pancakes on Sunday

@daniellarson3068 3 ай бұрын

Do you ever see anything new from these bean-counter finance people? It just seems like they milk the cow until its dry and butcher it. Nice to see old Bessie saved from slaughter. I don't know if I've ever seen a Kona bike. I just like the story.

@user-qp6qc4tg8q 3 ай бұрын

You are worse the my wife there will always be a bike 🎉

@kursk88-k1t 3 ай бұрын

its doomed....

@IKnowAGuyBicycles 3 ай бұрын

There will be challenges.

@kursk88-k1t 3 ай бұрын

@@IKnowAGuyBicycles if they did not have enough fire in the belly to stay in the game in "normal" conditions....what changed? this seems like an emotional move. never ends well...