First look at two new 29er trail bikes from Kona
Originally posted on June 30, 2011 at 12:07 pm
The Satori
Kona said its US sales force was asking for something bigger. Something badder. Something that could handle tough terrain without sacrificing ridabilty.
So in steps the 2012 Satori, recently unveiled on the Kona Cog blog. Packing 130mm of travel atop those 29-inch wheels and a slack 68-degree head tube, it’s a step up from a racy cross country bike, but won’t leave you begging for a chair lift on the climbs.
For stiffness’ sake, the Satori goes big, with a 142×12 rear axle and a 20mm thur-axle at the end of the RockShox Revelation 29er RLT. The shock is a Fox Float RP2 XV with a larger volume chamber.
Kona says the comblete bike will come with 710mm bars, an Easton Vice 29 wheelset, Maxxis Ardent tires and a SRAM X7/X9 drivetrain and will probably weigh in at 28.5 to 29 pounds. Look for it at a Kona dealer near you in the fall.
The Honzo
Named after the alcoholic, chain-smoking chimpanzee, the Honzo is a steel 29er that will let you take the obstacle option on the trail without fear. To keep it flickable, Kona squeezed in 16.3-inch chainstays and room for a 2.4-inch tire and sacrificed the ability to run a front derailleur. The stock bike will come spec’d 1×9 with a 12×36 cassette. The 68-degree head tube holds a RockShox Revelation RL Dual Air 29er fork. Other cool frame features include the ability to accommodate a tapered fork, a custom seat tube with 31.6mm inner dimension and cable routing for a height-adjustable seatpost, sliding dropouts to allow for singlespeed and low top tube. Look for it in dealers in October.