CAPTION CONTEST #2
Come up with a witty caption for this photo and email it to us. Whoever comes up with the best caption wins a set of Kenda Knarly 26x2.10 tires, and additional honorable mention entries will be published in a future MBA issue.
Email Your Captions Here
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH KONA
In our February 2003 issue, we tested the Kona Stinky Dee-Lux. Here is an on-line only interview with Pat White of Kona Bicycles telling you more about the bike.
The Stinky line of out-of-bounds mountain bikes may be Kona Bicycles? most vital bike category. These burly, long-travel bikes that can still be pedaled efficiently have set the standard for a new breed of extreme rider. MBA recently thrashed the Kona Stinky Dee-Lux and came away pumped about our time spent in its saddle.
Not included in our test (MBA, February 2003) and published exclusively here on MBAction.com is an interview with Kona?s Pat ?Paddy? White by Mountain Bike Action?s Editor, Jimmy Mac. Pat was one of the guys responsible for the birth of the Stinky line.
Jimmy: The Stinky line is five years old. Who got the idea?
Pat: So many things fed into the Stinky. We had figured the time was right for a mass-produced downhill racer. We introduced the Stab. It was a true production downhill bike for the guy who couldn?t afford to go the custom frame route. The biggest surprise came from our European importers. They came back to us asking for Stabs with multiple chainrings! That caught us by surprise. It turns out there was a certain poseur element in Europe. The riders were using the Stab to look bad for riding around in city parks! At the same time, we saw the North Shore guys using the Stab for their type of riding.
Jimmy: Those guys are anything but poseurs.
Pat: Right. These guys needed serious suspension and strong frames that could be pedaled. The Stinky began to take shape. People said we were nuts and that no one would buy a bike like the Stinky, but we changed the geometry, changed the frame tubing and lightened up the bike. We thought of the Stinky as an out-of-bounds bike. It was for the guy into extreme riding, hucking and going fast. It was also for the poseurs (laughter).
Jimmy: What?s changed in the Stinky?s five-year life?
Pat: Something has changed every year. It started out as a 5-inch travel bike with round tubes and gusseting. Then we upgraded to Easton tubing. Later we changed it to our own Kona Clump tubing. The travel kept increasing to the 7 inches on the bike you guys just tested.
Jimmy: Our bike came with Nokian tires, but your spec said that Tiogas were stock. What?s the story there?
Pat: That was a panic, fourth-gear-triple rev that happens to product managers from time to time (laughter). We liked the Tioga Factory DH multi-use tire in testing, but when the first production samples came in, they were blowing off the rims! It turns out that Tioga made a change to the tire?s sidewall, They made it thicker and for some reason, they just wouldn?t stay on the rims. We switched to Nokian because we know the tire. Tioga corrected the problem quickly for us so if you see a Stinky Dee-Lux with Tioga tires at a Kona dealer, rest assured they are the improved tires.
Jimmy: How do you define ?out of bounds? riding?
Pat: It is the type of riding where the destination is not as important to the rider as the trip. It is not how fast you can get somewhere, it is how much fun you have getting there.
Jimmy: Is the Stinky too good of a bike for trail riding? Is it overkill?
Pat: I know what you mean and that?s a tough question. The point you raise needs to be addressed by all of use who make mountain bikes. I don?t think you can blame a bike because it is designed well and is capable of going fast. The Stinkys have great suspension and even better brakes. They can be ridden fast by a skilled rider on a trail where a rider of equal ability with less suspension and less stopping power would be going slower. Still, the Stinky gives a rider more control. You will always have a guy who rides over his head. That guy will only need one good get-off to cure him of that problem.
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