The bike manufacturer Kona stubbornly fights against the cliché of only being able to build indestructible but heavy bikes for rough terrain. This "King" scandium frame shows that the Americans also produce elegant lightweights for cross-country races: Due to the suspension system with the distinctive rocker, the bike is instantly recognizable as a Kona. But the carbon seat stays, the bottom bracket area artfully milled out of the block and the short suspension element reveal that this Kona is all about efficiency and light weight ? 65 millimeters of suspension travel will have to do.

Of course, Kona also remains true to the cliché and presents a whole range of even more pimped-up bikes for friends of gravity for 2005. From the "Dawg" enduro bike to the "Coilers" and the "Stinkies", all bikes have one inch more suspension travel, turning the "Dawgs" into all-rounders, the "Coiler" models into lightweight freeriders with park ambitions and the "Stinkies" into popular downhillers at a cracking price. After all, the "Stinky" fun starts at 2900 francs ? that's how much a downhill fork alone usually costs. Finally, the "Stinky Supreme" is in a category of its own: With the same suspension as the World Cup downhiller from Kona and robust components, this bike will flatten pretty much anything ? including the rider if things should go uphill.