Kona Scandium 6069

Known to be one of the lightest and strongest alloys in the world, and originally developed by the aerospace industry, new Kona Scandium 6069 is featured in many of our high-end bike models, from dual-suspension mountain bikes through to some of our top-ranking asphalt rides.

Scandium is a rare earth metal and potent grain refiner that, when added to aluminum alloy, elevates the strength and durability of the material by 50 per cent. Scandium aligns the grains of the alloy, making the metal less susceptible to failure. Scandium alloys are twice as strong as 6061 or 7005 aluminum, which means our Product Team uses much less material. Because of a Scandium alloy's strength, it can be butted thinly enough so the aluminum gives a more compliant feel that's similar to steel but without weight. In more specific terms, we're shaving weight off our aluminum frames by 10 to 15 per cent, without sacrificing strength and durability.

New Kona Scandium 6069, recently made available for 2012, comes with yield strengths that are about 40 per cent higher than previous scandium alloys. The result is the strongest per-weight aluminum alloy ever made. Because of its fibrous or fine-grained structure, Scandium 6069 alloy reveals a unique combination of high strength, high toughness, good corrosion resistance and excellent fatigue strength.

For 2012, you'll find Kona Scandium 6069 sprinkled throughout our bike platforms, most notably in the Abra Cadabra 100-160mm variable travel backcountry bike and the Big Kahuna 29er hardtail.

2012 Kona Scandium 6069 bikes: Hei Hei 29, Hei Hei 29 Deluxe, Hei Hei 29 Supreme, Hei Hei 100, Tanuki Supreme, 2+2, Cadabra, Abra Cadabra, Big Kahuna, Big Unit, Lele

Sloping Toptube

Kona recognized the advantages of sloping toptube frame design right from the beginning. Designed by inaugural MTB-Hall-of-Fame legend Joe Murray back in 1988, the very first Konas were some of the first mountain bikes to feature sloping toptubes (STT). As a company we've stayed true to this philosophy, going so far as to pioneer the design in road bikes long before its benefits were understood by most of the industry. Because of the many positives STT design brings to overall bike performance and comfort, you'll find it today throughout our entire line of road, commuter and mountain bikes.

Here's why: Firstly, STT design allows the toptube to be lower, providing more room for correct positioning and free body movement and enabling more standover clearance, which is particularly useful on dual-suspension bikes that have higher bottom brackets. Riders have a more secure riding position, a real benefit when riding downhill sections.

Secondly, a big benefit of STT is a longer and more compliant toptube. As the top and downtube become more parallel, there's less triangulation, resulting in more compliancy. Not only is the frame stronger and more responsive, but it absorbs more shock than frames with horizontal toptubes.

Compact Rear Triangle

Short chainstays and seatstays provide a perfect balance of stability and power transfer when out of the saddle and pedaling hard. Shorter seatstays also have less deflection during braking and accelerate faster than longer stays. The shorter rear triangle also helps the bike to negotiate tight-twisting sections of trail. Our new Entourage short-travel downhill bike is a good example of an incredibly compact rear triangle. Our goal was to create a bike that was easy to jump and trick, and could also corner aggressively. With seatstays measuring just 415mm, we've created one of the most nimble short travel DH bikes in the industry.

Internal Headset

By having the headset bearing located inside the headtube (called zero stack), rather than the top and bottom, we are able to achieve a number of advantages when it comes to front-end stiffness, durability and overall riding performance. The major benefit of an internal headset is the extra layer of protection it provides the bearings against the elements. Additionally, the bearings are commonly available angular contact bearings, which are easily and inexpensively replaced. An internal headset also reduces stack height, so the height of the stem and bars are more adjustable, giving the rider the best fit possible.

Tapered Headtube

For 2012, you'll find a large majority of Kona bicycles featuring zero stack, tapered headtubes. From cyclocross to cross-country, 29ers right through to longer-travel dual-suspension models, like our Entourage and Operator, a tapered headtube provides more support at the intersection of the toptube and downtube, greatly improving stability and overall performance.

The design also offers a more solid interface between forks with tapered steertubes and the bicycle frame itself. More girth at the bottom of the headtube better distributes shock force, prolonging the bearing life of the headset itself. The inherent strength of its triangular design also means a stronger steering position and improved balance, giving the rider more control in rough terrain. A zero stack, tapered headtube also puts strength where the load is going-into the lower headset cup-maximizing bearing durability where it's needed.

Kona Sizing and Fit

Sizing and fit have always been one of the main strengths of the Kona Ride. With more stock sizes available than any other bike company, our size scale is designed to be continuous from platform to platform and is easy to understand from the perspective of the consumer because our simplified system allows easy fine-tuning that creates a perfect marriage of bike and rider.

On our Trail/All-Mountain and XC Race bikes, we feature longer toptubes coupled with shorter stems and slightly shorter headset stack heights. The steps between sizes are at half-inch to one-inch increments, with up to seven sizes that can range from 14 to 22 inches on many models. In the asphalt range, size gaps are at even 15 to 20mm steps. There are still up to six sizes, from 46cm to 61cm on most models.

When it's called for, seat posts are either offset or straight to maximize the reach and power output of the rider. More importantly, our comprehensive bike sizing allows Kona dealers and riders to determine their fit more easily from model to model and category to category.

Lifetime Warranty

Kona warrants to the original owner that their new Kona bicycle frame purchased from an authorized Kona dealer shall be free of defective materials or workmanship for the lifetime of ownership by the original owner. This warranty is limited to five years for carbon fiber frames and three years for electric pedal-assist frames.

During this warranty period, Kona shall repair or replace, at its sole option, the bicycle frame if Kona determines the frame is defective and subject to this limited warranty. The original owner shall pay all labor and shipping charges connected with the repair or replacement of the bicycle frame. Please see the Kona owner's manual, provided with your bicycle, for additional information.