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I want to buy Kona Bicycles. If you have been keeping up with Sea Otter news you probably heard that the Kona team made the journey out there only to find out they need to pack up the same day and head home. Company turmoil would follow and it appears their parent company's new CFO wants to sell Kona. Well, I would like to buy it. Why do I want to buy a bike company? The brand Kona means a lot to me and my journey of bicycles. The Kona Mahuna, an entry level hardtail, was actually my first mountain bike I ever had and I rode that thing till every component on it stopped working. But even with all the bent crank arms and blown wheels, the one thing that never let me down was the Kona frame. My first extreme mountain bike ride was one called Push-a-Kona, a ride put on by a local legend in the Cleveland National Forest! The man behind the ride was a huge Kona bicycles fan and even has a tattoo of the brand. The route each year was more brutal than the year previously, and some of my worst times on the bike were on those rides. Think all day type 2 fun, that is where I learned to appreciate the “death march” and fall in love with suffering on a bicycle. Kona to me is more than just a bike brand. It's a company that still has so much soul in its name even though corporate shills have attempted to rob that brand of the energy it possesses. These giant corporations buying out the bike industry are the same ones that pride themselves on excellent PR responses. These empty statements give you a deep look into the blank canvas that is their personalities. Made up titles and roles to make themselves seem larger than life even though at their core they stand for little to nothing. They don’t care about bikes, nature, community, or people, all that is important to them is the path they are on in their own career, and what other brand full of life and energy can they swallow up next. So what would the future of Kona look like to me? Rad bikes that never break. Low bottom brackets and steep seat angles. XC bikes that look like enduro rigs on geo charts, made of alloy, with lifetime warranties. A carbon version of every short travel bike we make, and a "steel is real" ideology to every hardtail. A group of core riders as ambassadors like the legend that put on Push-a-Kona for ten years. If you want a team contract, let's see the Kona tattoo. Community driven campaigns that make you feel like you are buying more than just a bike, you are becoming part of a family of like minded individuals. Think semi cult-ish like vibes without the negative aspects to a cult. And lastly, lots of merch, with the first one being a giant middle finger to Kent Outdoors and every other corporate soulless conglomerate out there with a nice mountain backdrop and an outline of my Kona Mahuna. -Mo Awesome

The final day of the Sea Otter Classic is here and we went there to see what is new in the bike industry in 2024! New bikes and new gear, such a fun time! What is your favorite? See you next year!

We are tired, hungry, and exhausted but Day 4 bike checks from the final day of the Sea Otter Classic are up now! Here are some of our favorites, see you next year! Tyler Cloward wears many hats at ARI bikes, but designing this custom Cascade Peak SX bike that won the dual slalom has to probably be one of his favorites! 5dev has to have had some of the most insane bikes we have ever seen at the Sea Otter classic! Aero is everything! Lawton Denis is one of the raddest kids out there and his Jamis Hardline looks awesome! Nic Nesotroff is the man of the Otter, taking home the gold medal at Dual Slalom! This guys has to be one of the most humble racers at the festival! ARI bikes is crushing it this year! His custom La Sal Peak race bike was the bike of choice for downhill! I promise these 3T guys were more stoked when they were talking about the bikes! Check out this insane paint job! Rocky Mountain Bicycles brining the stoke with their new Altitude! This bike looks so good in person! Can't wait to test it! CEO of Propain showing us that you don't need color to stand out! Wild Rye holding it down for the women and making gravel awesome again! Had to feature Prevelo bikes just in case Hannah and I need anything from there soon! ;) So much tire clearance in this 3T Gravel set up! Fidlock showcasing their classic bottle mount on this Propain Tyee! Sam from Cascade components showing us how blinged out you can make your bike! So many awesome upgrades to this Cannondale! Vittoria showcasing their tires on this XC Wiler race bike! You don't see these everyday here in America! Vitoria also had Wout Van Hart's Tour De France race bike on display! SQ Lab with this Pivot 4 SL with their custom saddle! Madrone Cycles is in the buisness of saving your derailleurs! Their Transition hardtail even features a rebuilt SRAM GX derailleur with their parts! Excited to see where this brand goes! Digit Bikes showing you don't need all those extra linkage parts to make a full suspension bike! See you all next year!

So many awesome bikes at the Sea Otter Classic 2024, we had to do a bike check video! Here are 29 of the most awesome bikes from the festival, what is your favorite?

Day 3 of the Sea Otter Classic 2024 has come and gone and it was a crazy one! While we tried to capture as many bikes as we could today, I have to admit, I got a bit distracted with vehicles! Some awesome rigs out there so enjoy both bikes and trucks! Probably the best looking paint job we saw today, this Trek has us feeling envious! Duke Racing Wheel with one of the coolest Yeti SB140 builds we have seen! Their wheels looks awesome, and coming in at under 1400 grams, we look forward to testing this French brands wheels soon! Polygon with some amazing looking bikes on display! Did someones say downhill? These blue paint jobs are amazing! I have road bike fever and this Cannondale did not help! This is where the truck envy started! This Pink Design Raptor build with a Go Fast Camper and Rig'd bike rack and swing out makes me wonder, am I really over the Raptor? Revel does carbon and metal bikes amazingly! The Revel Tirade looks like a blast to ride! Such clean tubes! Dylan with his custom painted S-works Stumpy that he painted himself! Such an awesome design and lots of rad parts on this build! The Aventon Ramblas starts at $2699 but is full upgradeable! As shown in this rad enduro build that took 3rd at Sea Otter! We need more Omnium bikes!!! Toyo Tires with an awesome Rivian conversion with their new Toyo Open Country's EV tires! Yakima with an awesome Japanese truck mtb conversion! I have been looking at importing one of these, this might have confirmed that decision! Spencer Rathkamps Ford F150 with lots of Thule accessories! Another truck that is high on our list of options for a mtb vehicle! Weight limits don't matter when you are having fun! I'll try and focus on bikes next time, see you tomorrow!

The Sea Otter Classic is here and we went there to see what is new in the bike industry in 2024! New bikes and new gear, such a fun time! Here is day 2 of the coverage! What is your favorite?

Another day of the Sea Otter classic has come and went and here are some of our favorite bikes from day 2! Which one is yours? Innovate or Die? We will take 2 of these! This custom rig from Specialized was an eye catcher! Recognize this man? Doddy is a legend in mountain bike media and after his time at GMBN he is now the Global Brand Communications Manager at Mondraker! And after recently launching a US HQ in Colorado, we are excited to see more of these on the trails! COO of Pinarello showing us the new Dogma XC race bike that Tom Pidcock has been racing and is now available! Question is has Tom been spending more time on this rig or getting ready for the tour? Excited to watch him again this year going for stage wins! Our personal favorite bike of the festival, the Omnium cargo bikes look like a lot of fun and a good way to commute around town with some cargo! Everyone's favorite racer and one of the fastest ones at that, Rae Morrison with her new Liv Intrigue X! Man, myth, and legend, Chris Wachburn founder of ARI bikes, debuting the new Suncrest aero endurance road bike! This one is a bit of a leak as it has not been released just yet, thanks Chris for letting us show it! We are so happy how far bikes have come! Hands down one of the best looking XC bikes on the market! The Rocky Mountain Element looks like a blast! The new Pivot Switchblade is hands down one of my favorite bikes of 2024! Everyone's favorite roadie, Priscilla Savord of Velocio, showing that road bikes can be cool too! The Pivot Firebird looking mean and ready to tackle whatever you throw at it! Carver Surf Racks with our personal favorite bike of the festival, primarily because the surf has been pumping and it was awesome to see them at a bike fest! Kate Veronneau of Zwift and founder of Tour de Femmes showing us how cool custom paint jobs can be! Catch the Tour de Femme's soon on Peacock! It's almost time!! Moto world domination and ready to take over the bike world, Husqavara debuting their new e-bike! Felt lives!! And it's owned by a moto brand? We won't ask questions, we will just be stoked to see them again! Dan with YouTube channel "Ride With Dan" is on a mental health mission to spread awareness for Suicide prevention! Stay tuned for day 3! -Mo and Hannah

The Sea Otter Classic is here and we went there to see what is new in the bike industry in 2024! New bikes and new gear, such a fun time! What is your favorite? Stay tuned for more Sea Otter Classic Coverage!

The Sea Otter Classic is here and that means lots of new bike content! As always, one of our favorite things about bike festivals is checking out what people are riding! Here are some awesome bikes from Day 1: Kyle Strait with a custom Ari Bikes Dual Slalom bike! This thing was so cool to see in person and it has been rad to see what ARI has been able to accomplish since rebranding! Be More Bikes always has the best approach to marketing! If you belive in something tell people about it! His raised stem looks awesome and we look forward to riding with him soon! This might just be the best stock color we have ever seen on a bike! Specialized really knocked this epic out of the park! Nino Schurter's replica race bike! Our back just hurts looking at that handlebar position he races in! No wonder he is the greatest to ever do it! Cool to see a bike setup for the fastest racer in the world! Sava had one of the most unique aero road bikes we have seen and all in a cost effective package! This Atherton has to be one of the most eye catching frames out there! Starting to see more of these pop up on local trails! Jason from Rig'd looking absolutely stoked! His cutom painted Coors Specialzied Stumpjumper is an eye catcher! Rumor has it though, he is looking for a new beer sponsor! Another Be More Bikes set up rocking the raised stem! Scor, which appears to be the new MTB division under BMC rocking some amazing looking bikes! We have heard nothing but great things about the suspension platform on Scor Bikes and look forward to testing them sometime! Nick from Neuhaus showing us his always blinged out hardtail with an awesome light blue color scheme! The 5dev cranks look so good on there! This festival, I am starting to realize I want a Scott Bike! Look how clean their new enduro rig is. The internal rear shock looks so smooth and clean line wise, aesthicaly they might have the best looking bikes! Peak Design had the bike of the day! They scored this thing for $100 bucks and are riding strong, proving you don't need to break the bank to have a good time on 2 wheels! I do not know what this bike is. All I know is it was at the CadeX booth and I am having paint envy! GasGas and DVO Suspension, match made in heaven! Stay tuned for more! -Mo and Hannah

You guys really liked yesterday's first thoughts article on bike brands and I still have a million things to do before Sea Otter. So here is part 2 of what I think of bike brands. Sorry again for the typos, it's better if I type and post instead of proofread and censor. I will be at Sea Otter, if I am wrong, come find me! Scott Bikes: Literally who is buying these bikes in North America? Do not get me wrong, I think they are some of the best looking and top performing bikes on the market. But is anyone actually paying full MSRP on one? Any of your buddies buy one? Maybe its a Euro thing. Transition Bikes: Rad brand doing rad things, but getting a little bit of a "setting themselves up in a good position to one day get bought vibes". They were so insanely ahead of the long and low curve, and so many other geo trends. Shows how far passion will take you. Knolly Bikes: Noel Buckley, the founder, is what comes to mind. If you have ever met him, you understand why those bikes are so awesome! He is such a passionate guy when it comes to bikes! Also straight top tubes, finally! Kona Bikes: Heartbreak. The Kona Mahuna was my first mtb bike ever. Now people are talking about "hope they make it"? They just released a new ambassador list which is awesome. But bikes that weren't 5 years old would also be rad. But still, they will forever hold a special place in my heart, and I believe in them! Orbea Bikes: Spain. That is probably where most of them get bought. Because it doesn't seem to be here in the US even though I really like the look of the bikes! Remember when they let you custom paint them? I wonder if that is still a thing. Allied Cycle Works: The dude with the mustache, Payson, he rips that gravel bike! Walmart comes to mind but so does passion. They seem like they have cool program, but its also a tough market. Would be really interesting to see them enter the enduro sphere. Cannondale: Once again has anyone’s friends bought a Cannondale lately? The bikes still look like they rip!!! Also who remembers the old Jekyl with that weird fox rear shock system that was a nightmare to service? But seriously, these guys still look to have serious potential! Intense Bikes: Costco. Hate to see it, but I hope they can bring it back to radness. Mondraker: If my buddy Shane is reading this, one of the only reasons I thought of this brand while making this list is because of you. Have them give you a raise maybe? Niner Bikes: How many times can you get bought and still function? You guys want more? -Mo Awesome

Sea Otter is here and so are about a million other deadlines for me. This means I have had so little free time to type, but the website must go on! So here are my quick first thoughts of what I think of a bike brand. It will probably get me in trouble, but you guys are worth it! Excuse the typos, Im literally typing this and posting it straight with no proof reads because I will probably second guess myself. Also I will be at Sea Otter so if you think I'm wrong, feel free to find me! Santa Cruz Bicycles: What happened to them? Seemed like they were on top of the world and now it seems like they can’t figure out what’s going on company structure wise? “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown” Ibis Cycles: Poppy, playful, and fun! But also slightly outdated? Ripley, Hakka, Ripmo, all need new versions. Is this the year? Pivot Cycles: South mountain. Riding that zone makes you fully understand the bikes more! That Switchblade I just finished testing is hands down one of the best bikes I have ridden. The only bummer is supper boost, but with their passion for local bike shops, I will let it slide! Evil Bicycles: Core. I feel like this brand is most likely the most core of them all, and that is starting to grow on me especially with all of the cringy marketing strategies that exist in 2024. Hopefully they are able to crank out some new releases this year! ARI Bikes: The best bang for buck direct to consumer brand on the market right now that is seemingly doing everything right when it comes to bikes. It seems like they saw other direct to consumer brands sleeping a bit and took the year to go full attack mode. Norco Bicycles: Heavy and big pulleys. Have never ridden one, but it looks like business wise they might be on track to become a big player. Everyone who loves them also seems to be a great downhiller. Rocky Mountain Bicycles: Probably the most slept on brand considering the new bikes they have been releasing are checking off all the boxes of what a bike needs to have to be great this year! Adjustable geometry, frame storage, carbon and alloy options? Maple Syrup??? Specialized: Stressful. I can only imagine how much inventory they have right now. But hopefully somewhere in that warehouse is the brand new Stumpjumper that is set to come out this year! The Epic is still on my wish list! Yeti Cycles: For the world's fastest racers. I clearly was not one of those because I never fell in love with my Yeti SB 140. But also seeing all of the responses from people when I asked about the brand and how passionate some customers are makes me realize this brand has a rad thing going on. It just wasn't for me. Trek Bikes: How is a company this big and yet I still see so little of their bikes on the trails? I also can’t believe I'm saying this but I have never ridden one, ever! Giant Bikes: So much potential, such an amazing suspension design, so little North America marketing. Visiting Taiwan and seeing how big of a power house they are over there and then seeing how little of a market share they have in the US is very interesting. Maestro is amazing btw, Giant Reign from 2015 is still one of my all time favorite bikes! Should I do more of these? With how much I have on the to do list this week, maybe I will…

Hannah has been struggling with her Yeti Sb140 so we head to DVO Suspension to check out some new goodies that they think will help! We also get check out some trails at Rocky Peak a zone we don't get to ride very often! Can DVO save Hannah's Yeti?