Kona’s Back

Kona’s founders, Dan Gerhard and Jake Heilbron, sold the company to Kent Outdoors back in 2022, and a lot of changes followed for the brand. They closed their longstanding shop in Bellingham, WA, started direct-to-consumer sales to the consternation of their longstanding dealer network, laid off a large portion of the staff — and that’s all before things came to a head at Sea Otter this year.

So we’re very pleased to report that Dan and Jake have bought Kona back, and intend to right the ship. They’re “pausing” direct to consumer sales; promise to bring prices on their bikes back down (but also say “we’ll never do a BOGO sale again”, which is probably for the best); and say that rebuilding relationships with their dealers is their top priority for the moment.

We’re very glad to see Kona back. The full press release is below.

Dear Friends,

Kona Bicycles has been in the news lately. We’d love to say that it’s because the new Ouroboros is blowing everyone’s minds (because it really is that good), but truthfully, it has been a bumpy couple years. So, it’s time to print a positive headline: Kona is returning home to its  roots.

Dan Gerhard and Jake Heilbron have purchased the brand back from Kent Outdoors, and along with a team of dedicated, experienced Kona employees, are reuniting to keep the Long, Sweet Ride rolling. There are a lot of familiar faces here who you know from epic dealer launches, My Kona videos and trail days who are dedicated to the cause. Kona’s employees, dealers, and our dedicated customers have always been our strongest resource, and they keep on jamming to the beat of their own drum. With this return to being rider-owned and operated, we’re doubling down on our unique brand legacy and getting back to some basics.

Renewing relationships with our nearly 1000-strong North American and European dealer network is our highest priority. Most of us started out in bike shops, and in our eyes, IBDs are our strongest advocates and allies. Healthy retailers are integral to making sure that Kona fans everywhere experience the ride of a lifetime. To best honor our dealer relationships, we are pausing D2C for all bikes. Konaworld.com will show changes to reflect this, and our social and
communications channels will be getting reworked as well once we get things rolling. Bear with us, and we will keep you informed as we move through this transition.

On the bike side, new Kona inventory is headed to our warehouse and distributors, and alongside the freshly released Ouroboros, we’ve got some incredible bikes in the pipeline that we are looking forward to unveiling. We’re beyond grateful for the support that our suppliers have shown us in this endeavor. Vendors like Fairly Bikes, who have been with us since our first bike in 1988, are a testament to the value of longstanding relationships where people take care
of people.

In more good news, we are now positioned to price our bikes much more competitively. Private ownership allows us to be more streamlined, more flexible, and quicker on our feet. This, combined with the support of our suppliers, means we can deliver high quality bikes in a distinctly Kona flavor at super attractive prices. We’ll never do a BOGO Sale again, so don’t ask, but we promise to offer good value for good money, always.

Our Pacific Northwest roots are as strong as ever. Offices in Ferndale, WA and North Vancouver, BC continue to anchor us proudly in place. Tenacious, resilient, straight talking, gritty and sometimes covered in grease, we are committed to keeping the distinctly Kona flavored bike buzz flowing, and helping people find freedom and fun. We are back. We are still here. Let’s ride.

Welcome back to the smallest biggest bike company in the world.

See you soon,

The Kona Crew