$225
kids 2011 Kona Makena
Lightweight, durable Kona 7005 Butted Aluminum frame
Spinner Grind fork with extra-soft springs for smaller riders
20-inch wheels
Easy twist grip shifters
Low 21-inch standover
A different color for girls and boys
Set the wee one free on the ultimate starter bike. With great standover (so they don't squash their valuables) that makes it easy getting on and off the bike, sweet front suspension forks, grip shifters for small hands, and reliable components durable enough for frequent off-road use, your kids will charge confidently into the bright blue world of riding a bike.
7005 ALUMINUM
Aluminum is currently the most widely used tubing material in the bicycle industry. Aluminum is often mixed with a number of other elements to create aluminum alloys featuring a host of different ride characteristics, while increasing mechanical properties. Much of our tubing is butted and/or formed, meaning that the wall thickness of the tubing can be increased or decreased, as well as shaped, allowing us to fine tune a particular frame's ride characteristics depending on the application. Kona uses butted 7005 aluminum extensively throughout our entire range of mountain, asphalt and road bicycles. A tough, durable, affordable, light, and dependable alloy, 7005 delivers great performance that lasts for thousands of rides. It is, by far and away, the ultimate aluminum tubing on the market today.
SLOPING TOP TUBE
Kona recognized the advantages of sloping top tube frame design right from the original models we made in 1988, designed by inaugural MTB Hall of Fame legend Joe Murray. As a company, we've stayed true to this philosophy, going so far as to pioneer the design in road bikes before the benefits were understood. Today, you'll find sloping top tubes in most high-end road race bicycles. We've since stayed true to all the many positives this design brings to overall bike performance and comfort.
First, this design allows the top tube to be lower, providing more room for correct positioning and free body movement, enabling more standover clearance, which is particularly useful on dual suspension bikes that have higher bottom brackets. Riders have a more secure riding position, which is especially beneficial when riding downhill sections.
Also, the top tube is longer and more compliant. As the top and down tube become more parallel, there's less triangulation, resulting in more compliancy. So not only is the frame stronger and more responsive, but it absorbs more shock than frames with horizontal top tubes.
COMPACT REAR TRIANGLE
Short chain stays and seat stays provide a perfect balance of stability and power transfer when out of the saddle and pedaling hard. Shorter seat stays also have less deflection during braking and accelerate quicker than longer stays. The shorter rear triangle also helps the bike to negotiate tight twisting sections of trail.
