Article Originally Found On Mountain Biking by 198
Review by Robb Sutton
Original Article: Kona Coilair Supreme Mountain Bike Review

The Kona Coilair Supreme is a controversial mountain bike. With the Magic Link “6 +1″ suspension that automatically changes from 6″ of rear travel to 7.4″ of DH glory, the Kona Coilair is marketed as a park bike that can be ridden to the top of your favorite hill without the need of a lift assist but still bomb the DH like you would be used to on a 7.4″ travel rig. With statements like this from Kona…

“For the discerning free-crosser, that soldiered soul who climbs to the huck-and-hold goodness of advanced mountain cycling, the Kona CoilAir Deluxe does everything good. XC one day, dirt jumps the next, shuttle-descents on Thursday to mega alpine assaults all weekend long, thanks to our Magic Link technology, the CoilAir has the instinctive ability to change geometry, suspension performance and length of rear travel depending on your type of riding and the terrain at hand.”

…the Kona Coilair Supreme is going to have some big shoes to fill in its quest to be the do-it-all rig.

The Build

The Kona Coilair Supreme comes nicely spec’ed with some of the best from Fox Racing Shox, Shimano, Race Face and Mavic. The Supreme was Kona’s top build for 2009 and for around $5,799 retail, you get a bike that has some of the best components in the industry. This build weighs in around the mid 30’s range which puts it right in the fight for DH capable all-mountain bikes.

Highlights:

• Fox Racing Shox Talas RC2 w/165mm Travel and Tapered Steerer Tube
• Fox Racing Shox RP23
• Race Face Atlas Cracks setup 2×9 (32T/22T)
• XTR Rear Derailleur with XT Components Rounding Out the Rest of the Group
• Mavic Crossmax ST Wheelset
• Race Face Bars, Stem, Post

The bright orange and white definitely gives this bike a unique, in your face look that might not be for everyone. If you are looking for a bike that will not go unnoticed…this orange will do the trick. Within the front triangle, you will see the nuts and bolts of the Magic Link suspension setup. Each Kona Coilair comes with a detailed manual on suspension setup as you have many more variable to deal with than normal. Luckily, this rig came setup for my riding weight, so all I had to do was make sure that each of the adjustments equaled the correct sag and ride quality. In total, there are 5 adjustments to the rear suspension based on your riding weight.

• Fox RP23 air pressure
• Secondary shock spring rate (replace per riding weight)
• Secondary shock spring preload (turning preload collar)
• Secondary shock elastomer stiffness (replace per riding weight)
• Secondary shock position (based on rider weight)

With everything setup correctly on the Kona Coilair Supreme, I was ready to hit the trail to see how this bike was going to perform while climbing and in the rough stuff.

Mountain Cycle Fury Frame Review

Mountain Cycle is not new to the bike industry. For newer riders, this may be the first you have heard of Mountain Cycle, but for those of us that have been around since the late 80’s/early 90’s…Mountain Cycle used to be a household name that graced the cover of magazines worldwide. Mountain Cycle was known for its aggressive designs and burly construction during a time when manufacturers were not paying any attention to the AM/DH market.

More On Mountain Cycle

From the Mountain Cycle website:

Mountain Cycle can best be described as a “Micro-National”  in the sense that, we operate on a truly worldwide level, with offices and staff spread around the globe.  But we are a small team,  just seven full-time staff, who between look after all the operational aspects of the company.

A commitment that we have made, is to be one of the most approachable, best value for money, most rider owned, and most Serious Fun of bike brands.
Mountain Cycle was started in 1988 by Robert Reissinger, a man many claim to be the true father of the modern mountain bike.

In an era when MTB’s were still very road bike influenced; rigid steel frames and cantilever brakes - the bike Robert built was nothing short of revolutionary.

The San Andreas was launched with little fuss - but it’s radical, motocross inspired looks, long travel suspension and disk brakes (used for the very first time on a MTB!) grabbed peoples attention and desire.

It is the only bike to be featured in the Museum of Modern Art as a shining example of modern design. As a company MC fared less well, eventually Robert transferred ownership to Kinesis (the Taiwanese frame factory) but this marriage too was short lived.

Finally in 2006/7 - Mountain Cycle found a new home, after being bought by large Taiwanese company Ideation Industrial.

With experienced, passionate staff again running the brand, the History Continues…

Mountain Cycle’s current line consists of the Rumble (HT), Fury (5″ Travel), Battery (5″ Travel Slopestyle) and Shockwave (9.5″ Travel). As you can see by their lineup, they are very AM/DH oriented in their approach to the mountain biking industry.

The Mountain Cycle Fury

The Mountain Cycle Fury is the 5″ travel cross country/all mountain bike out of the MC stable.

From the MC website:

• Tube/monocoque mainframe with full monocoque swingarm
• Super-stiff full monocoque Swingarm
• 5 inches of tunable, progressive travel
• Optimized pivot location for exceptional pedaling and sprinting
• Dropped Top Tube for reduced standover height and increased maneuverability
• Continuous cable routing
• MSRP - est. $960.00 US

As you can already see by the photos, this bike has a very unique look. The tube/monocoque frame design is unlike anything else on the market. It can be shipped with several different flavors of rear shocks ranging from Fox Racing to Marzocchi.