Is it gravel? Journey or ATB? Old skool XC? The web is filled with opinions on the fast-growing section many merely consult with as Gravel. For these excited by “surviving an everlasting existence of limbo between gravel and mountain,” Kona is introducing the all-new Ouroboros.
The Ouroboros is an all-new platform of gravel bikes from the unbound minds at Kona. Whether or not you’re a gravel-loving mountain biker or a mountain-bike-loving gravel biker, the Ouroboros is the lure to be a magnet for each. Pack it expertly for the lengthy haul, nimbly discover the sides of singletrack, or full a number of days of probably the most splendidly bizarre and delightfully chaotic of occasions – the Ouroboros is deliberately designed across the rowdy stuff.
Kona Bikes
Calling it a motorcycle for “hardcore adventuring,” Kona additionally factors out that whereas some bikes tolerate mountain bike parts, the Ouroboros was designed round them. As an alternative of usually weight-conscious parts, you’ll discover particulars like 180mm rotors, body clearance for as much as 2.1″ MTB tires, entrance suspension, and SRAM Transmission on the Supreme mannequin. As such, our 50cm pattern suggestions the scales at 23.15lbs – heavy for a gravel bike, however gentle for a mountain bike.
Tire clearance is restricted to 700c x 50mm on the Fox or RockShox suspension forks, however the inflexible carbon fork can match as much as a 29 x 2.5″ tire!
The carbon body additionally consists of geometry someplace between gravel and MTB with a 69.5º head tube angle and a 74º seat tube angle for a 52cm.
One other MTB-influenced spec? The 31.6mm seat submit. As an alternative of the standard 27.2mm submit discovered on most gravel bikes for added compliance, the Ouroboros makes use of a 31.6mm submit for elevated dropper submit sturdiness. I like it when manufacturers present detailed spec sheets just like the one above for the Ouroboros. It leaves no questions on specs just like the BB86 backside bracket, chainline, headset, and even axle thread pitch.
Relying on the spec and your construct ambitions, the Ouroboros might be loaded up with something from fenders, to racks, and tons of baggage and accent mounts. The within of the entrance triangle has sufficient mounts that customized luggage might be added with out the necessity for straps. You’ll additionally discover a entrance derailleur mount in case you’d choose to run a 2x or 3x drivetrain.
Full bikes shall be supplied in 1x or 2x, and can begin on the Ouroboros CR with a Fox TC32 40mm suspension fork. Then the Ouroboros CR/DL strikes to totally inflexible with a 2×12 SRAM Rival eTap AXS drivetrain for extra traditional gravel adventures. Lastly, the Ouroboros Supreme includes a large construct full with a RockShox Rudy Final XPLR fork, SRAM Power eTap AXS/X0 Eagle Transmission, Reverb AXS dropper submit, and even the Zipp 101 XPLR carbon wheels.
First Impressions
I had hoped to get a while on the Ouroboros earlier than the launch (and leaving for Sea Otter), however I haven’t fairly gotten there but – partially as a result of I’m nonetheless determining the match. With out with the ability to attempt the bike first, I based mostly my measurement request on the final Kona gravel bike I rode, the Libre DL. On that body, I rode a 49cm which appeared to suit larger than the quantity indicated. Because the 50cm Ouroboros had a barely longer attain quantity than the 49cm Libre DL and solely a 1º distinction in STA, I requested the 50cm.
Upon getting it out of the field, it was clear that the Ouroboros has a a lot totally different match, and the 50cm feels tiny. It additionally comes with a really brief 40mm stem, so I’m within the means of determining an extended stem to make the match work. Due to that, I’d say in case you’re on the fence about sizing, go along with the bigger measurement – in case you’re going off the sizing from a previous Kona gravel bike, my recommendation could be go by the highest tube size relatively than the attain. I do know now that I ought to at the least be on the 52cm body.
I ought to have extra to report after Sea Otter.
