There was a period in the early ’90s when select Kona hardtails were available either with a rigid fork or a suspension option as an upgrade. In one of my favourite mountain cycling ironies, as with full suspension bikes vs. hardtails from that era, I find it delightful that for folks who want to build up these bikes to ride them*, the rigid bikes are now significantly the more desirable option.
*{Drewitors note: As opposed to folks who want to capture a living bicycle and then mount it on a wall as some trophy instead of letting it roll free.}
As many folks know, the Unit has long been friendly to a 100mm or 120mm fork. I prefer a 120mm fork locally as hardtails and steep trails combine to put riders in actual-sag positions that are significantly further into a fork’s travel than the standard attack position (flat ground/pedals level). I’m also throwing on a high-rise bar either way, but it’s absolutely a more important swap with the addition of a telescoping fork.
Still, even in cases where riders plan to run a suspension fork on their Unit, I love that – complete or frameset – a rigid fork is included with the package. Put it aside for now, but the value in the future potential for commuting, bike packing, or joining the 50,000:1 rigid MTB crowd without having to buy a fork down the trail is awesome.
[Aside]
New Year, New Unit is an ongoing MEATengines series that I plan to continue yearly as long as Kona keeps making the Unit and, hopefully, expand as other brands enter the game of budget-friendlier suspension-corrected rigid bikes with sliding or swinging dropouts. Yep, it’s a tall order, but that’s why Unit is rad.
For past pieces check out:
- My Dream Unit – 2020
- New Year, New Unit – 2021
- (Almost) New Year, New Unit – 2022/2023
- New Year, New Unit – 2024
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It’s one of the great differentiators of the Unit as a frame set – which will hopefully be returning for 2025 along with some fresh, or even better retro, Kona colours – compared to other intriguing options.
Take the BBJ. Buried under Omnium’s interesting fast-cargo rigs (if I were in the market for a replacement for my Waltworks V1 and WZRD YGWYGAYDGU rack, a purple Mini-Max would be my dream) is their own take on the next-generation Plus-tired hardtail. The Big Bad Jumbo. Five sizes with with the smallest two running 27+ and the larger three with clearance 29+. Good looking sliders. Steel is real. And, a ‘crackle coat’ style paint that isn’t my mug my beer but is interesting nonetheless. What’s missing?
Obviously, the bikes need to ship with a 500mm, or so, axle to crown rigid fork with a 15x110mm spacing. Straight 1-1/8th steerer with a reducing crown race or tapered steerer for the direct swap? I’m indifferent. But the later generations of Unit, along with Andy from Stooge’s sweet machines, have proven that the fork and frame need to colour match.
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I’m just picking on the BBJ today because if any brand was going to grab onto the appeal of an aggressive rigid bike… but, I do want to highlight a couple of factory rigid options, though not necessities. Pipedream has the Sirius S5, though the fork is black, not colour matched, and how cool would it be if there was a rigid option for the longer travel Moxie MX3 as well? RSD has their Sergeant available with a long-travel rigid replacement option, that I have quite a few hours on, but again it’s an option I’d love to see featured through more of their lineup of hardtails – all of which are equipped with sliders.
Also, these are ‘just’ options. I hate to be all nanny-state telling riders what they may one day want, but I love that with the Unit, even for riders who go straight to running front suspension, that rigid fork is always hanging around whispering, “Try me.” Suspension fork is going in for service? “Try me.” Riding with the kids? “Try me.” Friends just getting into mountain biking and you’re going along? “Try me.” Just hit a boredom cycle with bicycles and tech but want to go putter about in the forest and get some exercise? “Try me.“
Yep, framesets including a rigid for the win. Bonus points if it’s colour matched. And do note, any frame mentioned here today has sliding dropouts. Bien, très bien.
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Where I love the Unit, and bikes with similar potential, is in the fact they do not lock you into a rigid setup. I don’t often ride my Waltworks V2 with a suspension fork, but if I didn’t have the luxury of a second mountain bike I would be swapping setups much more often. Don’t hear me wrong, I love-love-love the rigid-only aesthetic of my Waltworks V1, or any Stooge, etc., but when it came time for the much more aggressive V2, being able to also run a 100-120mm suspension fork was a key feature.
And, something that has been front of mind, if I was to curtail back to one mountain bicycle, it would be rigid most of the time, but a suspension fork with clearance for a 3″ tire, like my lowered SR Suntour Durolux, would be a key piece of the puzzle. I’ve never used the derailleur hanger or chainstay cable guides on my V2 either, but they are there for the same one-bike, you-never-know reasoning.
The only regret I have with that bike – and the one feature I don’t like about the Arcturian, Unit, BBJ, and tons of other hardtails – is the lack of ISCG tabs. What if I want to dinglespeed it with a HammerSchmidt*?
*{Drewitors note: I’m not joking. In defense of HammerSchmidt, I almost bought a complete setup the other day, with 175mm crankarms. I have an XTR front shifter that would be perfect for it. Then I remembered I have too much bike sh*t I’m not using already.}
{Above photo: Kona Cog by Diggles}
Right, the Kona Unit. 2025 is coming and I have a dream that the perfect chainstay lengths will get a little more perfect with some size-specific adjustment (on top of sliders), the, already 31.6mm I.D. seat tube (thank you, Kona) will get just a little shorter for each size, and the head tube angle will get kicked out another two degrees. I think a static 66° HTA is perfect for a rigid mountain bike and fits nicely with The Rule of -2° once a suspension fork is added.
I’m guessing that will remain my dream for ’26 and ’27. But, beyond that, I want to walk back one previous criticism I’ve wielded in the past. Yep, Kona’s choice of i30mm rims is good to go. I keep meaning to write something about this (I will, I will) but I’m running 3″ tires, front and rear, on both of my mountain bikes these days and that’s on i30 rims.
What has changed since my piece from 2017 ‘Do Plus Tires Need Plus Rims?‘ you ask? Tire inserts of course. Narrower rims mean a different, taller, shape for the tires but support leaning my bike over is covered by the CushCore inserts I run front and rear. I would still certainly pair a 2.8″ or 3″ tire with an i40, or at least i35, rim if I was not running an insert. But, with a CushCore Trail or CushCore Pro insert setup the narrower rim isn’t just an option, it’s a preference.
With Kona insistent on sticking with the 30mm internal width for the stock rims on the Unit, it is certainly less expensive to buy inserts than to have the wheels replaced or relaced. But, of course, for folks buying a frameset and building from there wider rims may still be the preference. Especially if inserts aren’t under consideration for the build.
Okay, so that came out a bit rambling, but here we are anyway. Rigid forks included with hardtail frames are good. Sliding dropouts or other provisions for single-speed chain adjustment are good. ISCG tabs are good. Kona Unit is good. And, hopefully back as a frame-and-fork set for ’25 in some fresh, or re-fresh, colours.
Looking forward to New Year, New Unit ’25.
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