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Bike Perfect

Lifestyle

Paul Brett

The Kona Ouroboros gravel bike may look like an old-school MTB with drop bars but it's way more than just a retro throwback

Kona SRAM MTB RockShox United States WTB Fox Maxxis

Kona Ouroboros Supreme gravel bike side on.

Kona has added to its best gravel bike range with the carbon-framed Ouroboros. The brand is mostly known for its mountain bikes but is no stranger to the gravel world with its existing Libre, Rove and Sutra range.

The Ouroboros comes in three builds and has more than a passing resemblance to some of the brand's original '90s MTBs. The spec continues the MTB theme and features include 180mm brake rotors, huge tire clearance, SRAM UDH and 40mm of front suspension from RockShox or Fox.

Kona claims the Ouroboros will give "a ride feel that is otherworldly and almost mistakable for a modern trail mountain bike."

A RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR fork with 40mm travel comes on the Supreme model (Image credit: Kona)

Kona says the geometry is "somewhere between gravel and MTB" and the 69.5-degree head tube angle is "slacker than gravel, but steeper than modern trail mountain bikes".

Other geometry figures of note are the reach ranging from 380mm to 405mm across the six sizes available, and a seat tube angle varying from 72 degrees to 75 depending on sizing. The chainstay length is 445mm across the range.

Two of the three models have front suspension and the Supreme has the 40mm RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR fork, while the CR has the 40mm Fox TC32 Performance GRIP. For those seeking a more traditional gravel offering, the CR-DL model has the brand's own Ouroboros Carbon fork.

The frame also has plenty of mount points and depending on the model, the Ouroboros is ready for gravel bike adventures and fitted with bikepacking bags, fenders and racks.

Kona Ouroboros has big 180mm rotors front and rear (Image credit: Kona)

Tire clearance is up to 50mm on the suspension models, but the rigid carbon forked option can accommodate up to 29 x 2.5-inch tires.

The Ouroboros has various SRAM groupsets specced – the top-end Ouroboros Supreme model has SRAM XO Eagle, the mid-range Ouroboros CR-DL has SRAM Rival ETAP, and the entry-level Ouroboros CR gets non-electric-SRAM Apex.

Kona has opted for a 31.6mm seat post on the Ouroboros, most gravel bikes have a typical 27.2mm post. The Ouroboros uses a 31.6mm post (a common size for MTBs) which Kona says gives increased dropper post durability, as the bike is designed "for hardcore rides, the longevity of a dropper is crucial when deep in those backcountry moments".

The top-of-the-line Supreme comes with a RockShox Reverb AXS dropper in either 100mm or 125mm travel options. The CR-DL has a rigid seatpost and the other suspension model gets a TranzX Dropper post with 125mm travel.

The 69.5-degrees head tube angle is "somewhere between gravel and MTB" (Image credit: Kona)

Pricing and availability

The Ouroboros Supreme is priced at $6,999 / £5,999 / €10,999. The CR-DL is $4,799 / £3,999 / €5.399 and the CR is $3,799 / £2,999 / €3,999.

Complete bikes will be offered in either 1x or 2x across the three models and for those in the US, the Ouroboros will be displayed on the Kona booth at Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, this weekend from 18th-21st of April. The official UK and European launch will be at The European Bicycle Adventure Show in Mantova, Italy between 7th-9th June.

Full specs on the three models are below and more information can be found on the entire Kona range at Konaworld.com.