The New Køben
We just got back home from another fun weekend at the Sea Otter Classic. The Koben did even better than expected, leading the eMTB race the whole way, but just getting beat at the line by Christoph Sauser. Bosch wasn’t too happy about it, but whatever. We were just out there to have some fun.
Sea Otter was also the launch event for Den Nye Køben. The New Koben.
We only made 40 Koben in the initial production batch. One of the surprises from our Kickstarter campaign was that more customers chose our top-of-the-line model rather than our entry-level one. I know right? Doesn’t make sense. While the Koben S does do everything better, we thought the sub-$2k retail price for a mid-drive ebike would be killer. But customers didn’t agree.
So we killed it.
Introducing The New Koben
We’ve been calling it Koben v2 internally throughout the development phase of the new bike. As with our software compatriots in Silicon Valley, we only increment version numbers when there are major changes to the product. The new Koben is a completely different bike. I’ll go through the major spec changes below, but first and foremost we should talk about why we did it.
Bikes Should Be Fun
This seems so obvious it almost doesn’t need to be said. But not all bikes are fun to ride. This is especially true of many “American Style” ebikes sold here. Maybe that’s why there’s been relatively slow adoption in the United States. What exactly makes a bike fun? It certainly isn’t just picking some parts and choosing spec, because then more companies would be making great bikes.
For us it has always been about the complete package. Our holistic design process starts with the rider first, and when/where/how they’ll use the bike. We think through all the potential changes we could make, and the effects of those changes on the future Karmic owner. This new version improves the capability and versatility of the Koben, but also increases the fun of the bike. This is a core part of the Karmic Experience.
The Koben’s mission is fun. We were halfway there since the first Koben was such a great riding bike to begin with. Like the original, this new Koben v2 is designed by Joe Murray, who is a legend in the bicycle industry. Joe pushed us to go with wider tires and added gear range. It reminds us of the original mountain bikes of Marin County. Remember how much fun they were?
The parts upgrades to the bike really changes the personality of the Koben. Sure, you could ride it to work, or take it to the farmer’s market like before. But now you can explore that dirt path you’ve passed up so many times, or ride on snow, in sand or down some stairs! The big change you see are the tires, but with that comes a whole new attitude.
It’s our Go Anywhere Bike.
A new SRAM 11 speed group offers the same gear range as our Koben S. Hydraulic disc brakes brings the same level (ahem, pun intended) of power and reliability to the party. Every detail has been well considered and you can easily upgrade the Koben if you go mountain biking, bike-packing or adventure touring.
The Koben is a Class 1 bike in California, and other states are starting to adopt similar laws. Please only ride where ebikes are allowed in your area. Poaching trails and ruining access for everyone else on two-wheels wouldn’t be very karmic right? We’re all better than that. Please enjoy the ride responsibly.
Let’s Talk Tires
Tires are arguably the most important part on a bike. They’re the only two contact points to the road or trail. While we loved the Panaracer and Kenda tires from batch one, we’ve taken the opportunity to upgrade our Karmic Bikes out of the box. The New Koben gets WTB Ranger 27.5" Plus tires, and the Koben S goes road plus too (more on that next month).
We also gave the Koben a major upgrade with American Classic wheels. We raced on AC wheels last year at Sea Otter, and they held their own again at this year’s race (same bike, same wheels). They’re light, fast and durable. You can’t ask for anything more from your wheels. Bill Shook is an engineer turned Founder and one of the earliest proponents of the new “wider-is-better” philosophy. We love American Classic and their awesome wheels!
Why did we go with wider wheels and bigger tires? As our friend Pete over at Electric Bike Report writes:
The nearly 3″ wide tires provide a very stable ride feel with their large surface area and volume of air in the tires. Plus size tires can run lower pressure than traditional mountain bike tires because of the large volume of air.
Pinch flatting the tube is less of a concern at these relatively lower pressures because there is so much air volume for the tires to absorb impacts from rocks, roots, etc.
And pinch flatting is almost eliminated when running a tubeless system with Plus size tires. The bike comes with tubes but it can be converted to a tubeless system. This is a great way to run the lower pressures and almost eliminate flats from thorns, glass, and other small objects because the sealant closes the holes.
And bigger tires are more fun! We include valve stems for when you do go tubeless. The Koben wheels are already taped and ready for your next tires!
One By if by Land
The other big change is gears! While I still ride my original Koben around town, not everyone can get away with a singlespeed due to their local terrain. The new SRAM 1x (pronounced one-by) drivetrains are amazing.
I’ve been using various iterations of this simplified system for years on most of my bikes. With our mid-motor platform it makes so much sense for the Koben. We pair a 42T narrow-wide chainring with an 11–42 cassette in back to give a 380 degree gear range, same as our Koben S with a NuVinci N380. The external gearing is not as smooth or silent as the S’s internal gear hub, but it provides similar ride versatility at a much more affordable price point.
We also upgraded the Koben to SRAM Level hydraulic disc brakes instead of the mechanical cable disc brakes from last year. The Centerline rotors are an improvement as well. We’re happy to partner with SRAM on the new Koben to bring the full capabilities of our Koben S to a more affordable price point.
The Best Parts
The last thing I want to talk about are the best parts, from the best people. We’ve already mentioned the benefits of wider tires and wheels, but we didn’t just use generic stuff to keep the price down.
WTB and American Classic are two well-established bike companies with charismatic Founders who still operate their businesses independently. Not only do I love their products, but I truly respect Mark and Bill for everything they’ve done for the bike industry. We’re proud to partner up with them to give our customers a better bike. And it is important to note that they’re two of the nicest guys in the industry. We always love working with great people!
We hope the new Koben is a bike that works for more people. There are plenty of ebike choices for buyers today. But smart customers know there is no better value. Get yourself a new Koben and go have some fun!
Cheers,
Hong
