Spring be praised
Legs spinning, wheels rolling, tyres whispering into the silence. And my balls are freezing.
Spring arrived here in style — already at the end of February. Intense rain that lasted three days washed away all the snow. Then the sun warmed up the landscape and my heart alike. But March weather can still be a pain, and every cyclist has to reckon with that. 🌤️🥶
The last weekend of March was supposed to be all about cycling. On Friday, I headed out on my loop through Bedřichovecký Forest, Chrastava, and Hamrštejn. Coming out of the woods onto the meadow took my breath away. The air was icy, but the ride was brilliant.
The absolute highlight was Saturday’s ride to the Bedřichov Reservoir. Shady stretches along the Black Nisa canal were still covered with patches of snow, and the Kona flew over them like a shot. And by the water, it was breathtakingly beautiful. ✨💧
04/03/2026 Lukáš Jokl
Farewell to the Magician
There was a time when I felt I had to own every steel Author Magic from the ARP line. Back then, my younger self nervously trawled through every local classifieds site I could find. No one was selling, and I was sinking into helplessness and emptiness. 🔍😵💫
Then I sent the wish out into the universe, and it took pity on me. Within a few weeks, my workshop lit up in yellow, and I ended up with three bikes at once. Including the most interesting one of them all — an exceptionally well-preserved Author Magic 01 with its original rigid fork and catalogue-spec Shimano Deore LX build. 💛❤️
Nothing lasts forever, so I eventually came to the conclusion that having so many yellow bikes in the collection no longer made much sense. One by one, I sold them all, except for the 01. It stood alone in the workshop for a long time, but in the end its time came too. My path leads elsewhere. This March, we said goodbye. 👋
04/03/2026 Lukáš Jokl
First time in the woods on an explosive steelie
The ’98 Kona Explosif in Bad Blue is something really close to my heart. 💙
And I’m not the only one. Konas have a huge fan club in the UK — just take a look at the British Retrobike scene. Back in the ’90s, they were known for beautifully made frames, quality components, and above all their sloping geometry, which was way ahead of its time. No wonder my first brisk ride on this dream Kona, built from Reynolds 853 tubing, left me buzzing. 🥳
A little gem to finish. The whole brand image was built on inspiration that was thought through down to the smallest detail. Guess what it was. 🔥
It drew on Hawaiian volcanic poetics. In Kona’s ’90s catalogues, you’ll find models like Kilauea, Lava Dome or Fire Mountain. And then there was Humuhumunukunukuapua'a — a name so long it barely fit on the top tube. Yet it was actually the name of a Hawaiian reef fish. 🐟
Kona’s ’90s marketers had some seriously killer style.
04/03/2026 Lukáš Jokl
