Kona’s product manager Chris Mandell lives in Bellingham’s own Manhattan style grid–square locality, which at first I thought was handy for navigation but in reality just spins me out, a corner is a corner, especially after a few local brews, which the area is extremely well known for. Random space is easier to navigate. And even easier if you are a rider of unworldly skill levels such as Seth Holton, who I had the pleasure of sharing the street and having a beer with.

Half expecting a tour of Kona’s HQ it was refreshing to spend the next few days working out of Mandell’s garage, it did after all have all the merchandise and the man knew every inch of the product and the area. The past year has been one of Kona’s most notable, arguably the first post–Barel, almost a decade since they won a double World Championship with the Frenchman. They have in many ways reinvented themselves with the new Process range and we spent the next two days slamming the 111’s, 153’s and the new carbon Operator around the local woods. Unlike press trips where you are press–ganged into tiresome activities and presentations that always try to put the screws on you, the days are just about chipping away at the good and the bad of bicycles and design with Chris. It is my first time on the Process bikes and the Mandell influence shows through because he’s a man who doesn’t hang around two wheels.

Chris takes us to the Double Diamond trails, it’s where the legendary Kona Stab and Stinky range of bikes were developed. The ten–minute descents through massive Douglas fir are an explosion of loam laden treats littered with root and snared by awkward drops. As you’d imagine, the Kona man knows them well. As the early morning light begins to filter its way through the canopy Transition Bikes’ Lars Sternberg arrives at full tilt.

And that’s the thing about Bellingham, there’s a strong riding community, everyone knows everyone and there’s massive respect of what they have in terms of trails. So much so that they have managed to remind the Forestry just how much value mountainbiking has in terms of woodland management and tourism resource. The bikers maintain the trails, nothing is surfaced and considering the heavy traffic it’s one of the cleanest woods I’ve ever visited.

Both night and day Bellingham is a potent mix of dirt, coffee, beer and great company, and even though the next few days were primarily with Transition I still see Mandell, his wife Ariel and Seth Holton. And we still visit the same café midday to stock up on food.

Owner Kevin Menard arrives at 7am ready for a day at Transition. Like at Kona I was half expecting a company tour followed by a few beers. This was turned immediately on its head and with just an hour to shoot at HQ we were packed into a truck and heading east to Mount Baker for a days riding… but not just a few of us… the WHOLE company!>>