There’s a lot to love about Kona’s latest drop-bar bike, the Ouroboros. From the name (duh) to the stance and details, it’s got a lot going on. John got his hands on the Supreme build spec ($6999) and shot some photos before today’s release, so let’s take a closer look at this adventure-ready platform.

AXS and Rudy-Equipped Supreme Build

The Ouroborus sets itself in between a hardtail mountain bike and a bike like the Sutra LTD that I reviewed back in 2020. The build spec, dubbed Supreme, I’m reviewing features an electronic build kit with SRAM AXS Force, an *AXS Reverb, and the 40 mm Rudy RockShox fork. It features Zipp 101 XPLR carbon gravel wheels and 180 mm rotors and clears a 2.1″, or 50 mm, tire with ease.  With the Supreme being the echelon build spec, there’s also a rigid fork (2.5″ tire clearance in the rigid fork) in the CR DL model spec ($4799) and a CR spec ($3799) with a Fox TC 32 suspension fork.

*It should be noted that using an AXS dropper post negates the option for a bikepacking-style saddle pack.

Branding

Inspired by the symbol of the snake eating its tail, aka the ouroboros, this ancient symbol can be found in petroglyphs and pictographs all over the world. Perhaps most famously, it was used as a symbol of rebirth in Egyptian iconography. It is also used throughout alchemy imagery as a part of the Philosopher’s Stone process. The Ouroborus has a unique Kona head badge and branding throughout, donning a modern version of this symbol.

That Headtube

As soon as I pulled the bike from its shipping box, I noticed the acute angle of the head tube, pointing into the frame bag space. With the Ouroboros being a bike designed for mountain bike riding, it has to pass the same rigorous off-road testing, as such, that bit of buttressing ensures the head tube can take the additional leverage found with rowdy riding. Does it take away from the overall stance and proportions of the bike? Particularly in the XL, 58 cm, size? I don’t think so.

First Impressions

The Ouroboros is the evolutionary step between a gravel bike and a mountain bike. With lots of mounts for racks, cargo cages, and more, it’s planted firmly in the “adventure touring” category, notching up in capability over bikes like the Santa Cruz Stigmata I reviewed last year. If the bike were boost-spaced, I’d dub it a drop-bar mountain bike, but its road/gravel, non-boost rear end keeps it in the adventure bike category.

Overall, it’s aligned in a similar space as the Salsa Cutthroat, with an off-road geometry, massive frame bag space, suspension fork, dialed build kit, plentiful tire clearance, and a lot of stack.

I’ll spend some time on the bike throughout this spring and summer and get working on a full-length review…

Ouroboros Supreme USD $6999
Ouroboros CR DL USD $4799
Ouroboros CR USD $3799

Until then, check out more at Kona and check out the launch video below.