Product News: How do you manage to be traditional without appearing old-fashioned, ultramodern, but still unmistakable? In the bicycle industry, Koga from the Netherlands leads the way – a brief portrait of the attractively priced premium brand.
Well, Koga never made real “Dutch wheels”. Of course, the conditions were right: company founder Andries Gaastra was a descendant of the great Batavus dynasty, but when his father sold that bike company, he decided to set up something of his own. His surname and that of his German wife Marion Kowallik became "Koga" in 1974, for decades associated with the name of the Japanese frame manufacturer Miyata, which supplied the Dutch with material until 2010. Assembled in Heerenveen, noble racing bikes were created with Shimano components, which were still almost unknown at the time, and from the 1980s onwards increasingly touring and everyday bikes. Koga has been part of the Accell Group for 20 years, but has always been able to retain its independence within the network of bicycle brands.
Tradition made in Heerenveen
Right from the start, the focus was on a quality standard that was not necessarily common at the time the company was founded. This made Koga one of the first real premium brands in the bicycle industry, the bikes are the hallmark of discerning cyclists - with the corresponding prices, but which in any case have an equivalent value. This is reflected in the high processing quality, top material and innovative components.
It is typical for Koga, for example, that all wheels are assembled at individual workstations; Apart from some pre-assembly work, one technician is responsible for the entire assembly. Also not unusual at Koga are components specially created for the model range, which are often created in cooperation with well-known accessory manufacturers. With the support of Busch & Müller, the Rayo headlight was developed, which is integrated into the front fender and is installed on the E-Special and E-Tour e-bikes, for example. Beautiful looks were by no means the focus (but this is a welcome side effect); The primary aim was to find a solution to the problem that many handlebar bags cover a conventionally mounted front light. Another clever attachment "made in Heerenveen" is the Q-Guard - a special quick release whose lever also serves as a rear derailleur protection.
Over 40 models - from the classic to the modern newcomer
Clear lines and restrained design have characterized Koga bikes for decades, ensure a high recognition value and don't let older models look "old". The e-bikes already mentioned have been in the range for years and have been continuously developed - this is how classics are created that are ridden for a long time. In general, the manufacturer's model range is manageable; currently little more than 40 bikes are available across all four categories (e-bike, city & tour, trekking & travel, race).
As a premium provider, Koga is not dependent on covering price points in the lower classes; the entry-level model in the Koga world is the F3 3.0 touring bike for 1.199 euros – which surprisingly has more to offer than similarly priced eight-speed bikes from the competition. A nice "smooth weld" aluminum frame, for example, which is equipped with a divisible seat stay for the installation of a belt drive and also has an eccentric bottom bracket for chain/belt tension.
The more expensive touring models are also sporty and elegant, and among the e-bikes, several Bosch variants have prevailed in addition to the tried-and-tested versions with a hub motor - at prices starting at 3.099 euros with a 500 Wh battery. The touring bikes in the "trekking" category still include the legendary WorldTraveller with the characteristic additional parking stand on the fork's luggage rack. And to this day, racing machines have a high priority in the program. In addition to the proven Kimera carbon wheels, Koga relies heavily on light, extremely high-quality aluminum models with disc brakes whose tube transitions are so smooth that even those who know the subject rub their eyes. The Colmaro Allroad gravel bike in the unmistakable olive green caused a stir at the 2017 bicycle fairs - with a contemporary 1×11 gear system and disc brakes, it is ultra-modern and, again, at 1.899 euros, the price is by no means high.
Over time, Koga has accumulated awards en masse - Eurobike Awards in all categories, "iF Product Design" and "Red Dot Design" awards and many other trophies. The most recent winner is the F3 6.0 (1.999 euros), which won two of the most important design awards last season and is representative of what makes Koga so special: smooth lines, high functionality and an almost inimitable elegance. To make a frame with a low step-through appear so sporty, you have to do it first!
The example of the F3 also shows a rather unusual unique selling point of the Dutch manufacturer: Koga does not have a single model with a classic suspension fork; instead, many bikes are equipped with the in-house Feathershock fork. It doesn't offer a super-long spring deflection, but it does offer the kind of shock absorption that is particularly important in potholes and on hard edges, and it's largely neutral in terms of looks and weight.
It is clear - and intentional - that there must be gaps in the range with 40 models. Especially for demanding long-distance drivers, an important customer group at Koga, there is an extensive modular range with Koga Signature, with which numerous special requests can be implemented that would have little chance of success in series production. There is no standard model with a Rohloff gear hub, because experience has shown that cyclists who choose this type of gearing usually have numerous special requests. And so they are in better hands when building them individually.
However, not much can be found there anymore. Koga no longer offers a long-distance touring bike with a steel frame, and mountain bikes have also been dropped from the range. On the other hand, the beach racer with flat racing handlebars and special geometry for the beach races in winter, which are very popular in the Netherlands, has been very popular for years. In bright “Oranje”, this bike shows that cycling in the neighboring country is by no means limited to leisurely rolling with everyday bikes, but has many more facets – and that makes the beach racer perhaps the typical Dutch bike in the Koga model range.