KOGA
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KOGAis a Dutch bicycle manufacturer based inHeerenveen,Friesland.The company is known for its long time partnership with Japanese frame manufacturerMiyata,producing bicycles and sponsoring racing teams under the brand nameKoga Miyata.As of May 2010 the partnership ended and the company began manufacturing bicycles under the KOGA brand.[1]
History[edit]
The company was founded by Andries Gaastra in 1974,who had left his function at his father's companyBatavus.The name Koga is a combination of his surname and that of his wife Marion Kowallik. The addition of Miyata came from the cooperation with Japanese manufacturerMiyata.Koga Miyata relied on Japanese components from manufacturers such asShimano.
From 1980 Koga Miyata sponsored theIJsboerkecycle team which a year later changed their main sponsor toCapri-Sun.Dutch rider of that team,Peter Winnen,won the1981 Tour de France17th stage on theAlpe d'Huezand the white jersey of the best young rider. Thenext Tourhe won the 17th stage towardsMorzine,leading to wider recognition.[1]In 1991-1992, Koga Miyata was subsponsor ofTulip Computersand also main sponsor of an amateur team, which would be a good development team for the professionals.[2]
In 1992, Gaastra sold his company to theAtag Cycle Group,which had acquired Batavus six years earlier.
KOGA is now owned by theAccell Group.
Products[edit]
Koga Miyata started with the use of Japanese components. The design and assemblage of the bicycles was done by hand in theNetherlands.
At first Koga Miyata only producedracing bicycles.In 1976 they added a range ofrandonneursor touring bicycles, and in 1986mountain bikes.In 1993, after it was acquired by the Atag Cycle Group, Koga Miyata also producedhybrid bicycles.
Koga now produce a range ofe-bikes(bicycles with an electrical assist system), city-bikes and racing road-bikes. They have also recently started producing a line of gravel-bikes. Additionally, Koga track-bikes have seen some success in the past decade, with the 'Koga Kinsei' frame claiming a gold medal at the UEC European Track Championships.[3]
Koga bikes are especially known for assembling their bikes by hand, and for "smooth welded" aluminium frames; nearly all Koga bikes have their welds smoothed out before painting.[4]
Early models[edit]
Some of the early company brochures are publicly available for download.[5]
- Pro-Racer
- Pro-Luxe
- FullPro-L
- Gents-Racer
- Gents-Touring
- Gents-Luxe
- Road Racer
- Road Winner
- Road Speed
- Road-Mixed
- Silver-Ace
Current models[edit]
A summary of the Koga 2023 bicycle-lineup:[6]
E-bikes[edit]
- Pace
- E-Nova
- Vectro
- E-Inspire
- E-Worldtraveller
City-/touring-/trekking-bikes[edit]
- F3
- Supermetro
- Worldtraveller
Road-/Gravel-bikes[edit]
- Kimera
- Colmaro
- Senko
- Kinsei
References[edit]
- ^ab[1]atkoga
- ^"Koga sponsor van profploeg".Leeuwarder Courant on Delpher.nl(in Dutch). 28 August 1990.
- ^"KOGA Kinsei | The fastest trackbike in the world. Made for gold!".koga.Retrieved31 December2022.
- ^"Why KOGA | perfection and quality".koga.Retrieved31 December2022.
- ^"Past brochures".KOGA.Retrieved24 July2015.
- ^"Find your favourite KOGA bike".koga.Retrieved31 December2022.
External links[edit]
