Riders of a certain age might remember earning their scars and sharpening their skill set on a rad little hardtail from Kona called the Cowan. Designed by legendary John Cowan, both the original Cowan DJ and DS bikes where some of the first jump specific models ever created.
Ever the visionary, John recently built a new bike company around a ground breaking new entry into the same market he helped create. The star of the product line is the American made carbon dirt jumper pictured above.
The frame weight varies from model to model based on paint, but Cowan did share a scale shot on his cellphone of a raw frame with a headset and BB bearings that weighed only a touch over 4 lbs!
Cowan claims he didn’t make the move to carbon because of the weight though. Instead, he made the move because the material is stronger and more impact resistant than anything else on the market. 
The frame itself is incredibly clean, with no option for a derailleur, and an internally routed brake cable.
Every frame is custom built to order so the carbon layup can be modified for individuals needs. Each frame includes bottom bracket, drop outs/brake mount, head tube bearing races, seat mount, and internal cable guides.
Depending on what type of cranks you intend on running, Cowan installs either Shimano or GXP bearings into an internal aluminum sleeve, which eliminates the need for external bottom bracket cups – and helps give the frame such a distinct appearance. 
Also in the works…..
is a new park bike. It’s currently still in development but will be the first carbon slope bike on the market when it hits.
For more info, visit Cowan Bikes
