Hi Guys

I’ve been out of the mountain-biking scene for a good while now and I wanna get back into it and get a bike similar to the best bike I ever owned period…..a 1997 Kona Lava Dome.

I loved everything about it the beautiful racing green colour but mostly the feel. It got me into mountain biking so much that, After having it a year I upgraded to a 1998 pahoehoe things were never the same after that the pahohehoe felt dead by comparison didn’t inspire me to ride harder or somehow mystically propel me along like the lava dome

So im putting it down to the steel frame and I want that feeling back the bike was made from “kona butted chomoly” I dont knows much about steel tubing but I know I liked that bike I imagine this tubing is cheap but what would it be comparative to? Reynolds 520,631,? would 853 feel as zingy ?im wondering because I wanna build a steel hardtail (or buy a complete bike something similar on the bike to work scheme )…so any info recommendations/info from those that know would be most welcome

P.S i dont really wanna go second hand id like new do you think Genisis latitude 00 might fill my requirements. Was also thinking of a kona explosif frame build

Please help

pic of my old lava dome here

http://forums.mtbr.c….php?t=411738Hi

scroll down to big pic…

thank in advance

Kilf

try http://www.retrobike.co.uk – you’ll be able to pick up an old kona no probs.

you can’t ride in the past…

that metallic green kona explosif from 2005 or sommat..
Nice,simple, adaptable 100mm short travel (100mm is short travel??)I really wanted one of them.

Wake UP grandad, fo shizzle

that’s helpful MussEd

fwiw i had a 97 hahhana but it got stolen
replaced it with a 99 muni mula which was a brilliant bike but lacked the feel of my old steel frame
so about 7 years ago i bought a 97 lava dome on ebay p2s etc put most of the bits i had left over from upgrading the muni mula
anyway i have comuted to work on it every weekday since give or take and i love it
but
i also have a scandium kona dawg and a kona stinky, both bikes are more fun and can be pushed harder than the lava dome

so id say buy a 2nd hand steel kona, and also buy yourself a decent lightweight full suss
bikes have come a long way in the last 14 tears

So anyone got any recommendations? for a springy hardtail

It’s all about horses for courses, bikes have developed a lot. where and what do you want to ride? what do you want? long days out in the rolling countryside, tight singletrack, battering down stuff? how much are you bothered?

edit: it’s a shame if this is a troll, cos someone a bit interested in cycling could’ve posted that and all the regulars will just think it’s some twa t.

The first 2 I’m to timid for battering stuff prefer up to £1000 most Cannock Chase I live a stones throw away not necessarily the monkey and the dog I like to get lost up the chase 🙂

it’s all fun and good exercise kilf, relax.

I remember before you started reminiscing,wasn’t it lovely.
Ian

Reminiscing…. It’s not what it used to be….

wasn’t the cotic soul designed with old school konas in mind?

I have a steel dialled bikes ‘Love Hate’. I have owned LOADS of bikes and this one is hands down my favorite bike EVER! I run it with 120mm forks to slacken the head angle a little and have it built with light but functional parts.
So inspiraring to go fast and it makes me smile every time I ride.
Oh and it is steel.

Sanderson Life? Whyte 19 Steel? Dunno about them myself but lots of folk ride Cotic. I don’t think you can go wrong with them. Just get used to slacker geometry. Believe me, I’m still fighting it but I love it. Perhaps an adjustable fork may help you get used to it.

Cotic Soul aside, my Inbred has come closest to the feel my mid 90’s Kona gave me. Basic cro-mo tubing etc. For £1k you’ll put something nice together. Runs lovely at 100mm, but even better at 120mm. Its the bike of choice for my usual riding ss trio, every Tue night on the Chase. Genesis IO another one also, but dedicated ss. Inbred can run either. Rebas with a bar mounted lockout the perfect fork, but with carbon bars & a big tyre I prefer rigid carbons. Mines been built from S/H spares, but my mate built new & spent about £750. We’ve done FtD & Monky on them plenty of times, but they’re most at home over Sherbrook Valley side. Plenty of trails cver there to keep us 90’s remeniscers happy. 🙂

@takisawa2

Sherbrook Valley is the place I like 😀 ….What Kona did you have in the 90s and how does the wishbone stays feel (on the inbred/cotic)? do the make the steel frome less or more springy than the standard style

How is paint on inbred? whilst trawling forum I read its poor?

Cotics do have a good dollop of old skinny Kona heritage in them – hence the bright orange paint (Kilauea??).I guess the wishbone bit maybe came courtesy of Orange?

Of necessity, they’re a bit stiffer laterally, these days to control the bigger fork, but there’s still plenty of spring to them. Cracking ride.

So are standard stays springier than wishbone? any facts? if not opinions will do 😛