I have an old kona cindercone 97 18″

The bike has been converted to single speed with the use of a chain tensioner. The steel frame is damaged in several places with the usual cable rubs and chain damage on the stays. I think the frame needs a respray.

The wheels, brakes and other kit are not that special and probably could be upgraded but is all of this worth it?

I really enjoy riding the bike (as it it stands now) but I could buy a dialled prince albert or a cotic simple for instance for less than £1k?

I will post varous pictures and a detailed spec shortly.

I would really value the forum’s collective opinion on this one 🙂

Thanks in advance…

First the whole bike 🙂

It ay be a bit mmodern but you’ll get a lot of help if you ask on

retrobike.co.uk/

A fountain of knowledge awaits you there,

unless you have a burning need for disc brakes or suspension, just ride the thing and replace stuff as it wears out – spunking £1k on a very similar bike is just going to leave you wondering if it was worth it

‘needs’ a respray? doubt it – ‘looks a bit tatty’ maybe, same as any bike will after a while

looks fine to me, apart from that ‘shopper’ stem.

what they said – Inc the stem

You could cost up discs and sliding dropouts, if you really like the bike and will keep riding it.

It looks like a fun bike!
If you wanted to upgrade the braking you could get a disc fork (and wheel, and brake etc)
And I wouldn’t worry about respraying it etc. It’ll never be a museum piece, so just ride it!

The frame is a little damaged…

‘needs’ a respray? doubt it – ‘looks a bit tatty’ maybe, same as any bike will after a while

Here is some of the highlights lowlights 🙂

if you want a respray, get a respray.

any idea of price etc?

any other ideas on upgrades for this bike…the wheels are a mismatch of Mavic 221s on the rear with a shimano deore hub and Mavic 238s on the front with an unnamed hub.

Forks are P2s

Tyres I have just replaced with Kenda Blue grooves

Cranks are Raceface ride XC

Saddle is a Flyte

bars are Raceface flat

brakes are avid Vs

just ride it, don’t get it resprayed, it works for you and must have done for a long time maybe get ceramic rims and poncier v’s next time you wear your rims out

fix it up but too a budget, get second hand bits of classifieds and touch the paint up with a car touch up pen. just take it into halfords and match up. looks a little old but so what, will look much better after a bit of tlc. ENJOY

http://www.bobjacksoncycles.co.uk/resprays_pl.php

wheels? lx hubs on xm719, sorted

I’d recommend superstar v brake pads – i love them. just put new cables etc on it and she’ll be running sweet in no time.

Worth keeping it going, yes

Worth a respray possibly

wortk real work like disc mounts and sliding dop outs? IMHO the cost of the work is to close to a new frame. Unless you want to keep it going

just ride it, don’t get it resprayed, it works for you and must have done for a long time

Yes I have had it since 1999…we have done the south downs together three times to name but a few rides…

I have some of those stickers for rub points etc so I could use those to patch up the paint work.

The stem looks weird but works. I will try to put back the original which was less extreme 🙂

Thanks Bez – not bad price 🙂

I would like to keep the original colour but I probably got no chance matching it 🙁

colour match no probs.

If you are rrspraying and getting new wheels you’d be silly IMO not to get disc mounts abs sliding dropouts

I’ve got one of those still going, and it’s in a much worse state… had 2 visits to the welders and is partly primed, partly painted. Still running well with drop bars, slicks and mudguards as a poor weather commuter.

I’d not worry about the respray, get some touch up paint for it (Car places will do there best to colour match).

With a small amount of filing to the dropouts, you can run 32-16 without a tensioner on the 19″ version of the ’97 frame so I assume that the same trick will work for an 18″ version.

Not worth restoring. Let it die in style – ride it into a tree.

Not worth restoring. Let it die in style – ride it into a tree.

I will ignore that last comment Shame-He-Likes-Bikes!

With a small amount of filing to the dropouts, you can run 32-16 without a tensioner on the 19″ version of the ’97 frame so I assume that the same trick will work for an 18″ version.

How do you do that then Paule?

Er. You get a file and you file the dropouts. Effectively shortening the stays.

Be sure it’ll work before you do it, though. Magic ratios vary on Konas (I have had 34:17 work on three of mine – one perfectly, two with filing – and 32:16 has never been even close to working).

Whereas I got 32:16 to work perfectly on an 18″ frame (1994 Cindercone) and a standard 1/8 chain. All without filing (by me at least. It had 4 owners on retrobike before me).

leave it on the beach, after riding it into a tree of course….

AW, you have too much time and money. Why don’t you spend both on sex and drugs, and rock’n’roll? The bike looks fine, ride it or not it won’t be worse than a £1k modern thing (and that’s a lot of drink in my books).
Or just send it to me, I’ll pay for the courier.