A mate brought his 1998 all steel rigid kona round to my workshop last night. V brakes too. It looks lovely, all skinny tubes, and it weighed 25lbs, including a rear mudguard and a pump and lights. it didnt have any super trick bits on it – square taper bb, huge bear trap type pedals etc.

i want one! is there a modern skinny steel tube equivalent with disks that will weigh anything like as little?

Cotic Soul (Rigid of course)…

No actually I think any xc steel frame with rigid forks would get close to 23lbs with the right finishing gear (including xc discs)

Ive got a 96 steel kona with modern forks and front disk. Run a magura rim brake on the back and it never feels under braked. Superb bike and about 26lbs with a fox rl80 fork. Might be closer to 25, cant uite remember.

The Soul is a good call -just not the new HT model.

That said the tubes on my Soul had a larger diameter that my Kona.

For not a lot of money a late 90’s Kona can be bought for under £100. I know of a 19” Kilauea frame for sale for £90.

Could always take an older Kona and modernize it……

My owned from new 1999 Caldera fettled by Argos of Bristol.

Set up for last years MM.

that looks exactly like it!
how much do argos charge to disk mod. and paint it?

@ Jamie – Mine was done a few years ago so prices may have changed. From memory the work and prices were (hope your sitting down 😆 )

Remove cantis – £16
Hydro cable guides – £8 ea (4 in total)
Disc tab – £40
ST/CS brace – £10
Paint – £100

Granted its a lot of money for an “old” frame but I cannot see me ever selling it and still enjoy riding it.

The same work could be undertaken at a much lower cost with powdercoat etc .

The finish work from Argos is excellent – IMHO the disc mount looks factory fresh

Cotic Souls are too heavy. The frame is about 1/4lb heavier than my 1993 Explosif.

This one:

IMG_3493 by PeterPoddy, on Flickr

the lines of old konas are perfect. lovely

Mine, after a revamp

P6040253 by T*inbred, on Flickr

I’m probably going to sell this if your interested £200?

At PP – That said a Soul will be stronger without loosing the feel of a steel frame.

I have seen a number of the “Kona” stamped flat dropouts break at the CS dropout point.

Sadly gone but I did enjoy building and riding this:

I do like old Konas and Bomber forks ….. 😳

PP, is that the original stem, looks very short for a ’93 vintage? I’d quite like one that short, it might mean I’d use my ’95 Explosif more.

soma rich, what size it is?

Damn the lot of you ! This is for sale in Hong Kong,
anybody know anything about it ? Should I ? Works
out at about 70 GBP

http://www.28bike.com/classifieds/detail.php?id=424631

Thanks,
Jon

porter_jamie its a 19″ frame 🙂

The soundtrack to these Kona threads is “I touch myself”.
Keep them coming 😀

Charge Skinny Duster got good reviews for having an retro feel.

Ooh, I love the old Kona’s. Mine got stolen many years ago.
I did look for a modern equivelant myself to build up and settled on a Decade Virtue or Versa as they are called now. Nice light steel frame. I tried various fork lengths and settled at 120mm.

@PeterPoddy – Lovely bike mister. Not to say that the rest are mingers by a long shot.

I still find myself scanning ebay for old Kona’s weekly but don’t have the space for folly bike purchases.

might be a bit big for me, i’ll try my mates to see how i fit

Yum, old Konas. I miss my Explosif.

I’m going to have a little quiet me time. Back in a minute.

On one inbred skinny, not too heavy and disk ready
is nice no?

I find Kona’s all come up a little smaller than other brands.

Heres my old explosif:

21lbs of skinny steel.

They do just look right don’t they.

I’ve been using my 92 Lava Dome a lot lately as my road bike is out of action. Such a great ride, I would be very upset if anything was to happen to her.

You’ve got to love the Joe Murray Konas! Icon frame designs if there is such a thing.

here’s my charge skinny duster bike i loves it tbh (unfortunately charge just do 29″ bikes now 🙁

i bought it partly because it reminded me of the classic kona steel bikes 🙂

PP, is that the original stem, looks very short for a ’93 vintage? I’d quite like one that short, it might mean I’d use my ’95 Explosif more.

Not the one that came with the bike, no. But it is a proper Velocity stem, albeit a cheaper one of a Hahanah or similar lower specced bike of the same era. It would be too long for me with the OE 130mm stem. That’s a 100mm one, with the brake hanger removed.

not that old (2007), but steel, Kona and 21lbs. The frame is 4.8lbs

P1040900 by eastham_david, on Flickr

Here’s mine, owned from new.