Perhaps one of the more peculiar requests on this forum today but I’m trying to identify an old steel Kona frame, it was stripped and resprayed before its previous owner so they have no idea what it once was.

The cable routing puts it at 99 or after but looking at the admittedly low resolution pics in the brochures it looks like they may have changed the top tube cable stops which would help me narrow it down even further. The ones on mine are rounded at the end where as some of the ones I’ve seen have been quite straight.

I think I’ve already ruled out some years and some models based on the dropout design and the tubes are straight not fluted so I know its not one of the top end frames.

These are mine…

I’ll be heading over to Retrobike if I don’t get much luck here.

Is it a Zaskar?

Yeah its a Kona Zaskar, the only one ever made because GT told them off

’99 Nunu here, flat stops on top of top tube

99 Nunu was alu though wasn’t it?

mine are flat ended (97 cinder cone,steel)

Fire Mountain?

Tru dat. Ignore.

pitduck – mine are flat ended (97 cinder cone,steel)

Thanks but the rear mech routing is wrong for it to be a 97 model.

pickle – Fire Mountain?

I’ve already considered this and it could be a Fire mountain from 99 or 2000 but I can’t find any good enough pictures to confirm it.

I imagine they changed the cable stop style either on a specific year but I could be wrong.

Mini bump on this, if anyone has or can get me pics on a 2000 Lava Dome, Fire Mountain and / or Hahanna that would be awesome as I think its probably one of those but there don’t seem to be many good pics through google.

IIRC by circa 1998/9 all MTB cable routing for Kona’s was along the TT.

Have you got a from mech cable routing down the down tube?

I’m also pretty sure they stopped stamping the dropouts pre 2000.

Pics of a 2000 Lava Dome:

http://www.klassickona.com/oldgold/2k/2k_xch_ld.htm

Pics of a 2000 Hahanna:

http://www.klassickona.com/oldgold/2k/2k_xch_hah.htm

Any flaring of the ST where it connects to the BB shell?

Does it have a rear canti hanger?

Any full pics of the frame?

All cable routing is along the top with a front mech stop on the seat tube and no obvious flaring on the down tube BB joint.

Found some more info here https://web.archive.org/web/20000614091011/http://www.konaworld.com/TechArea/2000Tech/newtech6.html

Lava Dome had Ritchey dropouts which makes it either a Fire Mountain or a Hahanna (assuming its 2000). As its a 18″ frame I’ll see if I can get anything like a 4.6 or 4.9 frame weight which should once and for all confirm it.

But all this depends on the cable stops matching the 2000 range which I cant really tell from the pics above or any others I can find.

Poor quality full pic

Ah, it looked like only 2 cable stops when I looked at it first.

The cabe stops are different to my 1998 & 1999 Caldera’s

I’d go 2000 Lava Dome then as the chain stays seem to match this one as do the dropouts but there seems to be a lack of mudguard mounts 👿

The Lava Dome had cast Ritchey dropouts which would make my frame a Fire Mountain or Hahanna… again, thats assuming its a 2000 which I cant confirm until I get a pic of some 2000 cable stops from either of those 2 frames.

Being that its the base of the range I’m unsure what to do with the frame, its in serious need of attention, was planning on putting a disc mount on and giving it a respray but it doesn’t seem worth it and I dont need another canti mount frame.

Years ago I had Argos add a disc mount to my, still owned, Caldera. It extended its useful life but rear tyre clearance severely limits tyre choice as 1.95” is really the max you could go too.

There was a vague plan to stick a disc mount on it and make it some kind of super commuter / flat bar gravel bike thing for the wife as her hardtail is a bit beefy sometimes but the cost of the modifications and bits to do it up isn’t much different to a new or much newer and probably better bike.

Had it been a nicer model I’d have considered it more but not so much with a bottom of the range one.

I’d be wary of dating a bike based on cable stops. It’s not an item the factory will pay a huge amount of attention to and could quite easily run for a few years or just as likely change during an MY.

There’s a chap on retrobike called Anthony, who knows everything about konas……honest, he is the font of all knowledge!

shandcycles – I’d be wary of dating a bike based on cable stops. It’s not an item the factory will pay a huge amount of attention to and could quite easily run for a few years or just as likely change during an MY.

Its not so much dating it from the cable stops more confirming all the other stuff, if these match other 2000 frames then everything else also matches making me sure its the right one.

Stedlocks – There’s a chap on retrobike called Anthony, who knows everything about konas……honest, he is the font of all knowledge!

I’ve posted on Retrobike too as someone has mentioned a guy on there knowing everything but he’s not shown himself as yet.

I’d be wary of dating a bike based on cable stops. It’s not an item the factory will pay a huge amount of attention to and could quite easily run for a few years or just as likely change during an MY

True dat, Saracen and Raleigh are pretty infamous for doing this.

Frame comes in at exactly 4.9lbs on my scales which I’m fairly happy makes it a 2000 Hahanna frame.

Don’t really think its worth refurbishing so I’ll just clean it up a bit and rattle-can it.