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I've hads my old Explosif lurking in a pile of bits in the back of the garage for years - I've had it from new in 93, raced it for a couple of years, then jobs and kids reduced riding time massively. When I got riding again around 2000, I got a new bike, and forgot about the Kona.
I say forgot, actually the guilt of leaving this lovely machine hidden under cobwebs has been gnawing away at me for ages, so I finally got round to doing something about it.
This is where I started from:
[img] 
[/img]
I love the fluted downtubes on these Explosifs
[img] http://www.flickr.com/photos/47933770@N07/5559833580/ [/img]
Ultra strong and pretty light (3.3lbs on my kitchen scales)
[img] http://www.flickr.com/photos/47933770@N07/5559254015/ [/img]
I've had the frame powder coated by a local company who have been doing mates bikes, and i'm really pleased with the results. OK so its not the most original colour but I think Explosifs look quite sexy in white, plus its got sparkles for a bit of class.
[img] http://www.flickr.com/photos/47933770@N07/5559838884/ [/img]
Forks and Velocity stem to match
[img] http://www.flickr.com/photos/47933770@N07/5559259091/ [/img]
I've got a sticker set made up (thanks Gil!) to match the originals, except the white bits are in a light grey which should make a subtle contrast to the white. Can't wait to get them on the frame, i'm getting quite excited now!
Why that no worky?
I want to see!
Me to 🙁
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This is where i started from:
[img][url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5053/5559835326_50d8babc5c.jp g" target="_blank">
Fluted down tube
[img][url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5092/5559833580_9fff12e8eb.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/47933770@N07/5559833580/ ]P2270483[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/47933770@N07/ ]T*inbred[/url], on Flickr[/img]
I'm sure you can manage the rest. Just remember to select BBCode before copying and pasting, i always forget that bit.
Ha Ha thanks Rusty. Just tried to edit the original but timed out so i'll start again!
Ah, a true classic there ... back in the day I always wanted one, but having just bought a house I wasn't allowed to spend *that* much on a bike so I bought a more basic Fire Mountain, and gradually sneaked decent parts on it. It's my most ridden bike to this day - although unlike [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/47933770@N07/5559259091 ]yours[/url], I ditched my threaded forks a long time ago.
There was a factory white coloured Explosif at some point - early 1990's maybe?
Are you sticking to relevant era parts full retro-stylee or updating stuff as required?
I've hads my old Explosif lurking in a pile of bits in the back of the garage for years - I've had it from new in 93, raced it for a couple of years, then jobs and kids reduced riding time massively. When I got riding again around 2000, I got a new bike, and forgot about the Kona.
I say forgot, actually the guilt of leaving this lovely machine hidden under cobwebs has been gnawing away at me for ages, so I finally got round to doing something about it.
This is where I started from:
[img] [/img]
I love the fluted downtubes on these Explosifs
[img] 
[/img]
Ultra strong and pretty light (3.3lbs on my kitchen scales)
[img] 
[/img]
I've had the frame powder coated by a local company who have been doing mates bikes, and i'm really pleased with the results. OK so its not the most original colour but I think Explosifs look quite sexy in white, plus its got sparkles for a bit of class.
[img] 
[/img]
Forks and Velocity stem to match
[img] 
[/img]
I've got a sticker set made up (thanks Gil!) to match the originals, except the white bits are in a light grey which should make a subtle contrast to the white. Can't wait to get them on the frame, i'm getting quite excited now!
Hope thats worth the wait!
I'm going to get it as close to original spec as I reasonably can. Got the original xtr hub and just rebuilt it onto a mavic 221 rim (priginal was 231 I think? Also sourced a matching rim on a White Industries hub for the front as I lost the front hub (rims went ages ago).
XT 7 speed thumbies (with 8 clicks), original Kona prototype ti bars (bit narrow though) Richey Logic canti brakes, Sugino cranks, even some XT beartrap pedals lurking in the box! Original xtr rear mech & xt front - the xtr stuff still feels super smooth!
Oh and a Kona Impact headset - this is a bit rough on the races, I've got some new bearings so I'll see how it goes.
What I havent got so far is a Kona Race Light seatpost (snapped the original), saddle or tyres.
Looks great, can't wait to see the finished result!
Looks Rubbish, I think you should sell it to me! 😉
Come on! I love old Konas! In that last pic you can see how short the TT is.
And how long the stem is!
Good luck with the project, here is a link to my 1996 Kona Cinder Cone "Hot Rod" (arguably one of the best bikes ever built ?). I had this from new, then flogged it to someone who sprayed in Subaru Blue and left it outside for 4 years unridden!
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=86604&highlight=
Agree old steel Konas rule!
Cheers
Kev
Update:
Stickers now applied and looking good!
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5105/5574763626_c1398ed795.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/47933770@N07/5574763626/ ]P3300516[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/47933770@N07/ ]T*inbred[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5308/5574176787_bf2f2cbff3.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/47933770@N07/5574176787/ ]P3300515[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/47933770@N07/ ]T*inbred[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5252/5574186227_25f35c4a14.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/47933770@N07/5574186227/ ]P3300520[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/47933770@N07/ ]T*inbred[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5221/5574188359_1c44ffe88e.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/47933770@N07/5574188359/ ]P3300522[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/47933770@N07/ ]T*inbred[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5140/5574190723_cd1169d63b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/47933770@N07/5574190723/ ]P3300525[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/47933770@N07/ ]T*inbred[/url], on Flickr
Time to get bike building 🙂
That looks like a lovely job - looking forward to seeing it finished...
I will follow with intrest
I had a 94 Kileau (I think it was 94 maybe 93). A year later my mate got an explisif with suspension forks, the first year Kona correctedfor a suspension fork.
I rode his explosif last summer, my Kileau was knicke years ago. I have to say that I now fins the origical riding posistion uncomfortable and unnerving. I think I would have gone for a modern take like the Cinder cone that was linked to.
Busy night ahead then!
See it tomorrow, maybe? 😉
very nice
Lovely.You can't beat an old Kona.
Looking forward to seeing the finished bike, make sure there's a photo-record of the build please!
Looks lovely 😀
I'd guess you're a member of Retrobike already - but if you're not I'd highly recommend it as the best bike related site on the web.......(ducks for cover!) 😆
I've lurked a bit on Retrobike but not signed up. Do you think I qualify now?
PS got my eye on my dads 86 Diamond Back for next project, getting into this retro rebuild thing now 🙂
Whiz did the psintjob Its lovely. I would like to do my old Gt Avalanche.
I am very, very jealous of that. New paint job and stickers look fantastic - great job!
AWESOME
That's stunning. 😀
This is going to turn into a classy build, lovely so far!
'Stickers now applied and looking good!'
Understatement of the year award!!
That looks lovely.
Thanks for the comments!
Rich - the paintshop is [url= http://www.trestanfinishers.com ]Trestan Finishers[/url] by the Itchen bridge in Southampton - they've done at least half a dozen bikes for the Newforce crowd with excellent results, durable finish and they on ly charge £35 (with sparkles!) In fact I got frame, forks and stem for £35!!
35 pounds?! 8)
That looks great fella. Would Gil be interested in doing some decals for my '97 Explosif? I want to repaint it but everywhere I look the decals advertised are different to the ones on my frame.
Send Gil an email and see whats available
gil(at)thecycleshed.co.uk replacing (at) with @
been wondering about doing something similar to my '95 Cindercone, although I'm tempted to half-modernise it and stick a threadless steerer on the forks. and maybe put new dropouts on for SS use...
That is all kinds of awesome
I bought a 2004 or 2005 Explosif as my very first 'proper' mountainbike. I loved the look of it, but it was spoiled by the ridiculous sliding dropouts - lovely slim seat and chainstays with a massive hunk of metal bolted on the end! Yours looks much much nicer 🙂 I don't think I ever 'got' the Explosif though. Was probably a bit steep and racy for a first bike, but it served me pretty well at the time.
[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2266/2457052369_8d95bf2861.jp g" target="_blank">
That is absolutely stunning 40MPG. It still hurts when I think about the day a couple of years back when I phoned my old man:
Me: Dad, I'm up at the weekend, going to dig out the old ('94) Cinder Cone.
Dad: The what?
Me: The bronzy-orangy frame that's been hanging in the garage for about 15 years.
Dad: Oh that. Finally had a clear out last week, binned it. Threw out those old forks (Rock Shox Mag 21s) as well.
Definitely fancy a retro build!
Finished!!!
[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2606/5825118168_e26b5c3881.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/47933770@N07/5825118168/ ]P6040253[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/47933770@N07/ ]T*inbred[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2722/5824560119_2151e7ac8d.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/47933770@N07/5824560119/ ]P6040260[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/47933770@N07/ ]T*inbred[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5182/5824561165_b169da177f.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/47933770@N07/5824561165/ ]P6040263[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/47933770@N07/ ]T*inbred[/url], on Flickr
ooh eck that is proper nice. Maybe it's just me but bikes these days seem to fussy in comparison to bikes from the mid 90's (await 100 pics of a slingshot and a pro-flex to prove me wrong)
Oooooh, very very nice 😛
That is rather lovely. Well done that man! What you need is one of [url= http://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/components-hardware-c8/saddles-c86/selle-italia-flite-classic-saddle-p36371?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=36372&utm_campaign=froogle#36372 ]these[/url] to finish it off.
That is a lovely thing. A pair of Joe Murray clips and straps is required. The ones with 2 straps per side for true authenticity