Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 45 total)
  • Project Kona : Retro rebuild
  • 40mpg
    Full Member

    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:

    I love the fluted downtubes on these Explosifs

    Ultra strong and pretty light (3.3lbs on my kitchen scales)

    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.

    Forks and Velocity stem to match

    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!

    40mpg
    Full Member

    Why that no worky?

    GlitterGary
    Free Member

    I want to see!

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    Mike
    Free Member

    Me to 🙁

    RustyMac
    Full Member

    Flickr
    Flickr follows the same rules as above but they have added a button to retrieve the BBcode.

    ?Find the photo you want on flickr
    ?Above the photo there are two boxes “actions” and “share this”
    ?Drop the menu in “share this”
    ?See “grab the HTML/BBCode” and click.
    ?See two buttons below the script, “HTML” “BBCode”
    ?Check “BBCode”
    ?Paste this code into the Singletrack forum post box

    RustyMac
    Full Member

    This is where i started from:
    [/url][/img]

    RustyMac
    Full Member

    Fluted down tube
    [/url]
    P2270483 by T*inbred, on Flickr[/img]

    RustyMac
    Full Member

    I’m sure you can manage the rest. Just remember to select BBCode before copying and pasting, i always forget that bit.

    40mpg
    Full Member

    Ha Ha thanks Rusty. Just tried to edit the original but timed out so i’ll start again!

    OCB
    Free Member

    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 yours, 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?

    40mpg
    Full Member

    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:

    I love the fluted downtubes on these Explosifs

    Ultra strong and pretty light (3.3lbs on my kitchen scales)

    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.

    Forks and Velocity stem to match

    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!

    40mpg
    Full Member

    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.

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    Looks great, can’t wait to see the finished result!

    steelfan
    Free Member

    Looks Rubbish, I think you should sell it to me! 😉

    corroded
    Free Member

    Come on! I love old Konas! In that last pic you can see how short the TT is.

    40mpg
    Full Member

    And how long the stem is!

    RagTi
    Free Member

    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

    40mpg
    Full Member

    Update:

    Stickers now applied and looking good!


    P3300516 by T*inbred, on Flickr


    P3300515 by T*inbred, on Flickr


    P3300520 by T*inbred, on Flickr


    P3300522 by T*inbred, on Flickr


    P3300525 by T*inbred, on Flickr

    Time to get bike building 🙂

    oxym0r0n
    Full Member

    That looks like a lovely job – looking forward to seeing it finished…

    ampthill
    Full Member

    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.

    ciderinsport
    Free Member

    Busy night ahead then!

    See it tomorrow, maybe? 😉

    retro83
    Free Member

    very nice

    GlitterGary
    Free Member

    Lovely.You can’t beat an old Kona.

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    Looking forward to seeing the finished bike, make sure there’s a photo-record of the build please!

    Reluctant
    Free Member

    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!) 😆

    40mpg
    Full Member

    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 🙂

    soma_rich
    Free Member

    Whiz did the psintjob Its lovely. I would like to do my old Gt Avalanche.

    crispedwheel
    Free Member

    I am very, very jealous of that. New paint job and stickers look fantastic – great job!

    budgierider67
    Full Member

    AWESOME

    neilsonwheels
    Free Member

    That’s stunning. 😀

    warton
    Free Member

    This is going to turn into a classy build, lovely so far!

    nosemineb
    Free Member

    ‘Stickers now applied and looking good!’
    Understatement of the year award!!
    That looks lovely.

    40mpg
    Full Member

    Thanks for the comments!

    Rich – the paintshop is Trestan Finishers 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!!

    nosemineb
    Free Member

    35 pounds?! 8)

    kerv
    Free Member

    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.

    40mpg
    Full Member

    Send Gil an email and see whats available

    gil(at)thecycleshed.co.uk replacing (at) with @

    ir_bandito
    Free Member

    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…

    bikemonkey
    Free Member

    That is all kinds of awesome

    Kit
    Free Member

    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://www.flickr.com/photos/gingerfox/2457052369/]Kona Explosif[/url] by Ginger F0x, on Flickr

    Brycey
    Free Member

    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!

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 45 total)

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