What to do with this old (98) Kona hardtail?

I’m going up to my folks this Christmas and I’ve got an old Kona Fire Mountain ’98 sat in the shed, which they’ve been on at me to take away for a while.

What should I do with it? I don’t really have space for n+1 – we’ve already got 5 bikes in the house and I’ve had to get rid of the DH bike to make space for them. Saying that, I’m sorely tempted to maybe try and fit some 700c wheels and guards in there and turn it into a cheap/winter commuter. However it does feel like it’d be a bit of a waste of cash – I’d need new wheels, would want to swap out the forks for rigids, etc. I’m not really sure how much it would fetch on retrobike either – if someone’s going to use it, then great, but it’s a fairly low end model.

Any other good ideas? Sadly my other half would not be keen on using it for “artwork” inside the house 🙁

I’m telling you now, if you sell it you’ll regret it.

The best bike graphics of all time on those late 90s konas

Is that a 20″? They don’t come up that often.

Sell it and make someone’s day. Still a decent enough bike

Sure it needs new wheels?
A project 2 fork wouldnt cost a lot.

Sell it. Somebody somewhere will be desperately happy to have that frame at least!

Can you fit 700c wheels and still have brakes?

Everyone needs an old Kona in their life

Aint never getting sold

Untitled by davetheblade[/url], on Flickr

It’s a nice looking bike. 26″ road tyres are easy to come by. You’ve got a nice pub bike there.

Mackem – Member
Sure it needs new wheels?
A project 2 fork wouldnt cost a lot.

A 410 or 420 axle crown 26″ project 2, v brake only with a steerer of 230mm or so for a 150mm headtube usually goes for 60 quid plus!

It’s not exactly a classic kona so I’d move it on and clear space for something else… This comes from someone with two vintage and two modern kona bikes

Race it in the dual slalom at next years Malverns.

No actual advice but high five to the 1998 version of you. Sweet Kona with the classic upgrades of DX brakes, Bel Air seat and (most pointless of all) Panaracer Fire XC tyres.

Also the Edge – Lancaster?

I’d be interested in it if you do decide to sell it, depending on the frame size. Would make a perfect bike to keep at my parent’s for visiting duties and for riding with my nephew as he gets the biking bug.

Email in profile.

Put slicks on the current wheels and use it as a commuter.

Or the correct answer, rebuild it with period correct parts and make it good as new.

The 1999 range had the best decals 8)

The flat plate rear dropouts mean an AtoZ disk adapter would fit over them and allow you to run a 700c disc wheel.

35mm cross tyres fitted fine in my 1999 Caldera.

Disc only 420/425mm forks aren’t that pricy – it it’s a 20″ you’ll likely need new.

All that said ……. I’d maybe dump the fork for something rigid or a Bam Z2 and store it.

Rose tinted specs aside they are still enjoyable if not fun to ride.

I turned my ’95 Marin in to a tourer. To be honest the only original bits are frame, forks and bars, but it just works really well with panniers fitted.

Have you owned it from New? Do you feel sentimental about it?
Or is it just and old bike sat in a shed and you don’t have room or time for it?
If the former, then make room for it somehow and use it.
If the latter then sell it and put the money towards something New.

Not keen on the colour scheme, I’ll give you £20 for it.
All right, £20 and an ayurvedic massage, but you buy the oils.

I persisted with keeping my ’93 Kilauea built up with original parts for years and then realised recently that the arse up-head down position, long stem, steep HA and P2’s were, shall we say, of their time.
Pub bike it.

I’ve got the same frame in my garage at present, got it for £50 it spent a few years as a singlespeed winter hack…

I have plans to reassemble it, possibly as a backup commuter/guest bike/pub bike…

Oh and 700c wheels won’t work, brake bosses are for 26″ and there’s no disc mounts…

Ye gods, how tiny that cassette looks!

You don’t need it, get rid. I loved my mk1 Soul but it’s day had come (and I wasn’t using it so I passed it on). We all keep too much crap we have no use for….

Flog it to the retro nuts… Plenty of people paying way over the odds for retro gear so move it on to somebody who will polish it and keep it dry 😉

Mike has it. Some of the prices being paid on the Retrobike Facebook page for absolute c##p is astounding.

Pub bike it.

It’s not one of the classic Konas but it deserves more than that. 🙁

the arse up-head down position, long stem, steep HA and P2’s were, shall we say, of their time.

You guys really need to stop obsessing over angles and dimensions, every thread on here which asks about which bike to buy has people picking every detail out of geometry charts. Last time I took my Kona down south (I think it was maybe Surrey Hills area?) everyone on “new school” bikes was holding me and the retrobike guys up on the downhills and Singletrack.

You guys really need to stop obsessing over angles and dimensions, every thread on here which asks about which bike to buy has people picking every detail out of geometry charts. Last time I took my Kona down south (I think it was maybe Surrey Hills area?) everyone on “new school” bikes was holding me and the retrobike guys up on the downhills and Singletrack.

There will never be a substitute for awesome skillz but between my old and new bike, and using me as the control element, the old bike was noticeably worse.

You guys really need to stop obsessing over angles and dimensions,

Possibly, but I actually took my old 1998 GT Outlook on an MTB ride a few months ago. It’s a complete dog to ride compared to modern stuff. Long stem, steep head angle, short top tube etc. Awful on steep tech stuff to the point of being scary and unpleasant to ride.

Wonderful assumptions about Retrobike ^^

Yes some stuff does change hands for a fair whack but a lot of the easier to aquire stuff gets what it’s worth. Sadly, not taking anything away from the OP, this falls into the later.

I love mine I just wish it had 29er wheels but I’m loathed to sell it

the arse up-head down position, long stem, steep HA and P2’s were, shall we say, of their time.

Shockingly enough, stick a 50mm stem and a 2″ rise x 700mm bar on those “arse up-head down” bikes and they are pretty good fun… Despite not having bang up to the second angles…

Those P2’s cleared a 2.3″ tyre quite comfortably too, but like a mug I went and flogged them to fund some newer nonsense… I might start hunting ebay/PB for a fork in the new year, and see about getting a disc mount welded on… Hmmm.

It’s worth remembering that kona’s mid-late 90s, steel frames were sort of the precursors of the sort of ‘modern’ longer forked “Trail” HT people get all fizzy about today…

Wonderful assumptions about Retrobike

Some of the prices being paid

Wonderful assumptions about Retrobike

I got less for modern forks

?Michael Brosnan? to Retro Mid School MTB Australia (Post 2000)
5 mins ·
Marzocchi Monster T forks
$450
Townsville, Queensland
Have decided to sell my Marzocchi Monster T forks. I was told by the previous owner that they are 2003 model. (they just have 2004 super T stickers on them) They appear in good condition for there age a few marks here and there. They still feel as smooth as I remember from back in day. Price includes postage to most places in Australia. Feel free to ask any questions, more photo’s etc.

I actually took my old 1998 GT Outlook

The base model of the GT range designed really for beginners to pootle around on gravel tracks. Never was a decent MTB in the first place so not a great comparison.

My Kona is still a joy to ride 23 years on, light fast and nimble, on smooth singletrack I don’t think anything modern is faster.

Getting some air on my 1991 Haro Extreme

Sell it on retrobike. The comments on here show why it will sell!

Personally I’d put modern parts on it as I’m not sentimental. I did that to a FS Marin for my son and he loved it.

You don’t ride it, don’t miss it. So let someone else enjoy it.

Just ride it. Single speed it if you like when the gears wear out, keep an eye out for suitable rigid forks to have a bike that’ll last another 20 years.

My 97 kilauea still rocks on the singletrack.

The base model of the GT range designed really for beginners

Like a Kona Fire Mountain, then?

Like a Kona Fire Mountain, then?

Hahanna?

Rigid fork, singlespeed obv.

Thanks for the input everyone! It’s a 19″ FWIW, “XC sized” when I bought it and definitely was too big for me. It’d work alright now as a pub bike, but I don’t really need one in London (live next to a 24-hr tube line, plus night buses etc).

I’ve owned it from new – it was my first real MTB – but I’m just a bit sad it’s sat in the shed. I recently sold my first proper MTB, a’99 Kona Chute and didn’t feel bad at all – the lad I sold it to seemed made up with it!

I think I might bring it back and polish it up, then if I’m not feeling it as a wet-weather commuter pop it up on retrobike. It’s not a high-end model like a Kula; I think it was only one model up from the bottom-of the range Hahanna, with a choice of P2 or shonky suspension forks. Hopefully someone can make good use of it if I don’t 🙂

No actual advice but high five to the 1998 version of you. Sweet Kona with the classic upgrades of DX brakes, Bel Air seat and (most pointless of all) Panaracer Fire XC tyres.

Also the Edge – Lancaster?

1998 me says thanks. Although the brakes are Avid Arch Rival 50s… and Fire XCs were the bomb! Also the forks are non-standard – they were an “upgrade” from the original P2s (D’OH). Indy XCs with the “long travel” kit to hit 63mm of travel 😆

The Edge – same chain I think, but the Chester branch was my local. We used to hang round there all the time, I’m sure the staff were sick of us 😀

I remember having have my hand snapped off when I sold my 1998 Kula.
I had set up as a single speed with SIDs on the front.

Such a lovely bike to ride, really wish I still had it but I’m not fit enough to ride SS anymore.

Everyone should have an old Kona in their life….

Not worth polishing up if it’s going to be a wet weather commuter – 2″ road tyres and guards. Some trekking type bars might be a good idea – I really liked them on this, which was a small and low for me already.

Or you can go the polishy route, tart it up and get your position sorted for spanking around off road.

But if the bottom line is that you don’t have room for it, just get the gears and brakes sorted, take it for a ride for old time’s sake, clean it and punt it up on here or Retrobike.