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

If its your first proper mtb don’t sell it!

My first bike (also a Kona) was in a box for about 10 years. Currently its on my turbo but also have a spare set of wheels for it and occasionally take it for a spin around the woods to remind myself that although modern bikes are in almost all respects better, blasting through some tight twisty tree lined singletrack cant be beaten on this generation of konas.

Everytime I look at mine I remember halcyon days of riding with mates all summer without work/childcare/financial responsibilities. Days when spending 2 months wages on a new hope shiney thing was totally justifiable.

Re purpose it. Its got rack mounts, will take guards etc. I saw a 1998 Ti – HeiHei chained up in Brighton the other day with guards, rack etc. Thats a £5-600 frame all day long on Retrobike. Hopefully the thieving scrotes of Brighton don’t know that!

Rumour has it that 1996 Konas are the ones to collect 😯

I reckon 97/98 are the classic Konas.
This is still my main bike:

1995 Kilauea here. Not my main bike any more really, but still gets the miles in, and is really fun to ride.

Have swapped out parts so it’s not really retro any more, but it files given the right terrain.
SS and has been since before I got it.

Loved the yellow/ gold 97 explosif though..!!

out of all the bikes ive had, this is the one i regret selling the most, dont even know why i sold, must have needed the money at the time :-/ cant even remember who i sold it to to enquire if its still about.

originally a mustard coloured kilauea, took it to one of jezz’s mates (james) up in scisset, denby dale, to get ss dropouts welded on and a baby pink respray. rigid silver orange (F8?) forks, magura hydraulic rim brakes, a glittery silver wtb saddle, twas as light as billy-o and went like stink. why oh why oh why did i sell it??

i bet someone like Bikes & Buddies would buy it to use as shop display…?

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.

Now this – this I like. Couple of Marathon Pluses, and I’m all set, with potential to add guards / rack / bars if I like the way it’s working! What bars do you have on that one – by the looks of it a lot of moustache bars need road-sized levers (~ 23mm clamp) rather than MTB ones (~22mm clamp)?

Sam – The handlebars are the “NC-17 Trekking Handlebars Bicycle Handlebar” handlebars.

Got them after I did my shoulder in and needed less weight on the front. They do put your hands quite far back as well as up, so you might need a longer stem, hence the rather gopping number on mine above. Frame was always on the small side, though. bars are std mtb diameter – normal v brake levers on here.

sold out in a few places though. here are some, with a couple of other options on the “also viewed” scroll at the bottom.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NC-17-Trekking-Fahrrad-Lenker-2-4-Zoll-schwarz-31-8mm-618mm-16-32-Grad/111910479086?hash=item1a0e6264ee:g:FOYAAOSwFNZWx7EA

humpbert do loads of different shapes too, they’re worth a look.

I sold my first proper MTB, which was also a Fire Mountain. The geometry was great for the time – better than the more upmarket bike I replaced it with, but it was still a pretty low end bike.

And for me, modern bikes are simply miles better.

I nearly shed a tear when I cracked my cindercone a few years ago, it was a 99 I think possibly 2000. Black with white decals. I raced it dh, rode it all round the country and lapped (the outside) the Nurburgring on it. It was quite rapid with a set of Z1 bams and a short stem on it, even compared to my newer bikes.
Steep and short or long and slack, you get used to it pretty quickly it’s up to you but if it rode well back then, it probably still does