A new niche? I'm sure it has been done before…
This is a frame I have had since 1997. It is a 1996 Kona Explosif – the sort of bottle green one with Maguras – nice Columbus tubes. The original owner had snapped one of the chainstays where they meet the dropouts and I bought it for £15. I was living in Streatham at the time and took it to Helmut Berns of Sonic Cycles who put some track ends in it and had it painted SID blue. “That will never snap” he said tapping the chainstays he had inserted the new track ends into. I think he took one look at my 90 kilos and put them in pretty deep.
This was my first SS and it carried me through a few races including the first Red Bull 24 hour race. After a couple of years I bought a Dekerf Solitaire and the Kona frame went into retirement. Recently the Kona has been brought back to life for the school run.
I remember the frame had decent clearance and decided to see how much rubber I could squeeze in there for that pseudo-fat urban tractor look. Some 2.5 Panaracer MegaBlasters went in okay with the rear wheel set back - they buzz a little if you lean it over so I might have to trim them down. I lashed it together with some bits in the garage including a nice WTB grease guard headset and some Ti BarFly risers. I have set the rear hub up with a fixed gear on one side and a freewheel on the other, it was the only hub I had with the correct spoke count for the rim. I haven’t felt the need for off road fixed yet (at all).
This is a frame I have had since 1997. It is a 1996 Kona Explosif – the sort of bottle green one with Maguras – nice Columbus tubes. The original owner had snapped one of the chainstays where they meet the dropouts and I bought it for £15. I was living in Streatham at the time and took it to Helmut Berns of Sonic Cycles who put some track ends in it and had it painted SID blue. “That will never snap” he said tapping the chainstays he had inserted the new track ends into. I think he took one look at my 90 kilos and put them in pretty deep.
This was my first SS and it carried me through a few races including the first Red Bull 24 hour race. After a couple of years I bought a Dekerf Solitaire and the Kona frame went into retirement. Recently the Kona has been brought back to life for the school run.
I remember the frame had decent clearance and decided to see how much rubber I could squeeze in there for that pseudo-fat urban tractor look. Some 2.5 Panaracer MegaBlasters went in okay with the rear wheel set back - they buzz a little if you lean it over so I might have to trim them down. I lashed it together with some bits in the garage including a nice WTB grease guard headset and some Ti BarFly risers. I have set the rear hub up with a fixed gear on one side and a freewheel on the other, it was the only hub I had with the correct spoke count for the rim. I haven’t felt the need for off road fixed yet (at all).
