she's pretty much finished, bar the front mech, and rear brake, and maybe some levers if I find some, but thats only a maybe... i like the Avid 1.9s ive run for the past 10 years

We have a powder coat at work, and as a sign manufacturer (we do all Evans Cycles illuminated shop signs, among others ) we do digital printing, so can make me some new graphics. I will strip the paint and get it powder coated, and some new graphs made up, but this will only be standard.... new and fresh

G

edit

bathroom scales read anywhere between 22 and 25lbs

thats a bit more like it

G

Nice Kona but I preferred the purple and white colour to the current black

Stands back.......

Thanks (I think), but I have ALWAYS preferred grey and black bikes, dating back to my '91 Zolatone Marin (and yes, the lumo forks and stem/bar was always a problem for me, so they went chrome )

Never been one for "fades" and multi-colour-ways

Anyway, did they ever do one in "purple and white"?

Slight gear problem has been sorted with a new SRAM PC890 chain. Thought it might be because I was running an 8spd chain and XTR cassette on a 9spd XTR mech. But a new chain has sorted it completely
Shifting is so slick now. I'd love some XTR pods and brake leveres, but am fine with the XT's for a while



G

Lovely set of Easton EA70 bars fitted thanks to D_XZ
Only bummer is... because I prefer to brake single finger (BMX throwback, I can't help it), the levers and pods are quite inboard, and cover up the logo's

Nevermind, they're still way more comfy and lighter than my old bars

G

You've got a laid back seat post and a 130mm stem, what size is the frame and what height are you?


.

6ft 1... and it's a 22 inch top tube (give or take 1/4 inch)
CtC seat tube is an 18inch, so top tube is quite short compared to similar sized 18's of early Kilauea's and Explosif's

I got long arms too

To be honest, the layback was needed for my previous frame, whose top tube was a tad too short, but on the Kilauea, I've compensated a tad by not having the seat set quite so far back


G

Bike i no completely stripped down, and have brought it to work for some new decals to be made with a slight stwist on the originals.

Frame will also be powder coated at work, decals printed and fitted, then rebuilt using the new rims I have sourced, and many new parts that I didnt even update in the thread

Hopefully will be fully rebuilt with new livery in 2 weeks

G

It's a size 18, designed for height up to 6-0, so it's quite logical that at 6-1 you might want to stretch it out slightly, if that's your preferred style.

Incidentally, the seat tube is 18" C-T and the 22.1" C-C top tube is common to size 18 Konas from 1994 through to 2008, so it's not that the design is small, just that size 19 might be better for you.

Looked pretty good as it was, but I must agree that generation of decals wasn't Kona's best by a long way, so you may well be able to improve on it.

Having just had a set of proofs for a 1994 Kona from Gil_M that (a) are not much good, and (b) come with a £29 price tag, I'll be interested to see how your home-made ones look. Isn't it difficult to find suitable material to print onto though? Maybe easier if they are clear coated over?

To be honest, it looked completely different... new cranks, saddle, bars, stem, brakes, shifters/levers

I have yet to decide on a final material to print onto, however speaking to the design and printing guys at work, I think something suitable should be available.... oh, and they are not home-made, we are a printing and signage company... silk screen, digital printing, and 3D illuminated lettering is what we manufacture... in fact you have probably been past at least 2 of our signs already today

As for the clear-coat idea, I have thought of that, and have some sparkly ideas rattling around as we speak

G

I just meant that Gil uses a fairly tough vinyl that doesn't need a protective clear coat and has a quoted lifespan of c5 years without, but I assume that if you were going to clear coat it anyway you wouldn't need such a tough vinyl? Assuming the clear coat didn't need to be baked?? [I don't know much]

Well, there's no going back now....

Spent a spare half hour last night stripping the paint from the frame, mostly done, just need to tidy it up and get into all those little corners and cable stops etc

It needs to be 100% paint free, as powdercoat wont stick properly otherwise. There is a satin black job being powdercoated next week at work, so will have the frame done then.

The graphics are being done on 100micron vinyl, so will be OK for lacquering over, however because the powder is satin, it apparently has a silicon additive that supresses it from being gloss, which complicates things when it comes to the lacquer. I might just wait until we have the next gloss being done

Anyway, the graphics are being drawn up now

I reckon all in, I am going to spend a tenner on getting the frame powdercoated and new graphics

G