'97 Kona Cindercone hotrod - Now with paint and decals!

eh?!

you cant change frame now after all this work and updates!

remove the brake bosses if youre going for disc conversion, but try not to get so obsessed with the weight factor, its never going to be super light. But it will give you a lovely compliant ride, and look nice and clean.

they did a great job removing that dent.

KeepItSteel":3jv027jt said:

eh?!

you cant change frame now after all this work and updates!

remove the brake bosses if youre going for disc conversion, but try not to get so obsessed with the weight factor, its never going to be super light. But it will give you a lovely compliant ride, and look nice and clean.

they did a great job removing that dent.

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Your right an I will probably keep the frame for quite a while yet. Besides I can get the overall bike weight down further with a few little upgrades. In time I'd like to get it down below 22lb. As it is this will be a good 2lb lighter than my last Cindercone and that never felt heavy at all.

Im a little miffed.

A guy I was chatting to wont have it that his bike could come in under 24lb. He seems to think somewhere in the region of 25.5lb would be more realistic. WTF? So his assumption is more of an accurate prediction than a fully itemised spreadsheet with actual component weights. To tell you the truth I'll be pissed off if its over 24lb - seriously.

Is it that hard to accept that a steel framed bike could weigh less than 23lb with suspension and disk brakes?

Or am I kidding myself?


What do you reckon it will weigh?

I just put the frame on the Gf's kitchen scales and it came in @ 2100g. Not bad.

dude....youre obsessed.

mikesnowdon":efizclga said:

Im a little miffed.

A guy I was chatting to wont have it that his bike could come in under 24lb. He seems to think somewhere in the region of 25.5lb would be more realistic. WTF? So his assumption is more of an accurate prediction than a fully itemised spreadsheet with actual component weights. To tell you the truth I'll be pissed off if its over 24lb - seriously.

Is it that hard to accept that a steel framed bike could weigh less than 23lb with suspension and disk brakes?

Or am I kidding myself?


What do you reckon it will weigh?

Click to expand...

"Lighten up, Francis"

(Kudos if you can name the film)

But seriously, why are you so hung-up on the weight? As long as it's reasonably light, and you've made efforts, does it really matter?

Most people would be better served losing a couple of pounds of bodyweight...

Neil":2vw6c527 said:

Most people would be better served losing a couple of pounds of bodyweight...

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Very true - myself included

Mr Panda":3neadiv1 said:

Neil":3neadiv1 said:

Most people would be better served losing a couple of pounds of bodyweight...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I have to disagree.
Although losing weight will serve you getting fitter and enjoying your ride more...it wont make your bike feel lighter & whippier, it wont get you up & over obstacles easier (within reason) , & it wont accelerate any more rapidy.
Lighter bikes, especially in the frame & wheelset area, feel faster/better/more nimble than a heavier equivalent no matter what your BMI is.

By all means lose the weight though, it improves the overall package!

I've not seen that movie but I like Bill Murray so I'll keep an eye out or it.

I tried some Specialized S-works tyres once with 'condom thin' inner tubes. I remember the first time I went off road I got pinch flat after only 20 mins of riding. Then the tires disintegrated within a month so I never bothered again. I'm not a weighteenie. I find it pointless to build a bike with the sloe intention of getting it as light as possible only to end up with a ridiculously expensive bike that feels fragile and flexy to ride. For me a good Ti hardtail no lighter than 21lb is a good blend of lightness and strength. With that in mind I would say that 23lb is a respectable weight for a good fun steel framed hardtail. Any lighter and its risking durability and strength somewhere.

Ive almost got a dream bike (for me) and never owned anything lighter than 25lb (my old 96 Cindercone) so I'm romanticising the idea of having a sub 23lb bike here. It sure would be nice but I'd expect it to come in a little heavier. Either way this will be the best bike I've ever owned. I briefly had a GT Zaskar LE with SID forks, that's the one that had the S-works tyres on it - never weighed it but I'm sure it was well under 23lb. It was rapid in a straight line but the top heavy frame and flexy fork made it a an uninspiring descender or singletrack ripper. I later transferred all the parts onto my old Cindercone plus changed the forks for Manitou Mars deluxe and a few other upgrades. That's the 25lb bike I mentioned above. The GT was a short flirtation with light weight but the handling wasn't as good as the Kona.

With this bike I should have the best of both - GT and old Cindercone - worlds. A light responsive bike that has superb handling and a chuckable confidence inspiring feel.

Its getting close now. Next I need to get the frame painted then build the front wheel. Ive got the '98 Rockshox SID but they need a bit of money thrown at 'em to get them rideable, also new lowers so I can run a front disk brake. All a bit of a hassle really. I've had my eye on some 2002 SID Ti's though so they will probably be what I go with. The '98 SID's can be restored over time and maybe go on another bike in the future. The frame goes off for re-spray this coming week.