Pre Kona lava dome?

True.Good info.

Interesting thread this. It is my experience that the pre-1991 Konas ride very well, handling much better than say my 1989 Muddy Fox Courier, which in itself was a pretty good bike.

However the build quality on the early bikes was DREADFUL. Both my Fire Mountains have a slight twist in the back end, the welding is sloppy and the threads in the bottom bracket appear to have been cut by someone after an extended Friday afternoon liquid lunch. It's a shame really as they're nice looking bikes. Oh and heavy, what were they intending to use the tubes for? Gun barrels?!? The steeer tube on the early P2s is double walled- why?

SP

Well i cannot attest to riding early konas but the ride is pretty good.
I dont know if it is the geometry of the frame or the tubing.And the early explosif made of tange prestige is probably even nicer.

Cascade Fire Mountain

I know this is a stale thread - but if anyone wants exact measurements for the lavender / pink Cascade Fire Mountain, I can get them next week.

I suspect that the photo has some camera distortion - I think the top tube does slope.

-Malcolm (aka BICYCLE REPAIR MAN)

Hi.Allways good to find any information and or specs on these first production bikes from kona.I would welcome it.I am going to hold on to this bike for a while.Thanks

Cascade Fire Mountain

I took a trip out to the parent's place this weekend (and also a trip to Arizona... but not to ride).

The Cascade Fire Mountain does indeed have a sloping top tube. Not a lot, but it's there.

I have asked my Dad to measure it up proper. I also tried to take a better photo but they all came out blurry (and I can't post them to here until I've had > 5 posts...)

Other small details:

* All joints are welded EXCEPT one lug on the seat tube cluster
* equipped with "Lee Chi" or "Chiang Star" under-stay U brakes
* Tubes are "4130 cromoly"

This bike may be for sale soon. Once I can post photos (and I have some good ones) I'll make a post to the "whats-it-worth" thread.

M

I know this website isn't about motor racing, but I am reminded that the great world champion Graham Hill, father of Damon, was once interviewed during a race meeting in the USA, and was earnestly asked by the reporter from the local paper what he felt was the significance of the back straight of that race track. To which he replied 'well the significance of the back straight is that it connects turn five to turn six.'

We are told that his moustache bristled as he said it, but I can't see how anybody could tell that. I think they just meant that it should have done.

Anyway, my point is that whether a top tube slopes depends on the height off the ground of its front end relative to that of its rear end. And for any given size, the height of the front is governed by the length of the head tube (fork lengths being pretty standard back then), while the height of the rear is governed by the amount of seat tube extension above the top tube (bb drops being similarly standardised).

As Joe Murray said, designs derived from road bikes had very short head tubes combined with almost no seat tube extension. If designers then decided that for mountain bikes the head tube should be longer, and there should be a greater seat tube extension above the top tube, then the result as Graham Hill would tell you, were he still with us, would be a sloping top tube. Which was the cause and which was the effect I couldn't tell you.

So this is my many-worded way of suggesting that we shouldn't look for whether the top tube slopes or not, but rather we should judge from how long are the head tube and the seat tube extension.

It would be nice to see pictures of that Fire Mountain survivor, and to have its measurements.

Cascade Fire Mountain

Well, my dad DID measure it, and apparently input the measurements into some sort of CAD file... but he hasn't sent it to me yet.

I'll pester him.

M

Here is a slightly better, although still blurry photo:



I didn't realize that they were all bad photos until I got home. Next time I will take the tripod (and get the bike out of the cluttered basement)

Note: very short head tube, gently sloping top tube. Which one is turn three?

DWG and DXF files are not allowed as attachments. PM me if you want 'em. Otherwise I will convert to PNG and/or post to my blog.

M

Very old… I used to ride exactly that pink Cascade Fire Mountain Bike back in the 80‘s. My late dad stored it until he passed away. It disappeared after then…
I would like to see more of it.
edit: User was seen last in 2014… sad

Best
Roman
Germany