Well I've decided to buy a modern frame.

Regulars will recognise it
It's a 1997 Kona Explosif

Painted green and it's far 'greener' than I thought from the photo's but then I shouldn't use a laptop screen for gauging colours

It has an added Canti brace at the back
It's 20"

Knowledge weaned from KonaRetro and WayBackMachine Kona website circa1997 and previous owner and the usual Kona Guru

EXPLOSIF '97
· Constructed entirely of Columbus Nivacrom Max OR tubing.
· Tubing wall thickness: Top - .7/.4/.7, Down - .8/.5/.8
· The seat tube is custom drawn for Kona by Columbus with a wall thickness of 1.3/.6/.9
· Columbus drawn, oversized seat stays dramatically improve braking performance.
· Made for 27.0mm seat post, 28.6mm front derailleur, 68mm bottom bracket, & 1-1/8" headset.
· Made with Italian tubing.
· 4.0 lbs for an 18" frame.
Actual frame weight is 4 lb 10½ oz (4.65lb) (20")

seat collar 29.8mm (30.0 is fine)
I know it came with 63mm suspension forks. (INDY-SL '97)

So there we are.
I know little about this era of bike, which is good as it means I can just pop cheap nice looking stuff on it and use it as a runabout.

Also it's the same weight, frame size, seatpost size, mech size, headset size as my 1991 RM Altitude (need to check headtube but think it's similar length).
So that makes things a touch easier to know what it'll end up like


This is the build so far




Yep, not got very far.
so the graphics are ugly and not the best quality, it's green and I have no idea what goes with it.
(better picture once I remove the grubby kids smudges from the lens and the sun comes out.

No real idea where to start with this one, but it's going to be a budget build.

You're an inspiration FC. I'm still waiting to get a retro Kona frame.

BUILD –verb, to construct (esp. something complex) by assembling and joining parts or materials:

I love your workstand - very organic and goes with your 'green' theme.

Ha Fluffy - I was really tempted by that one but just couldn't get on with the colour

Good luck with it

it looks the same green on my monitor


looking forward to seeing it built.

Ah poop, project delayed, my RM's headtube is shorter (Whys Kona's so long) so don't think I have any forks for it Needs to be around 225mm by my calcs (150 h/tube+ 35 h/set + 40mm stem).

The greens looking better in the dark dark room, at the bottom of the dark dark stairs, in a dark dark house....

Actually it's not bad really, I just think its the lumo orange of the stickers.
Might build it up with black parts, I don't think silver will go or anything anodised.

GREEN ANNO

build so far?

Green Anno... interesting, though I would never be able to find the bike if I lay it on the grass

I did have this suggestion
And if you fitted a red fork and a purple saddle, you'd have the only Columbus Max bike in the world that no thief would touch.
Now I may go for the red fork, as I have some JudyXC legs in a 'fat red' colour

Been doing some maths (again)
150mm h/tube + 28mm headset (Ritchey WCS as I have one and making both bikes use the same headset seems sensible and they are nice and understated)...
leaves me with a need for a 30mm stack stem.

The one I have FSA something or other for testing is 40mm, is it ok to run it 10mm under height, I know a few are needed anyway.

Only other one's I have are 40mm RaceFace (modern) and a tall stack Syncros cattlehead with the power-zit.
So that's my next search, lol.

Once I sort that i'll do a quick (for me) test build to see if it's not too long for me.


(I have Judy XC 208mm & MAG-SL 205mm steerers)

Edit : ohh MPart:Inline headset, only 24mm stack. I think that may do it, but I'm watching F1GP.

Most stems are 40mm or more and have two bolts and would be dodgy to clamp onto 30mm of steerer, but this is a 40mm stem that would be safe to clamp onto 30mm of steerer I think.

The colour combination would be arresting too.

A few more searches and stem manufacturers really do not like to mention their stack height.
FSA current ones are 40mm like mine or there (I presume higher end) are 35mm.

Think I may 'test' with mine one for feel, I'll not be doing any thing taxing on it.

The Syncros, I've just checked and needs 40mm to be in for it's bolt through (similar to the PACE) to engage fully. Though it was destined for one of the Rockies.

follow up so I can remember what I'm doing as I go along.

Well plans change and some Z2 Superflys with a long steerer turned up Which means I get to keep riding my other bikes, have ~10mm extra tube to play with while also using normal stem and headsets.

So put them on last night, placed my wheels and seat post from the Rocky on to this to see what it looks like and to get some ideas.

So 27.0 is a perfect fit for the frame (as would be expected)

Red is suppose to be the complimentary colour to Green, hope not as it's hard enough to get hold of some nice stuff as it is, lol.

Question though, there is a thin lip around the top of the CaneCreek S8 headset, that a very small area to be pushing down on, I've placed a spacer I have above it so I don't damage the stem though there is still a gab between it and the spacer. Is there any reason why the lip is there ?


Suns a bit bright today, think I need to pick a better place to take pictures.

Where are we at now then ben?

Is the green similar to my inbred?

Thought I'd update with a picture as it was 5/5/10, before I serviced and snapped a part in the forks.
Seat is now a Flite,
Rear mech has changed to an STX-RC mech. with XT jockey are (makes it the same weight as XT) and the chains shorter

Just so I know where I got too