TreaderSteve
Senior Retro Guru
Thankfully the forks were in situ!
1991 Kona Explosif - The Purple One
- Thread starter TreaderSteve
- Start date
TreaderSteve
Senior Retro Guru
Move along...there's nothing to see here...other than some bits brought together by my LBS (Bicycle Ambulance, Cambridge - Andy's built plenty of wheels for me - top notch).
These Vittorias were the MOST b@stardish to put on. Honestly, if I was on a trail-side with a puncture I would have been gently sobbing. I've removed and put on tyres in the depth of winter on my commuter with sobbing....these would have left me in a ditch to die.
Pictures! New rims, new rear XT with a cheeky Ti axle, VVGC Ringle front. Got some T-Gear Ti quick release skewers coming from a German Ebay seller (was tempted by non-QR Ti allen skewers). Need to press on with some decals from Gil, then get the frame and forks off to someone, probably Mercian for paint.
These Vittorias were the MOST b@stardish to put on. Honestly, if I was on a trail-side with a puncture I would have been gently sobbing. I've removed and put on tyres in the depth of winter on my commuter with sobbing....these would have left me in a ditch to die.
Pictures! New rims, new rear XT with a cheeky Ti axle, VVGC Ringle front. Got some T-Gear Ti quick release skewers coming from a German Ebay seller (was tempted by non-QR Ti allen skewers). Need to press on with some decals from Gil, then get the frame and forks off to someone, probably Mercian for paint.
TreaderSteve
Senior Retro Guru
Pretty sure they're old stock but nice and new. EBAY Italy - they were a good price - the seller has (or had) quite a few Campy 26" rims and other tyres too.
The project itself has stalled whilst another project gets finished.
The project itself has stalled whilst another project gets finished.
TreaderSteve
Senior Retro Guru
(Inspects shed) it's still in the shed! This summer's re-spray project. I have decals - just need to apply myself when the weather's fine to do another garden spray-job. I'm hoping Montana do a deep purple spray-can close to OE - so I need to take the frame to a local-ish graffiti spray shop to colour-match the original un-faded bits. Then it's just time and preparation and a fine weekend or three
enc
Kona Fan
Any auto paint shops near you? They might be able to colour match by scanning your paint or swatch and mix into an aerosol for you.
TreaderSteve
Senior Retro Guru
A real slow burner this one - still unpainted - that'll happen this summer. Picked up a few bits though and a bit of a change in direction.
I'm never going to off-road it - my MTBs back in the day ended up built for road speed. Having lived and cycled in London in the 90's/ 2000's I was well aware of the couriers and their bikes. The Helmut Burns Sonic photo is the inspiration:
Having dropped of the Mrs at Centre Parks Thetford for a spa day a trip down the road to Madgetts yielded a new in box 27.0 400mm Race Face carbon seatpost - I was quite chuffed as finding anything nice and long in 27.0 was proving a touch difficult. The saddle's a new ti-rail version - but it's the same as they always were so I don't mind at all it's not 'vintage'.
Continuing with the 'black' theme Yorvik Engineering powder coated some MT60/ DX cranks and a short Cinelli stem in black. Satin for the cranks, gloss for the stem. A test fit to check there's clearance with a 115mm BB and I think we're good to go.
Nice big Middleburn chainring!
Mavic bars will have a single bar end gear lever and some 600 Tricolor levers which are waiting in the shed. There's a nice Tricolor rear mech with a titanium mounting bolt in the shed too which will work with a close-ratio 7spd block.
I'm hoping to get a pair of Continental 26x1 Grand Prix tyres from Condor Cycles as I'm due a trip to London to see a pal. Once it's painted it'll come together quickly and nothing I'm doing to it is irreversible so no harm done turning it into a road-based whippet.
I'm never going to off-road it - my MTBs back in the day ended up built for road speed. Having lived and cycled in London in the 90's/ 2000's I was well aware of the couriers and their bikes. The Helmut Burns Sonic photo is the inspiration:
Having dropped of the Mrs at Centre Parks Thetford for a spa day a trip down the road to Madgetts yielded a new in box 27.0 400mm Race Face carbon seatpost - I was quite chuffed as finding anything nice and long in 27.0 was proving a touch difficult. The saddle's a new ti-rail version - but it's the same as they always were so I don't mind at all it's not 'vintage'.
Continuing with the 'black' theme Yorvik Engineering powder coated some MT60/ DX cranks and a short Cinelli stem in black. Satin for the cranks, gloss for the stem. A test fit to check there's clearance with a 115mm BB and I think we're good to go.
Nice big Middleburn chainring! 
Mavic bars will have a single bar end gear lever and some 600 Tricolor levers which are waiting in the shed. There's a nice Tricolor rear mech with a titanium mounting bolt in the shed too which will work with a close-ratio 7spd block.
I'm hoping to get a pair of Continental 26x1 Grand Prix tyres from Condor Cycles as I'm due a trip to London to see a pal. Once it's painted it'll come together quickly and nothing I'm doing to it is irreversible so no harm done turning it into a road-based whippet.
Last edited:
