1992/3 Kona Hot TET... Trade?

[mynchiboy]

It seems kosher to me folks...

To confirm the dropouts are correct for a '92-93 version, I have owned a 1991 frame with similar (now belonging to Ratbane on here), although these were Shimano stamped ones. I wouldn't worry about the mudguard eyelets either, I believe owners could specify choices of braze-ons as well as colours. My 1995 Hot is equipped with them for example. I am yet to see any Hots with rack mounts on the seatstays though, but never say never

 

[Faghetaboutit]

My 1993 HOT was TET930 so quite a few after yours. On a 20" from it was a 23" tt

Nice frame you have there, digging the colour scheme

 

[Canuck]

It seems kosher to me folks...

To confirm the dropouts are correct for a '92-93 version, I have owned a 1991 frame with similar (now belonging to Ratbane on here), although these were Shimano stamped ones. I wouldn't worry about the mudguard eyelets either, I believe owners could specify choices of braze-ons as well as colours. My 1995 Hot is equipped with them for example. I am yet to see any Hots with rack mounts on the seatstays though, but never say never

I totally agree, there's no doubt in my mind that it's a Hot (I have stated my interest in case of a sale ) just trying to figure out some of the anomolies about the frame, the '93 decal's, the Tange decal, geometry etc. Also I can see now your right about the mudguard eyelet's, no mystery there.
However I do stick to my previous statement about the paint job (rear triangle). Still look's like a home job to me, the white just isn't solid enough, bit patchy in some area's, just doesn't seem the quality you'd expect.

 

[eporter123]

Wow, thanks for all the comments. Canuck, your observations on the frame sizing help a lot, I was scratching my head a bit on all this. Glad these numbers added up towards something... Is it a 1992 18" Hot?

As far as the paint, there may be some confusion. As I wrote before, it's ALL painted white, then the front triangle was sprayed black, and then blended/oversprayed/faded onto the chain/seatstays. So if the rear triangle was repainted, the front triangle was repainted, too. It's black over white, not white over black.

I took some more pics, and really tweaked the brightness/contrast on the one of the downtube/BB to show the splines in the tubing, so don't say the paint looks funny there! Black doesn't show shadows too well... Also note the tapered oval seat tube.

I appreciate that you're all interested in this 20 year old frame. I got my first "MTB" in 1993. A Mongoose Ultra Storm. "Juvenile" bike with 24" wheels. Quite the upgrade from my 3 speed women's raleigh and Schwinn Stingray. I had a lot of fun on that Ultra Storm for a couple years before I upgraded to an Iron Horse with a shock...

In 1993 the HOT was so far out of my league, I would've drooled on it. Still might...

 

[Canuck]

Thank's for the pic's! We love more pic's!
Mmmm, absolutly love the splined downtube's on these frames! Interesting you say the frame was painted white and than the front was painted black. Is this because beneath the black (through the chip's etc) you can see a white undercoat? I'm no expert but I'm guessing this is the primer which the frame recieved before the top coat. Many of my Kona's have a coat of white underneath the top coat. And if you look at the bottom bracket shell for example the white just doesn't seem solid enough (bit patchy) to be a professional job. Don't get me wrong, not looking to stir thing's up here, just interested And regardless of the paint work, it is still a beautiful frame

 

[eporter123]

So the whole bike was primed, and it could be a light color primer. The seat tube and BB are primer, then white, then black. So maybe the bike was primed white, then the rear half was painted white, and then the front half was painted black?

Still not sure about the DIY and "patchy" comments. Here's an example of the BB area. Any black area on the white is black paint OVER the white paint, over the primer. Not half-applied, patchy white paint on black. Confusing in pics, but makes sense in person.

Maybe they had a new guy in the paint booth that day?

 

[eporter123]

Looking into the seat tube tange decal placement, it seems there was some type of sticker mid-tube for '91-'92, and then the badge was added higher up for 1993?

1991:

1992:

1993:

 

[MatBH5]

Was '91-'92 still the TBG sticker on the seat tube? Moved or lost entirely in '93?
Nice frame, by the way!

 

[BerthaPog]

Geometry:
BBC to TTC=16
BBC to top of seat tube=19
HT=5.125
Top Tube from STC to HTC=22
Down Tube from BBC to HTC=24.5
Chain stay=16.75
Seat stay=18.5

My '94 Explosif 19" for comparison:
TT C2C - 22.5"
TT Effective C2C - 23"
ST C2T - 19"
ST C2C - 16"
HT - 130mm (~5.125")

 

[eporter123]

Just to add some more 1992/1993 Hot info, GearlessinSeattle had a Hot with the following measurements:

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=125466

"19.25 C-T and 16 C-C. Top tube comes in at 22 C-C. Could this have been a custom?"

Anthony wrote:

"Well that's still a bit puzzling. Your seat tube length is consistent with a size 19 of either 92 or 93, more likely 93. Your top tube length is consistent with a size 19 of either 92 or 93. Your head tube is that of a 1992 size 19. The decals are 1993. The bike just looks like a 93 to me, but I'm often wrong. I wonder whether the serial number will tell us anything? I have a record that TET1201 is a 1993 Hot size 20, with 15cm head tube and 22.75 inch top tube.

I haven't heard of Teesdale Hots ever being custom, but I suppose this could be an instance of Tom's design being better than Kona's. If it is a 1993 size 19 with the longer 15cm head tube of a 1992 size 19, then that's actually what Kona should have done in my view.

I can't understand Kona's design progression. Taking size 19 as an example, 1992 was head tube 15cm plus P2 39cm equals 54cm, suspension-adjusted 1994 was head tube 13cm plus P2 41cm which still equals 54cm. So how do you get there? 1993 was head tube 13cm plus P2 39cm which is just 52cm. Why make the low front end even lower just for one year? Could Joe Murray leaving in between times be relevant? I don't know, but if you were concerned about this bike being too small, I hope the longer head tube will be an advantage for you. "