PeterPerfect
Senior Retro Guru
Hi. Wow. That's even better than I thought it would look. The rims really set it off. Can't believe how good that frame looks and so quick! Glad it came off. Well done fella
50 shades of red. 97 Kona Kula
- Thread starter The History Man
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Do you usually have the front brake on the right and rear on the left? It's usually set the other way for Kona's of this age (well mine at least 
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The brakes are set up the same as all of my other bikes. When in Rome!
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D'you know I might just leave it with a red end.
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Cut or keep?
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I shall see. A bit small for 50k maybe. The Alves is the more relaxed retro ride and would ease my bones.
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Finally got out on a shakedown ride today after getting home late all week and not wanting to take the first ride in the dark.
Felt very light as soon as I left the drive. Nearly made a schoolboy error after riding my canti/U combo bikes for so long when i grabbed a handful of rear XT V with 2.3 knobbly on wet tarmac. Remained cool, well as cool as a middle aged man on a middle aged bike could, going into a tail slide in front of the locals.
Staring out: the sunshine shows the 50 shades quite well.
Settled for my regular 8 mile loop to make a direct comparison. Forks are softer that Judy DH but are actually the better for it once you get used to the extra sag. A little bit more bouncy on the stiff 25% uphill mile but I can forgive them that as the rfest of the way round they were far more progressive and absorbent over all surfaces.
Ratios etc came straight off the MF so all good there. Bars are set a little higher which benefited my stiff back and neck which meant I spent less time looking at the trail about 5 yards in front of the bike than previously was the case.
Where the Kona really showed out was when pressing on across the rough stuff. Riding and grinning again, which for me is the whole point of the process. On the very steep and nasty downhill section I probably went faster than usual having gained confidence in the set up far more that the old heavier MF. This bike is far more flickable even when hanging off the back which meant changing line was a breeze despite traversing rutty rocky muddy sections to reach my preferred line.
All in all a lovely, relatively light and massively improved ride. Thinking perfect for Mayhem!!!
The downhill
Sudely and home.....
Felt very light as soon as I left the drive. Nearly made a schoolboy error after riding my canti/U combo bikes for so long when i grabbed a handful of rear XT V with 2.3 knobbly on wet tarmac. Remained cool, well as cool as a middle aged man on a middle aged bike could, going into a tail slide in front of the locals.
Staring out: the sunshine shows the 50 shades quite well.
Settled for my regular 8 mile loop to make a direct comparison. Forks are softer that Judy DH but are actually the better for it once you get used to the extra sag. A little bit more bouncy on the stiff 25% uphill mile but I can forgive them that as the rfest of the way round they were far more progressive and absorbent over all surfaces.
Ratios etc came straight off the MF so all good there. Bars are set a little higher which benefited my stiff back and neck which meant I spent less time looking at the trail about 5 yards in front of the bike than previously was the case.
Where the Kona really showed out was when pressing on across the rough stuff. Riding and grinning again, which for me is the whole point of the process. On the very steep and nasty downhill section I probably went faster than usual having gained confidence in the set up far more that the old heavier MF. This bike is far more flickable even when hanging off the back which meant changing line was a breeze despite traversing rutty rocky muddy sections to reach my preferred line.
All in all a lovely, relatively light and massively improved ride. Thinking perfect for Mayhem!!!
The downhill
Sudely and home.....
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