A Kona with 3 gears - sitting, standing and walking!

[2manyoranges]

hmmmm RJim that's a seriously laid back seat post and I can see how you have shortened the stem and carefully turned the bars to give a tiny bit more reach. Most droppers, as you know are pretty much in line, so you will need careful saddle selection to get a long railed saddle to set back a bit - they do exist but I actually figure that the WTB you have is actually one of them.

But for a cable operated dropper all you need is to constrain the outer....I actually see no mechanical problem in drilling a hole in the seat post for routing an internal dropper, then using a rubber grommet around an ovalised-by-file and touched-up hole. But you might not want to engage in that kind of vandalism. An external routed Reverb is a horrid thing. I have had desperately poor reliability from them.

A possible option for a cable operated dropper is these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/28400454...65qG4ErvhAXZPqGOrN_45auF8UODNhDMaAjrtEALw_wcB
or these lovely jobs

https://www.lordgunbicycles.co.uk/3...o20iWToOilsvZI3IMADTIpYAUZ2NS7H8aAlEgEALw_wcB
or you could indeed run section of outer and exposed inner with these:

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-spares/black-286-mm-origin8-clampon-double-frame-cable-stop/
what's your seat tube diameter for the dropper - I was looking for a COTIC SIMPLE at 27.2 and it was a nightmare trying to find an externally routed cable operated one of any quality (i.e. dependability and low weight) narrowed it down to a Thompson....ouch re price.....

 

[retroJIM]

That's great thanks! I actually have one of those origin8 clamps from on old Kona that was missing it's dog collar.

I'll have a think about it, it's not something I'll be doing immediately. This is also 27.2 so as you say options limited.

 

[2manyoranges]

And I must add that I think it's a travesty that you, an avowed Orange fan, have built a Kona.

(Don't dare mention the fact that I have now reduced my Orange ownership to two....a nickel P7 and an Alpine 160...from a peak of eight...modest by some standards here but still 2many Oranges)

 

[retroJIM]

And I must add that I think it's a travesty that you, an avowed Orange fan, have built a Kona.

(Don't dare mention the fact that I have now reduced my Orange ownership to two....a nickel P7 and an Alpine 160...from a peak of eight...modest by some standards here but still 2many Oranges)

Actually it's my 2nd Kona

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/1993-kona-cinder-cone.433807/

but I also have an Orange Prestige on the go to redress the balance.

I only have room for 4, maybe 5 bikes so I'll need to adopt a one in one out policy if I get anything else. Not that I can afford anything else!

 

[2manyoranges]

Good God! Two! Actually I remember that Cinder Cone - lovely job - such a great bike and a really nice job you did there.

The Orange Prestige also is a Very Special Thing.

I went to a one in one out policy - actually one in two out at times - and the 'OUT' was quite heartbreaking (see below)...but had to be done for the sake of the planet and the bikes themselves. None of them were garage queens....all were used in anger on the South Downs, which was my hunting ground throughout the 80s and 90s. I have a bit more space than you so it breeds bad behaviour - combined with some irritation when I run out of workshop space....

Proflex 855 (frame and forks)
Bontrager Race OR (frame)
Marin Team Ti (frame)
AMP B3 (frame and forks)
Orange P7 Cherry Red
Orange P7 Matt Black (frame and forks)
C16R Silver (frame and forks)
C16R Vomit Green
C16R Gloss Black
Orange O2Evo
Sunn XCircuit (frame)
Cannondale SM800 early (frame - karma)

 

[retroJIM]

Good God! Two! Actually I remember that Cinder Cone - lovely job - such a great bike and a really nice job you did there.

The Orange Prestige also is a Very Special Thing.

I went to a one in one out policy - actually one in two out at times - and the 'OUT' was quite heartbreaking (see below)...but had to be done for the sake of the planet and the bikes themselves. None of them were garage queens....all were used in anger on the South Downs, which was my hunting ground throughout the 80s and 90s. I have a bit more space than you so it breeds bad behaviour - combined with some irritation when I run out of workshop space....

Proflex 856 (frame and forks)
Bontrager Race OR (frame)
Marin Team Ti (frame)
AMP B3 (frame and forks)
Orange P7 Cherry Red
Orange P7 Matt Black (frame and forks)
C16R Silver (frame and forks)
C16R Vomit Green
C16R Gloss Black
Orange O2Evo
Sunn XCircuit (frame)
Cannondale SM800 early (frame - karma)

That must have been a wrench, some cracking bikes there. The only bike I regret selling was a Roberts Genesis. It went to a good home and to someone who appreciated well built steel framed bikes. So that made me feel a little better.

 

[2manyoranges]

I think that's exactly right. I really wanted them to go to good homes and I think that happened in every case, thanks to the great community here. The nicest one was Freddock's purchase of the Proflex as a birthday present for an old friend who owns a ski shop in Les Deux Alpes - who actually sold me some skis in the early 90s....hell of a co-incidence. He was SO pleased with the frame....a great outcome.

 

[2manyoranges]

 

[2manyoranges]

That frame had done some serious s++t but was immaculate, shot elastomers but had all the specialist tiny bits and bobs which are needed to run the frame, and usually are missing - special ferrules for the brake cabling, special washers for the pivot bolts, special spacers for the elastomers....

 

[cpmanley]

This is a long shot, but I'm looking at an '05 Unit now and I was curious what you think the max tire size is?