HELP PLEASE!!! ABOUT A KONA P2

[We_are_Stevo]

Buy a P2 with a short steerer for a bargain price because of it, then custom fit it to your frame with a BBB steerer extender...

 

[RadNomad]

My '95 CinderCone and '96 LavaDome both have their original forks - triple butted threaded P2s which weigh 800g each and have the 'TB' marking and nicely curved dropout transition with the dropout marked "Kona", the '95 is bronze colour, the '96 is grey. I also have a non-threaded P2 which i believe came from a '97 LavaDome, it weighs 1050g, no TB marking and it has the cheaper looking straight profile droput transition with dropout marked "Spinner", colour is grey. All of these are 410mm though. I reckon you're probably better off sticking with the earlier 390mm P2 in your frame and having correct geometry rather than changing the geometry to save a few grammes.

 

[Anthony]

I have one more question. Due to the fact that it`s easier to find 410mm TB P2 -specially when you need them to be mounted on a 20" frame and the steerers available are very often too short-, do you think it`s a bad idea to mount the 410mm P2 forks in a 1993 frame? Anthony, what about the geometry? I don`t want to kill the essence of that lovely frame.

Fitting a 2cm longer fork with the same stem and bar would slow the handling down a bit - make it slightly less keen to turn corners. Whether it would be noticeable is down to you, and what kind of handling you like - you might even prefer it. It will certainly make the front end 2cm higher, which your back may well prefer.

If required, you could speed the handling back up again by fitting a shorter stem - roughly on a 1 for 1 basis, i.e., a 2cm shorter stem roughly compensates for a 2cm longer fork. Or a more swept-back bar has the same effect as a shorter stem - it's how far ahead of the plane of the steerer is the line between the grips. The shorter that distance, the sharper the handling.

Hence modern bikes handle well with a combination of a slack head angle and a very short distance between the plane of the steerer and the line between the grips, showing that there's no magic about a 71 degree head angle - it's just one way to get the job done, but there are others.

 

[Bullpup]

Buy a P2 with a short steerer for a bargain price because of it, then custom fit it to your frame with a BBB steerer extender...

That's exactly what I have done too (and I am not a lightweight).

 

[SinDirección]

Hey!!!

- "bikey ", thank you so much... Don`t know anything about bike geometry... I must find a couple of 390mm forks, then.

- "We_are_Stevo", "Bullpup"... That`s a good idea, but I have a mint Velocity stem from the last generation and I`d love to mount it. Moreover, I was thinking on using a threaded headset (not the Impact... a Chris King one). I`ve been checking the "BBB..." and think it`s not compatible with threaded headsets and quill stems... Am I wrong? :roll:

- "RadNomad", thank you. Yes, it will be better to respect geometry. Didn`t had this information when I bought a `93 frame. I was looking for a columbus steel one, but it`s really difficult to find one from my size.

- "Anthony", wow! Great lesson, dude. Thank you so much. :shock:

 

[Anthony]

I was looking for a columbus steel one, but it`s really difficult to find one from my size.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111157783553 for 6-0 to 6-3

 

[SinDirección]

Wow!

I`m 6,2ft... I`d prefer it with the original paint, but...
mmmm... First of all, I`ll ask if he ships it overseas...

THX!!!