One view is that the high-end Konas are so cheap that there’s no logical argument for buying a low-end one. For example, a good 92 Explosif frame sold for £82 on eBay the other day. OK, it was size 16 which is too small for most, but for his or her £82 the buyer got the frame plus an Impact headset, triple-butted P2s, DX cantis with rear Joe Murray booster, DX chainset, XT bottom bracket, XT front mech and a seat post. If that’s what the best costs, why economise?
But that’s just the logical argument. The other side of it is that maybe there’s something a tiny bit pretentious about having an Explosif, whereas there’s nothing pretentious about a Lava Dome and for some indefinable reason owning a Lava Dome has always been cool. It seems that everybody who has ever owned a Lava Dome has liked it and regrets selling it. And of course it was the ultimate upgradeable bike – good frame for the price, rubbish components, but within a year you’d have replaced all the bits and you’d have a genuinely good bike.
