Kona Makena (kids MTB) rebuild

Captain Stupido

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As purchased on eBay - original but tired.

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Stripped and ready for paint. All came apart without dramas.

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One expensive paintjob and a few new bits later:

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She's chuffed!

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Good little bikes these... was a fun project and I think it's going to be well loved.
 
I got me one of these for the boy, took a clean, rear mech that worked and everything adjusting and job done. Not as tidy as yours though!
Only bad point I found really was no cable routing for front mech, I reckon by the time they are this sort of size the kids could benefit from a few lower gears!

Nice job there, Looks a treat.
 
RickTheUncivil":1ip7gwxx said:
I got me one of these for the boy, took a clean, rear mech thst worked and everything adjusting and job dine. Not as tidy as yours though!
Only bad point I found really was no cable routing for front mech, I reckon by the time they are this sort of size the kids could benefit from a few lower gears!

Nice job there, Looks a treat.

Thanks! :D

Re the gears, it's not all that hilly round here, and to be honest she's only just getting to grips with riding a bike at all... let alone gears. So with that in mind (and the fact that I had the bits) this got downgraded to a 5 speed.

What I did do was bin the old steel cranks and replace them with an alloy Islabike chainset off a Beinn 20 large. That means the cranks are shorter (and better proportioned for a kid) and also the overall gearing is lower. I reckon if anything she'll end up needing a longer high gear, but as I say, we're a long way from that point now, and by the time we get there it'll probably get handed down to her younger brother.
 
Well... she's getting bigger... and the Kona will soon get passed down to her brother, once it's had a few tweaks. I'd like to upgrade the forks to something lighter if anyone has anything?

So I've had half an eye out for a next project. This old Dawes Tekarra has been sat out the back of my work for years... And now it looks like it might be getting close to the right size - it's a 13" c-t.

Frame seems fine, seatpost isn't stuck. What do you guys reckon, worth a project or wait for something nicer?
 

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RickTheUncivil":3nxwzl2c said:
would it be another full strip down and re-paint job?

I'm thinking maybe a rattle can job. It's a bit of a heavy lump at present. Might take it apart at least and see if there's much room to save weight. Could build it as a single speed...

Has 24" wheels. Anyone got any better forks?
 
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