bruciebonuz
Dirt Disciple
I have had the same MTB since 1990. A Kona Cindercone.
I bought the bike from Alpine Bikes in Aberdeen when I was 17. It cost about £450 and I paid for it on the never never. Deposit, then monthly instalments....imagine doing that now? I remember picking it up and how much I anticipated it, poring over the catalogue every day. It replaced my ridiculous 23" (I am 5ft 9 by the way) Raleigh Land Rover Discovery "Special Edition" which my Dad bought me and which the Raleigh dealer assured me was the right size! Hilarious - those were the early days of mountain bikes.......
I remember the massive front "Maximum" front tyre and just how good it felt to ride, super responsive and very light....at least compared to my Land Rover......
It served me well - riding 100 miles in a day, over the Lecht to Aviemore for a week of superb riding with me mates (they had Klein Attitude, Trek 8000 and a 6 tonne Dawes). It served me at university....until it was nicked from outset the uni building.....and then I spotted a chav walking it down the main city street about 2 months later with his arm around his girlfriend. So I went up to him and said "thats my bike and I would like it back thanks". He was so shocked. He blurted out "I bought it, its mine". But when I offered to let the police decide whose it was, he handed it over. That was in 1993. Over the years I ditched the Suntour XCD groupset and swapped in Shimano Deore....never could get the Suntour X-press shifters to work that well.
To cut a long story short, after that, I could never sell it and 3 kids and 20 years later.....I still own it. And now I have bought a post-Trek purchase-Klein off ebay which is a gorgeous bike that I have always wanted. And I am gonna "do right" by the Cindercone.
I have stripped it back to the bones and its not bad for a 20 year old bike.
I have bought:
NOS Suntour X-Press Shifters (willing to give them a go again)
Suntour XCD rear derailleur
NOS Suntour XC comp front derailleur
Suntour XC Comp rear hub
NOS XC comp brake levers
Bike has original forks, seatpost (bit tatty though so that may go), refurbed Suntour XC Comp pedals, velocity stem and bars, Suntour front hub and XCD brakes including the Self Energising rears (which work well once set up properly)......so let the build begin....will keep you posted.
I bought the bike from Alpine Bikes in Aberdeen when I was 17. It cost about £450 and I paid for it on the never never. Deposit, then monthly instalments....imagine doing that now? I remember picking it up and how much I anticipated it, poring over the catalogue every day. It replaced my ridiculous 23" (I am 5ft 9 by the way) Raleigh Land Rover Discovery "Special Edition" which my Dad bought me and which the Raleigh dealer assured me was the right size! Hilarious - those were the early days of mountain bikes.......
I remember the massive front "Maximum" front tyre and just how good it felt to ride, super responsive and very light....at least compared to my Land Rover......
It served me well - riding 100 miles in a day, over the Lecht to Aviemore for a week of superb riding with me mates (they had Klein Attitude, Trek 8000 and a 6 tonne Dawes). It served me at university....until it was nicked from outset the uni building.....and then I spotted a chav walking it down the main city street about 2 months later with his arm around his girlfriend. So I went up to him and said "thats my bike and I would like it back thanks". He was so shocked. He blurted out "I bought it, its mine". But when I offered to let the police decide whose it was, he handed it over. That was in 1993. Over the years I ditched the Suntour XCD groupset and swapped in Shimano Deore....never could get the Suntour X-press shifters to work that well.
To cut a long story short, after that, I could never sell it and 3 kids and 20 years later.....I still own it. And now I have bought a post-Trek purchase-Klein off ebay which is a gorgeous bike that I have always wanted. And I am gonna "do right" by the Cindercone.
I have stripped it back to the bones and its not bad for a 20 year old bike.
I have bought:
NOS Suntour X-Press Shifters (willing to give them a go again)
Suntour XCD rear derailleur
NOS Suntour XC comp front derailleur
Suntour XC Comp rear hub
NOS XC comp brake levers
Bike has original forks, seatpost (bit tatty though so that may go), refurbed Suntour XC Comp pedals, velocity stem and bars, Suntour front hub and XCD brakes including the Self Energising rears (which work well once set up properly)......so let the build begin....will keep you posted.
