Need some Kona help, what to do?

[giftshopduane]

I foolishly "lent" my brother my 96' Kilauea when I bought an SE OM Flyer (which I love by the way.....) and now I want my bike back. The problem is he loves it as much as I do.... so I thought I'd pick up a second hand bike and "trade" for my bike. Here's the real issue. I've found an 02' Cinder Cone a 97' Cinder Cone and a 97' Lava Dome all around $200. I'm afraid I'll check these out and like them better or as much as the Kilauea, I like the idea of the 02 Cinder... aaarghhh!!! F'n brothers.

 

[ruttegercarruthers]

I think if it was me I'd buy whatever is cheapest for him and make sure you get your kilauea back!

 

[hamster]

I've been very impressed by my 1999 Cindercone (same frame as the 02 I think except for disc tabs) - and it's lighter than the Kilauea.

 

[Anthony]

The 97 Cinder Cone and Lava Dome share the same frame, so the difference is just down to colour preference. As he likes the 96 Kilauea, he would find either of these bikes quite similar but just not quite as refined. However the differences aren't so pronounced that I could imagine anybody who liked the 96 Kilauea disliking the 97 Cinder Cone. Once he got used to it, he would like it fine.

The 2002 Cinder Cone is very different. It is quite possible that he would dislike it, although of course he could prefer it, who knows? In answer to Hamster, the 2002 Cinder Cone is very different to his 1999 frame. The 99 frame was made of double-butted 7005 and as he says it is lighter than a 96 Kilauea - but only by about a quarter of a pound. The 2002 Cinder Cone was a relatively crude affair, made of plain gauge 7005 with only a butted seat tube to justify Kona's rather misleading claim that it was a butted frame.

If I had a choice between a double-butted steel frame and a plain-gauge aluminium one, I know which one I'd choose.