recommend me a retrobike.....

[Andy B]

I used to ride a 17" Orange Gringo, which had top tube of 566mm (effective 592mm) it was a great bike to ride, but I sold it as I needed the funds

Would a 17" Kona have a similar top tube, I think it does vary from model to model & year to year

Full geometry of the Orange: 17"
A. Head Angle 71°
B. Seat Angle 73°
C. Top Tube 566
D. Effective TT 592
E. BB Height 306
F. Chainstay 420
G. Head Tube 100
H. Wheel base 1061

 

[Neil G]

Not Marin as they're uncool

 

[tintin40]

Klein Rascal

 

[Andy B]

Klein Rascal

Too bling, not my style.

Anyway it's aluminium isn't it?

 

[Andy B]

Not Marin as they're uncool

Which is why I might consider one

 

[cce]

kona wise i would suggest similar era for similar reasons to the orange and as CCE said, lavadome and above, i always liked the kilauea because it's the underdog to the explosif even though mostly iirc they were the same frame, but it always seemed some how cooler to me even though i have an explosif myself.

for the years in question, the kilauea was about 0.1lb heavier than the equivalent explosif, but was built much more as a compliant day bike, to the explosif's stiff racey feel

 

[Andy B]

kona wise i would suggest similar era for similar reasons to the orange and as CCE said, lavadome and above, i always liked the kilauea because it's the underdog to the explosif even though mostly iirc they were the same frame, but it always seemed some how cooler to me even though i have an explosif myself.

for the years in question, the kilauea was about 0.1lb heavier than the equivalent explosif, but was built much more as a compliant day bike, to the explosif's stiff racey feel

That's the sort of info I need, I have an arthritic back, so a super stiff frame is a no go area

 

[al]

Not Marin as they're uncool

No they're not!

High end 90's steel Marins ride superbly.

A Pine mountain from the mid 90's would be a great option.

Honestly uncool! :roll: Don't believe the hype.

 

[Neil]

Not Marin as they're uncool

Which is why I might consider one

Good man!

 

[Agency_Scum]

Anything that fans here rave about. It's like traction engines ( be patient, follow me on this ). Fred Dibnah was once asked if all traction engines were good. He replied most were rubbish, dangerous even and said that the ones you see at shows are all over 70 years old; the best of the best in reliability and design. Retro mountain bikes are like that. There's no GT thermoplastic Lobos as they all burst into a million pieces, the Alpinstars Almegas snapped off at the headtube and old carbon fibre Giants' bottom brackets fell off. The horror stories are endless.
Retrobikes are adored because they're beautifully designed, are reliable and ( usually, compared to when new ) really really cheap. Like Keith Bontrager said, " Cheap, light, buy two. "