1990 Fire Mountain questions

[Danthefestaman]

Afternoon all, are these levers of any vintage if so what were they fitted to. Shimano BL-M420. Currently fitted on a 1990 Kona Fire Mountain I just picked up!

 

[drystonepaul]

M420 is Alivio level and is relatively modern, certainly post year 2000.

 

[Danthefestaman]

Oh best look for the right ones then, bet they are not easy to find!!

 

[Danthefestaman]

So today ive picked up my first Kona after wanting one for years and years. its an almost original 1990 Kona Fire Mountain. Not sure if its a keeper or a move it on until I find the Kona i really want but in the mean time it needs a little attention.

Questions i have are;
Original seatpost diameter?
Original tyre size?
What brake blocks work well on original setup
Can you still source original grips, copies or real?

Any pics for reference would be great!

 

[Splatter Paint]

Hi,
26.0mm
1.75 or 1.95 hybrid style, amber wall like this:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231833493387U brake pads are still widely available, you’ll need something like this for the front https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281875174989
Original grips are a no-go, modern equivalents like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254784629263

 

[Danthefestaman]

That's great cheers. The seat post that's in it is at least the same size just of a real cheap piece of junk! I've seen the kalloy ones on eBay so will take a look. Are the kalloy all the same so long as it's 26 x300 I think the length is!
Whats the chances of finding brake levers if not what's a period equivalent?
All the cables need changing especially the gear cables as the outers are kinked.

 

[Danthefestaman]

 

[Danthefestaman]

Do the brake blocks you listed fit the front cantilevers or do I need different? The brakes are absolutely useless I have to take an anchor to ride it. Front tyres currently are a 26x1.5 Specialized item, rides lovely and smooth. Speedo and rack are removed. The rack will be for sale if anyone wants such a thing!

 

[Nick76]

The blocks in the link are the original type for those cantis (which are the same as on my Saracen), but with careful use of washers it should be possible to use V-brake blocks on them instead. While they won't look as original it does mean you can get a bigger braking surface and better compounds.

You might be able to improve performance by adjusting the cable geometry. It's a trade-off between braking force and feel - more mechanical advantage (braking force) means longer brake lever travel - but you might find they work better with a longer main cable, the yoke a bit lower and the straddle cable shortened.

If the main cable fails the reflector bracket is meant to stop the straddle cable getting tangled in the tyre tread and throwing you in a ditch.

I see that your levers say "V-brake" on them, and depending on the model, that might be part of the problem. V-brakes use a longer cable pull than traditional cantis or U-brakes.

 

[raidan73]

As mentioned above, swapping to correct levers will definitely help. Those levers will brings the pads in to the rims quickly and won’t give you as much stopping power, unless you’ve got fingers like Popeye