I've enjoyed Retrobike for years, and I've really been looking forward to this post. Why? Because of all my bikes, this is the first one that was really a project, in the sense of hunting down parts to achieve a vision in my mind's eye.
I developed my passion for bikes in the mid-1990s...around 1996, to be exact; and if you look at the bikes in my signature line you'll see that most of my collection dates to the years *after* that. So, it was a turning point to pursue something older than the bikes I knew from the bike shop where I worked all those decades ago, and to consciously take the time to seek out and build it with mostly period parts.
I bought this 1994 Kona Hei Hei here on Retrobike, from one of the nicest people I could imagine. After I bought it, I took a long time to source the parts I wanted. This lovely frame has been in my attic since October 2013-- almost three years! During that time, I spent many days getting more than a little obsessive on eBay.
As you can see, I was relatively conservative about parts. I wanted the bike to look understated, in a low-key, quiet sort of way. I am pleased to have found a lot of components with little to no wear...NOS Bontrager Ti handle bars, nice Syncros stuff, NOS pedals, NOS saddle, really nice XTR derailleurs, lightly used crankset, and new tires, for example.
There are two exceptions to the retro build: Avid Arch Rival brakes, and a Judy Race hyrdocoil fork. Aside from the most religious readers, I hope you will agree that these make sense and look pleasing. I couldn't find a cantilever brace for the fork, so I went with linear pull brakes; and for the fork, I wanted a reliable, non-air, coil/oil fork, and the classic looks of the Judy Race seemed like a good choice.
After two years of waiting and careful shopping, my first built-from-the-ground-up retrobike is complete! I am happy.
The build:
Shimano M730 XT cranks with XTR rings (46-36) and XT (26)
Shimano M737 XT pedals (NOS)
Shimano M900 XTR mid-cage rear derailleur
Shimano M900 XTR front derailleur
Shimano M900 XTR cassette, 12-32, 8- speed
Shimano M739 XT shifters, 8-speed (NOS)
Avid Arch Rival brakes
Avid Single Digit 1.9L brake levers
Bontrager Race Ti handlebars (NOS)
Yeti Speed Grips
Syncros Hinged Stem, 120mm
Syncros Hardcore seatpost, 27.2
Selle San Marco Bontrager Ti saddle (NOS)
Aheadset SST
Rock Shox Judy Race
Mavic 217 rims, DT swiss spokes
Shimano M739 hubs
Panaracer Dart front tire
Panaracer Smoke rear tire
I developed my passion for bikes in the mid-1990s...around 1996, to be exact; and if you look at the bikes in my signature line you'll see that most of my collection dates to the years *after* that. So, it was a turning point to pursue something older than the bikes I knew from the bike shop where I worked all those decades ago, and to consciously take the time to seek out and build it with mostly period parts.
I bought this 1994 Kona Hei Hei here on Retrobike, from one of the nicest people I could imagine. After I bought it, I took a long time to source the parts I wanted. This lovely frame has been in my attic since October 2013-- almost three years! During that time, I spent many days getting more than a little obsessive on eBay.
As you can see, I was relatively conservative about parts. I wanted the bike to look understated, in a low-key, quiet sort of way. I am pleased to have found a lot of components with little to no wear...NOS Bontrager Ti handle bars, nice Syncros stuff, NOS pedals, NOS saddle, really nice XTR derailleurs, lightly used crankset, and new tires, for example.
There are two exceptions to the retro build: Avid Arch Rival brakes, and a Judy Race hyrdocoil fork. Aside from the most religious readers, I hope you will agree that these make sense and look pleasing. I couldn't find a cantilever brace for the fork, so I went with linear pull brakes; and for the fork, I wanted a reliable, non-air, coil/oil fork, and the classic looks of the Judy Race seemed like a good choice.
After two years of waiting and careful shopping, my first built-from-the-ground-up retrobike is complete! I am happy.
The build:
Shimano M730 XT cranks with XTR rings (46-36) and XT (26)
Shimano M737 XT pedals (NOS)
Shimano M900 XTR mid-cage rear derailleur
Shimano M900 XTR front derailleur
Shimano M900 XTR cassette, 12-32, 8- speed
Shimano M739 XT shifters, 8-speed (NOS)
Avid Arch Rival brakes
Avid Single Digit 1.9L brake levers
Bontrager Race Ti handlebars (NOS)
Yeti Speed Grips
Syncros Hinged Stem, 120mm
Syncros Hardcore seatpost, 27.2
Selle San Marco Bontrager Ti saddle (NOS)
Aheadset SST
Rock Shox Judy Race
Mavic 217 rims, DT swiss spokes
Shimano M739 hubs
Panaracer Dart front tire
Panaracer Smoke rear tire
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