1994 Kona Lava Dome Build :)

[Mattv805]

Hi everybody! I am new around here, and have quickly become a fan of Kona bikes. After seeing a few builds posted online, I started to look casually on eBay to find one. They don't seem to come up for sale in California in larger sizes for some reason. Coincidentally, I saw this frame on eBay a few hundred miles away, and put in an offer before boarding the flight home from my honeymoon... which was in Kona, Hawaii. I got the news that I won upon landing, and started ordering parts in anticipation of its arrival. I was lucky that the frame included the original seatpost, brake cable hangers, stem/bar, brake levers, and Project Two fork.
I'm no expert/experienced cyclist, but I will say this is the most nimble and fun bike I've ever ridden and there is definitely some pride from building it up. I've been taking it on hard pack and gravel trails, as well as around town.
It's 90% done as pictured, but I am going to swap the stem/bars for a Nitto adapter and B903 bullmoose bars within the next week or so and plan to change the beat up seatpost with a Nitto S65.
Current Build:
-generic Alex wheels/hubs
-Advent Microshift drivetrain
-Wolftooth 32t chainring w/ Wolftooth orange anodized bolts
-eBay Jagwire cabling
-WTB saddle
-Tektro cantilever brakes
-Rene Herse Rat Trap Pass Endurance tires (love these so far)
-a pair of $5 old Marin aluminum handlebars from the local bike co-op
-Oury grips

 

[moonlite]

That's a really nice example -- the dark blue really looks good. And it's clearly getting a workout, which will keep it happy!

 

[Mattv805]

That's a really nice example -- the dark blue really looks good. And it's clearly getting a workout, which will keep it happy!

Thank you! I really like the color combo and have my eye out for other large Kona frames from the era. It's got some cosmetic imperfections, but looks good from 10 feet away. The condition is appropriate to throw into the bed of my truck to go find some trails, or to lock it up downtown to have a beer or two. And it's significantly more fun to ride than my Surly Bridge club or the mid-90s GT Avalanche LE I fixed up for my wife. Fingers crossed that the Nitto MTC-02 I ordered arrives Saturday so I can get the cockpit reassembled and get a weekend ride in.

 

[Mattv805]

As a bonus, here she is with the original bars/stem and Simworks/Panaracer Homage tires, shot on a 90s Konica 35mm camera.

 

[albash82]

Just stumbled across your build. It's REALLY nice dude. Love that colour! I think it's actually a '95, unless they did something different for the USA market to the UK.
I have a '94, which was originally a really nice green. I refurbed mine, back in '08 and had the frame resprayed. I wish I'd tried to restore it, as it was, but the dropouts needed replacing, so it was going in for work and I thought why not respray it?!

 

[enc]

Nice! Did you get around to fitting the bars?