GeneralOsik
Kona Fan
Frame: 1995 18" Kona Humuhumu-Nukunuku-A-Pua'a in Royal Blue with orange decals
SN 50 H0230
Fork: *Kona Project 2 Sport
Headset: Kona Impact
Stem: *Kona Velocity
Handlebar: Sunlite Elson in black
Grips: ODI Longneck Flanged in orange with Kona Hot Dog end plugs
Brakes: Shimano BR-M739 in patina silver with World Class V-Dapters and Dia Compe flexible noodles
Brake Pads: Kool Stop Thin Line dual compound
Brake Cables: Velo Orange in orange
Brake Levers: Dia Compe 292 "Dog Leg" in black
Brake Booster: Salsa Arc de Tri Oomph in orange
Chain: KMC K1 in silver/black
Cranks: Shimano FC-M730 175mm in silver
Chainring: Salsa 46t 110BCD in silver
Chainring Guard: Bear Claw CNC 110BCD in silver
Bottom Bracket: Shimano BB UN-55 68x110mm
Pedals: Shimano PD-M730
Rims: *Sun No.5 Orange AT18
Hubs: *KK 370 front with modded QR axle/KK 909 rear
Freewheel: *Dicta 18t 1-speed
Nipples: *brass
Spokes: *stainless steel 15g front/14g rear
Tires: Maxxis Wormdrive with orange sidewall stripe
Saddle: Selle Italia Flite Titanium
Seatpost: ControlTech Suspension 27.0mm in silver
Seatpost Binder: Kona in black
Bottle Cage: Elite Ciussi in orange
Fenders: SKS P55 Longboard in silver
Front Rack: Sunlite GoldTec
Bell: Mirrycle Incredibell Brass Duet
Cycling Computer: Cateye Padrone in orange
*designates original item
Weight: 34+lbs with rack and bags
I picked this up in 2019, not even a week after I spent the most I ever spent on a bike before buying this 1995 Kapu. I could not pass up an opportunity to buy another 1995 Kona, though, and this time, it was a cruiser! I had just gotten home from work, sat down on my couch, and opened my phone to browse Craigslist. Up popped a notification that a Kona had been posted for sale, so I went and saw a posting for this:
I bought it off some guy in East Alton, IL, who was selling all kinds of kids bikes. He let this go for $75, and I barely was able to ride it around the block. I didn't care though, because he didn't know what he had. It was all original, down to the tires. Most of the parts were shot though, so I got rid of the brakeset, seatpost, saddle (cut the leather off first), headset, BB, handlebar, grips, and pedals.
I sat on the bike for over a year before I finished it. Guen, the adorable black furball seen here perched on top of the unfinished frame, died unexpectedly early in 2021, and I lost all motivation to work on bikes.
I ended up using the binder, front canti hanger, and dog collar on my 1992 Cinder Cone, and used that black binder for this Humu. I found some cheap swept back bars, and decided now was the time to finally use my stashed Dia Compe Dog Leg levers. As soon as I saw these on eBay years ago, I knew I had to keep them for a cruiser build one day. I also had some NOS World Class V Dapters, so I paired them with some M739 V Brakes that I accidentally cleaned too much, and now have a cool patina finish. The stopping power is insane.
Here it is on one of the shake down rides around the block:
After thrashing it around Forest Park a few times, I dialed in the adjustments, swapped the original crank arms for some M730 175mm which gave me all kinds of power, and a ControlTech suspension post to soak up bumps. It's riding on some of my favorite tires, and what I used to commute and explore with for two years, Maxxis WormDrive, with orange sidewall stripes!
I also fitted fenders and some accessories, and rode more miles on this bike than all the rest in my collection combined in the last two years. I can't get enough of it, it's so comfortable, and I feel like I can go anywhere on it, and ride for hours. I don't really want to change much with how it's set up, besides adding a different front light mount, and adding some on frame storage. I'd like to utilize the space in between the two top tubes, and in between the rear fender and the seat tube. I haven't found anything that fits quite right, so I will likely end up making my own out of some Timbuk2 Single Speed Collection bags. That will require me making some patterns, and harvesting material from disassembled bags, but I think it's worth it for this bike.
I do have some cool and blingy parts to find to add that extra little bit to the build:
Rock Ring or QBP Tooth Fairy, 110BCD 46t in black or sliver
Race Face cranks, 175mm 110BCD orange w/ DH chainring and/or bashguard, or single speed ring and guard like on Dirk's Humu
2x Salsa Arc de TriOomph brake boosters in orange
Nice set of wheels, 100mm F 115mm R 26" single speed
or 100mm front QR axle, ControlTech front Ti bolt skewer in silver, and new rear nuts
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