1997 Kona Hot

[canuckinboston]

Finally have got this built up. Mostly period specific but some modern (brake levers and saddle). The paint is an wet application of emerald green to dark teal fade. Decals courtesy of Gil_M. Pics are a bit blurry..will try and get some clearer ones tomorrow.

Frame: 17" Kona Hot

Fork: Rock Shox Hydra Air SID...set for 80mm travel

Headset: Chris King No Logo 1 1/8
Stem: NOS Syncros Cattlehead 1 1/8
Handlebar: NOS Syncros Hardcore
Barends: Kona Aluminum

Brakes: M950 XTR
Brake Pads: XTR
Brake Cables: Shimano XT
Cantilever cable hangers:
Brake Levers: M970 XTR 2 finger

Shifters: GripShift XRay 800
Front Derailleur: XT
Rear Derailleur:M950 XTR 8 speed
Cassette: XTR 12-32
Chain: Hyperglide
Cranks: Race Face Next LP ISIS
Bottom Bracket: Race Face ISIS
Pedals: M737 XT

Hub Skewers: Salsa Ti
Rims: Bontrager Valiant
Hubs: Chris King
Spokes: DT
Tyres: Ritchey Z Max

Saddle: Selle Italia SLR XC Gel
Seatpost: Syncros Hardcore

Weight: ?? (<26 pounds I think, (and certainly hope))

 

[iveto1983]

Lovely bike.
I should think it's easily below 26lbs.
The brakes and rear mech are m950 series, not m900 though.

 

[canuckinboston]

Noted..Thanks for the info!!

 

[RockiMtn]

nice build! I think we have similar taste in parts, I think I would have built it in a very similar manner!

 

[mfargy483]

very nice mate!

 

[Anthony]

Definitely a beautiful bike, and a nice choice of colour if I may say so. I personally don't approve of putting a 2006 down tube decal on a 1997 frame, but I'd like to think that you intend to keep this one for a long time so if you like it that's the only thing that counts.

I make the weight just under 24lbs, although I had to make a few guesses. The tyres are the worst part of the spec, and not just for weight surely? And I don't think a long flat stem is necessarily the best idea when you've already slowed down the handling with a slightly longer fork than the frame was designed for, but obviously that's personal taste.

I'd be interested to know the frame weight. I estimate 1.85kg for the size 17, and it may be just about the lightest steel frame Kona made. It's quite a lot lighter than the 98 Explosif, as the top tube is a 28.6 x 7-5-7 (cf 31.8 x 8-5-8 ) and the down tube is a 31.8 x 7-5-7 (cf 34.9 x 9-6-9!) That's a 100g difference on the DT alone. Must make for a very lively handling frame.

How do you find its ride compares to your other excellent bikes?

 

[FluffyChicken]

Looks nice and would love to here how it rides.

Though cut your front brake cable shorter, the bend back is forcing the v-brake cable between the arms to lift, making your brakes worse with a short slack period when it straigtens up, worse this straigten up could be when you are in the actually braking part of the pull.


Also do you really like to brake levers that far in and away from the handgrip ?
If you need to get the shifter closer then just rotate it so it fits in or fits closer, if the cable angle is a problem from shifter to the frame if pointing further down then place shifter barrel above the brake lever. Though for 'looks' that would be my last choice.
Though if you like it like that, enjoy.


Anothony

...slowed down the handling with a slightly longer fork than the frame was designed for, but obviously that's personal taste.

They're 80mm forks he's using.
1997 Hot's where designed for 75 to 100mm (i.e Z1/Z2 3" or 4" was the choice)

 

[Anthony]

Anothony

...slowed down the handling with a slightly longer fork than the frame was designed for, but obviously that's personal taste.

They're 80mm forks he's using.
1997 Hot's where designed for 75 to 100mm (i.e Z1/Z2 3" or 4" was the choice)

Like all Kona frames of that era, it was designed for a 41cm P2. It was pictured with a 43cm Judy XC and a 1997 Z2 (65mm) has the same a-c length, so taking sag into account either fork would give pretty much the designed handling characteristics on it. An 80mm SID is 45cm long, hence I suggested there could be a need for for some livening of the steering geometry.

I've never heard of anybody fitting a Z1 and such a long and heavy fork would surely be unsuitable - this isn't a free-ride frame. The copy-writing in the Kona catalogue probably reflects the naivety of the times as far as suspension was concerned - hey bigger is better, right?

Later on, people worked out better what changes suspension made necessary. Note how from 1998 when the Z2 was lengthened slightly, Kona went to shorter stems with rise, and also swept riser bars on the aluminium frames, to keep the steering lively. That's why I suggested that canuckinboston, having fitted a slightly later/longer fork, might like to try making adjustments similar to those Kona themselves made.

 

[FluffyChicken]

I don't disagree with the stem length, (stock would be ~105) hence left that bit out.
Just commenting that the fork was in the middle of the travel range for this frame that it was advertised to come with as options, the Z2 was it's 'spec at teh back'

I would personally completely ignore the RockShox in the picture, they are 1996 RockShox not 1997 RockShox as they would have and have the canti brace still. In my opinion hardly prefesional for a top end bike advert. Case of using the E&OE/spec subject to change, though I wasn't interested in this era so if these where in the 'shop' with RS's of a year before, no problem

Anyways, we digress and I'd always take your side over mine for Kona stuff anyway

 

[Anthony]

Take a look in the 1998 Kona catalogue and note the route of the rm cable. You won't ever see a 1998 Kona with that routing. But the bikes pictured aren't 97 bikes either, they're pre-production mock-ups of the 1998 range.

I'm not sure I agree that it's unprofessional though. The lead-time for the production of a catalogue was quite long, so there was no way they could wait until the production bikes were available before taking the catalogue shots. So they borrowed a Judy off a 96 Hot for the photo of a Hot for the 97 catalogue. I'll bet that photo and the copywriting was very early in 1996, and I'd be quite surprised if Kona had actually received a Z1 to play with by that time, so any suggestion that it was suitable for the Hot could have been imaginary.

And incidentally when the copy was written, the writer would have no idea that Altitude Cycles (equals Mountain Goat) was about to go out of business. So depending on its exact date, canuckinboston's frame may have been made either by Altitude or by Enigma Design. Not unprofessional, just that a lot happens sometimes between concept and delivery!