90's Kona Cindercone & Explosif Reynolds 853 advice please

[daz1357]

Hello
I would appreciate some advice on Konas mtb's from the 90's please

I currently have a 1995 Cindercone with original P2 forks and I use it as a gravel/road/drove bike etc

For the riding I do i dont need any suspension and therefore P2 forks are brilliant

I use schwalbe marathon tyres and I love the way the bike rides and feels etc

I recently bought a 1998 Explosif Reynolds 853 frame & I built it up with the P2 forks & wheels/tyres/seat from my Cindercone

But the Explosif feels a lot harsher than the Cindercone and is generaly less fun to ride

The 98 Explosif originally had Bomber Z2 forks and I am wondering if it was built stiffer for these forks?

So I would appreciate any advice on this please - have I missed something? and if indeed this Explosif is stiffer - is there a better, more forgiving Explosif for P2 forks? - for example would a 1995 Explosif be better for me?

 

[mk one]

Personally i find 853 very stiff in comparison to Tange tubesets, others really rate 853 though. I havent actually ridden an 853 Kona though for comparison so cant really comment on that frame.

I also think the forks a-c is shorter on the '95 than the '98, that shouldnt really make that much difference to how the frame feels though. Suspension forks will make the ride a bit more smoother, although the P2's are great forks, but again it wont really affect the feel of the frame.

 

[TheAntsPants]

Re:

The tube diameters will be quite different between those two bike, which will account for most of the difference in stiffness. How you judge the bikes will partly come down to your weight and riding style, but I suspect also, what you are used to. If you had gone from the Explosif to the Cinder Cone, I expect you would have thought that the Cinder Cone was a wet noodle!

I've not ridden a Cinder Cone, but I found the 98 Explosif to be a fun bike with a rear triangle that flicks back pedal and trail energy in a way that begs it to be ridden harder.

One way to soften up the ride is to use flexier wheels and cranks. But ride whatever you prefer. Don't worry about the Kona hierarchy.

 

[adroitstif]

Are retro suspension seatposts still a thing, or were they all based on elastomers that you can't buy any more? That would potentially be the best of both worlds - stiff frame, comfortable place to sit.

 

[daz1357]

Re: Re:

The tube diameters will be quite different between those two bike, which will account for most of the difference in stiffness. How you judge the bikes will partly come down to your weight and riding style, but I suspect also, what you are used to. If you had gone from the Explosif to the Cinder Cone, I expect you would have thought that the Cinder Cone was a wet noodle!

I've not ridden a Cinder Cone, but I found the 98 Explosif to be a fun bike with a rear triangle that flicks back pedal and trail energy in a way that begs it to be ridden harder.

One way to soften up the ride is to use flexier wheels and cranks. But ride whatever you prefer. Don't worry about the Kona hierarchy.

 

[daz1357]

Personally i find 853 very stiff in comparison to Tange tubesets, others really rate 853 though. I havent actually ridden an 853 Kona though for comparison so cant really comment on that frame.

I also think the forks a-c is shorter on the '95 than the '98, that shouldnt really make that much difference to how the frame feels though. Suspension forks will make the ride a bit more smoother, although the P2's are great forks, but again it wont really affect the feel of the frame.