Having owned my '95 Kona Hahanna from new, I decided it was time to lavish some attention on it.
I didn't want to break the bank, but still wanted a fast, clean and responsive ride for my daily London commute.
Drivetrain:
Resisting the current London hipster trend for single speed conversions, I've set the bike up to suit how I ride with a 1:8 drivetrain. Wanting a 42t front crank and finding a distinct lack of affordable but well made single speed front ends that fit a slim line chain, I ended up fitting a Raceface DH crank . Fairly heavy but a nice solid bit of kit at a great price that came with a sweet BB system included.
I've fitted a new rear cassette (I was still running the factory fitted 7sp cluster!) and new rear mech. Front mech has been relegated to my box of old parts along with all the old cables.
Peddles were upgraded to Shimano hybrid spd/flats so I've got plenty of footwear options!
Cockpit:
Back around '96 or '97 I saved up my pocket money to buy some beautiful Azonic 2.5inch riser bars. Super strong and super lightweight, with a very thin diameter, but just a tad long. So I've finally trimmed a couple of inches off to help with the London bus squeeze-through factor! Kept the ends raw so the exposed metal contrasts nicely with the blue powder coating of the bar.
Although serving me extremely well, the old Kona velocity threaded stem was a bit worst for wear, so I decided to change over to ahead. Now I didn't want to lose my fantastic Project 2 forks, so I purchased a Brand X headset conversion kit: Dead easy to fit, (once I'd worked my way around the rusted and consequently stripped stem bolt), and looks great with the new Octane One headset and gold spacers (matching the frame/stem bolts). A short XLC stem works with the raised bars to maintain my preferred upright riding position.
I decided to stay true to the bike's original factory set-up, so I've installed a new Sram (attack) gripshift, with a welcome upgrade to 8sp. When I fitted it I found the shifter wasn't compatible with the new Sram X4 rear mech I'd fitted (apparently Sram build shifters/mechs that are Shimano compatible but don't work with their proprietary kit!), so I've swapped it out for a Shimano Alivio mech; budget bit of kit, but works fantastically well combined with the new shifter.
I serviced the XT v-brakes I'd received as a birthday upgrade some years before, and replaced the cables. Combined with some Odi lock on grips (130mm on the left, 90mm on the right to accommodate the shifter), my new cockpit was looking pretty solid.
Wheels:
About 10 years ago I mashed the original back wheel just in time for Christmas, so was able to fit a marginally upgraded Mavic 517 with LX hub. I got this straightened at the local bike shop (£8, which is basically the cost of a new spoke key!), meaning I could optimise the set up of my refurbished XT v-brakes, giving me super responsive stopping power. Front wheel was still in pretty good working order following a few gentle tweaks.
Wanting that really fast and responsive ride, about 6 months ago I fitted some Continental gatorskins. Lovely tyres, still very sticky after more than 1000 miles, and only one puncture ever (from a massive shard of glass). Combined with some metallic Schrader valve caps, my wheels were ready to go.
Pilot seat:
New lightweight stem (you wouldn't believe how heavy the original Kona steel thing was), and Charge saddle, with a fixed stem bolt and my ride was completed.
So, for a budget upgrade I'm extremely pleased with how it turned out; reckon I spent just over £250 altogether. Given my 15 year relationship and many many miles with this bike I think it was well worth it.
In a year or so I'll think about powder coating the frame and some additional component upgrades dependant on how I decide to use the bike. But for the time being I am loving my daily commute on a very fast, light and responsive bike that is perfectly suited to the way I ride!
Thanks to Retrobike for plenty of inspiration and advice.
And for anyone who's got an old bike that means something, it's well worth the money, hours of research and multiple refunds on components that don't fit! I think the most important thing is to make sure your build tailors your bike exactly to the way you ride.
Simon
Kona Hahanna 1995 side profile 2 by luff2012, on Flickr[/img][/url]
Kona Hahanna 1995 cockpit by luff2012, on Flickr
Kona Hahanna 1995 rear by luff2012, on Flickr
Kona Hahanna 1995 drivetrain by luff2012, on Flickr
Kona Hahanna 1995 front 3/4 by luff2012, on Flickr
I didn't want to break the bank, but still wanted a fast, clean and responsive ride for my daily London commute.
Drivetrain:
Resisting the current London hipster trend for single speed conversions, I've set the bike up to suit how I ride with a 1:8 drivetrain. Wanting a 42t front crank and finding a distinct lack of affordable but well made single speed front ends that fit a slim line chain, I ended up fitting a Raceface DH crank . Fairly heavy but a nice solid bit of kit at a great price that came with a sweet BB system included.
I've fitted a new rear cassette (I was still running the factory fitted 7sp cluster!) and new rear mech. Front mech has been relegated to my box of old parts along with all the old cables.
Peddles were upgraded to Shimano hybrid spd/flats so I've got plenty of footwear options!
Cockpit:
Back around '96 or '97 I saved up my pocket money to buy some beautiful Azonic 2.5inch riser bars. Super strong and super lightweight, with a very thin diameter, but just a tad long. So I've finally trimmed a couple of inches off to help with the London bus squeeze-through factor! Kept the ends raw so the exposed metal contrasts nicely with the blue powder coating of the bar.
Although serving me extremely well, the old Kona velocity threaded stem was a bit worst for wear, so I decided to change over to ahead. Now I didn't want to lose my fantastic Project 2 forks, so I purchased a Brand X headset conversion kit: Dead easy to fit, (once I'd worked my way around the rusted and consequently stripped stem bolt), and looks great with the new Octane One headset and gold spacers (matching the frame/stem bolts). A short XLC stem works with the raised bars to maintain my preferred upright riding position.
I decided to stay true to the bike's original factory set-up, so I've installed a new Sram (attack) gripshift, with a welcome upgrade to 8sp. When I fitted it I found the shifter wasn't compatible with the new Sram X4 rear mech I'd fitted (apparently Sram build shifters/mechs that are Shimano compatible but don't work with their proprietary kit!), so I've swapped it out for a Shimano Alivio mech; budget bit of kit, but works fantastically well combined with the new shifter.
I serviced the XT v-brakes I'd received as a birthday upgrade some years before, and replaced the cables. Combined with some Odi lock on grips (130mm on the left, 90mm on the right to accommodate the shifter), my new cockpit was looking pretty solid.
Wheels:
About 10 years ago I mashed the original back wheel just in time for Christmas, so was able to fit a marginally upgraded Mavic 517 with LX hub. I got this straightened at the local bike shop (£8, which is basically the cost of a new spoke key!), meaning I could optimise the set up of my refurbished XT v-brakes, giving me super responsive stopping power. Front wheel was still in pretty good working order following a few gentle tweaks.
Wanting that really fast and responsive ride, about 6 months ago I fitted some Continental gatorskins. Lovely tyres, still very sticky after more than 1000 miles, and only one puncture ever (from a massive shard of glass). Combined with some metallic Schrader valve caps, my wheels were ready to go.
Pilot seat:
New lightweight stem (you wouldn't believe how heavy the original Kona steel thing was), and Charge saddle, with a fixed stem bolt and my ride was completed.
So, for a budget upgrade I'm extremely pleased with how it turned out; reckon I spent just over £250 altogether. Given my 15 year relationship and many many miles with this bike I think it was well worth it.
In a year or so I'll think about powder coating the frame and some additional component upgrades dependant on how I decide to use the bike. But for the time being I am loving my daily commute on a very fast, light and responsive bike that is perfectly suited to the way I ride!
Thanks to Retrobike for plenty of inspiration and advice.
And for anyone who's got an old bike that means something, it's well worth the money, hours of research and multiple refunds on components that don't fit! I think the most important thing is to make sure your build tailors your bike exactly to the way you ride.
Simon
Kona Hahanna 1995 side profile 2 by luff2012, on Flickr[/img][/url]
Kona Hahanna 1995 cockpit by luff2012, on Flickr
Kona Hahanna 1995 rear by luff2012, on Flickr
Kona Hahanna 1995 drivetrain by luff2012, on Flickr
Kona Hahanna 1995 front 3/4 by luff2012, on Flickr
