'97 Explosif Build - Updated 11th August '09
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You mentioned the forks (colour) I wasn't going to say anything as I had already critisised 
and didn't want to over do it.
But my thought was they did a grey-ish colour I think as standard for P2's and the grey would blend in with the groupset and seatclamp and that may be the colour to go for.
and didn't want to over do it. But my thought was they did a grey-ish colour I think as standard for P2's and the grey would blend in with the groupset and seatclamp and that may be the colour to go for.
FluffyChicken":30rf6wyd said:You mentioned the forks (colour) I wasn't going to say anything as I had already critisised
But my thought was they did a grey-ish colour I think as standard for P2's and the grey would blend in with the groupset and seatclamp and that may be the colour to go for.
Yep, kinda what I was thinking
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If you do go that route then maybe a nice syncros stem to match (don't know how close the match is though)
like this one ?
http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq25 ... 0021-1.jpg
like this one ?
http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq25 ... 0021-1.jpg
As has been said, 'mountain shock' indicates that the bike was designed for suspension - it was the last of the Explosifs to be conceived as a poor man's xc racing bike (the team used King Kahunas), and nobody that was racing to win was on rigid forks by 1997.
It seems almost comical to us now that it was sold with an Indy SL fork, but at the point when that was specified the Indy wasn't yet on the market, so maybe it wasn't clear to Kona that it flexed like spaghetti. And after all, an Indy SL did retail for £299, believe it or not.
I think most 97 Explosifs that were raced would have been equipped with a 97 Judy SL in Judy yellow and that would suit the colour of the frame fairly well. However I think the ideal fork would be a 97/98 SID, as even those original ones were much better forks than the Judy and the blue looks good with the fairly similar blue of the decals. An alternative would be the 98 Z2 in silver blue, heavier, stiffer, works better.
It was designed for silver parts and silver looks more retro, but IMPO black looks just as good. But my other personal opinion is that you shouldn't mix black with silver.
It seems almost comical to us now that it was sold with an Indy SL fork, but at the point when that was specified the Indy wasn't yet on the market, so maybe it wasn't clear to Kona that it flexed like spaghetti. And after all, an Indy SL did retail for £299, believe it or not.
I think most 97 Explosifs that were raced would have been equipped with a 97 Judy SL in Judy yellow and that would suit the colour of the frame fairly well. However I think the ideal fork would be a 97/98 SID, as even those original ones were much better forks than the Judy and the blue looks good with the fairly similar blue of the decals. An alternative would be the 98 Z2 in silver blue, heavier, stiffer, works better.
It was designed for silver parts and silver looks more retro, but IMPO black looks just as good. But my other personal opinion is that you shouldn't mix black with silver.
Anthony":37a73van said:
Interesting stuff, thanks for that Anthony.
I want to go primarily with black and grey componets as I think that goes well with the frame colour.
I'll look into SIDs, maybe blue, but I think I'd prefer black.
I conceived this bike as mainly for road use hence the P2's. I have a SC Superlight for off-road. BUT I'd still like to ride this off-road too! so will probably get a suspension fork but have it interchangeable with the p2's :?
What about a Pace fork?
Cheers
Be aware that a number of people have pursued a 97 Explosif as their dream bike and then sold it again as they found they didn't actually like it that much. For a steel bike it's quite stiff, and the Kilauea is logically a more suitable road bike, as it weighs the same but it's more compliant.
Arguably Columbus Max was the 'best' steel tube for xc racing as its stiff:light ratio was unsurpassed. The only reason it wasn't more widely used was that it was fearfully expensive, owing to the cost of biovalising the tubes. Kona were never ones to spend 3p when they could get away with 2p, so I can only assume that they did a killer deal with Columbus when Max was nearing the end of its production life, otherwise they would never have used it. But as I say, its merits as an xc racing tube don't necessarily make it the most suitable for other purposes.
I'm no expert, but I don't think they made a black SID until well into something called the 21st century, which apparently happened after retro finished. Clearly it would be a crime against retro to fit anything like that, and unfortunately the lads would have to come round and confiscate it off you. A pity in a way, but you've got to have rules, haven't you?
I think a 97/8 Pace RC36 would work ok on the 70mm setting, but they were quite long, so it would still knock the geometry out a bit.
Arguably Columbus Max was the 'best' steel tube for xc racing as its stiff:light ratio was unsurpassed. The only reason it wasn't more widely used was that it was fearfully expensive, owing to the cost of biovalising the tubes. Kona were never ones to spend 3p when they could get away with 2p, so I can only assume that they did a killer deal with Columbus when Max was nearing the end of its production life, otherwise they would never have used it. But as I say, its merits as an xc racing tube don't necessarily make it the most suitable for other purposes.
I'm no expert, but I don't think they made a black SID until well into something called the 21st century, which apparently happened after retro finished. Clearly it would be a crime against retro to fit anything like that, and unfortunately the lads would have to come round and confiscate it off you. A pity in a way, but you've got to have rules, haven't you?
I think a 97/8 Pace RC36 would work ok on the 70mm setting, but they were quite long, so it would still knock the geometry out a bit.
