My second tribute build to the man himself.
Built as a rider, I hope Pip would approve!
Pip's original thread:
King Kahuna Stars ‘n’ Bars!
My plan for the build was to make it ride as well as possible whilst adding some lightness!... it originally weighed in at about 24lb. With the revised spec it's now about 22.15lb. I also wanted to try and make the frame stand-out, so have tried to "black-out" the rest of the components as much as possible.
Frame:........18" 1997 Kona "stars n bars" King Kahuna - a simply gorgeous frame, slightly heavier than the Hei Hei, but a bit stiffer and more responsive. Pip contacted Kona regarding the paint-job...
Response from Kona:
“ the paint was available as a Custom option to Kona employees.”
Fork:...........2003 Fox Float R - I've "robbed" this fork from my wife's bike!...and shortened the travel to suit the frame better. I think the slightly bigger diameter of the legs and stanchions (over the 28mm SID) suit the slightly chunkier tubes of the KK and the Fox gives a bit more stability too.
Headset:......Chris King - sotto voce as per my "black-out" plan!
Stem:..........Ritchey WCS - lightweight, solid and with a nice rise for my old neck!
Handlebar:...Race Face Next SL Low Rise XC Carbon - has a more comfortable back-sweep for me than an Easton carbon Monkey Lite
Grips:..........Ritchey - lightweight foam!
Brakes:........Avid Ultimate "black ops" - best V's I've experienced, better than XTR and lighter too!
Cables:........XTR
Levers:........Avid Ultimate "black ops"
Shifters:......XTR M970 - best 9spd shifters?
F' Mech:......XTR M970 - perfect functionality!
R' Mech:......XTR M970 - works well, looks good!
Cables:.......XTR
Cassette:....XTR M970 - Perfect shifting and light too!
Chain:........KMC 9SL - adds a little lightness over the XTR!
Cranks:......FRM - lightweight and stiff Italian machined loveliness - matches the Avids perfectly!
Crank Bolts:.......FRM
Rings:.........FRM: 44, 32, 22
Bolts:.........black alloy
Bottom Bracket:...FRM
Bottle Cage:....King titanium - lovely titanium lightweight goodness
Pedals:.......Eggbeater 4Ti - a bit of gold bling to match the chain!.. a slight deviation from my "black-out" plan!
Hub Skewers:...Mavic titanium
Rims:..............Mavic UST
Hubs:..............Mavic
Tyres:.............Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.1 - tubeless
Saddle:...........Flite Titanium - lightweight retro-cool and the only saddle my bum likes!
Seatpost:........Interloc
Seatpost Binder:..Kona
Weight: 22.15lb
A few pics....
Built as a rider, I hope Pip would approve!
Pip's original thread:
King Kahuna Stars ‘n’ Bars!
My plan for the build was to make it ride as well as possible whilst adding some lightness!... it originally weighed in at about 24lb. With the revised spec it's now about 22.15lb. I also wanted to try and make the frame stand-out, so have tried to "black-out" the rest of the components as much as possible.
Frame:........18" 1997 Kona "stars n bars" King Kahuna - a simply gorgeous frame, slightly heavier than the Hei Hei, but a bit stiffer and more responsive. Pip contacted Kona regarding the paint-job...
Response from Kona:
“ the paint was available as a Custom option to Kona employees.”
Fork:...........2003 Fox Float R - I've "robbed" this fork from my wife's bike!...and shortened the travel to suit the frame better. I think the slightly bigger diameter of the legs and stanchions (over the 28mm SID) suit the slightly chunkier tubes of the KK and the Fox gives a bit more stability too.
Headset:......Chris King - sotto voce as per my "black-out" plan!
Stem:..........Ritchey WCS - lightweight, solid and with a nice rise for my old neck!
Handlebar:...Race Face Next SL Low Rise XC Carbon - has a more comfortable back-sweep for me than an Easton carbon Monkey Lite
Grips:..........Ritchey - lightweight foam!
Brakes:........Avid Ultimate "black ops" - best V's I've experienced, better than XTR and lighter too!
Cables:........XTR
Levers:........Avid Ultimate "black ops"
Shifters:......XTR M970 - best 9spd shifters?
F' Mech:......XTR M970 - perfect functionality!
R' Mech:......XTR M970 - works well, looks good!
Cables:.......XTR
Cassette:....XTR M970 - Perfect shifting and light too!
Chain:........KMC 9SL - adds a little lightness over the XTR!
Cranks:......FRM - lightweight and stiff Italian machined loveliness - matches the Avids perfectly!
Crank Bolts:.......FRM
Rings:.........FRM: 44, 32, 22
Bolts:.........black alloy
Bottom Bracket:...FRM
Bottle Cage:....King titanium - lovely titanium lightweight goodness
Pedals:.......Eggbeater 4Ti - a bit of gold bling to match the chain!.. a slight deviation from my "black-out" plan!
Hub Skewers:...Mavic titanium
Rims:..............Mavic UST
Hubs:..............Mavic
Tyres:.............Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.1 - tubeless
Saddle:...........Flite Titanium - lightweight retro-cool and the only saddle my bum likes!
Seatpost:........Interloc
Seatpost Binder:..Kona
Weight: 22.15lb
A few pics....
Last edited:
