maxwellllll
Retro Newbie
Hello there. I was just introduced to this thread by a Kona tech earlier this week, and I've finally found my way to the end. I have owned a Kona Custom Caldera since I purchased it new from my LBS in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1997. It is Molotov Red. CA9609109.
My first MTB was a Kona Lava Dome, purchased in the summer of 1993 (same LBS in Little Rock). I rode the hell out of it in the mid-90's, but was then convinced that I needed "lighter," so in 1996, I switched to an aluminum Trek (no idea what model), which I hated and ended up selling within a year (for more than I paid for it...in Germany...long story). I was the perfect target for the Custom Caldera. I wanted that smooth steel ride, but I wanted something special. Couldn't afford a full custom, and happened upon the Caldera. It was love at first sight. I thrashed it around all the singletrack I could find around San Antonio . . .
But then I moved to Chicago, where singletrack meant driving at least 45 minutes away. I got a spare set of wheels and put skinny-ish slicks on it, and used it for occasional commuting. Then I moved back to San Antonio, and found that some of my favorite singletrack from before had become subdivisions (there's still plenty left, but it's not what it was in the mid-90's). I ended up becoming a roadie convert for about a decade. Then I had a kid and found that abandoning my family for most of the weekend was considered inappropriate. My stable of bikes began to gather dust. Now my kid is old enough to love riding his BMX bike. "Time to hit the trails!" I thought. Let's get that old Kona out. And of course: it needs work.
I made a post over on reddit a year ago (!) asking what to do, and a bunch of folks said that I should not sell it (or at least not cheap). Some suggestions were made on possible set up. I did some sleuthing and realized that it was going to take some real work (replacing the fork being the most prominent issue). I procrastinated. A nice redditor hit me up asking if I'd sell. I told him maybe. I dragged my feet. After some months, I sent him some more pics and details. He asked me to name my price. I got cold feet. I started thinking again about fixing it up...
I went back on the hunt for a fork. Reached out to Kona (again). They suggested that I look for a rigid one around 400mm a-to-c. I looked around. Was reminded that that's apparently a very tall order. Got pointed to this thread, which I'd somehow never come across. Discovered that I had a unicorn. So I've decided that I can't possibly sell it. Just sent a message to the world's most patient retro bike redditor telling him this. And now I'm here to fill y'all in on Caldera #7, which, as far as I can tell is the only "original owner" CA in existence.
Other than the drivetrain and fork updating, it's in pretty good shape, though there are some moderate sized areas of powdercoat loss, specifically on the top tube. I used to transport it with one of those Saris wishbone racks, which would mash the cables against the frame. I wrapped the flaky areas in gator skins (do those still exist?), but it was too little, too late.
I've already reached out to Marzocchi Mark to see what he might have for a fork. I've also reached out to an LBS seeking assistance with the trickier bits of rehab (I'm NOT a gearhead, though I tend to tinker with things until I get them figured out). I'm most concerned about what to do about the missing finish on the top tube. I don't want to strip it down, but I have no idea what to do about the "patches" (if I were my mid-90's self, I'd just slap some punk rock stickers over them and call it a day).
So that's my story. This thread made me feel like it was a safe space for long-winded tales. Thanks for reading!
My first MTB was a Kona Lava Dome, purchased in the summer of 1993 (same LBS in Little Rock). I rode the hell out of it in the mid-90's, but was then convinced that I needed "lighter," so in 1996, I switched to an aluminum Trek (no idea what model), which I hated and ended up selling within a year (for more than I paid for it...in Germany...long story). I was the perfect target for the Custom Caldera. I wanted that smooth steel ride, but I wanted something special. Couldn't afford a full custom, and happened upon the Caldera. It was love at first sight. I thrashed it around all the singletrack I could find around San Antonio . . .
But then I moved to Chicago, where singletrack meant driving at least 45 minutes away. I got a spare set of wheels and put skinny-ish slicks on it, and used it for occasional commuting. Then I moved back to San Antonio, and found that some of my favorite singletrack from before had become subdivisions (there's still plenty left, but it's not what it was in the mid-90's). I ended up becoming a roadie convert for about a decade. Then I had a kid and found that abandoning my family for most of the weekend was considered inappropriate. My stable of bikes began to gather dust. Now my kid is old enough to love riding his BMX bike. "Time to hit the trails!" I thought. Let's get that old Kona out. And of course: it needs work.
I made a post over on reddit a year ago (!) asking what to do, and a bunch of folks said that I should not sell it (or at least not cheap). Some suggestions were made on possible set up. I did some sleuthing and realized that it was going to take some real work (replacing the fork being the most prominent issue). I procrastinated. A nice redditor hit me up asking if I'd sell. I told him maybe. I dragged my feet. After some months, I sent him some more pics and details. He asked me to name my price. I got cold feet. I started thinking again about fixing it up...
I went back on the hunt for a fork. Reached out to Kona (again). They suggested that I look for a rigid one around 400mm a-to-c. I looked around. Was reminded that that's apparently a very tall order. Got pointed to this thread, which I'd somehow never come across. Discovered that I had a unicorn. So I've decided that I can't possibly sell it. Just sent a message to the world's most patient retro bike redditor telling him this. And now I'm here to fill y'all in on Caldera #7, which, as far as I can tell is the only "original owner" CA in existence.
Other than the drivetrain and fork updating, it's in pretty good shape, though there are some moderate sized areas of powdercoat loss, specifically on the top tube. I used to transport it with one of those Saris wishbone racks, which would mash the cables against the frame. I wrapped the flaky areas in gator skins (do those still exist?), but it was too little, too late.
I've already reached out to Marzocchi Mark to see what he might have for a fork. I've also reached out to an LBS seeking assistance with the trickier bits of rehab (I'm NOT a gearhead, though I tend to tinker with things until I get them figured out). I'm most concerned about what to do about the missing finish on the top tube. I don't want to strip it down, but I have no idea what to do about the "patches" (if I were my mid-90's self, I'd just slap some punk rock stickers over them and call it a day).
So that's my story. This thread made me feel like it was a safe space for long-winded tales. Thanks for reading!
