Kona hardtail hierarchy.
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suburbanreuben
Old School Grand Master
Err":180eq4y0 said:
Don't care!
Harryburgundy
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Kentphil":1vadek8j said:
The only one I remember being stiff and a hard ride was early Cannondale.....not a nice ride. I have had modern and not so (95/96/00) aluminium frames that give a lovely ride.
Its an interesting challenge to see if you could tell the diff.
I really doubt it.
Agency_Scum
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Mr. Sunchaser,
Agency_Scum
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TallPaul,
wow! What a brilliant Kona thread. Cheers mate!
wow! What a brilliant Kona thread. Cheers mate!
Aluminium does give a stiffer less compliant ride than steel, but whether you could tell the difference is another question, maybe not (in some cases).Kentphil":2v3gajii said:
But then a 97 Lava Dome gives a significantly less compliant ride than a 97 Kilauea, and I can certainly tell the difference. And they're both steel.
But it's like anything else. If I had never ridden a 97 Kilauea, I would think a 97 Lava Dome was great. But I have ridden a 97 Kilauea, and I find a 97 Lava Dome quite frightening, because riding it down any hill I know well it just feels all over the place and out of control compared to what I'm used to. Mind you, the 98 Explosif is even more confidence-inspiring than the 97 Kilauea.
I'm surprised if people can't tell the difference between frames, but I guess they're just braver than me. If I wasn't such a coward, I'd probably call the Lava Dome exciting, rather than frightening!
Agency_Scum
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Now I'm committing myself for a Kilauea search I feel like such a tit selling off my Paul's Love levers....bugger!
Anthony,
why was the '98 Explosif more confidence inspiring? Was it a better ride?
Anthony,
why was the '98 Explosif more confidence inspiring? Was it a better ride?
The difference between the 98 Explosif and the 97 Kilauea is quite fine. I'd like to think I could tell one from t'other if you taped up both frames, but who knows. I just felt the Explosif was the fractionally better-controlled, the most drama-free frame I've ridden.
Whether that makes it better is a matter of taste. Is a horror movie better than Brief Encounter? Is Brief Encounter a horror movie?
It's nothing to do with Reynolds 853 per se - the 2000 Rock Lobster 853 that my son now has is the liveliest, most-fun frame I've ever ridden, nothing much like the Explosif. But then it has slimmer tubes than the Explosif, and it's lighter. I think the 98 Explosif was the first Explosif not designed as a race bike.
Whether that makes it better is a matter of taste. Is a horror movie better than Brief Encounter? Is Brief Encounter a horror movie?
It's nothing to do with Reynolds 853 per se - the 2000 Rock Lobster 853 that my son now has is the liveliest, most-fun frame I've ever ridden, nothing much like the Explosif. But then it has slimmer tubes than the Explosif, and it's lighter. I think the 98 Explosif was the first Explosif not designed as a race bike.
Kila
As I've said before, I've had both a 98 Kila, and a 99 Explosif (current ride).
The Explosif is very fast, very nibble and surefooted.
There is a definite difference in feel between the 631 Kila, and the 853 Explosif. The Kila is probably a better all round frame. But legs for legs, the Explosif would have it on sweeping rides.
I'm not sure about the Alu/Steel deal, but I couldn't wait to get back to steel Kona, after a short ownership of a Marin IFT. Back end was jittery, but it could have been a geometry issue.
Anthony":2b48f8kw said:
As I've said before, I've had both a 98 Kila, and a 99 Explosif (current ride).
The Explosif is very fast, very nibble and surefooted.
There is a definite difference in feel between the 631 Kila, and the 853 Explosif. The Kila is probably a better all round frame. But legs for legs, the Explosif would have it on sweeping rides.
I'm not sure about the Alu/Steel deal, but I couldn't wait to get back to steel Kona, after a short ownership of a Marin IFT. Back end was jittery, but it could have been a geometry issue.
