Kona Kilauea - a good buy?

[Agency_Scum]

To some they're an aquired taste but the top notch, double butted steel plus the earliest sloping top tube ( back when it was called " proportional geometry " as mtbs were still measured like road bikes ) and straight-bladed rigid forks gave a 2006 ride back in '93.
Modern bikes copy Konas. They were considered weird back then, now their design ( like Keith Bontrager's gusseted head tube ) has become an industry standard.

 

[Agency_Scum]

chris,
top tip; ride a rigid one with an in-line seat post, a shortish stem and a riser bar. Hot poo off a teflon shovel!

 

[cchris2lou]

I tried a cinder one and a hei hei.

none of them were my correct size .

 

[stevo1602]

The original Joe Murray designed, race lite steel framed bikes were just brilliant singletrack riding bikes....still are if you can get hold of one.
They also spec'd decent kit on their bikes back then....one of the first to spec mazocchi forks, grip shift, curve brakes..etc.
There double and triple butted Project 2 straight forks are still the best.

They are just classic bikes, and they still look right, feel right and ride right.

 

[ededwards]

Chers for all the replies, in response:

Yep, I did haggle (and yep, I do now feel guilty, especially as he's included another pair of tyres in the box as well. Must think of how to make reparation)

Glad to hear that Konas are good - if it's half as good as my steel Stumpjumper (left in Pakistan after September 11, I was only able to salvage a couple of bits) then I'll be very happy

Will post photos and report of ride once received - expected Monday

Cheers

Ed

 

[ededwards]

Oh yeah, if I go with the P2s I take it I should use straight bars?

 

[Agency_Scum]

Nah, go risers. More control and you don't ( so much ) adopt " the gimp " position.