Version 4 of my daily 24 mile round-trip commute. After version 3 broke ( viewtopic.php?f=2&t=322999 ) I was lucky enough to pick this up, the frame only, from ebay for a decent price. It's a 1996 Kula, 20". It's been well used but dent free, so perfect for the daily grime, bumps and scrapes it'll face between now and the day it fails. It will fail, all 3 before - all Cinder Cones in various guises - have. However, they are used 5 days a week and they are loved by me. They really are - they get me from A to B and everywhere else in-between.
This is the first time I've used an aluminium frame on the road. What a difference. I hate to say it, being a steel fan, but it's a preferable ride for this purpose. It's less responsive than steel but it really does soak up the bumps and because it's Easton - it's lighter than the double butted steel. That means more speed which is a good thing as it pushes me more.
This will be the last Kona MTB framed commuter I'll own. When it fails I'll invest in a <spit> road bike. The Kapu was a great back-up when the others failed or when I was servicing them. It proved that it's more suitable, even with the congestion and road conditions for road riding (no shit!). However, until then, this will grace South-East London for the next couple of years
Some tips if you're thinking of or already commuting:
RC31's are excellent. Really light and a great alternative to P2's.
A nice big ring on the front = grow your thighs.
Shimano XT > SRAM X9/10. I used SRAM for more than 3 years, just because I wanted to give them a go. Sadly, it's shit. Rear mech's lasted less than a year (the spring would loose tension quickly). The trigger shifters just loose their lustre. Shimano for all it's faults is still the most reliable.
Hope BB's are top job. I used hollowtech on all the commuters to save weight. The standard XT one last less than 9 months so I took a punt with a more expensive Hope. 2 years on and it's still going! Super smooth.
CK headsets are bomb proof. This one is 7 years old. It's needed one service.
1.3 tyres are ace but a fucking nightmare to get on the rims!
This is the first time I've used an aluminium frame on the road. What a difference. I hate to say it, being a steel fan, but it's a preferable ride for this purpose. It's less responsive than steel but it really does soak up the bumps and because it's Easton - it's lighter than the double butted steel. That means more speed which is a good thing as it pushes me more.
This will be the last Kona MTB framed commuter I'll own. When it fails I'll invest in a <spit> road bike. The Kapu was a great back-up when the others failed or when I was servicing them. It proved that it's more suitable, even with the congestion and road conditions for road riding (no shit!). However, until then, this will grace South-East London for the next couple of years
Some tips if you're thinking of or already commuting:
RC31's are excellent. Really light and a great alternative to P2's.
A nice big ring on the front = grow your thighs.
Shimano XT > SRAM X9/10. I used SRAM for more than 3 years, just because I wanted to give them a go. Sadly, it's shit. Rear mech's lasted less than a year (the spring would loose tension quickly). The trigger shifters just loose their lustre. Shimano for all it's faults is still the most reliable.
Hope BB's are top job. I used hollowtech on all the commuters to save weight. The standard XT one last less than 9 months so I took a punt with a more expensive Hope. 2 years on and it's still going! Super smooth.
CK headsets are bomb proof. This one is 7 years old. It's needed one service.
1.3 tyres are ace but a fucking nightmare to get on the rims!
