Rode the bike as a flat bar today.
When the bike arrived it was such a shed there was a hoe stuck in the seat tube the frame was tangled up with a badminton net. I'm away from home (I tried to get my girlfriend to mail my not-great set of bike tools... but you try describing a chain tool over the phone and see what you get - I didn't even know I owned a set of nipple clamps) and hassled and in need of something to ride - and anyway I had some doubts about the condition of the bike - so I took it to a local bike ship, "Bicycle Chain" In Weston Super Mare. The price for a full service was about what I paid for the bike and about 40% than the shop a few doors down wanted, but the cheaper place didn't have a slot open for some incredibly period - like maybe a week. Plus Bicycle Chain was full of seriously expensive hardware that needs da skillz to work on.
I'm glad that I did. When I dropped the Kona off there was an "Oh, the ebay bike is here" and an exchange of glances - I'd phoned and warned them about the condition it was in (it was also filthy past my ability to clean up with the facilities and time I have here). But one of their mechanics is a retro freak and they not only did a good job, they also gave me detailed report on the bike. The good news was that the frame, BB, and steerer are in great condition; the bad but predictable (hey, I'm not blind) was that the wheels'll have to be replaced; the surprising news that the bike had been re-equipped with a two position front mech, even though it has trigger shifters.
And the steerer is 1 inch, which I have a vague idea means that it's an early Lava Dome???
As for how the bike rode - completely brilliant. The best frame I've ridden. I've been living on junk food, coffee from hospital vending machines (I've a family medical emergency going on) and very little sleep. The sandals I'm wearing and the SPDs fitted to the bike hated each other. I've only ridden a bike for about 8 hours in the past 10 years. And the Lava Dome instantly made me go insane - what was meant to be a considered ride of a bike with wheels that are about as straight and as reputable as an MP's expenses turned into an insane sprint, followed by a series of slaloms, kerb jumps, all-out stops, and more sprints. Then I remembered the condition the wheels were in and rode home. BC had tuned the cantis in perfectly and Avocet saddle and my ass made friends instantly, and the previous owner had managed to choose a very nice pair of slicks.
I'll get the bike fixed up as a flat bar first, enjoy that way for a while, then do the conversion. The frame should be perfect. I shall post pictures tomorrow and hope that someone can tell me approximately what year the frame might be from.
