First of all if this has been covered time and time again, just put the links to the right threads or I can even delete this.
The reason I'm posting this up is I'm seriously thinking of hunting down an Explosif or possibly Kilauea. My gateway back into Retro Mountain Bikes has been a '89 Fisher Procaliber (possibly not a Procaliber for reasons that I'll go over in a separate thread for it). However the Fisher needs a respray and has slightly unusually standards (1 1/4 headset, non threaded bb, 26.8 seat posts. I've been looking for something that can handle off road touring as well as handle the South downs. Kona's seem to have kept braze ons on high end frames for a lot longer than many manufacturers did? I want something that handles as well or better than the Fisher, while having the same utility abilities. And Kona's seem to come up quite in the for Sale thread, though in various condition.
I guess the first question, given the sloping top tube, is sizing. The Fisher is an 18", with a 55cm/ 21.65 top tube, 130mm long stem. I have short legs and arms and a long torso. Should I be looking for 18" still or go down/ up? I wouldn't mind have something of a modernish position, i.e longish top tube, shortish stem.
In terms of Clearances, the Fisher is pretty good in terms of being able to fit 2.25 easily, with the original Araya rims and could probably get away with even wider on the Mavic 217 rims on it now.
Given the above are there any tips around the eras, i.e. would p2's for later era be 1 1/8th, I want to stay rigid on this. Would clearances get slimmer or wider the nearer to mid 90s? Did the pre suspension corrected frames handle better? I'd probably be looking for something 92 to 96 and not no later than 97.
The reason I'm posting this up is I'm seriously thinking of hunting down an Explosif or possibly Kilauea. My gateway back into Retro Mountain Bikes has been a '89 Fisher Procaliber (possibly not a Procaliber for reasons that I'll go over in a separate thread for it). However the Fisher needs a respray and has slightly unusually standards (1 1/4 headset, non threaded bb, 26.8 seat posts. I've been looking for something that can handle off road touring as well as handle the South downs. Kona's seem to have kept braze ons on high end frames for a lot longer than many manufacturers did? I want something that handles as well or better than the Fisher, while having the same utility abilities. And Kona's seem to come up quite in the for Sale thread, though in various condition.
I guess the first question, given the sloping top tube, is sizing. The Fisher is an 18", with a 55cm/ 21.65 top tube, 130mm long stem. I have short legs and arms and a long torso. Should I be looking for 18" still or go down/ up? I wouldn't mind have something of a modernish position, i.e longish top tube, shortish stem.
In terms of Clearances, the Fisher is pretty good in terms of being able to fit 2.25 easily, with the original Araya rims and could probably get away with even wider on the Mavic 217 rims on it now.
Given the above are there any tips around the eras, i.e. would p2's for later era be 1 1/8th, I want to stay rigid on this. Would clearances get slimmer or wider the nearer to mid 90s? Did the pre suspension corrected frames handle better? I'd probably be looking for something 92 to 96 and not no later than 97.
