novice (ish) questions

[BrettG]

Gt tequesta 1999

Hi folks. Long story short. Dug this out of storage after far too long. Nearly all my riding is town, my days of hacking through Epping forest is long gone.
I feel I should be looking at replacing her with a hybrid but.......that's a bit dull.
The bike is from '99 and is stock, I'm inexperienced in bike building but am practical and keen but confused as to what I can actually do here. Compatability of modern parts and changes in frame geometry have perplexed me somewhat. (Yeah. I was mad on this until early 2000s, btw, why did Kona go fugly ?)
Basically I want to lighten it up, maybe loose the crankset for something more roady, possibly carbon forks (?)
So, suggestions are welcomed as is advice.

 

[KermitGKona88]

Re:

It's just a BASS model I take it

 

[BrettG]

Re:

Lol. Photo fucket screwing up
: )

 

[BrettG]

Re:

 

[BrettG]

Re:

Ta dah

 

[spike3]

Ok so I take it your plan is to loose some weight and make the bike accelerate better in town.

For forks try a set of these: http://www.carboncycles.cc/?s=0&t=2&c=43&p=199

Next I would look at changing the tyres, try these: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mich ... -prod48134 Don't worry about the lack of tread I've ridden my set accross wet grass and through gravel.

Also whilst your buying tyres, after 10 years the pads will have gone hard so treat yourself to two sets of these (presuming you have V brakes.) http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/avid ... -prod20251

Lastly give the whole bike a service and oil up and you should be good to go.

 

[KermitGKona88]

Re:

To be totally honest with you all I would do is change the tyres for some slicks and fit a chainset something along the lines of this one http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/stronglight- ... prod18490/ and away you go

 

[BrettG]

Already done the relube and pads are ordered and awaiting delivery. The forks look cool, tempting. Been nosing at various slick/urban tyres fir over a week, there'far tio much choice these days !
Changing chainset is my mental stumbling block, I'm assuming there's a bsaic un bb in there, (un52 ?) So I'd need to change that ? The one kermit linked is in the upgrade budget but it suggests different bb cartridge and states it's for 9/10 so do I upgrade cassette, shifters and chain ?
(Did say this side of things is new to me !)

 

[KermitGKona88]

Re:

Stumble not my friend I am now assuming this is 8 speed :?: If so no problem the rings will be fine, also if the BB is smooth, I imagine it is no more than 113mm as most are on this age bike should just be a straight swap over, worst case scenario change BB about a tenner online The main reason I linked to that chainset is because it has 5 arm 110 rings and this gives a massive amount of scope for changing rings as road compacts are now 110 rings

 

[BrettG]

Thank you very much. I'm actually quite tempted to get something cheap and used, a decent tool kit just to take something apart and rebuild to get some practical skills before hand. There seems to be oleanty of decent tutorials online.
I don't really have a lbs where I'm living now (unless you include halfrauds) so maybe it's time I learnt for myself.