Teesdale built Kona Haole

[sancho]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MINT-new-52-cm- ... 3375d8990b

Yeah, I know it's a road bike, but I figured the many Kona fans in here might appreciate it nonetheless.

 

[al-onestare]

Been up for sale for over a year now...

 

[sancho]

Been up for sale for over a year now...

 

[al-onestare]

No worries! I'm curious if the price is realistic. It is expensive and must be putting off the punters but they are scarse...

 

[magas]

it is a very nice bike and a lovely frame with great details, but agree with you, that the price is a little bit to optimistic - but you never know who has that kind of bikes on its radar and the buckets full of $$$$

if I would be interested in a Teesdale build bike I would first ask for the serial on the BB - where's the famous TET stamp? - miss that on the pics.

 

[Anthony]

Assuming that everything the seller says is true, the curious thing is that the bike has 1994 decals but according to the 1994 catalogue, the 1994 Haole was made of titanium - and evidently made by TST not TET. The following year, the Haole name was used for a Columbus-framed custom bike, but there was no indication of who built it (if indeed any were built). Consequently it seems that if this is indeed a Tange Prestige frame built by Tom Teesdale, it must either be a prototype of a bike that Kona didn't proceed with, or else they changed their plans after publishing the 1994 catalogue and offered this instead of the ti frame. Bikepedia also lists the Haole as a ti bike though, so this latter possibility may be the less likely of the two.

Nice bike, but I wonder whether there are any collectors of US-built steel road bikes who are keen enough on the Kona brand to pay this much money.