was it worth it?----TBG, kona explosif---(sinnerman)

[sinnerman]

Thanks guys

thanks guys, as for the splatter that was the hardest part, and i tried allsorts, to try and flick the paint, got an old tube, painted it black and practiced, went through about 20 brushes, including my tooth brush.......lol, as for the actual paint, difficult, alsorts of stories about what paint was used bitd, even had a chat with tbg in canada, in the end, i started with sum carefully chosen colours in the humbol paint range, it came close, but not quite there, so i went back to the drawing board, i struggled with car paint suppliers due to the new legislation on waterbased paints (health and safety and all that), i was lucky in the end and through a mate hooked up with a guy who was still using the old paint scheme, i couldnt believe my luck...!!! it was as close a colour match as i was ever going to get, and he let me have just enough.

(please dont laugh at me using my park tools stand,...lol, it just seemed a logical solution to holding them up.......lol)

 

[CTK]

You did a very very professional job.

 

[jimo746]

I like it. A lot. Has a very retro understated cool look to it. Nice decals too, so different to the designs of later Kona's.

 

[GearlessinSeattle]

Tops!
Love it!

 

[mr_ship]

Spot on, lovely bike

 

[lewis1641]

Fabulous darling

 

[Ernie]

Approx four months ago, another member convinced me to ressurect my race bike from back in the day, and instead of just browsing the site to join up, id never used or been on a forum before (and i think it showed... :cry: ,) (although i had used the RB ebay search facility since the start.), it has taken me a while to get my head around forums, but ive got to say this place is like a drug....and im pleased i joined.

I know i have shown this bike on sum threads, ( so ill apologise now to those who have seen it before.) but, i wanted to say how glad i am, that i did take the time and effort to ressurect my old bus, out of all the bikes i have built and ride, i always seem to come back to this one, it gets ridden and cleaned the most, i cant tell you why, its not the lightest, but i love the frame geometry, the way it handles, and the no nonsense suntour spec. bought in 1989, raced, then brought back from the dead in 2010, and all thanks to MAVERICK, and RETROBIKE--(jon, and all who contribute to the site) . so thanks guys!!!!!


BUILD SPEC:-

TBG kona explosif frame---tange prestige concept..( completely refinished)
TBG Track Two, straight blade forks, (completely refinished)
Velocity stem---(custom painted)
Custom Made decals--(sinnerman/roffers)

The entire bike, is pretty much how it left the shop-- spec wise, obviously, parts were replaced over the years, as they wore out got broke or abused, but its pretty much always been replaced with the same again with the exception of the tyres and saddle, which were changed before i left the shop. During the racing years, i always had problems with the efficency and accuracy of the suntour gear change,(shocking) and surprisngly the track two forks, (early production sets, had lots of problems with blades moving up into the crown, the forks shown on the bike are the 3rd set that were replaced under warranty---thankfully by this set, problems were resolved and they have been perfect ever since)

In my attempt to rebuild it to how it was, i wanted the original tyres, i used Bitd, Panaracer Timbuk IIs, which i sourced from jeff, at FIRST FLYTE bikes, a Selle Italia Rolls saddle, (still availiable nos,.),
Both wheels were rebuilt, this time using a shimano hub, cassette, i wish i did this 20 years ago, the gear change is now much improved, and with hyperglyde sprockets very smooth. The bearings, cables, and brake blocks were all replaced too, i always fancied syncros back in the day, yet never had the money, so i bought a new post, i reassembled, and serviced it, and it has been performing faultlessly for the last four months, the only thing i have spent any money on is a new headset(not the one in the pics, this has now been changed,) originally it was specd with a kona impact headset, but they would constantly work loose and didnt stay on the bike for long bitd, so my choice this time, " durace," .

Again thanks to all for the site, its agreat place to be........anyone for top trumps-------another top idea......retrobike top trumps...fantastic idea-care of WU-TANGLED.......go for it mate, legend...>!!!!!!!

just read your thread bud, absolutley stunning ..nice one

Ernie

 

[john]

Looks like a top refinsh there. All credit to you. Is spraying your line of work??

What's the post. is it a period one?

 

[Mr Panda]

V nice

What did you use to create the decals and what are they printed on?

(.......scurries off to look at old explosif in cellar :twisted: )

 

[sinnerman]

Looks like a top refinsh there. All credit to you. Is spraying your line of work??

What's the post. is it a period one?

thanks john, sadly the syncros post is not period, i couldnt find one in the right size, that was period correct and these were a £10 mail order so i couldnt refuse, and i am still looking for one, if anyone has one they no longer need .......???????? And no paintwork isnt my line of work, ive always been in retail, mainly the bicycle trade, but sadly no longer, have always built bikes, since the age of 14, my true passion has always been bicycles, paintwork is something i have learnt along the way, from a young age, and with little money, my dad taught me, that i can learn from my mistakes, and as we all know bikes are an expensive hobby. I got given a peugeot road bike, at 14 for my christmas, paperround "tip", (it was chained up against the drainpipe for a year, it was rusty and horrid). With the guidance of my father, we resprayed it white, and managed to buy original peugeot decals from the local shop and replicate the current model, (bought all my components back then from Ribble cycles mail order when they used to send out blue handprinted A5 booklets with stuff cheaper than the local shop, and way before mailorder became big business), i rode it and competed on it, for a year and then sold it on, which enabled me to buy a considerable upgrade. From a young age, this was the only way for me to afford to buy good quality bikes--second hand fixer uppers....!!!!