Digging out the Kona.

For the eighteen months or so my full bouncer has lurked at the back of the shed, forgotten and unloved, tyres flat and saddle dusty. Its a 2002 Kona Mokomoko, which was the middle bike from their range of cross-country race bikes at the time. Its rather dated now, 26" wheels are yesterdays news and no-one would think of making a full susser with only 80/85mm of travel front and rear.

Not too shabby for a 12 year bike!

I've made a few changes to it over the years, saddle first, then a lighter USE seatpost, V brakes (nice Avids) replaced with Hope Mono Mini discs (also very nice), wheels are now Hope hubs with Mavic rims. The narrow Koski bars went to be replaced by wide Titec flats, which at 645mm would now be considered narrow!

Marzocchi MXR air forks.

It was bought after I returned from a biking holiday in Morzine, I was mightily impressed with the hire Kona Stinky (the classic red and silver version) and wanted something with similar handling but less hardcore, a 37lb freeride bike would be hard work on the climbs (I really enjoy a good climb) and wasted on me on the descents. When I bought it I lived down in Bedfordshire, however it was rarely used locally (I prefered my rigid singlespeed Inbred for local riding), being saved for trips to the Lakes and Wales and for the South Downs Lemming.

Those bars were once considered wide!

Anyway, yesterday I finally dug it out, brought it into the house and left it overnight upside down so that the oil in the forks can work its way up to the seals. Taking a pump to the tyres revealed the rear tube, a nice pink lightweight job made in 1997!, to be totally shot so in went the last of my lightweight tubes. The front tube is marked 2003...

Lightweight USE seatpost, Salsa clamp and WTB saddle.

Today its had the air fork and shock pumped up and has been around the block, considering its long sleep everything works well, suspension feeling supple and gears changing reasonably. Work is definetely required though, those pedals need a strip and grease, the chain, cassette and jockey wheels need replacing and the suspension bearings could do with close inspection.

Paul.