Extreme favela DH
via Millsy.
Posts Tagged ‘mtb’
Kona Lava Dome wanted
If this is your bike, we need to talk.
I passed this bike chained to a railing on Mortimer Street today. It was a near-mint condition 1995 Kona Lava Dome in midnight blue, the exact same bike I received for Christmas in 1995. This was the rig that truly launched my lifelong love of bikes and biking.
I’m just going to pause a moment to remember this bike, and how great it was (for me, and probably a generation of others):
- the Lava Dome was – up until 2007, when it was mysteriously retired – the classic entry-level MTB in the Kona stable, RRP £500.
- the 1995 version had stunning understated good looks (IMHO Kona’s paint jobs have just got gaudier – check out the offensive 2006 version, perhaps the reason why it didn’t sell and Kona withdrew it?).
- the Tange Infinity cromoly double butted frame, with its signature sloping top tube and tight rear triangle, rode like a dream – it climbed well, it loved singletrack.
I had this bike for 11 years. A few highlights from its rise and fall:
- 1996: upgrade to Pace RC35 suspension forks
- 1996: 6 days bike touring in the Scottish highlands
- 1997: flew with me to Vancouver, Canada for a year of north shore trail-riding
- 1998: 24 hours of Adrenalin, Whistler, B.C.
- 1998: big bike tour down the west coast of the US, hitting some classic singletrack in Washington and Oregon
- 1998: frame bent on the flight back to UK, cannibalised for bits
- 1998-2001: frame hangs in my shed in Stoke
- 2002: the Lava Dome returns as a singlespeed hack for the streets of Edinburgh
- 2003-06: the hack moves to London
- 2006: after weeks of cracking, the frame snaps at the rear drive-side drop-out. The broken frame is deposited in a skip near Brick Lane.
Surveying the damage up close in 2006.
You can imagine the rollercoaster of emotions I experienced on seeing this bike in the street. Frankly, I was on the phone to somebody and had to hang up. I realised that I would pay over the odds to ride this bike again. If it’s yours, leave a comment!
View Kona Lava Dome in a larger map
Update @24-8-09
Andy Booth has alerted me to this retro bikes site, and in particular to this beautifully restored 1993 Lava Dome. Sweet.
World’s Most Dangerous Road
My workmate Felipe sent me a link to an article about biking the ‘World’s Most Dangerous Road’ – which turns out to be in Bolivia, not at Elephant & Castle, as I previously thought. It’s added to the ‘I will ride this before I’m 60′ list.
The Muni-Mula – should she stay or should she go?
Kona Muni-Mula, 1998 edition.
I officially can’t decide what to do with my Kona Muni-Mula (1998) frame. Can I make this phoenix rise from the ashes one last time with £300-500? Or should I just flog it and buy a brand new MTB?
Sell it, trash it or pimp it: it’s your choice – simply cast your vote in the poll on the right hand side.
A few details that may help you decide:
- I like this bike. We’ve been through some times together.
- The frame handles well, it’s pretty light, and has only surface damage.
- The Marzocchi Bomber forks need a service but basically they’re fine.
- The headset needs replacing.
- The frame has no disc mounts, although the fork does.
- I would need to purchase new parts for everything you don’t see here except the handlebar, seatpost/saddle and front wheel.
Early morning in the Pentlands
I almost forgot Alasdair sent me these a few weeks ago.
View from the Pentland Hills.
The Nibbler.
I need to get another mountain bike.
Tom’s Pyreneen route
Tom Wood, my long-time off-road bike buddy, has been doing some more back-country riding in the Pyrenees this autumn. Above is the map of his latest trip and below are pics from the trip. Check out Tom’s Flickr.