# My budget kona cinder cone build! turning out sweet!



## The Dude (Jan 19, 2004)

Well this is my first post here on the singlespeed board. I usually post on the dh fr board but over the last year or so I have been getting back into what I have missed. Just general mtn biking. I sold my big hit bike and got a hardtail. Its still kind of a big hit bike. Its a banshee scirocco with a manitou travis 6 in fork on it but i like it because its flickable and can still be ridden on 35+ mile rides (which it has). Anyways to the topic of this thread!

I found this cinder cone in a pawnshop for a good deal and bought it. It had all the original 8 spd xt stuff on it from 1998. I bought the bike cuz of the frame because I wanted the ride that steel can only give. Anyways I stripped all stock stuff off minus the head set and bb and cranks.

I put on: (some of the parts were traded with my buddies stuff he had laying around)
1st gen xt parallel push v's
some wheels i got from another bike for free, blue mavic 222s on an lx hub out back and a hayes disc hub up front
titec riser bars
thomson stem
mythos 2.1s front and rear
no name pedals
avid speeddial levers
surly fork
and the surly singulator

comes in at 22.75lbs. not bad for paying 250 bucks total i think.


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## BlkYeti (Jan 4, 2007)

Nice simple bike. Keep on enjoying it.


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## G-reg (Jan 12, 2004)

Nice, enjoy the cheapness while it lasts. And though that's an older cheaper Kona, it's still worthy of an White Industries ENO (Not EMO, I love that sig though) hub if you decide this SS stuff is worth it.


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## philpot (Jan 19, 2007)

That looks fantastic and that headbadge is just the greatest!


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## The Dude (Jan 19, 2004)

philpot said:


> That looks fantastic and that headbadge is just the greatest!


yea the headbadge might me my favorite part of the bike. i am super stoked on how light it is too. 22.75lbs!!


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## Baulz (Sep 16, 2005)

Nice Kona :thumbsup: 

My SS is a 1994 Cinder Cone, great bike. Wish my decals still look like yours.


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## The Dude (Jan 19, 2004)

yea i was suprised that it was in this good of shape when i found it. it was kind of a pig when it had all the drivetrain stuff on it. it rides sweet now tho. just wish the wind would stop blowing so hard so i could enjoy it.


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## Mike A. (Aug 16, 2010)

Wow - I think I just bought that same bike tonight on Craigslist for $200. It has the Surly fork, a singulator and all I need are some cranks and bb to get it rolling. What is the gearing that best fits that bike? I think mine is a 17in. How did the singulator work? I'm hearing mixed reviews!


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

I want muddy pictures, dammit!!

Nice ride. I think my most comparable bike has more money on it, so you win. This fact makes you a bastard.


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## Andy R (Nov 26, 2008)

umarth said:


> I think my most comparable bike has more money on it, so you win. This fact makes you a bastard.


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## jackspade (Jul 23, 2010)

Looks nice with V-brake.


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## Mike A. (Aug 16, 2010)

Yah Bastahd!! Oh, and did I tell you I found two $20 bills stuffed down the seat post?


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## cr45h (Jan 13, 2007)

very nice ride. definitely worth the money you put into it. enjoy


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## Mike A. (Aug 16, 2010)

So here's what I'm thinking - y'all chime in on your opines. I brought my "new" bike into my LBS tonight for a little show and tell, and some advice.

1. Singleator: They hate them. Say it robs you of the ss experience. Noisy. They do the job, but they are a pain in the ass. I tend to agree with them on that.
2. White Ind. Hub is the way to go they say. $180 and I will need to build new wheel etc. One of the guys in the shop has one and loves it. OK...maybe!
3. Have a local frame builder put the torch to it and put in some horizontal dropouts. Paul Components sells some cool ones for $42 a pair. I already emailed a local framebuilder for his thoughts.

Any thoughts out there on the 3 items above? I wonder what option 3 would cost...


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## fishcreek (Apr 10, 2007)

4. forward components bottom bracket with a nice external bb cranks.


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## Mike A. (Aug 16, 2010)

interesting fishcreek. i will look into this. you have personal experience with them?


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

That is a sweet bike. I would love to build one like that. My Cinder Cone is scandium. Do you know when they got away from the steel? 

And under 23 pounds is sick for that price. 

FWIW- I would have the horizontals put on. Wife has a 1x1 and I have a Karate Monkey. both have horizontal drops and it's just so easy and reliable.


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## Mike A. (Aug 16, 2010)

Thanks Dixie! I'm now hearing that with horizontals or eccentric hubs, you need eccentric brakes to accomodate the slight wheel movement fore and aft. Seems like this is getting more confusing by the moment. I have a frame builder quoting on doing the Paul Component horizontal drops. Not sure what to do about the brakes now...hmmmm


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## fishcreek (Apr 10, 2007)

you have an older frame and disc brakes is not an option, it can be done with lots of modifications but not really sure why bother. stick to nice v-brakes.


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## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

eccentric brakes?! LOL!
nope... eccentric hub with reg'lar v's. easy to work with, adjust, etc.
not worth the work of getting paul's drops and discs etc.
keep it simple!


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## jonzinmj (Feb 22, 2008)

look into the yess brand bottom bracket tensioner. With tensioners you don't get tight/loose spots in the chain and you don't have to do anything crazy to your frame. Will cost you 50 bucks. Way cheaper than modifying your frame. Though they take away from the aesthetics of the bike, they work really well.


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## Mike A. (Aug 16, 2010)

Here's the deal. Just ordered the Paul s/s horizontal dropouts and have lined up a reputable frame builder (Japanese guy that studied under Japanese master Yamaguchi) to do the work for $150. Not too shabby! Will post pics as the project moves forward! Meanwhile, here are the dropouts I'm gonna use. Later!


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Love these old bikes. I keep my first one I ever bought around and tool around with it all the time.

Lately I've decided to upgrade it a mainly got linear brakes (SD5) and used some old SD7 levers with a set of Jagwire Ripcord cables I've had laying around, nice imporvement. I am also lucky enough on this frame to have a semi horizontal drop out so I can get chain tension without a tensioner. I think in this shot it's setup 32x18 (with old brakes).

Most of it still original, no rust on the frame and fork is still good. Even has originally BB which I plan to replace this summer with a new crankset with an external BB.

You thinking of maybe mulleting that bike? I mean you have the hub for it, just need a cheap fork which I'm sure ebay is good for. If that's a 1x1 fork I would love to get a 650b up front (sadly I'm a 1" threadless  ).


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## Mike A. (Aug 16, 2010)

what does mulleting mean? Business in the front, party in the back? Kentucky waterfall? I'm going to look at the option of going larger in the front...650 or 29er. we shall see...the fork is already set for a disc...


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Disc brake front with a V Brake rear.


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## Mike A. (Aug 16, 2010)

I will work with my LBS to figure out the braking and wheel sizing logistics! I like the look of v-brakes - but will listen to the singlespeed savvy voices a the shop. West End Cycles in Houston.


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## DanConway (Sep 18, 2010)

Mr Pink57 said:


> (sadly I'm a 1" threadless  ).


i feel your pain.


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## miatagal96 (Jul 5, 2005)

+1 for Avid SD7 brakes with Jagwire ripcord cables.

I don't ride my SS in places where disc brakes don't do the job. They are lighter than disc brakes and they are very easy to tune to your liking. I just love the feel of mine. The only down side is that I generally take a different bike if there are going to be mud puddles so I reduce wear on the rims.


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