# kona lava dome



## greenpoise (Sep 17, 2007)

I am being offered a kona lava dome for $125. Is a steel frame bike, old, probably 1990's. Is this a prospect to be turned into a SS?? worth it??


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## p nut (Apr 19, 2007)

Post up some pics. If it's got horizontal drops, you're golden. Even if it doesn't, there are still a few options. You can make any bike a SS. And you can make any SS a bike. --Confucius.


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## greenpoise (Sep 17, 2007)

no pics..will go see it tomorrow..I dont think they are horizontal


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## greenpoise (Sep 17, 2007)

do you know if this is a US made frame?


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## fishcreek (Apr 10, 2007)

Kona is based in Vancouver, most likely the frames are welded in Taiwan. I love the geometry of old Konas, unfortunately the paint is not that great, easily chipped. Good luck with the conversion though, 125 is fair as long as it is complete and in good shape.


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## MrBaker (Jan 23, 2010)

I have a 1996 Kona Lava dome (orange) I picked up from a friend for cheap. 34x18 is pretty much your magic gear, but I shaved down the dropouts a bit and also filed a flat section in the axle and now have a lot more room to play around with. I run it with a fixed gear cog on the disc side and a BMX cog on the freehub. Makes a fine cheap SS.

I love the way mine handles and I really dig the fact it's a Kona.

Here's mine before it was finished up (rear brake, new seatpost+saddle).










PS: Mine had a sticker that said it was "Made in Taiwan"


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## Andy R (Nov 26, 2008)

fishcreek said:


> I love the geometry of old Konas, unfortunately the paint is not that great, easily chipped.


Just to clarify, the oldest Konas (88 and 89) have superb quality paint - Dupont Imron, plus that cool Paul Brodie spatter paint job.

I know, totally OT.......


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## JAZ (Apr 22, 2005)

I had a 1996 (?) Cinder Cone set up as an SS for a couple of months before I had to sell it. It was one too many bikes unfortunately :nono: but I had some fun on it before it went.
I ran mine 32/16 which was a bit tight but worked ok in use. I did end up filing the axle of the cheap wheel in the pic below, before putting some better quality Hope XC based rim brake wheels on & finally selling it to a friend. He put gears back on it though.


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