rek
Likes Dirt
Item: Kona Dew Plus, modified to an all-condition cyclocross/commuter
Location: Melbourne, prefer local buyer but will pack/post at buyer's expense
Item Condition: some paint chips, otherwise A1
Reason for selling: custom Ti version of the same thing
Price and price conditions: $800 SOLD
Extra Info:
A few years ago I wanted a great CX bike that could take on anything, as well as be a great all weather commuter. I liked the idea of a Kona Jake the Snake, but really wanted disc brakes (boo to the UCI), so I hatched this frankenbike idea.
This bike started life as a 58cm Kona Dew Plus. 12 seconds after I got it home from the bike shop, it was stripped to the bare frame, and re-built as a drop-bar CX bike with parts of much better quality and durability. The stock wheels got pulled apart and re-built (the proper way, cutting no corners) with proper mountain bike hubs.
The drivetrain is a mix of 9-speed Shimano 105 and Ultegra, and all the bits that get mucky and need good sealing (wheel hubs, crankset) have been replaced with Shimano Deore MTB stuff. Brakes have been up-rated to Avid's road lever-specific BB5 calipers, among the best mechanical disc brakes around.
As well as a capable CX bike, it also makes an excellent all-weather commuter: it has two sets of eyelets at both the rear dropouts and on the front fork: so you can fit both mudguards and racks on the front and rear. The bar tape has been double wrapped, for a bit of extra shock absorption on rough ground. The Schwalbe CX Comp tyres are a great all-rounder - 95% as good as a pure slick on the road, and yet they give great traction on gravel roads and non-technical singletrack, even after light rain. My commute is half gravel, half asphalt and it's the perfect tyre for that sort of ride.
Once built, I used this bike for two years or so as a commuting bike, with an occasional CX along the Yarra Trails once in a while. (It ended up being used 98% commuter, 2% crosser)
So why am I selling it? I liked this bike so much, I decided anything worth doing is worth overdoing - got a custom titanium frame that's pretty much identical, and built it up the same way.
If you were after a more road-like setup, I can swap out the CX Comp tyres for Michelin Dynamic 32c slicks, and the MTB 22/32/44 gearing for a touring 28/38/48. The pics below are with the road tyres and gearing.
CONDITION
The frame has no dents, but in some places the paint is chipped (the usual places: chainstay, next to rack mounts, near FD clamp, head tube cable rub)
The threads on the rear dropout rack/mudguard eyelets were getting daggy, and recently refurbished them to better-than-new condition with a set of steel helicoils.
The brake calipers and pads are BRAND NEW. The headset is as good as new (was used on another bike for 50km max)
The cassette, chain, chainrings, and gear and brake cables/housings were replaced a few hundred km ago.
BB, hubs, and headset all spin free and perfect.
SPECIFICATION
Frame: Kona 700c Dew frame, alloy, disc-specific, 58cm
Fork: Kona Project 2 steel rigid fork, disc-specific, with low-rider rack mounts
Headset: FSA Orbit DL, caged bearing, 1 1/8"
Stem: Truvativ XR, 100mm, 31.8mm clamp
Bars: Deda Big Piega, 44cm wide, 31.8mm clamp
Bar Tape: double wrapped, two layers of gel bar tape (blue inner, black outer)
Seatpost: Titec X-Wing, setback, 350mm long
Saddle: Selle Italia FK (or Bontrager Race)
Shifters: Shimano Ultegra 9-speed STI (the later ST-6510 type)
Brakes: Avid BB5 road-specific disc calipers, 160mm Avid rotors
Front Der: Shimano 105 9-speed
Rear Der: Shimano Tiagra 9-speed, medium cage
Chain: Shimano 9-speed with Powerlink
Cassette: Shimano 9-speed, 12-25
Crankset: Shimano Deore external bearing type, 22/32/44 (or 28/38/48 - your choice)
BB: Raceface X-Type, with Phil Wood grease
Pedals: Shimano M520 SPD clipless
Hubs: Shimano Deore, 6-bolt disc
Spokes: stainless steel
Rims: Rigida Zac19, disc specific 700c trekking rim
Tyres: Schwalbe CX Comp semislick, 700x35c (or Michelin Dynamic slick, 700x32c - your choice)
GEOMETRY
Top Tube Length (eff.): 575mm
Seat Tube Length: 530mm
Head Tube Length: 175mm
Head Tube Angle: 72.5 degrees
Seat Tube Angle: 73 degrees
Standover Height: 803mm
Chainstay Length: 440mm
Front-Centre: 611mm
Wheelbase: 1043mm
Pictures: below. Garmin mount not included
Location: Melbourne, prefer local buyer but will pack/post at buyer's expense
Item Condition: some paint chips, otherwise A1
Reason for selling: custom Ti version of the same thing
Price and price conditions: $800 SOLD
Extra Info:
A few years ago I wanted a great CX bike that could take on anything, as well as be a great all weather commuter. I liked the idea of a Kona Jake the Snake, but really wanted disc brakes (boo to the UCI), so I hatched this frankenbike idea.
This bike started life as a 58cm Kona Dew Plus. 12 seconds after I got it home from the bike shop, it was stripped to the bare frame, and re-built as a drop-bar CX bike with parts of much better quality and durability. The stock wheels got pulled apart and re-built (the proper way, cutting no corners) with proper mountain bike hubs.
The drivetrain is a mix of 9-speed Shimano 105 and Ultegra, and all the bits that get mucky and need good sealing (wheel hubs, crankset) have been replaced with Shimano Deore MTB stuff. Brakes have been up-rated to Avid's road lever-specific BB5 calipers, among the best mechanical disc brakes around.
As well as a capable CX bike, it also makes an excellent all-weather commuter: it has two sets of eyelets at both the rear dropouts and on the front fork: so you can fit both mudguards and racks on the front and rear. The bar tape has been double wrapped, for a bit of extra shock absorption on rough ground. The Schwalbe CX Comp tyres are a great all-rounder - 95% as good as a pure slick on the road, and yet they give great traction on gravel roads and non-technical singletrack, even after light rain. My commute is half gravel, half asphalt and it's the perfect tyre for that sort of ride.
Once built, I used this bike for two years or so as a commuting bike, with an occasional CX along the Yarra Trails once in a while. (It ended up being used 98% commuter, 2% crosser)
So why am I selling it? I liked this bike so much, I decided anything worth doing is worth overdoing - got a custom titanium frame that's pretty much identical, and built it up the same way.
If you were after a more road-like setup, I can swap out the CX Comp tyres for Michelin Dynamic 32c slicks, and the MTB 22/32/44 gearing for a touring 28/38/48. The pics below are with the road tyres and gearing.
CONDITION
The frame has no dents, but in some places the paint is chipped (the usual places: chainstay, next to rack mounts, near FD clamp, head tube cable rub)
The threads on the rear dropout rack/mudguard eyelets were getting daggy, and recently refurbished them to better-than-new condition with a set of steel helicoils.
The brake calipers and pads are BRAND NEW. The headset is as good as new (was used on another bike for 50km max)
The cassette, chain, chainrings, and gear and brake cables/housings were replaced a few hundred km ago.
BB, hubs, and headset all spin free and perfect.
SPECIFICATION
Frame: Kona 700c Dew frame, alloy, disc-specific, 58cm
Fork: Kona Project 2 steel rigid fork, disc-specific, with low-rider rack mounts
Headset: FSA Orbit DL, caged bearing, 1 1/8"
Stem: Truvativ XR, 100mm, 31.8mm clamp
Bars: Deda Big Piega, 44cm wide, 31.8mm clamp
Bar Tape: double wrapped, two layers of gel bar tape (blue inner, black outer)
Seatpost: Titec X-Wing, setback, 350mm long
Saddle: Selle Italia FK (or Bontrager Race)
Shifters: Shimano Ultegra 9-speed STI (the later ST-6510 type)
Brakes: Avid BB5 road-specific disc calipers, 160mm Avid rotors
Front Der: Shimano 105 9-speed
Rear Der: Shimano Tiagra 9-speed, medium cage
Chain: Shimano 9-speed with Powerlink
Cassette: Shimano 9-speed, 12-25
Crankset: Shimano Deore external bearing type, 22/32/44 (or 28/38/48 - your choice)
BB: Raceface X-Type, with Phil Wood grease
Pedals: Shimano M520 SPD clipless
Hubs: Shimano Deore, 6-bolt disc
Spokes: stainless steel
Rims: Rigida Zac19, disc specific 700c trekking rim
Tyres: Schwalbe CX Comp semislick, 700x35c (or Michelin Dynamic slick, 700x32c - your choice)
GEOMETRY
Top Tube Length (eff.): 575mm
Seat Tube Length: 530mm
Head Tube Length: 175mm
Head Tube Angle: 72.5 degrees
Seat Tube Angle: 73 degrees
Standover Height: 803mm
Chainstay Length: 440mm
Front-Centre: 611mm
Wheelbase: 1043mm
Pictures: below. Garmin mount not included
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