mickle
innit
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So then, I've had my Africa Bike for some months now and finally (ha!) have it the way I want it. Some of the changes I have made may be of interest.
The Africa Bike, manufactured in Taiwan for Kona utilises a distinctive steel loop frame, a Kona P2 fork with bolt on wheels using stainless spokes on aluminium rims and a pair of surprisingly good quality Kenda dirt tyres. The bike has a linear pull (V) front brake and a coaster /pedal-back brake and is available in single speed or 3 speed internal gears.
That's all the decent kit listed above, the remaining components and accessories are heavy steel. Wishing now that I'd weighed the bike before and after I estimate that by discarding the stock (steel) rear rack, too-small (steel) front basket and its (steel) support bracket, ridiculously curvy (steel) handlebar, (steel) seatpost, truly enormous saddle, a pair of ridiculously heavy thorn-proof tubes, plastic chain guard, (steel) Dutch style parking brake and (steel) kickstand that I've reduced its weight by close to 50%. I kid ye not. The big surprise for me was discovering that the frame is made with good old butted ChroMo tubing which gives it a really nice lively feel on the road.
Kona gave me this bike as a thank-you for my contribution to the spec of the Kona Smoke. It came as a single speed but I soon wanted more gears. Another of my bikes uses a Sturmey 3spd coaster which I love so I thought I'd give a similar SRAM hub a try. The 26in wheel was built using plain guage spokes and a mid-strength disc-specific Mavic rim by Christian Shumacher in York. I know of no finer wheel builder. He installed washers under the spokes heads, a nice touch on narrow steel flanged hubs. SRAM componentry is distributed in the UK by Fisher Outdoor Leisure. Ordering all the necessary components wasn't very straightforward, it took the combined efforts of Spandex and I and three orders/ deliveries before we had the hub, cable and shifter. I wanted the old style Torpedo lever rather than the recommended 3spd rotating GripShift type shifter, but since the cable isnt available separately (!)... Having a SRAM parts catalogue to hand helped enormously.
For every two Africa bikes sold by Kona they send one out to Africa. They change the country every year and the bikes are given to health visitors, midwives, farmers and the like. In African conditions I'm sure the super thick thorn-proof tyres and full fat knobbly tyres are a welcome addition. On my seven mile commute they most certainly are not! I couldn't quite believe just how draggy they were, it was like having my brakes stuck on. An upgrade to Continental Supersonic Sport Contacts in a 1.3 with skinny tubes utterly transformed the speed and feel of the bike. The fat guards were discarded in favour of some close fitting SKS ones. I used 700c guards for a good wrap.
An SDG saddle on a Kona alloy seat post, alloy North Road style back swept bars and an Avid brake lever finished off the parts upgrades and the addition of an old supermarket shopping basket mounted to a front rack restored the Konas lugging capacity.
Obviously I've changed the bike substantially from it's original spec but the exercise demonstrates that deep down it's a little gem. It's fast, comfy, reliable, simple, unattractive to scum and can carry a lot of beer. I'm delighted with the bike and although it would have worked out cheaper to get the three speed I really do like the SRAM hub.
'09 Africa bikes come with an integrated rear rack, all the better for carrying a passenger in true African style. I'm thinking of upgrading...
The Africa Bike, manufactured in Taiwan for Kona utilises a distinctive steel loop frame, a Kona P2 fork with bolt on wheels using stainless spokes on aluminium rims and a pair of surprisingly good quality Kenda dirt tyres. The bike has a linear pull (V) front brake and a coaster /pedal-back brake and is available in single speed or 3 speed internal gears.
That's all the decent kit listed above, the remaining components and accessories are heavy steel. Wishing now that I'd weighed the bike before and after I estimate that by discarding the stock (steel) rear rack, too-small (steel) front basket and its (steel) support bracket, ridiculously curvy (steel) handlebar, (steel) seatpost, truly enormous saddle, a pair of ridiculously heavy thorn-proof tubes, plastic chain guard, (steel) Dutch style parking brake and (steel) kickstand that I've reduced its weight by close to 50%. I kid ye not. The big surprise for me was discovering that the frame is made with good old butted ChroMo tubing which gives it a really nice lively feel on the road.
Kona gave me this bike as a thank-you for my contribution to the spec of the Kona Smoke. It came as a single speed but I soon wanted more gears. Another of my bikes uses a Sturmey 3spd coaster which I love so I thought I'd give a similar SRAM hub a try. The 26in wheel was built using plain guage spokes and a mid-strength disc-specific Mavic rim by Christian Shumacher in York. I know of no finer wheel builder. He installed washers under the spokes heads, a nice touch on narrow steel flanged hubs. SRAM componentry is distributed in the UK by Fisher Outdoor Leisure. Ordering all the necessary components wasn't very straightforward, it took the combined efforts of Spandex and I and three orders/ deliveries before we had the hub, cable and shifter. I wanted the old style Torpedo lever rather than the recommended 3spd rotating GripShift type shifter, but since the cable isnt available separately (!)... Having a SRAM parts catalogue to hand helped enormously.
For every two Africa bikes sold by Kona they send one out to Africa. They change the country every year and the bikes are given to health visitors, midwives, farmers and the like. In African conditions I'm sure the super thick thorn-proof tyres and full fat knobbly tyres are a welcome addition. On my seven mile commute they most certainly are not! I couldn't quite believe just how draggy they were, it was like having my brakes stuck on. An upgrade to Continental Supersonic Sport Contacts in a 1.3 with skinny tubes utterly transformed the speed and feel of the bike. The fat guards were discarded in favour of some close fitting SKS ones. I used 700c guards for a good wrap.
An SDG saddle on a Kona alloy seat post, alloy North Road style back swept bars and an Avid brake lever finished off the parts upgrades and the addition of an old supermarket shopping basket mounted to a front rack restored the Konas lugging capacity.
Obviously I've changed the bike substantially from it's original spec but the exercise demonstrates that deep down it's a little gem. It's fast, comfy, reliable, simple, unattractive to scum and can carry a lot of beer. I'm delighted with the bike and although it would have worked out cheaper to get the three speed I really do like the SRAM hub.
'09 Africa bikes come with an integrated rear rack, all the better for carrying a passenger in true African style. I'm thinking of upgrading...
