starkmojo

So after much thought I decided rather than buying a new bike to update my old one. A lot of this was based on cost, but also the necessity of having to buy a bike to test one in my size... and lastly the change Cannondale mage to the CAADX eliminating the $1200 model so now the cheapest one is 1800.

I really like my 2008 Kona frame but have never liked the fork or the shifters. It was the base model for that year. I upgraded the fork and shifters along with new bars for a fraction of the new cost. And I think it looks pretty sweet to.

Guess disc brakes will have to wait.

SethAZ 

What are those shifters? It looks like a brake lever mated with a mountain bike thumb shifter and this thing was born.

starkmojo

https://www.gevenalle.com/shifters/

The shifters are by gevenalle and they are like a bar end touring shifter where your hands actually are when you ride. It’s nice because there is no lag on shifts and you can dump a bunch of gears at once. Took about an hour to feel comfortable with and now I love them.

SethAZ 

Wow. Ok, I just looked at their products. I wouldn't have thought there to be a need for something like that, but apparently for those who need them they're great. I'll chalk this up to "today I learned..."

starkmojo

I am constantly forgetting to shift ahead and end up with those “oh heck” moments a lot. Maybe it’s an age thing IDK. Combined with the touring bars they make for a very ergonomic fit for me (that and the new fork allowed me to raise the bars about an inch too) I am 6’6” and have long arms for my length so fitting my arms is always a problem. This has finally done it.

stevel610 

Nice upgrades. Hope it continues to work for you.

tallbikeman

Learn something new every day. Cool shifting system. Have to keep it in mind for the future.

starkmojo

Just passing 200 miles on them. The more I use them the more I like them. Way easier to fine tune gears on long inclines. IMHO and all.

tallbikeman

Cockpit view of shifters and suicide brake levers. Shifters are Sunrace brand thumbies and fit 26mm road bars.

Front view of shifters and brake levers showing cable routing and Dia Comp centerpull brake.

Side view of bicycle. This size fits 6'6" men with long arms. My knees are about a foot away from the handlebars. This bike is very comfortable to ride.
I really like your shifter setup and am going to look into replacing my current setup with your setup. My shifters are friction and work very well but it looks like I can get an index for the rear 10speed cassette with the Gevanalle shifters and use the intermediate brake levers as you have to get braking available from a couple of handlebar positions. This old Nishiki Sebring is a fast fun bicycle to ride and fits me well at 6' 5" now. I'm old and have lost about an inch over the years.

philbob57

Starkmojo - I think you made some good decisions for yourself. I've never seen a Kona IRL - looks verygood. BTW, I recognized the Gevenalle shifters, but what handlebars did you get?

Tallbikeman - thanks for the info on using the MTB shifters.I've been wondering how to get my ****ers off the downtube on my V & V bike. Your seatbag looks very interesting - will you share the specifics (model and manufacturer/vendor)?

wvridgerider

Bike looks good. I bought my Gunnar 6 years ago and almost got a disc brake version. Although I like discs off road I believe I am fine with canties. I just put a Paul mini Moto on the from and a Paul touring canty on the rear. I should have put the mini motor on both and I might return the touring canti. The mini Moto is very strong and almost too strong for the front but it stops my heft. I watched a video of a guy that did PBP and made a statement about the disc on front of a road bike and that the fork for discs has a rougher ride due to it has to be stiffer. I thought about it and I can believe it. My steel Gunnar fork has a nice ride.Keep the Kona

oldlady62

OOoo. I would like some of those for my older bike.

tallbikeman

Philbob57 sorry for the long winded explanation on a subject you did not ask about. Having reread your question the seat bag is a wonderful product from Jandd Mountaineering bicycle products. This is a screen shot from their catalog. The bag's lower zipper unhinges the bag into an even larger bag. I love this bag and use it as a clothing bag for my warm up gear.

Mountain Wedge III

Product ID: FMW3
Description: The Mountain Wedge III was designed for the rider who needs the capacity of a Jandd Rack Pac but doesn't want to bear the weight and cost of a rack. The five-point suspension starts with a hook-and-loop seat post strap; two webbing and cam buckle straps secure the bag to the seat rails. For added stability, two bungees fix the bottom to the rear braze-ons. There is an HDPE stiffener around the entire bag, and an aluminum alloy stay that runs across the top of the bag to eliminate sag or sway. The two side pockets bellow into the bag for extra room, while maintaining a narrow profile on the outside of the bag.
For more room, the bottom gussets out to increase capacity by 20%. A strip of 2" webbing runs along the center of the bag to prevent tire abrasion should a lowered seat post not clear the tire. This giant among bags carries Jandd's standard stealth zipper heads and 3M Scotchlite Reflective Material visible on three sides, to which a light can be attached.

For More Pictures see:
Optional Mountain Wedge III Adapters

Specifications:
Volume:
(Closed) 368 ci/ 6 ltr
(Expanded) 456 ci/ 7.5 ltr
Dimensions:
(Regular) 6 x 11 x 7 (in) 15 x 28 x 18 (cm)
(Expanded) 9 x 11 x 7 (in) 23 x 28 x 18 (cm)
Weight: 15.4 oz/ 440 g
Material: Dupont Cordura®

tallbikeman

Philbob57 the Sunrace thumbie shifters are very reasonable in price. They work very well but need a phillips head screwdriver to adjust friction tension. However I adjusted them once and have been riding for months so they are reliable.