introducing the pub bike

i can't believe it has taken me this long, 665 posts to be exact, to mention my good old faithful 1997 kona lava dome aka the pub bike.  she has certainly served me well over the years.  my cannondale r800 bought in 2001 was my first experience with a road bike, before that i had owned many different mountain bikes since my teenage years.  my lava dome is the last mountain bike i bought before switching to riding almost exclusively road bikes.

from the moment i got my cannondale the lava dome became the pub bike.  it sounds disrespectful but it is a key role for the bicycle.  my pub bike also doubles up as the shopping bike.  actually, until today it was my de rosa neo primato that was being used for pub and shopping duties.  it is a risky business leaving a bike like that outside the shops even if the lock is a good one.

the reason i now mention the lava dome is because today i showed her a little tlc, or rather a trusted mechanic called bart who works at london fields cycles did (incidentally bart is moving back home to poland in june.  lfc will be loosing an excellent mechanic).  she got new tyres, chain set, chain, cassette and cables.  by doing this i have pulled her back out of retirement (she was sat in storage).  it is a tough call but i would rather have the kona nicked than my prized re rosa which is easily my favourite machine so it is a relief to have her back.

Betty and i are moving to bath in a months time and expect to do more riding over cross style and mudding canal path terrian whilst still taking full advantage of the hilly country lanes.  the kona will be perefect for the rougher terrain.  she is pretty heavy at eleven kilos but has a great gear ratio with a triple on the front for climbing hills.

i spent a fare wedge on the kona today, in fact i have spent many hundreds of pounds keeping her running smoothly over the years. she is like the bike version of an antique car that regularly needs parts replacing.  since i bought her i have replaced the handlebars, wheels, stem, rear mech, chain set, tires, chain, cassette, break pads, handlebar grips and saddle plus endless lengths of cables.  bart the mechanic mentioned the seatpost is bent and he suggested i replace it with a thomson. nice choice but of course that will mean another upgrade although i can easily pursuade myself when it comes to bike component upgrades.  money well spent i always think.