Spotted In The Wild

I saw my first Kona AfricaBike locked to bike rack (downtown Toronto). It was an older model with the removable rear rack. If I wasn't in a car, I would have taken a picture of it. It's strange that I was a little excited to see one. Now I look at bike racks all the time to see if I can spot another one. Weird huh?

Riding A Mountain Bike

It's funny how accustomed I am to the Kona AfricaBike after only one month of riding it. I recently hoped on a mountain bike and was shocked how strange it felt.

The extra reach to the handlebars. The extra pressure on my shoulders and arms. I never notice that before.

Adding A Water Bottle Cage

I mounted a water bottle cage on the basket with zip ties. It takes up a bit of space but there's still enough room for stuff.

I'm not sure if I want to keep it on though. Before I could throw stuff in the basket. Now things have to be placed in or else it'll get caught on the cage. Anyway, this mod is easy enough to redo or undo.

UPDATED OCTOBER 6, 2010: I removed it today. haha

UPDATED MAY 29, 2012: I installed a handlebar mount bottle cage.

Specialized Fatboy Tire

I replaced the Continental Traffic 1.9" with a set of Specialized Fatboy 1.25" tires and Presta valve inner tubes. I wanted tires more suited for road and paved trails. The combination of a slick tread, lower rotation mass, and high PSI did the trick.

With the Fatboys inflated to 100 PSI really surprised me. I was expecting a harsher and twitchy ride. It feels similar to the Continentals except for the extra speed/efficiency I gained.

1'st and 2'nd gear on the bike used to feel a bit high. After installing these tires, the gearing feels a little lower.

The Continentals are good for what they were designed for, but the Fatboys are perfect for my needs. They're awesome.

UPDATED NOVEMBER 20, 2010: I keep them at 85 PSI now. They feel way more comfortable and just as fast.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 28, 2011: Depending on how and what you ride over, pebbles, twigs, etc. can cause the front/rear end of the bike to instantly skip left/right.  It'll startle you if you're not expecting it.

Seat Post Collar & Bolt

I swapped the quick release set-up for a collar and bolt awhile ago. I didn't find the quick release feature very useful for this type of bike. Once the seat height is adjusted, that's it.

The collar and bolt set-up is also a security feature (although a very weak one). It'll still take a thief a little longer to steal my seat, and seat post.

Minor Issues

The factory bell is constantly ringing lightly to the road irregularities.  It's not loud, but it's frequent enough to get on my nerves. I'll have to replace it with a different one soon.

This one is a little more serious, but it's still nothing major since it was caught early. I noticed some play in my front hub that wasn't there before. It's fixed temporarily, but I'll need to get a 13mm or 14mm cone wrench to adjust it properly.

After a month of riding, these are the only issues worth mentioning. I think that's pretty good.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2, 2011:  I reinstalled the factory bell.  Somehow the constant ringing had disappeared.   

Rear Rack Mod

I added a piece of plywood on the rear rack. I saw something similar on-line. It looked pretty cool so I made one too.

It's made from 1/2" plywood cut to 7 1/4" wide x 10" long. The corners and edges are rounded off, and finished with several coats of black paint.

I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. Now I can give my nephew bike rides.


UPDATE NOVEMBER 29, 2011: I removed the plywood seat since I added a milk crate on the rack.   

New Helmet

I got a new helmet today. It's a matte grey Pro Tec Ace Skate with SXP. I bought this one for several reasons.

• Read lots of good reviews.
• Good head coverage.
• Can take multiple impacts.
• Lots of air vents.
• Looks cool.

The profile on this helmet isn't too bad, and it feels pretty light. One thing this helmet lacks is a micro adjustment feature to fine tune the fit. It would also be nice to have larger vents.

I like this helmet, but it isn't for everyone. For a casual rider, I think it'll do the job. If you ride hard, you'll cook your brain during the summer.

Leather Saddle Is Breaking In

My leather saddle is already starting to break in. I can feel the slight depressions made by my sit bones. I'm surprised it has started so fast.  I've read some people putting in hundreds of miles before they noticed any results.

I did expect it to break in faster than others though. The riding position puts most of my weight (88 Kg) on the saddle. I didn't use any magic oils or special processes. All I ever done was apply some Sno Seal on the top. Since that stuff doesn't soften leather, I don't think it helped in speeding up the process.

I'm breaking it in the old school way by riding. Luckily for me, it isn't taking very long.  I've read somewhere that Brooks uses a softer leather for their "City & Heavy Duty" saddles.  That explains why it's breaking in so fast.

UPDATE DECEMBER 4, 2011: My saddle has finally broke in. =)

UPDATE APRIL 17, 2012: Problem with saddle?

UPDATE APRIL 18, 2012: Brooks saddle mod.

The Step Through Frame Stereotype

Before I got this bike, I was a little self conscious of what people might think about a guy riding a step though frame. I really shouldn't care, but the stereotype associated with it was always on the back of my mind.

The Kona AfricaBike and the Africa Bike Program helped me get over it. The good cause this bike supports and represents, made the whole "girl bike" thing a non-issue for me.

After riding it for almost a month, I'm liking the step though frame. Even if they made a diamond frame version, I'll still take the step though instead. It's simply a more versatile design.

P.S. Here is an interesting link about this topic.

Stem Height Adjustment

I think I've got it. The bike is finally setup perfectly (for now). All it took was several long rides to figure out what felt right and what didn't.

On the latest ride, I noticed my shoulders feeling a little tired. I raised the stem an inch to take a little pressure off. The slight strain was gone like magic. The bike was more stable, and it felt like I was sitting a little higher too.

All these improvements by raising the stem a little bit. Simply amazing. I never knew a bicycle could feel so comfortable.

Rear Wheel Removal & Adjusting The Nexus 3 Speed

These are links on how to remove the rear wheel with a Shimano Nexus 3 Speed. You'll never know when you gotta fix a flat.

• YouTube video from BeachBikes.com
• WikiAnswers

This is how to adjust it.

• YouTube video from BeachBikes.com

The Coaster Brake

When I was a kid, all my bikes had coaster brakes.  It wasn't till high school that I got my first bike without them.  Fast forward years later and here I am with a coaster brake again.

I thought switching back to coaster brakes would be easy...NOPE!  It has been a little tricky, and dangerous at first.  Sometimes I would apply the brake by accident.  Usually at the beginning or a turn, or when I'm standing on the pedals to adsorb rough roads.  Luckily I haven't dumped it.

I can understand why some people don't like coaster brakes.  It only took me a week plus a good part of my childhood to get the hang of it. ; )


UPDATE DECEMBER 9, 2011: I changed the nut on the coaster brake arm to a wing nut (size M6x1).  Before I needed 2 tools to disengage/attach the coaster brake arm.  Now I only need one tool.  Either a 10mm wrench or a Phillips (+) screwdriver.

Protecting A Leather Saddle

Before I installed the leather saddle, I conditioned it first. I used a product called Sno Seal. It will waterproof the leather and keep it from drying out. Water isn't good for stretched leather under tension and load.

The instructions to apply it are pretty straight forward. I used a hair dryer to heat the leather before applying the Sno Seal. The heated leather will melt and adsorb it. I applied it on the top of the saddle and anywhere water might migrate too.

When the saddle cooled down, I gave it a quick buff. The process darkened the leather a bit but I think looks better.

Saddle Adjustment

After getting a chance to ride it a bit more, there was a slight feeling of slipping off the front of the saddle. I tilted the nose of the saddle up one notch and took it out for a test ride.  I immediately noticed the difference. Now I don't feel like sliding off any more.

This little adjustment virtually invisible to the naked eye makes such a huge difference. I should take it out for a longer ride to see what else needs adjusting.

Handlebar Adjustment

I used to have the handlebar sloping down towards me quite a bit. After riding for a couple of minutes, the heal of my palms got sore. Also, the bike wasn't stable when I was riding with one hand. Maybe it's because I'm not use to the hand position or riding style? I dunno.

With the handlebar almost level, it feels way more stable. The pressure on my palms were gone too. It's amazing what a tiny adjustment can do.

UPDATED MARCH 6, 2011:  Flipped Handlebar.

I Got It!

Roger from Cycle Solutions dropped off my bike today. The first thing I did was swap the saddle to a Brooks. Then I took it out for a quick spin around the block. After some minor adjustments, the bike rides like a big old Cadillac. I love it!

I immediately noticed the weight. This bike is heavy tipping the scales at 19+ kg. I don't mind though.  It can weigh 30kg for all I care.  It just makes the bike feel more solid. As if nothing can throw you off course. Just point your wheel where you want to go and plow though.

Something else I noticed. Even though it's a step though frame, I catch myself throwing my leg over the seat to get on the bike 99% of the time. I should put those old milk crate baskets on the rear rack stacked 3 high. I'll start stepping though for sure. ; )

Why The Kona Africa Bike?

It has a lot of features I want in a utility bicycle.

• The step though frame is very practical. 
• The rear wheel lock is convenient to have.  
• It uses 26" mountain bike wheels/tires.
• It has an internal 3 speed hub with coaster brake.  
• Integrated rear rack.
• A comfortable sit up style of riding.
• It's simple, durable, low maintenance, and it looks kewl. 

Also, for every 2 Africa Bikes sold worldwide, Kona will donate one to the Bike Town Africa program. Read about it here. The bikes will go to people who need it the most. I think their program has started to reach beyond Africa now. Over 2,500+ bikes have been donated so far.

Get a kewl bike and contributed to a great cause at the same time. This is a awesome deal. Everyone should buy one. : )

P.S. My bike is ready! I'm getting it delivered tomorrow. Woo hoo!  I'll be able to post some pictures up soon.

I Bought One!

I bought a 2010 Kona Africa Bike 3 from Cycle Solutions. I'll be picking it up later this week. I should have gotten it sooner but it got damaged during shipping. No worries though. They ordered 2 this time just in case. ; )

Roger (their online sales guy) has kept me up to date with my order. He offered me a bike to borrow till it arrives. I thought that was pretty kewl. Thanks Roger.

P.S. If you prefer steel over aluminum, you better get one soon.  The 2011 models are made of aluminum. I'm suspecting they switched to aluminum because it's lighter. This should make it cheaper to ship these bikes to Africa.