Explosif 1992

Right - cockpit set up and goodbye riser bars.

The Explosif frameset came with the original Kona 165 gram aluminium handlebar. My first thought was 'that's a really narrow bar and might not be great for my back...' and I started looking at bars with a low rise as alternatives for the build.

My thinking here came from my Cinder Cone rebuild last year. I fitted riser bars to get a bit more upright riding position. I rode the bike like this and it was fine, but I never liked the look of the riser bars.

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I decided to give the Explosif 165 bar a try, using the Cinder Cone as a test bed:

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The flat bar looks a million times better and I prefer the ride - much better handling on twisty trails. So, the 165 bar gets the nod for the Explosif build and I will also be replacing the riser bar on the Cinder Cone with a flat bar.

The comparison of the bar widths is interesting. Here's me thinking the 165 bar would be too narrow, and yet i used to ride a cut down version of this bar on my Cinder Cone BITD - and not only was it cut down, I also had Onza bar ends on there, making it even narrower - here's a pic from around 1993:

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Here's the comparison; the third from the top is the Explosif 165 bar, the bottom one is the original 165 bar from my Cinder Cone which I cut down:

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Stem choice for the Explosif stem was straightforward as it came with a mint Velocity stem. Here is a comparison with the original Velocity stem from my Cinder Cone, which I cut down back in 91/92, because weightsaving..

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Old vs new(er):

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Having the Cinder Cone as a test bed for the Explosif build is really useful.
 
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After all the hunting for components, cleaning components and polishing components, the Explosif is now built.
It's an exciting time!

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Due to the condition of the frame and components, it almost feels like getting a new bike. I am so glad how this build has turned out.

I will now do some shake-down rides to tweak things like stem height, saddle position, etc.

I love how this bike rides. The best word to describe it is 'sprightly'. It picks up speed easily and feels like it really wants to move.

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