Two retro roadies. Space for one

Hola.

I have managed to bag a pair of really beautiful road frames; a Gazelle Team Frame from 1998 and a v.rare Kona Kapu from 1995

However, I can only justify building-up one of them.. so the other will have to go. I’m having a tough time deciding so I though I’d commission the hive-mind of Lfgssss

((EDIT: Gazelle is sold. Kona is kept… ))

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The Kona has been on my wish-list for years and I was very lucky to get one in my size - none were imported into the UK and this one came from Denmark a couple of owners back. The frame is Columbus Genius and it’s really really light! It was re-painted about 10 years ago with 1998 decals and there’s a few touch ups - so I was thinking of getting it re-re-painted by Bob Jackson — Partly to check under the paint for corrosion- as it wouldn’t take long for rust to eat through the thin tubes.

The Gazelle is 531c tubing and while light, it definitely feels a couple of hundred grams heavier than the kona (not a bad thing for stiffness & durability though). Race number thingy is still present and the original paint is in good shape - but certainly patina’ed

Gazelle is a hair longer (54 TT) than the kona (53 cm) but the headtube is back achingly short at 10cm ... the Kona has a much more friendly 12cm length - more my standard.

So which should I keep?

Both beautiful. Tentative dibs on whichever one loses...

TVM's come up every now and then, these Konas barely do. I'd be sticking with the Kona tbh. Plus the geo sounds a bit more back friendly ;) Beautiful framesthough, both of them.

My heart is with the Kona, but nice as it is, it’s a Taiwan built frame. The Gazelle is made in Holland (pedigree yo) and the lug finishing is really exquisite. That’s my inner snob talking

Kona original livery:

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I'd stick with the Kona, it's different and repainted with the correct format logo will look ace. You'd find another Gazelle pretty easily.

I'd stick with the Kona but maybe thats the 11 year old MBUK reader in me.

unforbidden tho.

+10 on the Kona

Ko-na! Ko-na! Ko-na! But the Gazelle is lovely as well.

Kona.

Gazelle geo looks ace

May i ask what the stem is?

Kona here too. And I don't even own a MTB.

Keep both! Later you can change all the parts from one to the other and vice versa!!! Win win

kona

You always, always have room for another bike!

kona

Well the hive mind has spoken - Not even close!

Perhaps I’ll hang the Gazelle on the wall for a while :-(

Next question - keep the Kona steel fork or pop on a Columbus minimal? Frame ain’t lugged and angles look modern so I don’t reckon the carbon fork would look out of place

P.s. the stem is a 3TTT “Pro Chrome”

Sell me the gazelle! Problem solved, I’ll let you have a go when I’ve built it! 👍🏻👍🏻

K O N A. Keep the other frame though, no need to build it up. Wall decoration until you have space.

Your bike and all, but the paint on the Kona looks cooler than the one on the catalogue shot

At risk of jumping on the already run away bandwagon, Kona, and I’d stick with the original fork too.

The Kona is truly unique, shame the paint isn't original anymore though. Personally I would go for that one. That said, the Gazelle in this colorway is one of the best ones they ever did.

Great finds, i'd stick with the Kona for all the reasons listed above however I think the Gazelle would probably make the better looking bike with less effort. The lines on the Kapu look a bit awkward but it should be a fun challenge to make it look right.

Looking at the brochure I like how the original stem looks to follow the toptube angle. The 3TTT on yours is a bit -17 on a compact frame. Maybe a 75 degree (sim works?) stem to get a touch of rise? Will also help with slamming the stem. Definitely keep the original forks, pretty light already according the the blurb.

Well the Gazelle is up for sale now .. sadly!

But I did make some progress on the Kona - still a mock-up but chain thrown on to test ride up the street - geo feels comfy

Not sure about the carbon fork though .. the steel one looks better. The 5800 also looks shit - too new. I do have a nearly complete mid-2000s Centaur groupset that will probably suit this better

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