Words and photos by Kona Ambassador Lita Monaghan.

I am filled with excitement to have an opportunity to build my ultimate dream bike.  I also won’t lie–I hope to snag a highly coveted #KonaDreamBuilds patch in the process, too.  

In this pursuit, I am starting with the gorgeously painted Kona Libre in a size 46cm frame.  Out of the box, this bicycle is amazing as it is. I’ve been so tempted to ride it while I waited for parts to arrive, but I want my maiden voyage to be in the bike’s “dream state.”

I plan to strip the bike down to its beautiful multi-colored frame and then start building it back up.  The Shimano 105 drivetrain will be replaced with Shimano Ultegra R8070 Di2. This will be my first foray into electronic shifting and I am ready for the challenge!  

The 650b wheels x 47mm tires will be upgraded to carbon fiber 700c wheels and the tires will be replaced with a more tarmac-minded ride in mind, but still mixed-terrain friendly.  165mm Ultegra R8000 crankset and a left-arm power meter will keep tabs on my #withthesethighs efforts.

Will there be LIGHT at the end of this tunnel?  Will I achieve “dream build” success? Stay tuned to find out!

Hopefully the build goes according to plan, so take one last look at this beauty before she gets upgraded.  Stay tuned for the reveal!