Cannondale ratter

I'm wasn't looking for another bike, lol yeah right, but this came up on Facebook for £140 after I'd finished haggling, it's a parts bin special. No doubt the worst thing will be the bottom bracket. There sounds like there's a bit of water in there sploshing about. I took it for a test ride, and it's a tad big for me but rides great. I did my customary lean on a right hand bend and slid on these shite Hutchinson tyres which are now confined to the skip. I'm making this up out of what I have in the cupboard, getting it running, then upgrading as funds permit. I scored some egg beaters for twenty quid last night. Anyhoo let teh pics commence... Saddle and post are out as they were too horrible to feature...

5 Attachments

The rims are Mavic SUP, mismatched hubs, but free running. 600, 105 and deore is the group at the mo, it could be a dog's breakfast... We'll see.

Blue tapes going. This had to be said. I love the early Dales just a great aesthetic. Integrated shifting lugs at some point on the downtube, new old saddle, cinelli quill stem (the bars on it are actually 66-38s bit narrow but free) I thought I'd scored with the simplex gear levers, but only ones simplex...

hmm... reads about Cannondale "crack n fail", funnily enough mainly regarding the 2.8 sure enough there's a crack at the junction of the seat stay and chainstay. This must be the shortest project thread ever. The guys offered me a refund.

Yeah that was quick.

I found another interesting Cannondale - I fully expect a pile on of derision as it's a barking mad little Saeco. I had to bribe the guy a dollop to post this, which was up for £200 collection... it's odd, I'm odd. 650c wheels 52cm frame.

I have short legs and usually find 52cm set up as modern bikes just too big so this should balance out. Apparently it was something to do with time trialling the 650 wheel thing, rigidity and aero and less rotational weight/overlap. I also think with the smaller wheels and normalish frame it looks less like I've joined the circus.

I've bought new black conti tyres for this, and a quality black bottle cage. I'll also be popping on the egg beaters I got the other week. If I like it I might get spendy on wheels and gears but realise it's diminishing returns on old bikes like this. Plans immediately are to ride for shits and giggles, and If I don't get on with it I can sell it for what I paid, if I do like it, I'll invest as it's only for me rather than selling on at a loss.

I know getting 650c tyres is a right old pain and you can have 23c or 23c, but it interests me and it might make a cool commuter. Just an update from my 2.8 disaster the other week... I know it's not readers wives this, but thought I'd keep you posted...

2 Attachments

Welcome to the 650c Cannondale club. I think there are now four on here

Top stuff! That's great to know!

Love it

Thanks, it's good-odd all being well : )

New rubber, new bottle cage, owes me about 300 which is bang on for a simple yet cool meat and potatoes runabout. I'll treat it to a Chinese carbon post. This might actually be a female specific bike but for me I like the fact it's essentially a normal size frame without the compromise on angles and enables me to actually get the bottle out easily! So it doesn't bother me and it's a bit quirky. I may upgrade the wheels (prolly just hubs) in the future as coda 700 are meant to be DT Swiss on a Friday afternoon.

3 Attachments

The other thing I'll do is try and get my sticky mits on a short cage 105 derailleur, as the triple has been mercifully disabled. It sounds bad, but this could just be one of my favouritist things for the money. It somehow looks right too rather than all squashed up like my 700c bike.

Great proportions for a 650c frame indeed. I‘m surprised the drop bars don‘t look huge on it.

Well the bars are actually the one thing I'm changing as my shoulders are quite broad, I nipped out for a spin, and it's a bit twitchy for my tastes at the front, I like a wider stance. Still only another tenner for some 42cm ITM's and they are in matching black! Agreed it's a really nice proportion.

Miss my Cannondale. Surprisingly enough it snapped on the cantilever dropout.

This is great.

More width options for 650c...

https://www.tokyobike.co.uk/components/tubes-tyres-wheels/

Haha thanks that's great - the more the merrier let's face it! It's a hoot, I really like it. I just have to make sure I keep the budget sensible, I'm swapping the bars but will leave the 105 group as it is although I'd love a shorter cage mech.

...is that a common Cannonfail?

Not sure. I think the frame had been sand/media blasted a couple of times and maybe the second time was too much. It stopped dropping chains on the Casette when I riding it and thats when I discovered the crack.

Of course... Derp heres me thinking of canti bosses then remembered this cannondale diving board dropout design yes, where they squished the alloy for freewheel clearance was a serious weak spot! I love the Beast of the East, and saw a fab orange speckle on black frame for £120, but it has the same inherent design, just a bit thicker, but doesn't exactly fill you with confidence!

Well the ten quid 42cm bars arrived. They were an absolute pig to get the brake levers on as the profile and the bends worked against sliding the levers around, the stem was a workout. For the central section jamming a screwdriver in the slot of the stem ensured at least the shank escaped with the finish in tact. I don't think the new drops are very practical despite the "ergo" credentials, but I live on the hoods anyway.

The saddle cleaned up well, and the new skewers were twelve quid. The rear mech has too much chain but I'll be getting a short cage 105, I missed a minter today for £15 on the bay so a bit annoyed.

I did a fair bit of research on tape and Cipo (there the comparison ends) went yellow, I'm quite sure my life won't be as hedonistic either. At first I thought what have I done colour wise? But actually I like it.

My mate said you've got three bikes get rid of two as you look like a hoarder and you'll never get a girlfriend, also throw out half your furniture as your flats too small. Guess what I thought... Anyway, in all it owes me £310 plus the carriage which I think is pretty good.

2 Attachments

Input on this is the tape hideous? The bar profiles horrible but cinelli's were out. I know grey rims would do so much for this but I have to keep a healthy perspective of what this is for, ie just getting back to my old form without looking like I want to race everyone, long term, smaller freewheel, shorter rear mech, I'm undecided about the saddle, but feel a matt carbon cheapy seatpost coming on as I think the old lump does nothing for the bike. I could STFU and just ride the thing of course. I missed this mornings early jaunt as I was kept awake by a new bar til 4am...

Tape is fine, it’s all fine.

BUT, if we’re jazzing it up new bars are the main priority as they look like two massive walrus tusks.

And if you’re gonna go yellow tape the ocd in me wants to see a yellow flite on there.

But it’s all good as is too

yes! if I could have stretched the old bars 4cm, I'd be laughing. I think you're right, it's thrown all the proportions out with those stupid bars. Flite... now there's a good idea. That's just great, something just looked amiss. Getting nice shaped bars without paying a kings ransom is nigh on impossible, I should have bought more cinelli ergo's when they were cheap. The old bars an ITM I think which is 25.8.

Deda piegas a possibility?? Think they’re 26 though but can be had v cheap