Cannondale Aficionados / Owners

I’d leave as is, nice in the flesh those black/ chrome frames

Another #slamthatstem question.
So I ordered https://www.cannondalespares.com/Cannondale-Road-Headset-5mm-Top-Bearing-Cover--KP253/product_detail/3-40270 to replace my stock, conical CAAD12 headset spacer.
It came in a sealed package, but without any additional parts, e.g. seal.
The problem is, the stock seal is also conical shape and does not fit under the new headset cover. Please advise - should I ride without the seal or I need to find some alternatives in LBS?

Thanks!

Anyone in need of this part? Sitting in my toolbox at the mo. Thanks to @Matisse for helping me out.

Here

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Only ride in the dry? 😎

I thought the same. Ended up going seal-less.

Mind me asking who bought your yellow one? Massively regret not throwing some moolah at you for that.

Yeah I'll leave the groupset, frame and wheels. Other parts I might sell and swap out though.

Not sure about a 50/34 setup either. Might be doing some racing and fast group rides soon and that won't cut it. I guess if I replace the chainrings, I'll have to get a new, longer, chain, and then might have to replace the cassette too? Could get pricey. Don't mind changing the crankset+rings and chain, but that cassette is at least £100 new.

53/39 rings wont fit on your current chainset as it is a compact. If your chainset is power torque and you haven't got the right tools to remove it, get a shop to do it. Ultra torque much better design for the home mechanic.

Ah ok. Yeah Planet-X have the complete 53/39 Athena alloy crankset for £60, or the carbon one is about £120 online, both with rings. I'd probably get the LBS to swap them, but was just wondering if I'd have to buy a new cassette too, as would need a new longer chain and that won't be worn at all, so might cause issues with the used cassette, right? The seller said it all had about 900 miles on it.

Ideally I'd like 52/36 anyway, so not sure that crankset from PX is the best idea. Having a bit of trouble finding those rings, that'll work with the Campag cranks, for a decent price. Is this the world I am entering into? :'(

You might possibly get away without changing the cassette if fitting a new chain, but it could also slip like a bugger, give it a try. I always think athena and centaur are of a similar level quality and those cassettes seem to start at around £60 on ebay.

Not sure about a 50/34 setup either. Might be doing some racing and fast group rides soon and that won't cut it.

Nonsense, forget about it. Assuming 25c tyres and an 11 tooth cog on the cassette, you’re going to be going around 60kmh before your cadence starts getting a little uncomfortable at around 105rpm. A 52t chainring would get you 62.5kmh for the same cadence.

^ this I’d worry about the block over front rings

How did it work for you in a long term?

I've only had it on a couple of weeks, so cannot comment - sorry!

Looks nice though. That's all that matters right?

Righty right ok then. I'll try with this setup first then :) The last modern groupset I had was 6800, so will see how it feels compared to that.

What happened after? Did you find the seal or replaced the cover? Or switched bikes? :-o

Ive got one of the 35mm glossy Knot seat posts for the Systemsix if anyone needs it? It's brand new, I just needed the 15mm post instead.

Appreciate its a bit niche but someone might need more setback.

I'm sorry, but i'm getting a little desperate here, would like some advice.
The LBS which happens to also be a Cdale dealer, told me that KP-253 headest cap which I have installed does not come with a seal, cause it's a Super6 part, not a CAAD12 part, therefore I should look for seal elsewhere. They did not have any spares and did not really suggest anything. So currently i'm seal-less and the autumn is coming. Please help.

Hey Kreddy, I’ve ran that 5mm spacer on both my supersix and CAAD with no problems whatsoever. Granted I don’t ride in the rain that much but the CAAD has been caught in some epic storms and has been fine.

Normally it’s the bottom headset bearing that gets fucked from the weather.

Just make sure there’s a bunch of grease around the bearing and on the underside of the cover and you should be fine. You can always periodically check it and replace the grease.

I've literally had it on 2 maybe 3 weeks. Not seized yet.
I normally sell bikes before replacing headsets so... 🤷🏻‍♂️

Yeah I was going to suggest the same as vneilv, just smear on plenty grease around the top bearing.
I'll go check but I think I ran the same spacer on my caad10 this whole time and didnt even realise the 'no seal issue' and its been absolutely fine.

If you're still really worried about it(you shouldn't be) then you could get imaginative with some translucent bathroom sealant and make your own Ghetto-Seal™...

Made some progress with this today. Needs a steerer trim, second cage, and want to swap the bars, and that's probably it. Have a second-hand black Antares 00 incoming (was a bargain), but I quite like this blue Test R3. Open Paves on the Zondas went on lovely and smooth.

Bit late to the party @Super_653, but I've got 11sp Athena on a bike and I really like it. Shifting is smooth and the hoods are a very comfortable shape.

I'm not a racer, so don't need super snappy shifting à la Dura ace

Thanks for the feedback! Yes, now it's in my hands it does look and feel good. The Campag BB30 adaptor seems decent too. Still fiddling with it all.

You probably know this already, but release for campag brakes is in the shifter, rather than on the brake itself like Shimano.