Cannondale Rack

I've never done of these "build" threads properly, so here it goes...

I had a nice Columbus steel Viner road bike that I barely rode. I ended up selling the frame to fund my 'cross build (which will also double as my road bike), but I was left with a well ridden, but perfectly functioning almost complete Shimano 600/105 groupset with downtube friction shifters, 7 speed, nice Mavic rims etc.

Now that's it warming up here in Australia, I've been thinking about putting either a front rack or Wald basket (I already have the Wald basket and the front rack) on of my bikes so I don't have to commute with a back pack. I have either a moustache bar touring bike (and the Wald won't fit on that with those bars, and the canti's wont allow the front rack to sit properly), a faux-pursuit brakeless tarck bike, an NJS Samson or a brakeless beater track bike, none are really suitable for racks or baskets or daily commuting... time for a geared, braked, risered front rack road bike.

So I put the call out on my local forum for a beater road frame. Was after steel, but after getting this offered to me for a $50, I couldn't turn it down. I convinced my wife I needed this bike ("of course it will have brakes").

Plan is above. Not sure whether it will be single or double chain ring up the front yet. It depends whether my clamp on front derailleur will fit.

Parts I already have:
Wald basket or front porteur rack
Generic alloy risers with Oury's
Nitto Pearl stem
Shimano 600 cranks (with 39/53 or 39/48 or just a 48)
Shimano 600 rear derailleur
Shimano 105 front derailleur
Shimano 105 down tube shifters
Shimano 105 brakes
Shimano 105 hubs laced to Mavic GP4's
Generic alloy seat post
Selle Italia Turbomatic OR leather Concor OR Selle Italia Flite (not 100% sure yet)
Schwalbe Durano 700x25 tyres

The only thing I need to get is some brake levers for risers, which I have lined up, new cables and possibly a new chain. I'm considering rocking BMX pedals well. I usually run clips and double straps or Time ATAC's, but it'd be nice to be able to go to the pub not in Vans or Sidi's all the time.

Nice project. Aways a fan of front porteurs.
Cannondales being stiff as hell, I would check the max tyre clearence and get the biggest tyres as possible, especially riding with a load on the bike, you might get away with 28mm.

Yeah, I'll see how I go. My plan is to spend as little as I can on this, and that includes tyres.

I've got the 25c Durano's just sitting there, so I might just run them at a lower PSI before I go and buy new tyres.

$50!!! that's a bargain. good luck with the build!

So I'm gonna do some swapping around of saddles this weekend and use my Flite (instead of Concor or Turbomatic). Looking at photos of the old Cannondale Track's, the Flite's suit them so well.

a faux-pursuit brakeless tarck bike, an NJS Samson or a brakeless beater track bike, none are really suitable for racks or baskets or daily commuting...

HHSB thread may disagree with you there

Tubs on a pub bike sounds really suitable.

HHSB thread may disagree with you there

Ha!

I did run the front rack and the front basket on the beater track bike for a bit, but the novelty of commuting brakeless has kind worn off. Plus we all need another bike, right?

Went through my parts this evening and cleaned them up. Couldn't find my clamp on front derailleur, and then realised I'm already using it on another bike. Whoops. Looks like I'm running 1 x 6 or 7 now. Swapped chainrings to a single 46t (not 48t like i said) from 39/53.

I still need to clean up my wheels, and possibly swap the rear cassette from 7 to 6 speed and swap the tyres on my wife's bike so I can have the 25c Durano's. I'm pretty sure I have a chain kicking about too.

Decided I'm going to run a front rack, not a basket. I need to pull that out and re-paint it.

Here's what I have so far. The seat post is a bit scratched, but I'll have to live with it for now. I'm assuming the Cannondale will take a 27.2mm seat post?

I might splurge out and buy some of these pedals for it as well, depending on how much I can get them for.

Tubs on a pub bike sounds really suitable.

Sorry, my bad. They're not GP4's, they're Open 4 CD's and clinchers.

Got confused with my old 'cross wheels.

Wheels ready...

And front rack.

I think I need to get some more rails welded / attached to the rack somehow. I'll see how I go. I have some mesh that I cabled tied in place last time that worked.

Me wants that zipp!
Awesome project btw, I need something like this!

Rack with mesh. I reckon I'll do this for the time being.

Picked up the brake levers today. Not bad for nothing.

EDIT: Fitted the brake levers, the clamp is too big. Gonna have to shim it.

or get other bars, those look short and you want some leverage on a front loaded bike

or get other bars, those look short and you want some leverage on a front loaded bike

But that will involve spending money! Plus its the clamp size of the brake levers that's the issue. Easily fixed with a shim.

Trying to do this as cheap as possible. So far everything except the frame, brake levers and rear axle I have had sitting around at home.

But in all seriousness, the bars are about 40cm wide and the front rack will only be holding a change of clothes and my lunch (what I usually carry in a backpack), so it won't be that loaded. I've ridden with this front rack, with these bars, and its been fine for light loads.

Aiming for a yellow (geared) version of this...

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nbQBclUOO8...0/IMG_3302.JPG

mixed with this...

Played around with the brakes and shims. Got them fitted on the bars fine, but the angle the lever were at left very little room for my hands.

Did some swapping with some other (wider) risers I had and it works better. I didn't want to use these ones because they're black, but it looks okay. Had to trim the edge of the Oury's to get the lever to sit flush against the grip.

Are you in Sydney and is your Samson red? If so it's bloody lovely

that's a bloody good inspiration if I'm honest, this is going in the right direction!
Show more pictures!

Are you in Sydney and is your Samson red? If so it's bloody lovely

No and yes. I'm in Adelaide, but I have a red Samson. Hopefully it's as lovely as the one in Sydney.

that's a bloody good inspiration if I'm honest, this is going in the right direction!
Show more pictures!

Thanks! I don't have any more pictures yet. The frame is in Melbourne, picking it up this weekend. Hopefully this time next week I'll be close to finishing.

I also swapped the rear axle from a 126mm one to a 130mm one so I don't have to mess around with the rear spacing.

I still need to steal / swap the tyres from my wife's road bike so I can use 25c tyres, but the weather here has been so nice I've been outside gardeing all the bloody time!

Bar, stem, grips, brake levers and bell fitted. It's not a 100% ideal set up, but all of this was free or parts box. The levers will be tweaked when the bars are fitted to the bike.

So I'm gonna do some swapping around of saddles this weekend and use my Flite (instead of Concor or Turbomatic). Looking at photos of the old Cannondale Track's, the Flite's suit them so well.

It's all a waste of time unless you get the PCL sport top and short short combo. They would suit YOU so well.

It's all a waste of time unless you get the PCL sport top and short short combo. They would suit YOU so well.

Thats what I'm planning to wear.

It IS a summer bike after all.

Quick tally of costs (all in AUD) of stuff I have had to buy. If you want the costs in GBP, I suggest you go here.

• Frame: $50
• Brake levers: 1 six pack of Coopers Stout (~$16, although I was given a carton... so free)
• Shifter cable: $2
• 130mm rear axle: 1 x 600ml Farmers Union Strong Iced Coffee (I bought two for $6 and drank one, so it was $3)

I looked at some chrome risers today, but I can't justify spending $35 on some bars I don't really need for a pub bike, so they can wait. I also priced some Fyxation Mesa pedals. They're $69. They can wait as well.