Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Cannondale Rebuild

I have an older Cannondale frame that I'd like to build up with some newer components at some point. One problem I see right out of the gate is that the shifters are on the down tube. Anyone know where I can get a kit to convert them so I can use the newer style of levers?

Just have to pull the down tube shifters off and install brifters.

You can head over to the "Classic and Vintage" and doing a search for that topic. I was interested in the same thing and it seems most advice was to change to bar-end shifters. That seemed to be the easiest/cheapest way to go. But, changing to brifters can certainly be done, apparently it just means changing out most everything on the bike. Assuming that the derailleurs will work, you would need the brake/shifters and new cables. Problem is, I think most bikes with downtube shifters won't have the derailleurs needed to make the conversion over to brifters.

Oh yea, very true on the fd\rd. I did not even think about them not working with the brifters. You might also have issues with the cable routing, but can probably get some type of place holder for them.

My wifes 84 Bianchi has the original front derailleur working fine with brifters. Was originally downtube shifters.

I think the shop replaced the old rear derailleur cause it was thrashed. You sure Jax the old one won't work. I thought it only moved point to point depending on where you set the limit screws. Shifters determine the amount of clicks so rear can go with several setups, 7 with 8, 8 with 9.

Also, there is a kit that runs thru (bolt with silver cones) the downtube to hold the barrel adjuster/cable stop where the old dt's were. When I bought a set of brifters, the hardware came with it. Not sure where to find the kit alone.

What year is the Cannondale? My bud has an R500, maybe 95'ish. The chainstays run beyond the axle. I've heard there were alot of problems with cracking on this design. Shortly after, Cannondale switched back to the traditional rear triangle. If this is the frame, could be scary if you're a clyde.

How old is the frame? Before going any further, measure the inside spacing between the rear dropouts. Older, 7-speed rear hubs have 126mm long axles, but when everyone went to 8-speed, the axles, and the dropout spacing, went to 130mm. Now Cannondale, and many other frame makers, used a somewhat universal 128mm spacing to accommodate both axle lengths, and I have one of those myself ('95 2.8 frame).

If you have 126mm spacing, you're stuck with 7-speed rear hubs. You can still get 7-speed Shimano Sora brifters, and may find working RSX brifters on eBay and some older shops. I wouldn't try spreading a Cannondale frame 2mm each way for newer rear hubs. If you have 128mm spacing, no worries and upgrade away.

Your old downtube shifter bosses become mounts for cable tension barrel adjusters. As for that odd cantilevered rear dropout, they do hold up pretty good unless the frame was raced hard or had been crashed hard.

Oh yea, very true on the fd\rd. I did not even think about them not working with the brifters. You might also have issues with the cable routing, but can probably get some type of place holder for them.

I wouldn't expect cable routing to be a problem. In many cases, I think you can remove the downtube shifters and the cable stops/adjusters for brake/shift combo levers will mount to the same braze-on. If not, you can always buy in-line tension adjusters and just run the cables in the same location as the old cables. In that scenario, you wouldn't necessarily have anything mounted to the down tube.

I'd be most concerned about compatibility between the brake/shift levers and the rear derailleur. Indexed shifting can make this tricky business, in my book!

How old is the frame? Before going any further, measure the inside spacing between the rear dropouts. Older, 7-speed rear hubs have 126mm long axles, but when everyone went to 8-speed, the axles, and the dropout spacing, went to 130mm. Now Cannondale, and many other frame makers, used a somewhat universal 128mm spacing to accommodate both axle lengths, and I have one of those myself ('95 2.8 frame).

If you have 126mm spacing, you're stuck with 7-speed rear hubs. You can still get 7-speed Shimano Sora brifters, and may find working RSX brifters on eBay and some older shops. I wouldn't try spreading a Cannondale frame 2mm each way for newer rear hubs. If you have 128mm spacing, no worries and upgrade away.

Your old downtube shifter bosses become mounts for cable tension barrel adjusters. As for that odd cantilevered rear dropout, they do hold up pretty good unless the frame was raced hard or had been crashed hard.

DieselDan, thanks for the good info. I will measure it tonight and see what I have.

No worries on the racing hard or crashing. I never raced, and never crashed, at least not on that bike. :)

What year is the Cannondale? My bud has an R500, maybe 95'ish. The chainstays run beyond the axle. I've heard there were alot of problems with cracking on this design. Shortly after, Cannondale switched back to the traditional rear triangle. If this is the frame, could be scary if you're a clyde.

I have no clue what year it is?! I will have to look tonight and see if anything (sticker maybe) on the bike will clue me in. It's been sitting in the basement in pieces for a long, long time. I think the last time I rode it was 6 or 7 year ago.

I was only thinking of upgrading it to have a second bike just in case the Tarmac needed to be in the shop or something. So I probably wouldn't put anything better than 105 on it, if it'll work.

6 or 7 years? Hmmm, gotta be older than that. Mine is a 97, came with brifters. Ultegra 600 8 speed but has been upgraded to DA 9 speed except the crank and calipers. It's a CAAD3 frame R-900 model. Doesn't say R-900 cause the original frame was crunched by a shop mechanic when it was one day old. I got the 98 frame replacement compliments of that nut!:D

But then again, I think the low end Canni's back then had DT shifters, R-200's, I think they were orange in color.


http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/060108a.jpg

It's definitely older than that. I’m thinking closer to 10 years or more. It’s white.

Look on the bottom bracket and get the code and then go to here to id the year. http://www.vintagecannondale.com/info.html

Look on the bottom bracket and get the code and then go to here to id the year. http://www.vintagecannondale.com/info.html

Sweet! Frame is 60cm, built 04/21/1988 and was #058. Almost 20 years old!

But the rear dropout is only 126mm, darn. Oh well, it was a thought.

You could make it a single speed. You'll need a chain tensioner.

You could make it a single speed. You'll need a chain tensioner.

It's a thought, but not really interested. Oh well.

I have an older Cannondale frame that I'd like to build up with some newer components at some point. One problem I see right out of the gate is that the shifters are on the down tube. Anyone know where I can get a kit to convert them so I can use the newer style of levers?

All you need are down tube cable stops, they should come with a new set of brifters, but if they don't your lbs should have some in stock. If you need to order them off the net, I know loosescrews.com (http://loosescrews.com) carries them, other places probably do as well. They just mount over the existing downtube shifter bosses.

You can still find RSX 7speed brifters somewhere online. Put them on m wifes 84 Bianchi. Work fine. Had a set on an older Trek too, worked great for years till I sold the bike.

You can still find RSX 7speed brifters somewhere online. Put them on m wifes 84 Bianchi. Work fine. Had a set on an older Trek too, worked great for years till I sold the bike.

You mean something like these?

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/SL609B00-Shimano+Sora+St-3300-7+7+Speed+Sti.aspx