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07-28-10, 09:30 AM
My biggest worry about our favorite old Cannondale Tandem finally came to pass. After 20 years of great service and many fun miles, I found a severe crack in the 1 inch steerer tube where it meets the crown of the fork..…found it right where you would expect to find a fatigue or stress fracture.
Despite having another newer Tandem, this old Cannondale remains our favorite. It is the far more versatile of the two as it easily converts from road trim to touring duties and/or light offroad/rail trail applications. We’ve upgraded every component on it in recent years except for the original eccentric and the now newly departed fork. We’re not ready to part with this old friend so we’re motivated to find a proper replacement fork. So far we have struck out completely.
The challenge is the fact that this vintage C’dale has a 1 inch steerer tube not the more conventional 1 1/8 “.
Calls to my LBS and a distant Cannondale shop produced no leads and little help except for a non-tandem rated possibility that I don’t feel good about. Also looked at the usual Tandem vendor web sites but found nothing. We frequently ride on very rough paved roads as well as occasional dirt roads/ trails that do stress the fork significantly, so I can not bring myself to trust a cross fork or anything less than a proper Tandem one.
Does anyone have a suggestion on where I might find a new, tandem fork with a 1 inch threaded steerer tube compatible with the first generation Cannodale Tandems circa 1990-91?....or….has anyone had a custom fork made? Where?
Thanks…Bill J
Despite having another newer Tandem, this old Cannondale remains our favorite. It is the far more versatile of the two as it easily converts from road trim to touring duties and/or light offroad/rail trail applications. We’ve upgraded every component on it in recent years except for the original eccentric and the now newly departed fork. We’re not ready to part with this old friend so we’re motivated to find a proper replacement fork. So far we have struck out completely.
The challenge is the fact that this vintage C’dale has a 1 inch steerer tube not the more conventional 1 1/8 “.
Calls to my LBS and a distant Cannondale shop produced no leads and little help except for a non-tandem rated possibility that I don’t feel good about. Also looked at the usual Tandem vendor web sites but found nothing. We frequently ride on very rough paved roads as well as occasional dirt roads/ trails that do stress the fork significantly, so I can not bring myself to trust a cross fork or anything less than a proper Tandem one.
Does anyone have a suggestion on where I might find a new, tandem fork with a 1 inch threaded steerer tube compatible with the first generation Cannodale Tandems circa 1990-91?....or….has anyone had a custom fork made? Where?
Thanks…Bill J