black lightning or not a black lightning...that is the question.
09-14-15, 05:19 PM
#26
Extraordinary Magnitude
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Holy Cats Henry!
I'm not so much on the "brootal" "sinister black" sort of thing, but holy sheep****, that thing looks like more badass than you can shake a stick at.
*hint hint*
*nudge nudge*
*wink wink*
I'm not so much on the "brootal" "sinister black" sort of thing, but holy sheep****, that thing looks like more badass than you can shake a stick at.
*hint hint*
*nudge nudge*
*wink wink*
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Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
09-14-15, 06:41 PM
#27
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Check your wheelbase measurement (inches):
Criterium 38.48
Road 38.90
Criterium 38.48
Road 38.90
09-14-15, 08:02 PM
#28
WV is not flat..
Nice find. I have an 88 BL and if that one is as much fun to ride as mine, it doesn't matter if it has the decal or not. I love finding bikes like the way you did. It's a labor of love to save these rides.
09-15-15, 03:40 AM
#29
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And with a Criterium Series frame you can do that. I scared up an '88 frameset here and built my own. The geometry fits me perfectly and is my main bike.
09-15-15, 05:00 AM
#30
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Late to the party. What a celebration and find! Too bad it is not your size--- or my size! 
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09-15-15, 08:49 AM
#31
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John
09-15-15, 09:04 AM
#32
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@Henry III I picked up an '87 BL this past winter for a steal but have only ridden it once so far. I have some tweaking to do first and life gets in the way. If you want I can take some pictures and post them later on so that you can compare. It does have the Suntour Sprint group as stated by another member.
09-15-15, 09:05 AM
#33
is just a real cool dude
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It kind of gives that classy John Player Special touch to it. But a cigarette sponsor for bicycles probably doesn't jive too much. lol.
09-15-15, 09:05 AM
#34
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@Henry III I picked up an '87 BL this past winter for a steal but have only ridden it once so far. I have some tweaking to do first and life gets in the way. If you want I can take some pictures and post them later on so that you can compare. It does have the Suntour Sprint group as stated by another member.
09-15-15, 09:09 AM
#35
is just a real cool dude
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I may part it out and sell the frame and fork and keep the rest for myself to help with my welder fund. The group will go onto my C'dale project. So before this heads to the FS forum I'll give a little heads up. Just waiting to hear back from Mr R. Tunes who inquired about it.
09-15-15, 09:37 AM
#36
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Jus' teasing Robbie!
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Enjoying the GA coast all year long!
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Bob
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09-15-15, 10:20 AM
#38
is just a real cool dude
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Carsonville. Besides myself and another guy who rides a lower end Miyata with the bars flipped DUI style I was shocked to see a bike like this here. It's literally a one stop light town and it only blinks. lol. The CL here is probably the worst I've ever seen. I think the dark side of the moon would have more activity if it had it's own CL location. Haha!
09-15-15, 12:53 PM
#40
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Henry, you really have to get a ride or two out of that before you sell it.
09-15-15, 09:40 PM
#41
is just a real cool dude
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If I was about a couple inches taller and by that I mean about four inches taller. I tried riding it but I had to drop the saddle all the way down and the toptube/stem is about 3 cm's longer then I'm used to. As much as I wanted this to possibly work. It would look totally wonky and cobbled together to make it work. I'd need a 70mm stem and slam the saddle.
09-15-15, 10:15 PM
#42
Fat Guy on a Little Bike
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Not much point buying that without the parts. Just a black Cannondale frame at that point. I'm not sure the Suntour bits would look good elsewhere either for that matter. I'm not normally opposed to parting stuff out, especially on 80s bikes, but this should stay together IMO.
This is a rare case where the sum is greater.
This is a rare case where the sum is greater.
09-15-15, 10:33 PM
#43
Senior Member
C'dale wasn't my account at Suntour, but I'm pretty sure we and they were referring to the bikes that got the C'dale-exclusive black/gold parts as "Black Lightning" from the beginning. It may have been that it wasn't till the second model year that the internal, kinda informal designation became official. The first year was Spb Pro, then later on we did Sprint for them.
This is an old story now, but Japanese hearses look like black pickup trucks with little black/gold temples built over the bed---the blackest black lacquer wood with bright, shiny gold trim. Most Japanese who see a black/gold color scheme immediately think "hearse" and "funeral," so the Japanese Suntour staff were baffled that anybody thought these bikes looked cool. It didn't stop them from accepting the orders and making the parts, but they were always just shaking/scratching their heads. Internally at Suntour, we always called them the Cannondale Hearse bikes. Sometimes the more manga-talented young'ns would draw little hearses on their faxes.
https://flic.kr/p/734Xf
https://flic.kr/p/byFR2
This is an old story now, but Japanese hearses look like black pickup trucks with little black/gold temples built over the bed---the blackest black lacquer wood with bright, shiny gold trim. Most Japanese who see a black/gold color scheme immediately think "hearse" and "funeral," so the Japanese Suntour staff were baffled that anybody thought these bikes looked cool. It didn't stop them from accepting the orders and making the parts, but they were always just shaking/scratching their heads. Internally at Suntour, we always called them the Cannondale Hearse bikes. Sometimes the more manga-talented young'ns would draw little hearses on their faxes.
https://flic.kr/p/734Xf
https://flic.kr/p/byFR2
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Fuggedaboutit!
Fuggedaboutit!
09-15-15, 10:34 PM
#44
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Agree with KAS. Some bikes are a package (think: pantographed Gios, Cinelli Centurion with odd mix of Ofmega & Campagnolo bits, Cannondale Black Lightning) and some are simply a combination of parts. I'd keep this one together
Nice find indeed. You seem to have a surplus of good bike karma.
Nice find indeed. You seem to have a surplus of good bike karma.
09-16-15, 03:50 AM
#45
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C'dale wasn't my account at Suntour, but I'm pretty sure we and they were referring to the bikes that got the C'dale-exclusive black/gold parts as "Black Lightning" from the beginning. It may have been that it wasn't till the second model year that the internal, kinda informal designation became official. The first year was Spb Pro, then later on we did Sprint for them.
This is an old story now, but Japanese hearses look like black pickup trucks with little black/gold temples built over the bed---the blackest black lacquer wood with bright, shiny gold trim. Most Japanese who see a black/gold color scheme immediately think "hearse" and "funeral," so the Japanese Suntour staff were baffled that anybody thought these bikes looked cool. It didn't stop them from accepting the orders and making the parts, but they were always just shaking/scratching their heads. Internally at Suntour, we always called them the Cannondale Hearse bikes. Sometimes the more manga-talented young'ns would draw little hearses on their faxes.
https://flic.kr/p/734Xf
https://flic.kr/p/byFR2
This is an old story now, but Japanese hearses look like black pickup trucks with little black/gold temples built over the bed---the blackest black lacquer wood with bright, shiny gold trim. Most Japanese who see a black/gold color scheme immediately think "hearse" and "funeral," so the Japanese Suntour staff were baffled that anybody thought these bikes looked cool. It didn't stop them from accepting the orders and making the parts, but they were always just shaking/scratching their heads. Internally at Suntour, we always called them the Cannondale Hearse bikes. Sometimes the more manga-talented young'ns would draw little hearses on their faxes.
https://flic.kr/p/734Xf
https://flic.kr/p/byFR2
09-16-15, 09:51 AM
#46
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Great find @Henry III
The guys at the other end of the spectrum are doing this to Black Lightnings:
Cannondale Criterium Black Lightning Fixed Gear Conversion | road | Calgary | Kijiji
Brad
The guys at the other end of the spectrum are doing this to Black Lightnings:
Cannondale Criterium Black Lightning Fixed Gear Conversion | road | Calgary | Kijiji
Brad
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Better bike .. Better life!
Better bike .. Better life!
09-16-15, 09:56 AM
#47
is just a real cool dude
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"The previous owner of this frame was such an avid fixed gear rider that they filed off the rear durailleur mount as an act of defiance against gears..."
09-16-15, 11:01 AM
#48
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I don't have enough middle fingers to comprehend that.
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Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
09-23-15, 12:59 AM
#49
Senior Member
What's the stand over height?
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I'm happy to say that I own more Steel then Carbon. My Stable! ---> https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVZBep7
I'm happy to say that I own more Steel then Carbon. My Stable! ---> https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVZBep7
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