Grim

Where do you come up with all these clean frames?!?!?!!?!

I did manage to find a 98 R300 frame in a 63.5 finally. The fork is tweeked so I'm shopping a carbon thread less fork right now. I have a full 105 group with Wolber rims off a rusted up 88 DS centurion I will be loading it with. Some of the paint as lifter arround the FD clamp and not sure what to do. I think it may be forming some corrosion under the paint. The rest looks great and its is that really sharp two tone shown in the 98 catalog.

bradtx

rccardr, The black painted fork comes across on the gold bike nicely. You had a more productive day than I, bicycle wise. I killed a pedal wrench and a 15 mm Craftsman wrench removing a pedal from a crankarm... I found out that a 1/2" drive fits nicely into a square taper crankarm.

Brad

rccardr 

Grim, you buy 'em crappy, the strip and powder coat them. Not cheap, but in the end...it's like a new bike.

Brad, thanks for the kind words on the black fork. Sometimes...you just gotta dream and see what happens. Nice thing about killing a Craftsman tool is they give you a new one, no questions asked. Or, at least they used to.

91MF

first i'd like to say these builds look fantastic. like really effing stunning.

but i'd also like to point out that aluminum 'ages'. i have had doubles of the exact same cdale before, one NOS and one ridden hard for almost 20 years and you can feel the difference. do customers of yours ever complain about a 'dead' bike after you powdercoat a pre-loved frame/fork?

one other question: why are the seatposts always slammed on your builds? are you a really short dude and just have it that way so you can ride all of them for a shakedown?

i hope i dont come across as a jerk because i truly love that you are breathing new life into these old 'soda-cans'...

bradtx

91MF, Not answering for rccardr, but there were a very few early Cannondales that went 'dead' when there was some issue with the T6 heat treatment. Those that were can be ID'd by a drooping, or swayback looking top tube. I know of one person whose frame was replaced because of this.

Brad

rccardr 

Nope, never had anyone complain about a dead frame, nor have I ever encountered one myself. Did run across one that had a slightly bowed downtube, but it rode fine and a year later the new owner still loves it.

As far as the slammo-saddles go, I find they photograph better that way. I ride mine with a fist 'o post showing (I'm about 5'11" and ride a 58), and fit the bike to the buyer when they test ride. That's also why I set up the cable housing with the stem at max height, then bring it down after the wrap so that no matter where the new owner likes the bar height, the cable will work.

All of the bikes I post here- with rare exception- get sold shortly after they are built and I ride 'em for 100 miles or so. I only keep two active riders at a time, and right now that's the Yellow Submarine and my new SuperTempo.

rccardr 

Just delivered this one tonight: 54cm '90 SR frame redone in Harley metalflake orange. All Shimano 600, Ritchey saddle and bar tape, Panaracer tires. Very sweet rider & the new owner was very excited to pick it up.

Lady who custom-ordered it writes a very cool bike blog covering the DC bike scene called BikecrushDC. Check it out!

rothenfield1

Just when I thought I was ready to move-on from my addiction to vintage bikes, this thread has inspired me. I'm not sure that is a good thing.

rat fink

Amazing.

bradtx

rccardr, It came out very nice. Lucky that the tri color appliques are still attached, I only have them still on the crankarms and I've had the two 600 groups from new. Was it powder coated or painted?

Brad

pastorbobnlnh 

Doc!

Well done! The wet shinny look of the orange reminds me of a teen girl's nails on her way to a HS Halloween dance!

Just curious, is this a 7 speed freewheel? Is the large sprocket 28 teeth?



The reason I ask, last week I tried upgrading my '93 R600 2.8 to a 11-28, 8 speed cassette (originally equipped with a 11-21). The Shimano 105 did just fine except on the next to largest cog (25 or 26? tooth) when the rear jockey wheel cage bumps along the bottom of the teeth of the 28 tooth largest cog. The 105 would shift up to the 28. Any advice?

Also, I reduced the 42 tooth inner chainring to a 39 tooth.

rccardr 

Rothenfield- It's a good thing for you...for your wallet, maybe not so much.
Brad- The TriColor decals come off too easily if you ask me. Try a little clear nail polish to protect them. The frame was powder coated- 2 steps, the second being clear. It's super glossy, as the Good Pastor has noted.
Bob- Yes, it's a 7 speed and pretty sure it's a 13/28. I'm assuming if it's a 93 that you're dealing with 2nd gen 105- the frosty finished 1055 series stuff- and that's pretty much identical to this Shimano 600 with a different finish. You can get a little room with the B screw to back off the jockey wheel and cage, but you also might need to work with chain length to get it right. 42 down to 39 plus 21 to 28 = longer chain if you ask me.

Homebrew01

Here's my "new" winter-rain-night bike. I dug out one of my old race frames (1st gen road bike) from my in-laws basement, stuck some 10 speed parts on it.

"Features":
Reflective Tape
I welded on a new dropout when the hanger broke
Plastic Look pedals w/ reflectors
Aero C-Record seatpost (makes me faster)
1980 FD and crank with Campy 10 speed
Early prototype aluminum fork (fresh rattle-can paint job)
Exploding MagicShine
I hope to fit some Crud fenders on it.

pastorbobnlnh 

Doc,

Yes, the 105 is listed in the 1993 catalog as "New 105" and it looks different from the earlier gear. I have turned the B screw all way in, but it did not push the cage out far enough to clear the cog. No problems when it is on the first 6 cogs.

At the moment the chain works well on the 39 tooth ring. There is not enough length to use the 53 tooth ring on the two biggest cogs, but I'm not surprised by this.

I guess it will need to either go to a long cage RD or a smaller range cassette. I've been outbid on a number of long cage 105s. I'm thinking of just doing a BIN on a Sora or Tiagra, but interestingly, even those are spec'ed by Shimano as 27 tooth max. Although I imagine it could handle the 28. If I end up with a new a long cage RD a new chain is definitely in the works.

I'm trying to avoid a triple on this bike.

bradtx

rccardr, I'll see what the nail polish does with my remaining appliques, thanks. Also the RD pic shows when the replaceable dropout came online as my '89 doesn't have one.
Bob, If the B screw adj. works check the little-little combo, there should be just a bit (1/4-1/3") of seperation between the chain and the jockey wheel. Let me know if you want a pic. I spec'd that group for my black/gold 2.8's 3X8 because it's patina matched more closely than the 600. It's a great group, good luck.
Homebrew01, If you want to, a hair dryer can help remove the Campy(?) decals. Looks too good for a commuter.

Brad

bradtx

Bob, I had to go to the next gen. (bright) 105 for a long cage RD, I just matched it with a next gen. triple FD. Not what I wanted, but at least it's all 105. The Tiagra would be my choice.

Brad

rccardr 

I'm still thinking an extra link or two. Try it with a pair of Master Links- I bet it frees things up a bit and lets the jockey cage swing down farther.

Also try loosening up the RD mounting bolt a quarter turn to make sure it rotates easily. They can get sticky.

pastorbobnlnh 

Great tips! Thanks!

E_merlin

WOW - the orange one is awsome!~

Grim

Hmm, now you have me worried.

93 is the 105SC when the 8speed came out. I'm trying to figure out how to get some more gear on the R300 project I am working on and bought a 93 doner bike with the complete 1005SC STI group. It came with a 13-23 and I really would like a 12-28 to deal with the hills around here. Will a 38 or a 39 ring fit on the 105 cranks?

bradtx

Grim, That crankset was also available with a 39T inner.

Brad

pastorbobnlnh 

I'm going to try a long cage Tiagra RD to see if I can make that work. I'll keep you posted after it arrives.

Grim

Yeah let me know but I am pretty sure that will work. I have a long cage 105 with 105 9speed brifter that has 11-28 and a 48/36/26 crank on the bike this one is actually sort of replacing. It works nice on that bike.

If I sell the other bike (T700) it will go back stock and I will be holding onto my 9 speed 105 parts. They may just make ther way onto this and the 105SC onto my wifes 87 Terry instead of the 8 speed RSX brifters I have.

Grim

Well I wrapped up my R300 build and I am VERY pleased with it. Except the FD it is a 1993 105SC. I still want to throw a 39 on the crank but it is not as bad as I thought it would be. According to the LBS scale it is 22.4lb. Not bad for a 63cm frame.
98 was a funny year and they had a BUNCH of different models on the same frame. The R300 stock was a 8Speed RSX. In 8speed 105 trim is would be a R800.
I have not had a chance to really get a long ride in yet but I am super pleased with the ride. I put a Performance carbon fork on it (factory fork was bent) and it rides so smooth I cannot believe it is on 700x23's. I had a 89 R600 with an aluminum fork and that bike made my teeth rattle.

rccardr 

Red and yellow. Yellow and red. MMMMmmmmm...