shoota 

Yeah if I had canti studs as an option I would get one of the newer options available now. Proper setup is key to their stopping power. V-brakes are supposedly superior to cantis but they don't look nearly as good.

Trakhak

Hope pictures will appear of some of the more obscure Cannondale models. It's been a long time since I last saw one of their touring bikes that came with a two-chainring half-step setup. The reasoning behind the setup was sound---13-to-32 sprockets with 50- and 45-tooth chainrings (going by memory) for perfectly stepped gearing. But store owners didn't want bikes on the floor that required half-step-gearing seminars. So that model disappeared in a hurry.

Also looking forward to seeing pictures of Cannondales from the year of wavy frame tubes. They were having trouble with their new heat-treating process, so we were told. The frames were perfectly aligned, evidently, but looked, shall we say, semitumescent. So they did customized quasi-psychedelic paint jobs to divert the eye from the waywardness of the tubes. Some dealers refused to buy any, but we managed to sell some.

Another forgotten Cannondale innovation: in the era when most production bikes came in frame sizes with two-inch increments, Cannondale introduced much more useful sizing for their racing bikes, with 2-cm increments for the larger and smaller frames and 1.5-cm increments of 53, 54.5, and 56 cm (again going by memory) for the middle sizes. It was as close to custom sizing as you could get.

stingx

My 1987 SR500. I powder-coated the frame gray and textured black for the fork. Mostly Shimano 600 groupset. The handlebar, crankset, and wheelset are from a donor.

OldsCOOL

Did you run the rear brake cable through the top tube?

stingx

Good eyes! Yes I did.

OldsCOOL

How did that turn out? Can you describe your process? Classy bike, love the color!

stingx

Thank you. I basically made a hole on each end and threaded through it. If I could make it more entertaining I would.

OldsCOOL

No need

2 questions if you please. Did you fill the cable guide holes or leave them? And do you get a rattle from the cable when hitting bumps and what not? Thanx.

rommer25

1993 Cannondale H 400. My commuter bike for two years. I was too big for me but served me well. Now with a relation, sitting in their garage. I may just go and get it one day.

stingx

When I drilled I specifically picked a size to closely match the circumference of the cable. It was painful, to say the least, threading the cable through. It doesn't rattle at all and since it is close enough to the size of the cable there was no need to fill it. It looks very clean and functional.

pastorbobnlnh 

This is so cool looking! Stunning! Can't wait to see the final build out!

OldsCOOL

Did you fill the holes on top the tube where the plastic guides plugged in?

shoota 

Yeah we're gonna need some pics of that.

Shifty

My 1985 SR600. I built it up with Sun Tour Superbe Pro index, fun bike to ride!!

stingx

^^
Nice color!

Shifty

Thanks, that's the factory paint.

72Paramount

2000 R600 Single-Speed. Built to the wife's specs.

72Paramount

I always liked the cannondale track bikes. Would love to own one.

oddjob2

While C&V is mostly about the romance of lugged steel beauties, many of us have a soft spot for vintage Cannondale bikes. There have been scattered photos of bikes that look like they just came off the showroom floor and others that have been highly modified and updated.

Let's limit this thread to Cannondale's at least 10 or more years old. The newer versions are covered in the road bike forum.

I have road, touring, hybrid, and touring Cannondales, which I will post later. @OldsCOOL will be all over this thread

OldsCOOL

I'm all in.

For me, it was a 3yr search for an affordable Black Lightning. The elegantly villainous looks grabbed my attention but it was the reports of a brutally honest (stiff) frame and criterium geometry. The spring of 2014 I nabbed an '88 Criterium Series frameset of exact fit and immediately began a repaint with a black/gold metallic paint. The build took 2 months and with a Vuelta Corsa Lite wheelset to top it off. A Shimano tricolor 600 with indexed 7-speed shifters commanding the 12-28 HG cassette makes gear changing flawlessly quick. There is no other bike like it when it comes to hillclimbs and blazing out of the saddle sprints. It gives no quarter.

The Golden Boy 

******' Rocket ******' Bike.

nikku 

Uunngh stop....these are grail bikes for me ever since I found a mint mid 90's M500 for my brother in law's birthday, but every other one I've found local has been too small or an outrageous asking price. Seriously if anyone has an extra 25 or 27" mid 80's to late 90's touring or 22" mid 80's to late 90's M series rigid you want to get rid of, please pm me.

rccardr 

A couple of shots from Cannondale Memory Lane...

Mid 80's SR with a mix of Shimano 600 and Sugino:

Another mid 80's SR, in metallic gold with a black fork and all 105:

This was a build-to-order '86 ST for a guy over in Maryland, using 9 speed Ultegra:

A faux Black Lightning with Shimano 600 and Vuelta wheelset, kind of in the same vein as Oldscool's:

Yet another early SR, this one built with 9 speed Ultegra and light weight Shimano wheels:

Darth Lefty 

Cannondale XR800, bought as a frame with Paul cantis for $75, Shimergo 3x9 drivetrain. This is my daily commuter but has not yet achieved its final form. On the list are pedals, different handlebars and better and not tanwall tires.

Untitled by Darth Lefty, on Flickr


Untitled by Darth Lefty, on Flickr

Untitled by Darth Lefty, on Flickr

rccardr 

An '87 ST with more Tricolor. I actually rode this frame for a long time, then moved the Deore groupset over to Mrs. Doc's Trek 460 mixte, powder coated the frame and sold it as seen here:

This was a fun build. Very short female rider wanted her Cannondale "the color of foam on a Guinness draft", and the powder coater nailed it:

Another fun build, this one in dark metallic green with gold decals. Originally built this with a Brooks honey saddle and matching bar tape, but the black looked better to the buyer:

A pink one. Bought the frame as a NOS replacement from a shop going out of business, couldn't sell the bike as shown because of the color. Had to tear it down and powder coat it, eventually it was done in black and sold the same day it was posted:

A 91 SR done up in red. Had taken six frames to the powder coater at the same time and two of the forks got mixed up. Still turned out OK, I think: