Steve Whitlatch 

My 13 year old daughter had me buy her a mountain bike from Target 2 years ago that was just like her friends bike. It is a big old heavy 45 lb bike that I have been trying to get her off of with no luck at all. She has not liked any road bike I have brought home until now. Her maiden voyage went too well. She really pushed me. Strong legs on that girl. She took the lead on a 10 mile ride and I had a very hard time keeping her pace. She is so competitive. I guess I will need to tighten her bearings real tight and not lube her chain. She is so competitive. I wonder where she gets that from?

The bike is a 1985 Cannondale racer that was converted into a comfort bike. It is a sleeper for sure. I was planning on flipping it. Now I will be fixing it up real nice for her. After I took off the big grandma seat and put a small black one I had laying around on the bike, the girl loved it. The Father Daughter rides are going to be so much fun.

TheDavid 

Sweet!! I really like the way you turned a road bike into a bat-out-of-hell-fast townie!

nesteel 

Looks sharp. She'll be really happy with that, no doubt.

pastorbobnlnh 

Great deal for you both! Sweet Cannondale and when she is ready for drop bars, it will be a cinch to convert.

I can't count how many times I've suggested to parents not to buy a knobby tire heavy new bike from the big box stores. I'm always suggesting CL and smooth tires. Few heed what I suggest.

bradtx

Steve, You'll know for sure in about 15 years.

My older daughter liked my Cannondales, but didn't want a race bike and she wanted a Bianchi. I found a NOS Volpe in her size and she is still riding it. She also knew at age 14 that a bicycle can be tailored into exactly what she wanted which resulted into a roadie build using some take-offs from my first 2.8 project, be prepared for that.

I overhauled her Volpe about three months ago and she and her daughter had their first mother/daughter ride. My grand daughter is as competitive as her mom and put her trike into a death wobble, skinning her knee.

Enjoy these times.

Brad

Steve Whitlatch 

That is so cool. I hope my daughter will love riding as much as yours in 15 years. I will cherish the times I have now. I have a set of drop bars with nice Dia Compe levers I can throw on the bike if she ever gets over her "drop bars are not cool" faze. I will build whatever makes her happy. I will take her to pick out a new saddle and will be on the lookout for a set of wheels in better condition. Father daughter fun.

Chicago Al 

My first venture into C&V bikes, or any bikes at all as an adult, was finding a sweet Miyata mixte for my daughter, for her to take to college.

She HATED the heavy bike her mom had bought her (from Target) during high school. Chicago teens are very into bikes and her friends had fixies or city bikes or C&V-ish ones (one was from a family with all bikes and no car) so she was always lagging behind with her clunker. She didn't complain though (bless her heart) but did ask for something else a little lighter as a graduation present. We drove over to Michigan together to pick up the Miyata. Now she's graduated college and still has it. Best thing we ever got her, probably.

bradtx

Even if she doesn't like riding in the future, she'll remember these times.

Brad

trailmix

Cool bike. Looks like an SR300 that someone has added a triple crank and flat bars. I Love those old bikes.

DVC45

I was looking at that bike in CL a day or two ago. Thanks for buying it for her.
' saved me a few $$.

Steve Whitlatch 

Yes it is. The original owner added the triple at the time of purchase because I also have the original Sugino GS right side crank with double chain rings that looks brand new. I wish they could find the left side. So it has the Sugino AT triple set and some very nice solid Suntour thumb shifters on it. It came with the owners manual and brochure. Not a bad deal for $120.

I was going to put drop bars and brake levers I had in the box on the bike and a set of down tube shifters and sell it for $300.

auchencrow

After riding that 2-ton Target MTB for so long, there's no surprise her legs are as strong as her old man's. Now that you put her on that C'dale Townie-bottle rocket of a bike, look out!

trailmix

I might have an extra GS crankset in a box in the garage. I can look when I get home (out of town for mothers day) if you really want a Sugino double.

Flog00

A great father!
Good job!

WNG

You're a lucky dad, Steve! Enjoy these times.

Steve Whitlatch 

Thanks but I will keep the triple on the bike for her. She may need it some day.

jyl

Cool bike. How 'bout some path racer bars - look fast and groovy, and you'll have to work harder to keep up.

And show her some YouTube of road racing - Vos etc - maybe she'll get over the drop bar phobia.

crank_addict

Steve- Nicely done! Great bike too

A few weeks ago, had the grandgirls all tuned on their fat tires with 50 psi.. The mighty mites can GO and the distance! They love it when I take them out. No whiners with me Prep with plenty of water, snacks, pick an interesting route (no long distance straights) and mostly teach them to pace themselves.

Only if they show genuine interest or responsibility, then that's the time to step up for them.

For the youngsters, nothing wrong with big box 40 lbs. steel frame, fat tires. $100 bikes will get trashed, dropped, abused and eventually handed down or donated. Why bother with anything better as they bang them around with other kids and bikes, left unlocked at parks. Even if one finds a used quality JR racer, makes no sense to let them have it unless they fully understand it and value.

Ps: PM me for fun Sat/ AM group rides. Three levels of riders and routes - no one left behind.

trailmix

I don't blame you, Sugino ATs are my favorite crankset.

OldsCOOL

Hey! A new Cannondale thread!

Steve, you have class as a daddy. Gorgeous frame to hang onto and tailor to your daughter's wants and needs. What a cool bike.

Steve Whitlatch 

Thanks for all the compliments on her bike. She will probably only use it for our rides together. I don`t think she is ready, at this point in her life, to ride a bike like this around her friends. She must keep her cool factor up. She has shown interest in riding, asking to go with me on rides last season. On her mountain bike, the rides where short. Now she has a bike that can go farther faster. She seems to like riding, or she may just like beating her old dad at things. Either way, I love it.

qcpmsame 

Nice build for your daughter, Steve. My daughter claimed my '97 R500 Cannondale as hers when I got my CAAD10. She is riding it up in Atlanta, regularly on the routes they have to choose from. That is a beautiful looking ride, I like the mix of the road frame and wheelset/components and the upright bars you have used for her. Kind of a C&V hybrid I guess. Well done, sir, well done.

You realize that even tightening the wheel bearings down and such won't hold the young lass back don't you?

Bill