duane041

Yep, someone dumped a really beat up early Cannondale road bike behind our building yesterday. Its all black, with the Cannondale train station headbadge. No model name or number, which leads me to believe it's an early model. The problems are numerous: no wheels, chainring gears are bent (looks like an anger thing, as they were bent with a channel-lock), brakes are missing parts, saddle is damaged, etc etc etc. But the frame is great. Should I spend the effort to do something with this bike, or is it not worth it? I have no idea how it would ride once I was done with it, but I'm not too hip on spending big money ona very used and abused bike. Any advice is appreciated.

jdub71

if you can come across the parts to piece it back together rather cheaply, then go for it. If not, maybe you live close to me :-)

TheKillerPenguin

I'd say it's a worthwile endeavor. I don't know how much you know about maitenence and things like that, but I'm sure building up your own bike would teach you most of the things you'd ever need to know about keeping a newer bike in tip top shape. And who knows, you might wind up loving to ride that old bike. I say ebay for some cheap old stuff and slap it on the bike.

53-11_alltheway

I wouldn't spend a lot of money on it.

what year it is will determine the rear wheel you are going to use as well. The early ones had 126mm rear spacing and this will limit you to 7 speed at the most.

If you came across some cheap low dollar parts go ahead, but if it was 126mm spacing I wouldn't even bother (unless parts are free). The reason is I wouldn't spend money on a 126mm rear wheel you can't use for anything modern.

STEVO820

why would anyone trash a good frame? if it is worth rebuilding why did they toss it. i would bring it to a LBS and see if the frame is straight and get a professional opinion on rebuilding it.

invincibleone

What size frame is it? If it is your size, or even close, it may prove to be an interesting project. Cannondales are truly wonderful machines, the whole lot of them, and I wouldn't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Take your time with it, when a good deal on a needed component comes up on ebay or at the local bike swap jump on it. Good luck.

labratmatt

You can always turn it into a fixed gear or single speed. Sounds like the way to go to me.

goldfish

this idea gets my vote

53-11_alltheway

Definitely a good idea especially if it has 126mm rear spacing.

baxtefer

sounds like a job for ENO

53-11_alltheway

Is that the best single speed hub out there for a new guy like me or someone else to use?

baxtefer

no, it's $$$. but the best solution when it comes to a frame with vertical dropouts.
I'm picturing an old cannondale with the cantilevered rear dropouts.

duane041

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I will try to get some info from Cannondale on the year of manufacture and go from there. I like the idea of a fixed gear conversion. I will post photos later tonight.

As for why it was tossed, I think someone thought it was junk. It certainly looks like junk, if you don't know bikes very well. Bent parts, missing parts, etc, plus it is CAKED with grease and other assorted globs of sticky substances

sydney

Consider that ii may well be junk and the recycle bin is the proper place for it.

indie kid

Id put new parts on it only if you can get them cheap, then sell it on ebay...if you have another bike that is better.

nitropowered

Take, clean it up, take off any parts that look broken, and take it to the shop to see what they think of it.

Man, I wish I would come by a non-mass-market bike thrown in the trash. I really want a fixed gear training bike.

odeum

i would send it back to the factory for analysis.

a friend of mine has one, red. i did not know the headtube pic was a train station, but yeah, it is there. thought it looks like a barn.

his is red, a criterium series. vastly overbuilt, high quality finish and paint. he crashed descending a 20%+ grade and bent the orig steel forks. i installed some look lds pro 2 's for 70.00. also changed out his biopace style rings for round.

it has a mix of suntour and dia compe, index dt shift. also has the steep angle seatstays with lateral ovoid shaping, these join the chainstays ahead of the rear dropout. there cannot and will not be any discernable flex measurable by the human organism on this bike.

i beleive these are historicaly significant bikes. even if you did not restore it would be worth considering time capsule storage.

Flynn

Fix it up enough to use it on your trainer.......if you have a trainer. A lot of folks do not like to use their "good" bikes on the trainer. Often they will set up a beater bike and keep it fixed to the trainer.

Phantoj

I don't get why these frames are stiff... I'd think the cantilevered dropout would be a flexy design (not to mention a nasty area for fatigue)...?


If the frame works for you, use it. Or strip it down and sell on Ebay. It's a Cannondale, it's still decently light, somebody will want it.

petermi

I have an old dale frame with the cantilever back end. I set it up as a single speed and it is an absolute blast to ride. The only problem is that it will shake the fillings from your teeth on anything but the smoothest road. I use it when I only have a short amout of time to ride and it works fine for me.

odeum

oh ya, stiff is the order of the day with these things...this seatstay arrangement reduces flex occuring fom the bottom bracket, in theory, as this is where the flex originates from propelling the bike with the cranks. but...it was more of a stylistic exersize as the real reason for the stiffness is the diameters and thicknesses of the tubings. oof, that was a bumpy road.

no, the thing is not really light, lotsa steel would have been within a few ounces either way. this is why fatigue is not likely a prob, so much material is used.

these bikes were probably stronger than most downhill specific bikes of today.