Epic dump find... now what do I do with it?
#26
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If the headshok system is working properly, or can be salvaged and serviced to do so , it would provide more joy than a frankenstein fork swap. I rode one of those bikes for a few months and actually liked it a lot compared to my rigid steel Paramount MTB.
Cannondale built that bike properly back in 1998 . It will still perform as good today as it did in 1998. It wont equal a new Cannondale in performance - evolution has taken place -- but it is a high end bike for its time and can support going anywhere any other hardtail could go
Cannondale built that bike properly back in 1998 . It will still perform as good today as it did in 1998. It wont equal a new Cannondale in performance - evolution has taken place -- but it is a high end bike for its time and can support going anywhere any other hardtail could go
I can understand the sport changing, and people wanting different types of bikes to ride different terrain in a different way, but the trails near my house have the same rocks and roots that they did when people drooled over this bike.
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#28
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Yes..."Back in the day" when that's all that existed. Not so much compared to what he have now. Kind of like back in the day all the cars had drum brakes. Now we have disc brakes.
Maybe it was harsh of me to say leave it at the dump. I know I personally would have not brought that home nor do I ever go scavenging for stuff at the dump. But maybe if the OP doesn't ride it, it could be donated to a local neighborhood kid.
Maybe it was harsh of me to say leave it at the dump. I know I personally would have not brought that home nor do I ever go scavenging for stuff at the dump. But maybe if the OP doesn't ride it, it could be donated to a local neighborhood kid.
I get it is vintage stuff but it is acres better than the modern stuff of that number of speeds and honestly for the average rider not a bad way to go. Having a vintage bike in the stable is fun sometimes. I love my high end bikes, Di2 is awesome, Rohloff E-14 awesome all that sort of stuff but it is fun to just have a bike to mess around on.
#29
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Originally Posted by Velogoth;[url=tel:22449169
22449169[/url]]I know nothing about mountain bike geometry, so correct me if I'm wrong, but if I got an adapter headset and changed the fork out I wouldn't be limited to 26". Theoretically I could change to a 27.5 or even 29er front wheel kind of like cyclezen did above, right? I have no idea how that would affect handling, aside from the increased BB height.
However, if the headshock is still functional, maybe try it first? I agree with what others have written, that this bike would be better for gravel-type riding than for MTB trails. (That's true of any MTB from that era! Modern MTB geometry is very different.)
Getting some nice non- or at least less knobby tires will really help. I'm a very big fan of René Herse' 26" x 2.3" Rat Trap Pass tires, but anything similar should also be nice.
#30
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You shouldn't try to convert this into a 2022 bike. There's just too many differences. Most of the new differences are good, bikes are easier to use and ride more easily more places... except new bikes are way heavier and more expensive!
However it's a great bike for its year and as good as it ever was at anything it once did. If this has the premium version of the head shok with all air and oil, no polyurethane foam, you should be able to set it for your weight (and then set about using it to lose some).
However I disagree with the hot take that it's only good for dirt roads now, or that gravel bikes are just like old MTB's. It's a solid MTB, the kind that was used for everything except downhill. Gravel bikes are ruggedized road bikes.
However it's a great bike for its year and as good as it ever was at anything it once did. If this has the premium version of the head shok with all air and oil, no polyurethane foam, you should be able to set it for your weight (and then set about using it to lose some).
However I disagree with the hot take that it's only good for dirt roads now, or that gravel bikes are just like old MTB's. It's a solid MTB, the kind that was used for everything except downhill. Gravel bikes are ruggedized road bikes.
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I dont . ITs a mountain bike. A couple of us have noted that our local trails havent really changed that mucg in 20-30 years in some cases. These bikes are what we rode
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Bikes were designed like that because people just didn’t know any better. I remember well thinking that a 135mm stem, 560mm bar, 71 deg head angle all sounded like a good idea.
Last edited by Kapusta; 03-28-22 at 07:27 AM.
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This bike is interesting for what it is: An old classic mtb. IMO, trying to modernize it with a different front end in an attempt to make it a better mtb is a waste of money and of the bike, IMO.
If what you want is a better mtb, start with a more modern bike. The problem with this bike is not the components, it is the geometry.
If what you want is a better mtb, start with a more modern bike. The problem with this bike is not the components, it is the geometry.
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Boy - you hit the nail on the head there !
In my case, and being 50 now with a ton of old injuries -- but for me i wonder if thats more a function of being in my 20's and trying to push the limits everytime the trail angled slightly downward and attempting to achieve lift on almost any bump, stump or creek crossing. Today i have a far more capable machine, but i also ride it much more cautiously. Quite a conundrum
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I was looking to snag a pair of v-brakes off of a bike at the dump for a project... and then I realized what the brakes I was looking at were attached to. This is a 1997 1998 Cannondale F2000 CAAD3. The dump attendant said someone had just dropped it off because they "hadn't ridden it in 10 years".
It's the right size for me, and there's nothing wrong with it other than normal wear & tear for its age BUT:
1. I'm not really a mountain biker.
2. At 280lbs I think I'm too heavy for it. This is a light frame, and I've read that the headshoks aren't a good fit for heavy riders.
So, do I sell it? If so, how much should I sell it for? Should I have the headshok serviced before selling?
Do I part it out on ebay?
Am I too heavy for it? Do I keep it for singletrack/occasional rides with friends?
Thanks in advance!
It's the right size for me, and there's nothing wrong with it other than normal wear & tear for its age BUT:
1. I'm not really a mountain biker.
2. At 280lbs I think I'm too heavy for it. This is a light frame, and I've read that the headshoks aren't a good fit for heavy riders.
So, do I sell it? If so, how much should I sell it for? Should I have the headshok serviced before selling?
Do I part it out on ebay?
Am I too heavy for it? Do I keep it for singletrack/occasional rides with friends?
Thanks in advance!
Maybe loose a couple of pounds, or ...
Just keep it as your gravel bike. Perfect for that. I'm not that far behind you weight wise and I just rebuilt a V-500 with a Headshok for my granddaughter. Yeah, if I don't preload it for my weight and pump up the Fox Shok it's a bit too springy. But yours will be much more forgiving on most surfaces with solid stays
#36
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I had some pretty nice hardtails in that era and I took them some wild places.
If I had this back then, I would have likewise taken it wild places.
Any bike that comes specd with XT/XTR is going to have pretty good components everywhere else. It’s a great bike.
It’s old school though, the sport has fundamentally changed, I would not expect this bike to perform well in what the modern definition seems to be (gravity driven and aerial).
If I had this back then, I would have likewise taken it wild places.
Any bike that comes specd with XT/XTR is going to have pretty good components everywhere else. It’s a great bike.
It’s old school though, the sport has fundamentally changed, I would not expect this bike to perform well in what the modern definition seems to be (gravity driven and aerial).
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I was looking to snag a pair of v-brakes off of a bike at the dump for a project... and then I realized what the brakes I was looking at were attached to. This is a 1997 1998 Cannondale F2000 CAAD3. The dump attendant said someone had just dropped it off because they "hadn't ridden it in 10 years".
It's the right size for me, and there's nothing wrong with it other than normal wear & tear for its age BUT:
1. I'm not really a mountain biker.
2. At 280lbs I think I'm too heavy for it. This is a light frame, and I've read that the headshoks aren't a good fit for heavy riders.
So, do I sell it? If so, how much should I sell it for? Should I have the headshok serviced before selling?
Do I part it out on ebay?
Am I too heavy for it? Do I keep it for singletrack/occasional rides with friends?
Thanks in advance!
It's the right size for me, and there's nothing wrong with it other than normal wear & tear for its age BUT:
1. I'm not really a mountain biker.
2. At 280lbs I think I'm too heavy for it. This is a light frame, and I've read that the headshoks aren't a good fit for heavy riders.
So, do I sell it? If so, how much should I sell it for? Should I have the headshok serviced before selling?
Do I part it out on ebay?
Am I too heavy for it? Do I keep it for singletrack/occasional rides with friends?
Thanks in advance!
enjoy
#38
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Self-absorbed, careless, throwaway society lacking in consideration of those in need and the amount of completely useful stuff they throw in the landfill as waste.
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I educated the attendants at the landfill about quality bikes they should be diverting. Turned into a treasuretrove for me. Great pickup.
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Is there a delete/workaround for the Headshock that makes it just a regular setup?
#43
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Wow! I should be so lucky.
I agree with those who say tune it up, swap tires if needed, and then ride it.
I agree with those who say tune it up, swap tires if needed, and then ride it.
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Current bikes: Unknown year Specialized (rigid F & R) Hardrock, '80's era Cannondale police bike; '03 Schwinn mongrel MTB; '03 Specialized Hard Rock (the wife's)
Gone away: '97 Diamondback Topanga SE, '97 Giant ATX 840 project bike; '01 Giant TCR1 SL; and a truckload of miscellaneous bikes used up by the kids and grand-kids
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#46
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Great find! I'd clean, and tune it up then ride it. I've been eyeing Craigslist for a diamond in the rough though I think the wife will kill me (or wearing it as a bowtie Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd style) if I snagged another bike. No room in the garage as it is.
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wow great find Velogoth !
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I will argue for old XT. I have two old XT derailleurs (7 and 8 speed) running 9 speed quite nicely and yes a little more vintage but shifts like a freakin' dream. Maybe a notch down from my XT 11 speed but on par with my actual 9 speed XT rear.
I get it is vintage stuff but it is acres better than the modern stuff of that number of speeds and honestly for the average rider not a bad way to go. Having a vintage bike in the stable is fun sometimes. I love my high end bikes, Di2 is awesome, Rohloff E-14 awesome all that sort of stuff but it is fun to just have a bike to mess around on.
I get it is vintage stuff but it is acres better than the modern stuff of that number of speeds and honestly for the average rider not a bad way to go. Having a vintage bike in the stable is fun sometimes. I love my high end bikes, Di2 is awesome, Rohloff E-14 awesome all that sort of stuff but it is fun to just have a bike to mess around on.
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attached pic of a bike with DTH 2.15