Cannondale 'Headshok'...
Discussion
...anyone got one?
Or know anything about them?
I appear to have just won an ebay auction for one. The only issue is that it's attached to a Cannondale Backroads CAAD2 bicycle. Oh, and it's 130 miles away.
#ebayidiocy
I put in a speculative bid on the bike, thinking I was likely to lose out to a last minute sniper, and now I'm having a mild case of buyer's remorse. The bike is described as "used but works absolutely fine" and from measurements photographed by the seller it ought to be the right size for me. I'm not trying to find ingenious ways to wriggle out of the purchase, but I just want to see if I can find out a bit more about what appears to be a "Headshok" suspension fork.
If only some kind soul had outbid me at the last moment, as they have done on all the items I really wanted to win recently (like Garmin GPS watches), then I could just shrug my shoulders and move on to the next item on my 'watch list'.
So any info about things to look for when riding a Headshok, and any pointers as to maintenance, and hopefully a recommendation of somewhere I can get it serviced/overhauled/upgraded when it arrives would be most welcome.
I think the bike has 700c (622) rims, so tyres shouldn't be a problem. It looks like it's running STI shifters on drop bars, connected to 8(?) speed gears at the rear, and a Shimano 105 triple at the front with Vee brakes. The plan in my head is to fit my old Ultegra 6700 10-speed kit (if the shifters are compatible with the vee brakes?), with a pair of American Classic wheels I was given, and to smarten the bike up with the finishing kit from my old Merida road bike to get rid of the riser stem on it. I may be getting ahead of myself though, as I've not even contacted the seller yet! Did I mention #ebayidiocy ?
Oh - and the end goal for this bike is to use it for fire road Strava segment smashing, and to (possibly) race it at 'Battle On The Beach' in April this year. I've been looking for a drop-bar frame that I could bastardise into a beach/gravel racer for a while, but frame clearances for CX tyres have been the limiting factor. This bike appears to have greater clearance for bigger tyres, and with the Headshok it could make a decent machine for tearing up 5 km of hard packed sand and some fire roads with a bit of fast single track thrown in. I'm already hunting for 33 mm CX tyres...
Or know anything about them?
I appear to have just won an ebay auction for one. The only issue is that it's attached to a Cannondale Backroads CAAD2 bicycle. Oh, and it's 130 miles away.
#ebayidiocy
I put in a speculative bid on the bike, thinking I was likely to lose out to a last minute sniper, and now I'm having a mild case of buyer's remorse. The bike is described as "used but works absolutely fine" and from measurements photographed by the seller it ought to be the right size for me. I'm not trying to find ingenious ways to wriggle out of the purchase, but I just want to see if I can find out a bit more about what appears to be a "Headshok" suspension fork.
If only some kind soul had outbid me at the last moment, as they have done on all the items I really wanted to win recently (like Garmin GPS watches), then I could just shrug my shoulders and move on to the next item on my 'watch list'.
So any info about things to look for when riding a Headshok, and any pointers as to maintenance, and hopefully a recommendation of somewhere I can get it serviced/overhauled/upgraded when it arrives would be most welcome.
I think the bike has 700c (622) rims, so tyres shouldn't be a problem. It looks like it's running STI shifters on drop bars, connected to 8(?) speed gears at the rear, and a Shimano 105 triple at the front with Vee brakes. The plan in my head is to fit my old Ultegra 6700 10-speed kit (if the shifters are compatible with the vee brakes?), with a pair of American Classic wheels I was given, and to smarten the bike up with the finishing kit from my old Merida road bike to get rid of the riser stem on it. I may be getting ahead of myself though, as I've not even contacted the seller yet! Did I mention #ebayidiocy ?
Oh - and the end goal for this bike is to use it for fire road Strava segment smashing, and to (possibly) race it at 'Battle On The Beach' in April this year. I've been looking for a drop-bar frame that I could bastardise into a beach/gravel racer for a while, but frame clearances for CX tyres have been the limiting factor. This bike appears to have greater clearance for bigger tyres, and with the Headshok it could make a decent machine for tearing up 5 km of hard packed sand and some fire roads with a bit of fast single track thrown in. I'm already hunting for 33 mm CX tyres...
Oh, and an update as some Googling has revealed this site...
http://vintagecannondale.com/info/headshok/
..which has a lot more info than I knew already. It seems that it may be possible to swap the internals over if parts are available and there's a suspension servicing/tuning company who are still looking after them.
http://vintagecannondale.com/info/headshok/
..which has a lot more info than I knew already. It seems that it may be possible to swap the internals over if parts are available and there's a suspension servicing/tuning company who are still looking after them.
lufbramatt said:
Seem to remember the backroads being a straight bar hybrid rather than a drop bar road/touring bike. Geometry might end up being a bit weird with a drop bar on it.
One of my mates when I was at school had a Cannondale super V with a headshok on it, this was in the late 90s. I remember it being plush but quite bouncy, would blow through the limited amount of travel it had quite quickly. But was quite a smooth ride due to lack of sticktion compared to the primitive suspension forks were used to at the time such as RS Quadra 21, RST mozo pros etc.
That's kind of why I was asking really, because all the images I've seen (mostly from the USA) of the Backroads are of a straight bar bike. I'm not too worried about the geo though. The straight part of the drop bar will be roughly where the straight bar of a hybrid would be, and if getting into the drops makes me long and low, then all the better for "getting aero" on the 5 km sprint up Pembrey beach. The seller assures me that it's "always had those bars" so it may have been converted by another earlier owner?One of my mates when I was at school had a Cannondale super V with a headshok on it, this was in the late 90s. I remember it being plush but quite bouncy, would blow through the limited amount of travel it had quite quickly. But was quite a smooth ride due to lack of sticktion compared to the primitive suspension forks were used to at the time such as RS Quadra 21, RST mozo pros etc.
I've had some contact with the seller now, and I'm planning to collect it on Saturday so I'll check it over and post up some pictures when I can. I'm assured that it's in "ride away condition" which is more than a lot of bikes on ebay are.
I fear that swapping the stem will be a nightmare though, because my limited reading on the subject suggests that the steerer is oversized. Or at least the head tube is to accommodate the Headshok. But again, I'll find out more when I've got it home. I don't want to bother the seller with too many extra questions now. That sort of thing is what pre-bid emails are for! Now that I've bought it I'm committed to buying and collecting it anyway.
If the Ultegra 6700 brake levers will work with the Vee brakes, then I'm liking the idea of swapping in my Ultegra group, to make it more of a road bike in terms of gearing, and keeping my fingers crossed that the Headshok is in good order so that I can use it to pummel some fire roads and gravel tracks. If the gearing is too high with a 50/34 on the front, I'll seek out a 46/36 CX chainset for it instead.
I've also had to confess to my wife what I've done. Which led to the obligatory "one in one out" lecture. Apparently I promised her as much the last time I brought a bike home...
vwsurfbum said:
Some of my best bikes were #Ebayidiocy
I'm kinda hoping that's how this one turns out for me!It's the only one I've seen for sale, which was why I chucked a speculative bid in for it. It seemed far more suited to my 'ghetto gravel bike' plan than any of the road frames I've been looking at up to now.
I've got the guts of a road bike to rebuild it with more modern kit, and a spare set of quality vee brakes in the spare parts box too. Along with a set of American Classic wheels. Some new cables and a set of grippy tyres and this might actually be the one project I manage to get off the ground!
gazza285 said:
If the V-brakes don't work just put some cantilevers on it.
Haven't decided which bike for BOTB yet, rode single speed last year, which was hard work on the beach. Choices are single speed rigid MTB, 1x11 XC, or one of my 'cross bikes...
BOTB? Haven't decided which bike for BOTB yet, rode single speed last year, which was hard work on the beach. Choices are single speed rigid MTB, 1x11 XC, or one of my 'cross bikes...
My wife has invited herself along (provisionally) so there's a good chance the car will be full now, with a big family tent and chairs, etc. This will leave me with space for only one bike in the car I reckon, so I'll need to make a decision between this new bike and my boring old 27.5" 2 x 10 Giant Anthem.
I'm erring on the side of something with 700c wheels and higher gearing. There's very little really technical single track to speak of, and I can shoulder the bike CX-style if the gearing is too big for the few hills there are. The benefits of the CX/road focused drive train and narrower tyres up the beach for 5 km should outweigh the penalties from the same drive train in the forest.
We'll see though. If this new 'Dale is up to snuff, and I can fit both bikes in the car, then I'll bring 'em both and ride 'em back-to-back on the Friday or Saturday before the race. Whichever one I race on, it'll be interesting to be able to compare the differences between the bikes, and to see where I gain/lose time on each.
I've just looked at Canti brakes too. Some properly expensive options out there (KCNC for one) but I'll need to fit a brake hanger/headset spacer, and a seat collar. The shopping list for new groupset, tyres, cables, etc was already over £200, and Canti brakes won't make it any cheaper. Although I've got to say most of what's on my shopping list was "nice-to-haves" not essentials so I can trim costs by using parts I already have sitting around. I presume Cantis will fit on the same mounting posts as the V-brakes? Cantis are the one thing I've never dealt with on a bike before. Maybe Ican salvage a set from an old MTB at the local recycling centre? That'll keep costs down...
So much to think about now. This was supposed to be a bargain basement gravel racer, not a money pit. The cycling equivalent of 'Shedding' rather than a full restoration, if you like. I suppose what I really need to do is to stop speculating and wait until i get this thing paid for and brought home. That way I can answer many of my questions for myself.
Thanks for all the replies, by the way. Lots of useful suggestions too.
OK.
Another look at the photos on ebay reveals one answer to a fairly important question I had.
"If road STI levers don't work with V-brakes, how come this bike has that combination and it's said to work?"
Answer...
They're good photos, and one of them reveals the presence of a 'Travel Agent' cable pull ratio converter thingummybob on the V-brakes at the front, instead of a straight forward noodle.
I presume this means I can use any road STI lever at the handlebar now, without compromising the effectiveness of the brakes. The same at the rear too. The little 'Travel Agent' pulley wheel is clearly visible in the pictures. It seems certain now that it is a conversion from a flat bar hybrid, as any manufacturer would surely have specified Cantilever brakes if they'd fitted road STI levers from new. Although I suppose it could have been done by the supplying shop for the original owner so "like that from new" wouldn't seem so odd anymore...
Just reading up about the 'Travel Agent' pulley thing has made me feel much happier about the bike already. I'll stick to V-brakes now, so long as they'll work OK with my 10-speed levers.
ETA:
Further good news. If I don't like the V-brakes on the bike, or the 'Travel Agent' pull ratio converter, I can always buy some new brakes...
TRP CX-9 linear pull mini-V brakes...
https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/trp-cx-9-linear-pul...
...which are, apparently, designed to work directly with road STI levers. Fairly pricey, at c.£80 a set, but neater than the ratio converter thing that's on the bike right now, and obviously "shiny and new" which is always good!
Another look at the photos on ebay reveals one answer to a fairly important question I had.
"If road STI levers don't work with V-brakes, how come this bike has that combination and it's said to work?"
Answer...
They're good photos, and one of them reveals the presence of a 'Travel Agent' cable pull ratio converter thingummybob on the V-brakes at the front, instead of a straight forward noodle.
I presume this means I can use any road STI lever at the handlebar now, without compromising the effectiveness of the brakes. The same at the rear too. The little 'Travel Agent' pulley wheel is clearly visible in the pictures. It seems certain now that it is a conversion from a flat bar hybrid, as any manufacturer would surely have specified Cantilever brakes if they'd fitted road STI levers from new. Although I suppose it could have been done by the supplying shop for the original owner so "like that from new" wouldn't seem so odd anymore...
Just reading up about the 'Travel Agent' pulley thing has made me feel much happier about the bike already. I'll stick to V-brakes now, so long as they'll work OK with my 10-speed levers.
ETA:
Further good news. If I don't like the V-brakes on the bike, or the 'Travel Agent' pull ratio converter, I can always buy some new brakes...
TRP CX-9 linear pull mini-V brakes...
https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/trp-cx-9-linear-pul...
...which are, apparently, designed to work directly with road STI levers. Fairly pricey, at c.£80 a set, but neater than the ratio converter thing that's on the bike right now, and obviously "shiny and new" which is always good!
Edited by yellowjack on Thursday 22 February 20:54
Apologies to all reading this.
I'm using the thread as a bit of a notebook now, to collate links to useful products that I may need to 'improve' the bike.
This is one such post, and it gives me another option for the brakes (provided the fork crown is drilled through)...
Tektro CR720 canti brakes...
http://www.highonbikes.com/tektro-cr720-cyclo-cros... @£29.99 for both ends.
plus substitution of the cable hanger for...
Tektro Power Hanger Brake Enhancer...
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brakes/tektro-power-ha... @£4.99 per end
This bit replaces the need for the straddle cable/brake cable hanger, as far as I can tell. It also allows the brake cable to run all the way to the cantis in it's outer cable without needing external outer cable stops. Manufacturer claims it enhances power too. All it needs is a frame and forks with the crown drilled through. So now it's a case of "wait and see" what my 'new' bike has or hasn't got in the way of drilled frame and fork crown.
I thought this info might be worth sharing though, in case anyone else is doing anything similar with potential to use canti brakes with road levers.
I'm using the thread as a bit of a notebook now, to collate links to useful products that I may need to 'improve' the bike.
This is one such post, and it gives me another option for the brakes (provided the fork crown is drilled through)...
Tektro CR720 canti brakes...
http://www.highonbikes.com/tektro-cr720-cyclo-cros... @£29.99 for both ends.
plus substitution of the cable hanger for...
Tektro Power Hanger Brake Enhancer...
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brakes/tektro-power-ha... @£4.99 per end
This bit replaces the need for the straddle cable/brake cable hanger, as far as I can tell. It also allows the brake cable to run all the way to the cantis in it's outer cable without needing external outer cable stops. Manufacturer claims it enhances power too. All it needs is a frame and forks with the crown drilled through. So now it's a case of "wait and see" what my 'new' bike has or hasn't got in the way of drilled frame and fork crown.
I thought this info might be worth sharing though, in case anyone else is doing anything similar with potential to use canti brakes with road levers.
Barchettaman said:
Nice bike.
Travel Agents are dead easy to set up.
Mini-V brakes are great too, I have them both on my commuter and my CX rig, they do limit your tyre size though compared to cantis. Get the cheapest mini-V calipers you can, it's the pads/cables/housings that count.
There's a lot of fit issues that can be solved with a zero-offset post and a a shorter stem, if it feels a bit 'stretched out' when you get it.
One of the seller's photos...Travel Agents are dead easy to set up.
Mini-V brakes are great too, I have them both on my commuter and my CX rig, they do limit your tyre size though compared to cantis. Get the cheapest mini-V calipers you can, it's the pads/cables/housings that count.
There's a lot of fit issues that can be solved with a zero-offset post and a a shorter stem, if it feels a bit 'stretched out' when you get it.
Priority stuff would appear to be:
Fit SPD pedals
Fit a decent wheelset and CX tyres.
Upgrade to 10-speed gearing with new Tiagra GS rear mech and 32 tooth or 34 tooth cassette
Sort that bloody stem out and get some new bar tape
Decide whether to fit a spare 10-speed compact double crankset and use spare Ultegra 6700 shifters, or perhaps go with Tiagra shifters and a Tiagra triple chainset?
Once I've checked that it all works I can list any smaller jobs like new pads and cables, etc. If it all works it allows me to make improvements/upgrades at my leisure. I'll strip it and clean it of course, and try to bring the paint back to life again, but it'll be a working bike rather than anything particularly cherished or posed on.
Edited by yellowjack on Thursday 22 February 23:24
gazza285 said:
Then ride it to see if you like it enough to start upgrading before wasting loads of cash? Does it need better wheels yet? What's so bad about only having twenty four gears for now? I know from experience how much more fragile ten speed rear ends are off road than eight speed set ups after years of cyclocross...
The wheels are a freebie. Nil cost. Plus a spare set from another bike. The 10 speed Ultegra groupset the same. I was knocked off my old Merida Road Race 905 and the ali frame is bent at the seat stay. It was a side impact so I don't feel I can trust the carbon fork. The new rear mech would be £25 simply to get the long cage version.But then it begins to get complicated because the freebie option relies on switching to a 50/34 Ultegra compact crankset to use the 2 x 10 shifters. If I want a triple up front with 10-speed rear, then I'll need a new crankset and shifters. Triple shifters are elusive, it would seem. And cranksets not cheap either. Which is where the dreaded budget creep comes in and I begin to see economic sense in buying a 10-speed triple Tiagra groupset from the likes of Ribble for about £290. So I'm back to a Tiagra long cage mech to allow me to use a 32t (maybe 34t?) cassette, which would give me far more flexibility from the 50/34t chainrings. Confused? I will be!
So yes, I think I'm probably going to reign back on my wishlist and take your advice to ride it first and see how things go, after tidying up the obvious bits and fitting a stem, saddle, and bars that I know work for me. Your point about fragility of road ten speed kit compared to a rear mech designed for a MTB is a good one. The only 'fly in the ointment' that I can see is that one of the shifters is missing a cap on the front. Oh, and I want to have the cables run under the bar tape "because tart"...
ps: Those American Classic wheels I was given? The freehub makes a really cool noise when in freewheel. I've never had a set that do that before, so I want to be like the cool kids...
gazza285 said:
The mech on there will work with your ten speed shifters.
If you have a 2x10 set up already then use that. I can't see the logic of buying an old and fairly niche bike, then sticking a new groupset on it. Use an 8/9 speed MTB mech with your ten speed shifter, and you can get a 36t cassette on it if you are running out of gears...
OK. Another new option has just (potentially) raised it's head. If you have a 2x10 set up already then use that. I can't see the logic of buying an old and fairly niche bike, then sticking a new groupset on it. Use an 8/9 speed MTB mech with your ten speed shifter, and you can get a 36t cassette on it if you are running out of gears...
A vet acquaintance of mine has just upgraded his bike to 1 x 11. I joked when we were last out riding that I would happily take his 2 x 10 kit off his hands as spares for my MTB. So potentially there is a bunch of XT/SLX ten speed kit coming my way, as he sent a text this morning suggesting I collect it (with no mention of money changing hands).
So....
Upgrade rear end to ten speed MTB stuff? Mixed with a road compact chainset? Will road and MTB shifters pull the same amount of cable? Are they compatible? How much of the SLX/XT group is coming my way? New bigger rings on the MTB crankset? Back to flat bars if I get shifters as well?
Arrrrrrrrrgh!
It's embarrasing too, being offered used kit for free (Mr Vet Surgeon knows I'm not currently working). Do I offer to pay for the stuff? Will this offend him? Is he expecting payment? Maybe I should just "grow a set" and text him to ask?
I'm coming around more and more to the idea of just riding the damned thing as it is now, and forgetting about upgrading/improving it.
Barchettaman said:
Cool bike - but then I like weird drop-bar conversions!
1. I’d stop worrying about upgrading the drivetrain, just get all the contact points in the right place, get out there & ride the snot out of it!
2. Just had another look at the photo. There’s a LOT of seatpost showing - not a problem, but make sure the post is not clamped below the minimum as the seattube could crack.
3. It looks to have a steep seattube angle with a very slack front end, so handling might be a bit....unique.
4. I would also lose that cacky sprung seatpost ASAP, hateful things!
1. I'm slowly coming to that conclusion myself (there's a pretty Italian frame on ebay right now that I could ruin by fitting my Shimano Ultegra group to! 1. I’d stop worrying about upgrading the drivetrain, just get all the contact points in the right place, get out there & ride the snot out of it!
2. Just had another look at the photo. There’s a LOT of seatpost showing - not a problem, but make sure the post is not clamped below the minimum as the seattube could crack.
3. It looks to have a steep seattube angle with a very slack front end, so handling might be a bit....unique.
4. I would also lose that cacky sprung seatpost ASAP, hateful things!
)2. Rest assured, with my short fat hairy legs on it, there'll be a whole lot less seat post showing (presuming the seat post isn't stuck, of course...)
3. Geo never worried me, so long as the bike fits. I grew up in the 70s and 80s riding bikes I was assured I'd "grow into" so I was used to some idiosyncratic handling traits in my bikes.
4. We'll see about the seat post. I've never been a fan, but equally I've never owned one, so I'll reserve judgement until I've ridden it a bit.
As for collection, that's planned for tomorrow. The seller wants it out of his hair by 2.30 pm (in time for the Six Nations rugby) and I'm hoping to get there between 12 and 1. Pay for it, give it a quick blast locally to him (Clacton sea front looks favourite), then if it all rides OK and I feel I can trust it, I might head up to an old stomping ground for a trip down memory lane on the way home. I'll take some tools, and my own shoes/pedals to start getting those contact points improved.
I've had email and text contact with the seller, stalked him on Google Maps (satellite view shows the garden looking pretty much as it is in the photos so I'm confident I'm not off on a wild goose chase). This has all gone quite smoothly so far, and it's 'cash on collection' so I reckon I'm reasonably safe from being scammed.
I also took delivery of the bulk of a 10-speed MTB gearset today. A friend getting rid of his 10 x 2 kit has given me an XT Shadow Plus rear mech with an FD-M615 front mech and some SLX shifters. Along with some generic spare parts including some properly dorky big amber wheel reflectors. My wife had a face like thunder earlier when she found out I was hoarding bike bits again, "but they're spares for my MTB dear - it'll save money in the long run"...
...all I have to do now is decide which of the manky frames at the back of the garage will have to be got rid of to comply with her "one in, one out" rule.
OK.
It's here, at home, in the back of the car right now.
I collected it this afternoon. The seller wasn't particularly talkative, and expressed no interest in my plans for it. So I just paid him and left. In fairness, though, he was in the middle of demolishing a detached garage so I can see why he didn't want to get too involved in a conversation about a bike he wanted rid of.
It's pretty much rideable right off the bat. The tyres were cheap, nasty, generic Sri Lankan made 700 x 28c things that had seen better days. They came off straight away to be replaced by a set of Continental Tour Ride 38(ish) x 700c tyres off my wife's old bike. The rear wheel gave up it's rubber without a fight, but the front had a different rim (Mavic CXP21 I think) and that cost me two broken tyre levers before I resorted to a "feckin' mahoosive screwdriver" to get the tyre off.
I also switched the toe-clip pedals for my Shimano SPD pedals, and strapped on a Garmin mount and some lights. All this was done beside my car at Holland-on-Sea, a little way north of where I collected the bike. Then I rode it 14 miles, basically from the car to Walton Pier, down to Clacton Pier, then back to the car.
It held up well. The HeadShok isn't right, but then I'm not sure I expected it to be. There are a few annoying ratles and clunks, but it was so windy I couldn't really tell where they were coming from. The shock hits it's stops to readily, so that needs attention fairly urgently. The rest of it? The brakes (V-brakes) are very grabby. On loose surfaces they lock the wheel easily, yet don't feel very 'confidence inspiring'. And the gears are mostly old Shimano 105. Shifters and chainset anyway. I think it's an old XT rear mech. It all works well enough though. Seat post wasn't stuck, and was well greased. Worst part? That was the position of the bars and shifters. The stem needs getting rid of for something with a little less rise and not so short. The shifters were just too high and canted back too much to be comfortable.
Cosmetically it's really quite good. Some decals have disappeared on the seat stays, but on the whole they're "all present and correct. It's also a "Made in the USA" Cannondale.
I'll take a better look at it tomorrow in daylight, and run the tape measure over it. Oh, and I'll start making a list of bits to buy.
Cost so far...
£53 = Bike purchase cost
£20-ish = fuel to drive to fetch the bike from Essex
£? = replacement cost of 2 x tyre levers
£nil = spare Conti Tour Ride tyres salvaged of an old bike
£nil = 2 of 700c x 28-38c inner tubes that had been hanging around in the garage forever anyway
Half-and-half - Original 28c tyre on the front looks too skinny on this bike. The rear has already been swapped for a spare Conti Tour ride Ihad kicking around at home.
Yay! The shop was open so I bought a couple of sticks of seaside rock. It'd have been rude not to, really.
End of the ride. In the end I swapped out both tyres because I thought it would look better. The front one was a right b
h to get off though.
It's here, at home, in the back of the car right now.
I collected it this afternoon. The seller wasn't particularly talkative, and expressed no interest in my plans for it. So I just paid him and left. In fairness, though, he was in the middle of demolishing a detached garage so I can see why he didn't want to get too involved in a conversation about a bike he wanted rid of.
It's pretty much rideable right off the bat. The tyres were cheap, nasty, generic Sri Lankan made 700 x 28c things that had seen better days. They came off straight away to be replaced by a set of Continental Tour Ride 38(ish) x 700c tyres off my wife's old bike. The rear wheel gave up it's rubber without a fight, but the front had a different rim (Mavic CXP21 I think) and that cost me two broken tyre levers before I resorted to a "feckin' mahoosive screwdriver" to get the tyre off.
I also switched the toe-clip pedals for my Shimano SPD pedals, and strapped on a Garmin mount and some lights. All this was done beside my car at Holland-on-Sea, a little way north of where I collected the bike. Then I rode it 14 miles, basically from the car to Walton Pier, down to Clacton Pier, then back to the car.
It held up well. The HeadShok isn't right, but then I'm not sure I expected it to be. There are a few annoying ratles and clunks, but it was so windy I couldn't really tell where they were coming from. The shock hits it's stops to readily, so that needs attention fairly urgently. The rest of it? The brakes (V-brakes) are very grabby. On loose surfaces they lock the wheel easily, yet don't feel very 'confidence inspiring'. And the gears are mostly old Shimano 105. Shifters and chainset anyway. I think it's an old XT rear mech. It all works well enough though. Seat post wasn't stuck, and was well greased. Worst part? That was the position of the bars and shifters. The stem needs getting rid of for something with a little less rise and not so short. The shifters were just too high and canted back too much to be comfortable.
Cosmetically it's really quite good. Some decals have disappeared on the seat stays, but on the whole they're "all present and correct. It's also a "Made in the USA" Cannondale.
I'll take a better look at it tomorrow in daylight, and run the tape measure over it. Oh, and I'll start making a list of bits to buy.
Cost so far...
£53 = Bike purchase cost
£20-ish = fuel to drive to fetch the bike from Essex
£? = replacement cost of 2 x tyre levers
£nil = spare Conti Tour Ride tyres salvaged of an old bike
£nil = 2 of 700c x 28-38c inner tubes that had been hanging around in the garage forever anyway
Half-and-half - Original 28c tyre on the front looks too skinny on this bike. The rear has already been swapped for a spare Conti Tour ride Ihad kicking around at home.
Yay! The shop was open so I bought a couple of sticks of seaside rock. It'd have been rude not to, really.
End of the ride. In the end I swapped out both tyres because I thought it would look better. The front one was a right b
h to get off though.Edited by yellowjack on Saturday 24th February 22:13
Another ride today.
I promised myself I'd strip the wheels to re-grease the bearings this morning. The front one in particular sounds/feels terrible. I reckon it's completely dry. I also swore I'd see if flipping that hideous stem could make things more comfortable short-term. But it looks like it'd change the geo for the worse so I left it for now. I've got a couple of likely replacements on my ebay watch list already.
What I did do before riding it today was give the chain a squirt of GT85 and a rub down, before dribbling some wet lube onto the links. Then I remembered to check the chain for wear, and it's beyond help. So that's the first new parts sorted. An 8-speed 11-32t cassette and a chain to go with it. Then I'll cross my fingers and hope the chainrings aren't too bad.
So anyway, I took it out on my local army training area for a quick ride this morning... https://www.strava.com/activities/1425915771
Good fun, but the lovely sunshine had brought the world and his wife out to walk their dogs. It was hard to string a segment together without having to brake to avoid spooking the livestock! I managed to get an 8th place Strava 'trophy' on the most unlikely segment too. I had a chat with a couple of other riders and some of the random walkers out. The bike got two positive comments, and I got a compliment from an (albeit elderly) lady who was very kind and knocked 20 years off my age for me. I'd gone out looking to push myself and the bike to get an idea of how it compares with other bikes and me at my fittest.
Conclusions so far? It's a lot heavier than I expected. The hefty Continental Tour Ride 42c (I think) tyres have a lot to do with that. There's little else I can ditch to lose weight off the bike without starting to spend cash I don't have, so the next step is to strip the wheels 'naked' and weigh them against a couple of spare sets I already have in the garage. I'm hoping that the 8-speed cassette will go on a 10-speed hub OK by either adding or removing a spacer (I can never remember which). I'll use lighter wheels if I have them, along with ordering up some CX tyres which ought to be lighter than the massively over-built Conti Tour Rides I had going spare.
If I can lose a few hundred grams off the wheels I'll be happy. If I can lose anything near a kilo off them I'll be over the moon. I also have a feeling that the diameter of the seat tube means that I already have one from my old Merida to fit, and a saddle that's right for my backside. So tyres are (hopefully) the only part of the dieting that will cost money. I'll be happy if I can ditch the suspension seatpost without having to spend money on a replacement.
The other area to spend on will have to be the HeadShok™ suspension system. I'll need that servicing at the very least, and possibly the innards replacing. It can be done, apparently, but it needs the right parts, some unique tools, and someone who knows what they're doing. Oh, and a stem that's a better fit for me too. Again, that's unique to the HeadShok™ system - a 1.56 inch steerer, so a larger clamp size. Spacers and bearings might be harder to find as well. I'll have to get some saved searches on ebay and hoard spares when I can. But aside from that headset, everything else is pretty much standard parts from Shimano, albeit mixed and matched in a rather unusual combination!
Rear end is 8-speed, with a Deore XT derailleur. Front is a 105 triple chainset (52 tooth big ring), with an unmarked derailleur. Shifters are older 8-speed 105 (left hand one missing a cover cap). Brakes are V-brakes with a 'Travel Agent' system to allow them to work with the road levers. They are branded under the grime, but not a name I recognise right now. Wheels are a mis-matched pair. It looks like one of them has been replaced at some point, possibly both. Rear rim is in better condition than the front though.
Shopping list...
1. 8-speed cassette @ £17.98 (Shimano) http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-cs-hg41-8-speed-ca... or @ £14.49 (Shimano) http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-altus-hg31-8-speed... or @ £16.17 (SRAM) http://www.wiggle.co.uk/sram-pg850-8-speed-cassett...
2. 8-speed chain @ between £5.91 and £18.78 on Wiggle
3. 140mm x 25.4mm x 5° Headshok™ stem @ £19.99 on ebay
4. Some CX tyres, although I need to work out which ones are going to be suitable as all-rounders for me @ £??.??
5. Bar tape. Again, not sure which kind yet, but something with a little extra padding might be nice.
6. A Garmin mount of some kind.
I'm sure there will be lots of other tarty bling I'll want. Seat pack, water bottle cages, a bell, wheel reflectors, dork disc, etc, etc. I'm sure there'll be a few trips out to bike shops, and possibly some impulse purchases too. But for now I'm resolved to make as much use of spares and salvaged parts as I can to keep the cost of this bike as low as possible.
So far, so good...
I promised myself I'd strip the wheels to re-grease the bearings this morning. The front one in particular sounds/feels terrible. I reckon it's completely dry. I also swore I'd see if flipping that hideous stem could make things more comfortable short-term. But it looks like it'd change the geo for the worse so I left it for now. I've got a couple of likely replacements on my ebay watch list already.
What I did do before riding it today was give the chain a squirt of GT85 and a rub down, before dribbling some wet lube onto the links. Then I remembered to check the chain for wear, and it's beyond help. So that's the first new parts sorted. An 8-speed 11-32t cassette and a chain to go with it. Then I'll cross my fingers and hope the chainrings aren't too bad.
So anyway, I took it out on my local army training area for a quick ride this morning... https://www.strava.com/activities/1425915771
Good fun, but the lovely sunshine had brought the world and his wife out to walk their dogs. It was hard to string a segment together without having to brake to avoid spooking the livestock! I managed to get an 8th place Strava 'trophy' on the most unlikely segment too. I had a chat with a couple of other riders and some of the random walkers out. The bike got two positive comments, and I got a compliment from an (albeit elderly) lady who was very kind and knocked 20 years off my age for me. I'd gone out looking to push myself and the bike to get an idea of how it compares with other bikes and me at my fittest.
Conclusions so far? It's a lot heavier than I expected. The hefty Continental Tour Ride 42c (I think) tyres have a lot to do with that. There's little else I can ditch to lose weight off the bike without starting to spend cash I don't have, so the next step is to strip the wheels 'naked' and weigh them against a couple of spare sets I already have in the garage. I'm hoping that the 8-speed cassette will go on a 10-speed hub OK by either adding or removing a spacer (I can never remember which). I'll use lighter wheels if I have them, along with ordering up some CX tyres which ought to be lighter than the massively over-built Conti Tour Rides I had going spare.
If I can lose a few hundred grams off the wheels I'll be happy. If I can lose anything near a kilo off them I'll be over the moon. I also have a feeling that the diameter of the seat tube means that I already have one from my old Merida to fit, and a saddle that's right for my backside. So tyres are (hopefully) the only part of the dieting that will cost money. I'll be happy if I can ditch the suspension seatpost without having to spend money on a replacement.
The other area to spend on will have to be the HeadShok™ suspension system. I'll need that servicing at the very least, and possibly the innards replacing. It can be done, apparently, but it needs the right parts, some unique tools, and someone who knows what they're doing. Oh, and a stem that's a better fit for me too. Again, that's unique to the HeadShok™ system - a 1.56 inch steerer, so a larger clamp size. Spacers and bearings might be harder to find as well. I'll have to get some saved searches on ebay and hoard spares when I can. But aside from that headset, everything else is pretty much standard parts from Shimano, albeit mixed and matched in a rather unusual combination!
Rear end is 8-speed, with a Deore XT derailleur. Front is a 105 triple chainset (52 tooth big ring), with an unmarked derailleur. Shifters are older 8-speed 105 (left hand one missing a cover cap). Brakes are V-brakes with a 'Travel Agent' system to allow them to work with the road levers. They are branded under the grime, but not a name I recognise right now. Wheels are a mis-matched pair. It looks like one of them has been replaced at some point, possibly both. Rear rim is in better condition than the front though.
Shopping list...
1. 8-speed cassette @ £17.98 (Shimano) http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-cs-hg41-8-speed-ca... or @ £14.49 (Shimano) http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-altus-hg31-8-speed... or @ £16.17 (SRAM) http://www.wiggle.co.uk/sram-pg850-8-speed-cassett...
2. 8-speed chain @ between £5.91 and £18.78 on Wiggle
3. 140mm x 25.4mm x 5° Headshok™ stem @ £19.99 on ebay
4. Some CX tyres, although I need to work out which ones are going to be suitable as all-rounders for me @ £??.??
5. Bar tape. Again, not sure which kind yet, but something with a little extra padding might be nice.
6. A Garmin mount of some kind.
I'm sure there will be lots of other tarty bling I'll want. Seat pack, water bottle cages, a bell, wheel reflectors, dork disc, etc, etc. I'm sure there'll be a few trips out to bike shops, and possibly some impulse purchases too. But for now I'm resolved to make as much use of spares and salvaged parts as I can to keep the cost of this bike as low as possible.
So far, so good...
gazza285 said:
Eight speed and ten speed cassettes use the same spline length, so no spacer required. Eight speed chains and cassettes are cheap and seem to last well, but you'll not find any cassettes with alloy spiders on anymore, just the individual pressed steel and plastic spacer type, so it'll be a good idea to avoid alloy freehubs, as the sprockets will dig in badly otherwise.
Yes, I've been looking at 8-speed cassettes and chains just now. Should easily come in well under £30 for both.Good point about the splines/spider interface too. I had to file the splines on one of the spare sets of wheels I have because a previous owner ran a steel cassette on alloy splines. Still, the wheels were free, and I have at least two sets, possibly three, hanging up in the garage. I'll be getting the steel rule out tomorrow to see if any are good for 11-speed cassettes, then I'll weigh 'em to see which ones will ditch the most weight.
I've been on Planet X tonight and ordered some cheap CX/Gravel tyres. "Panaracer Gravel King Mud Clincher" in black & tan and 700c x 33 mm flavour. They are, apparently, 'tubeless compatible', so if I'm feeling brave I might have a go at converting the wheels to tubeless if possible. They were £20 each. I also ordered some 3/4 bibs for £25 in one of their 'flash sales' so we'll see how they work out too.
Those tyres alone should get rid of 700 grams from the bike. If those freebie wheels are a few hundred grams lighter each, then the bike could feel a whole lot more lively for only £40 spent. All I'm worried about now is the current chainrings "not getting on" with a new chain. Do Shimano make an 8-speed Shadow + rear derailleur???
Edited by yellowjack on Monday 26th February 00:32
richardxjr said:
Just single speed it and rag it to the pub YJ
NO!
Sorry, but there are possibilities for a single speed conversion of one frame in the garage which has a damaged gear hanger tab. This 'Dale, however, is not getting butchered. It's too nice really.
After all the speculation about swapping bits of groupset in and out to try to make it 10-speed, I've decided to keep it like it is for now. The low gears, while not quite as low as my MTB, are low enough for my foreseeable needs, and it's running a high gear of 52 x 11 so I'm going to run out of legs before the bike runs out of gear inches!
The potential weight loss (as detailed in the post above) should be enough to make it easier to get rolling, and to keep it there too. If I destroy any wheels with my exploration of how far off road it can be pushed, then I'll probably try to get a good wheelbuilder to make a set for me with wider rims built to be robust, not light.
I can see at least a kilo coming off for relatively little spending, which ought to make a noticeable difference.
CoolHands said:
Are you going to disassemble the headshok and service it?
If I can't find anyone else who's got a reputation for knowing how to do it, then I suppose I'll have to have a go myself. But at the moment I have no intention of stripping that bit of the bike. I've seen the photographs on the internet, and simple they aren't! 
Parts might be an issue for the HeadShok™ steerer and suspension too. It looks like a case of buying up slightly less than ideal stem sizes as a temporary fix, and waiting for something better to come up on ebay. Either that or paying a fair bit extra and buying stuff from the USA, where there seems to be a healthier market for the HeadShok™ system.
richardxjr said:
You are quite bonkers Lose all the weight you like it'll still have terrible geometry. 140mm stem, Really? Your money.
No you can't get an 8 spd clutch mech but a single narrow wide chainring will work with 8spd and do much of the chain retention work and save half a kilo.
SS it, smash it to the pub, get big thighs.
The 140mm stem? That's just the one that's currently on ebay in the UK. If I'm prepared to order from the USA I can get a choice of stem length and in some cases the rise angle. It's that unique clamp size that really restricts choice though, so a 140mm 5° rise might not be in any way ideal, but it'll be more comfortable than than stubby little pig of a thing that's on there at the moment, I'll wager! Lose all the weight you like it'll still have terrible geometry. 140mm stem, Really? Your money.No you can't get an 8 spd clutch mech but a single narrow wide chainring will work with 8spd and do much of the chain retention work and save half a kilo.
SS it, smash it to the pub, get big thighs.
It's definitely not going single speed though. And that wouldn't help with the geo anyway...
ps: Big thighs? Mucho overrated. Besides which I'd never get into my skinny jeans!
Current updates?
There was a plan to fit new CX tyres. But the ones I bought from Planet X seem to be far too tight. There's a thread on that sorry saga here >>> https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Decisions made so far?
* I think I'm going to stick with the current shifters and the 8 x 3 drive train. It's running an old Shimano XT rear mech with an 11-32t cassette. It makes no sense to junk that set-up for the sake of bolting on my 2 x 10 Ultegra group. I'd be narrowing my gearing options for the vanity of fitting a 'posh' suite of components.
* The suspension seatpost must remain for now. It's a 26.2 mm post and all my spare or alternative posts are either 31.6 mm or stuck (literally) in another frame that my brother gave me.
* It needs a bell. I know!
I here you cry! But all my other bikes have bells, and four times in three rides I've found myself apologising for not having one. So it'll get a bell. Hopefully a kids style one with Dennis The Menace or something on it.
* Scour ebay for a second HeadShok™ fork. They're not exactly in plentiful supply so having a spare before I need one will help keep it on the road/trail. And work on finding someone who can service the damned thing, and tune it/set it up properly. The other alternative is to purchase a HeadShok™ to 1⅛ inch head tube adapter and switch to a more traditional fork. All this will cost though, and betray the budget nature of this attempted build. And after all, I did buy this bike because of the HeadShok™, not in spite of it.
There was a plan to fit new CX tyres. But the ones I bought from Planet X seem to be far too tight. There's a thread on that sorry saga here >>> https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Decisions made so far?
* I think I'm going to stick with the current shifters and the 8 x 3 drive train. It's running an old Shimano XT rear mech with an 11-32t cassette. It makes no sense to junk that set-up for the sake of bolting on my 2 x 10 Ultegra group. I'd be narrowing my gearing options for the vanity of fitting a 'posh' suite of components.
* The suspension seatpost must remain for now. It's a 26.2 mm post and all my spare or alternative posts are either 31.6 mm or stuck (literally) in another frame that my brother gave me.
* It needs a bell. I know!
I here you cry! But all my other bikes have bells, and four times in three rides I've found myself apologising for not having one. So it'll get a bell. Hopefully a kids style one with Dennis The Menace or something on it. * Scour ebay for a second HeadShok™ fork. They're not exactly in plentiful supply so having a spare before I need one will help keep it on the road/trail. And work on finding someone who can service the damned thing, and tune it/set it up properly. The other alternative is to purchase a HeadShok™ to 1⅛ inch head tube adapter and switch to a more traditional fork. All this will cost though, and betray the budget nature of this attempted build. And after all, I did buy this bike because of the HeadShok™, not in spite of it.
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