1995 Cannondale M300

[JimK404]

A message via Instagram from the 19yo saying "absolutely massive parcel for you at the front door" heralds the build of my first Cannondale. An M300 frameset bought from @ExpertBlay:

Black/purple metallic paint is gorgeous

Today's progress:
Removed the headset it came with - well, most of a headset, because there was no locknut - and replaced it with a nice Stronglight roller-bearing item taken from the Harry Hall:

Fitted an adjustable stem, but then realised the stem has a 26mm clamp and couldn't secure the bars .

Running gear will be 8spd M56x LX, and other parts will be whatever I have lying around or can find cheaply!

 

[ExpertBlay]

Good luck!

 

[JimK404]

Today a new middle ring arrived for the LX chainset. No idea what brand but it looks well-made and was cheap:

.
Made a 0.3mm shim for the bars and fitted them to the road stem. Added the brifters. Might use tape on the bars.

There's no rear brake cable stop on the frame, and the catalogue photo isn't clear but looks like there's something on the seat clamp? I have an old Dia Compe cable stop but it doesn't fit the seat clamp that came with the frame.

 

[JimK404]

Solved the cable stop problem by bending the old Dia Compe stop until it fitted. Cable still fits in it

Also found this while wondering where the hell my 4mm Allen wrench has gone. The main body of the Cool Tool snapped a long time ago.

 

[JimK404]

Trip to LBS (Hayball in Salisbury) yesterday yielded a BB and chain, plus a chance to drool over some new Marins - the current Pine Mountain is really nice
Fitted BB and the old LX chainset with the new middle ring (which from comparing to photos online looks like it's a Middleburn).

Today I learned how to fit gear cable to the brifters; I was looking for little holes to poke the cables into, like with some others I've had (STX?), but instead there's a little hatch you open:

Fitted the cables, including a NOS Mr Crud cable pulley:


Need some brakes - was going to use some cheap purple anodised cantis but they look naff. Mrs K likes purple so will try to find something else. Open to ideas at prices that aren't eye-watering...

 

[JimK404]

Was going to put some bar tape on just now, but the Brahma bars are very narrow at the ends and the plugs don't fit. Anyone know of bar end plugs that fit 15mm internal diameter? I have some other bars with this problem as well.

 

[minor_LEGEND]

Nice build. Try using mtb grip end plugs, maybe trim them down with a knife to fit inside the brahma. Usual roadie end plugs that come with bar tape are no use to any mtb bars.

 

[JimK404]

Brakes:

For cantis these were pretty straightforward to set up.

Finished bike:



This is mostly for the present Mrs JimK, but I suspect I'll steal it from time to time