A Delta V Obsession …

[CDV900]

1. Backstory​

The bike that started it all; forging a life-long passion for cycling and all things Cannondale. Not my first proper bike; that was a Raleigh Discovery which served me well until I radically alter the frame geometry in a stack. By then the bike mags already had my 16-year-old self lusting after exotica from the likes of Pace and Klein. Saving hard wouldn’t get me close.

Then there it was in a full page Leisure Lakes ad inside the latest edition of MBUK. A Cannondale Delta V900, heavily discounted because it was last year’s model and a 21” frame (clearly too big for me). It was the most I’d spent on anything. I remember the sales assistant telling me how much fun I was going to have … he wasn’t wrong. For nearly ten years this bike was a major part of my life; through school, university and work until it was stolen.




My original Delta V900 from 1993 ... already with a few changed parts.

Many Cannondales later I find myself with the time, means and motivation to scratch my retrobike itch and once again own a Delta V900. The search was on …

 

[CTK]

Cool bike and great photos!

 

[CDV900]

2. Search & Rescue​

I’d seen them for sale; but typically when I start searching I find nothing. Some considerable time later I stumbled over an eBay listing for a ‘bike frame’. And there it was … a Delta V900 frameset. Checked with the seller on condition and size (not well enough it seems) then pulled the trigger. A gamble as it looked a little rough with no guarantee on condition of the HeadShok but it was cheap.

A work trip gave me the opportunity to collect it; the seller throwing in a few additional components as part of the sale.

Some digging once in my possession revealed the following. It’s a 17” frame (getting the frame number up front would have told me this!). My ideal size is 19” but checking against another of my bikes reassured me it would fit. I got lucky with the HeadShok; not seized and upgraded good condition DD60 internals (no non-serviceable ‘Type 1’ to deal with).



Frame seems structurally sound but well beyond ‘patina’ with several small dents and patches where someone has started the process of stripping it.


Therefore concluded to get it repainted. I contacted all the usual suspects; quickest response and most enthusiasm from Ali and Bex at FatCreations. Wasn’t going to be cheap but knowing it would be a keeper I dropped the frame and fork down to them.

 

[stevet1]

Nice, I had almost the same bike also bought from LL and also in a size too big for me
Cannondale_rhs_Crop by Steve Taylor 80, on Flickr

 

[As One Engineering]

Looks awesome, I have a great idea for a colour scheme for another build if you fancy it.

 

[CDV900]

3. Unexpected Twist​

“Next time your down make sure you have plenty of room in the car”.

A slightly cryptic message from my brother but I assumed he wanted help shifting stuff from his garage. When I finally made it down indeed there was something in his garage … a complete Cannondale Delta V900. He knew I’d been looking but I hadn’t told him I already found one. It was a 19” Inch (argh) bike that looked in better shape than my frameset. It did however have the type 1 HeadShok that wasn’t holding air.




Do I need or have space for two Delta Vs … not really! Was it kind of cool to have two … absolutely! It did help make up my mind about the paint and build for the first frameset. I now had a complete and virtually original spec bike I could restore. Knowing the other was only a frameset without any components, and knowing I would want to ride it, I had some decisions to make.