Barn find: 1992 Cannondale M2000

[ThomasElliott]

Stumbled over this on a local sales site, got it cheap, and was surprised to see how good it looks under all the dust, grime and (quite literal) cobwebs. I believe it's a 1992 Cannondale M2000, equipped with Deore XT and Ritchey components. Despite the bike apparently having stood still for a long time the headset and seat post move nice and freely, and the shifting is smooth even before I've gone over the drivetrain with TLC. Not sure about the bottom bracket since I haven't really ridden the bike yet, but there's no sound from it when simply revolving the cranks. The plan is to give the frame and drivetrain/breaks a good clean, get rid of the lock and other supplemental stuff, replace the few screws that are rusted, and slap on a pair of nice big slicks and proper grips to make it into a nippy commuter. Might keep the beater-chique Flite saddle.

 

[M-Power]

Re:

Comfiest Alu bikes to ride.

 

[ThomasElliott]

Re:

The good news are that all the main components look good and move smoothly after a good clean, although I haven't gotten to the brakes yet. The bad news are that I spoke a bit too soon regarding the paint, as it's a bit more chipped than I first thought, and that the headset grumbles quite a bit when turning. I also managed to rip up my last "26 tube when trying to force a Schrader valve into a hole clearly designed for Presta or Dunlop, but that's on me rather than the hardware... Next up will be giving the brakes a proper look, taking a decision regarding the headset (I always find switching those a pain, and I'd have to borrow the tools), and buying some new inner tubes.

 

[ThomasElliott]

Re:

Any tips on what color grips I should get? Matching the white or orange decals? Or just go with a more discreet pair of black ones? The tires will be a pair of black Schwalbe Kojak slicks.

 

[shedobits]

Re:

I can recommend the Kojaks especially when set them up tubeless. My grips always seem to end up black anyway.

 

[rogerzilla]

Re:

Check the fork steerer is steel - the alu ones were recalled (I had a 1993 M1000 and had to take it to the local dealer).

The 1 1/4" headset (Fisher "Evolution" size) is the only annoyance with these bikes as it never caught on and good ones are now rare.

 

[ThomasElliott]

Re: Re:

Check the fork steerer is steel - the alu ones were recalled (I had a 1993 M1000 and had to take it to the local dealer).

The 1 1/4" headset (Fisher "Evolution" size) is the only annoyance with these bikes as it never caught on and good ones are now rare.

Thanks for the heads up on the headset, still haven't decided if I'm going through with changing it. If I do, it will be a job for my LBS. Another question: The attachments for brakes on the front forks look as they do in the picture, while the ones in the back are protruding. Am I missing some kind of studs for the fork, or is it made for some strange brake standard?

 

[rogerzilla]

Re:

Ah yes - your canti studs are missing. The studs are a peculiar thread to Cannondale (flattened UNC, the local fastener shop said) and generic studs will not fit. I lost my rear ones while the M1000 was running as a fixie and Noah's Ark near Stroud happened to have a pair of spares which they sold me. Try them and other longtime Cannondale dealers, or soneone with a broken frame.

 

[ThomasElliott]

Thank you. The worst thing about all of this is that I must have thrown out those studs with the front brakes... Idiotic. I've sent some e-mails to various places specializing in canti studs (including Noah's Ark), but can't say that I'm feeling super hopeful. My best chance would probably be to find a pair of Pepperoni forks from the same era and just take the studs from there, right?

 

[rogerzilla]

Thank you. The worst thing about all of this is that I must have thrown out those studs with the front brakes... Idiotic. I've sent some e-mails to various places specializing in canti studs (including Noah's Ark), but can't say that I'm feeling super hopeful. My best chance would probably be to find a pair of Pepperoni forks from the same era and just take the studs from there, right?

Probably, yes. I don't think the studs changed between 1" and 1 1/4" Pepperonis. I did try some generic canti studs but they didn't screw in at all. There's a Pepperoni fork on the Bay of Thieves but it has no studs either!

Worst case scenario: get some head tube reducers or a King Devolution headset and fit a 1 1/8" Kona Project Two or something.