Please help with reusing a 1992 Cannondale DeltaV frame

[bikesandwatches]

Re: Re:

There is lots of information here:

https://www.cannondaleanswers.com/defin ... ain-bikes/

You may have already seen it, but your frame doesn’t have a 44mm internal diameter head tube, it should be 49.6mm.

Well, the external diameters of the original bearings fitting in the cups are 50.8mm (top) and 58mm (bottom). Can't find anything fitting this except those bearings. The headtube itself is 44mm internally.

 

[focomat 1c]

For those not familiar with this type of suspension , myself included , there is on YouTube a guy doing a complete strip/re-build under the title ' Cannondale DD50 Headshoks '
After watching it , I now have a pretty good idea of how it works

I realise that you are now looking to fit a rigid fork , however it appears that there are only a few parts missing ? and since the needle bearing strips and plates are still available ,
perhaps it would be worth placing an advert in the 'wanted' section here before you discard the original forks ?

 

[bikesandwatches]

For those not familiar with this type of suspension , myself included , there is on YouTube a guy doing a complete strip/re-build under the title ' Cannondale DD50 Headshoks '
After watching it , I now have a pretty good idea of how it works

I realise that you are now looking to fit a rigid fork , however it appears that there are only a few parts missing ? and since the needle bearing strips and plates are still available ,
perhaps it would be worth placing an advert in the 'wanted' section here before you discard the original forks ?

I'll take some time this week end to watch this video, thank you.

I don't require a rigid fork, finding a "fat" (assorted optically to the big tubes of the frame) suspension corrected rigid fork may be difficult; finding a suspended one with 50 to 80mm of travel looks easier. It will depends on what I can find, once I've determined I can put some headset in this damn headtube.

"only a few parts missing" that is a pile of spares, also I have nothing for the original headset, I can order the bearings but what about any gaskets, caps, spacer, etc? I haven't found any specific documentation. Those forks/cups seem to have been modified during the early production also (are those bearing strips the same? no idea), so it looks like a nasty can of worms I don't want to step into...

 

[focomat 1c]

Re:

After some further research it appears that your particular Headshok is known as a ' Pepperoni Blades early type ( curved rake ) 50mm travel '
( according to Sheldon Brown )

Hope this helps ? however from what I have seen there are multiple versions/variations in the Headshok system as it was developed over the years ,
and Cannondale have not been particularly supportive with customer problems ( servicing/spare parts etc )

As a result there are numerous instances of people removing their worn Headshoks and converting back to a 1.1/8" rigid or suspension fork , as you plan to do

The only 'problem' that remains ( after you have found the correct reducers ) is that the new forks could look a bit skinny in comparison to the large diameter
head and frame tubes . So ideally you need some really chunky forks , which almost certainly means a period suspension fork with a short travel

 

[1978]

Re:

Here’s mine shortly after I did the conversion in 1995.

 

[Scvintage]

Re: Re:

Why not continue to use your existing forks with the headshok ' mechanism ' locked up solid ?

The bike would look original even though the suspension would not work

You just need to source some new top and bottom bearings ( almost certainly
imperial sizes ) as mentioned in your link

I recently picked up a v700 with the head shock, yes it’s not working. Mine has the super bubba d... or something like that. It’s the one with a dial adjustment. It’s “supposed to” lock or unlock the fork... that doesn’t work. You can pump more air into it, but it’s weak. I was debating “locking it” permanently... but it’s sort of a Rube Goldberg contraption on the inside. Theoretically speaking, how would someone “lock it”? Fill air chamber with hydraulic fluid? Fill it with sand? Just kidding... seems like everyone highly customized these 10 years ago... then it was radio silence. So many busted links in old internet threads found with google..

 

[Scvintage]

Re:

One more hijack question.... I have a nice rigid fork from a Raleigh technium peak... but not sure on how it would mess up the geometry. Theoretically, you can take the original spec angles and measurements from original setup... insert the new rigid fork and recalculate the setup... I’m no bike expert by any stretch of imagination, that’s what I tried to decipher from just do this just do that threads. (Not threads here, on the trendy Wendy new bike forums)

 

[bikesandwatches]

Re: Re:

The only 'problem' that remains ( after you have found the correct reducers ) is that the new forks could look a bit skinny in comparison to the large diameter
head and frame tubes . So ideally you need some really chunky forks , which almost certainly means a period suspension fork with a short travel

That is exactly my problem. Affixing a fork looks doable, but will it look good with that darn oversized headtube?

Here’s mine shortly after I did the conversion in 1995.

Thanks for the pictures!