I hope there is enough wrong here to upset even the most mellow STW’er. 😉
Mrs_OAB is proud owner of a new cycle to work bike – a replacement for the now aged, starting to crack and obselete standards Cannondale.
Sparkly 🙂
[url=https://flic.kr/p/LeioCM]2016 Trek Superfly 6 13.5"[/url] by Matt Robinson, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Leifu2]2016 Trek Superfly 6 13.5"[/url] by Matt Robinson, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/KMZD7N]2016 Trek Superfly 6 13.5" and 2000 Cannondale F900sl[/url] by Matt Robinson, on Flickr
(The old Cannondale is 16 years old, and the Trek is still heavier…)

There’s a valve and logo travesty happening there too. Cannondale knew how to make stiff light aluminium tubes, just no fatigue strength.

The thing is, that old F900sl is *almost* supple like a steel frame it is so thin tubing…

Nice!

Those Bonty xr2’s look a lot like the old xdx’s or when it rained “abandon all hope’s”.

Someones had it away with her pedals! 😀 Nice one.

The saddle appears to be lower than the bars, thats ghetto style riding or she is in fact Mr Tickle from Mr Men.

Those Bonty xr2’s look a lot like the old xdx’s or when it rained “abandon all hope’s”.

Indeed. 😯

I remember slipping up a slightly damp road with them, let alone surviving on the trails.

Otherwise that’s a very nice bike, hope she enjoys it!

Cannondale knew how to make stiff light aluminium tubes, just no fatigue strength.

Come now, 10-15 years is plenty long enough for expected life of an Alu MTB frame isn’t it? There’s also still a lot of those old F-Series out on the trails, the old crack-n-fail days were well behind them by that point.

New bike looks lovely! A friend at work is looking at getting a couple of those for his kids to move onto for next years XC racing as they can just about squeeze onto them now.

The saddle appears to be lower than the bars, thats ghetto style riding or she is in fact Mr Tickle from Mr Men.

Saddle is now much higher, bars are two spacers lower, saddle is further back, bars are rotated slightly. Like the ‘dale, looks like we found a genuinely teeny frame for shorties.

Come now, 10-15 years is plenty long enough for expected life of an Alu MTB frame isn’t it? There’s also still a lot of those old F-Series out on the trails, the old crack-n-fail days were well behind them by that point.

I agree – we bought it as ex-racers bike, well used but well maintained. It has been really well used of the years, and the frame has not failed as yet – the Headshock is pretty much dead, and the cost of renovating this or replacing with modern fork is into the hundreds. The frame has one of the water bottle bolts pulled out – looks like steel bolt vs alloy insert over 16 years means corrosion has set in.
I am planning on offering the ‘dale for free to someone who might have the bits to sort or replace with rigid fork.

Matt, drop me an email – I’d be interested in the Dale for my nephew who lives next too the Wyre Forest. His mum can’t afford to replace his current bike for a while.

the Headshock is pretty much dead, and the cost of renovating this or replacing with modern fork is into the hundreds

I am planning on offering the ‘dale for free to someone who might have the bits to sort or replace with rigid fork.

For anyone who takes that on… there are loads of conversion options from £15 reducer inserts, to step down headsets at normal headset cost, then it’s just a case of finding a ‘normal’ fork, the nice thing being that those F-Series can take ANY fork steerer you like with the right cups.

Fatty’s pop up 2nd hand every now and then for sensible money, but if needs be you can get them rebuilt, spares are still available if you know who to speak to and labour cost is no worse than any other fork.

Or you could fit a Lefty 😉

For anyone who takes that on… there are loads of conversion options from £15 reducer inserts, to step down headsets at normal headset cost, then it’s just a case of finding a ‘normal’ fork, the nice thing being that those F-Series can take ANY fork steerer you like with the right cups.

I agree – but headset step down is £35 odd, new headset £20, new stem £15, new forks ( now 1 1/8″ straight remember)….
Dickie – I plan on a check at our bike club first, but will drop you email.

but headset step down is £35 odd, new headset £20, new stem £15, new forks ( now 1 1/8″ straight remember)….

Think simpler than that, the ‘Dale headtube is standard 1.5inch/49EC, so you can fit normal mix and match headsets with bottom 1.5inch cup, with a 1 1/8th step down top, allows you to fit modern tapered forks, headset cost shouldn’t be more than ~£30, less if 2nd hand, and stems can be had for peanuts or stolen from friends 🙂

I’m not saying it’s free, just that it can actually be a lot cheaper and easier than you think and the flexibility of those beer-can headtubes is massive!

I helped a friend convert one a while back, NOS headset, and a 2nd hand tapered Sektor, total cost <£80 including the fork! And now can fit any modern fork in future, not that there’s much wrong with the Sektor as it is, but there are even cheaper 2nd hand forks out there too.

If you do find a home for it or it goes to Dickie and you want more info on conversion feel free to drop me message.

Dale headtube is standard 1.5inch/49EC,

No its not.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cannondale+headset+size&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

It really is! trust me, 20 years experience of riding and fixing them.

The Headshox/Lefty steerer isn’t but the headtube is*

from your own google link:

So you cannot use a standard 1.5 headset with a Cannondale FORK. However, the inner diameter of the headtube on Cannondale bikes in 49.6mm, the same as the 1.5inch standard.

‘Dale headtubes can take standard 1.5inch (EC49) cups at both ends, this means you can fit ANY fork in their headtubes if you pick the right bits

Lefty/Headshox 1.56inch steerer?
– Dale cups at both ends

Straight 1.5inch steerer?
– EC49x1.5 cups at both ends

Tapered 1.5-1 1/8th steerer?
– EC49x1.5 bottom, EC/ZS49x1 1/8th top
– EC49x1.5 bottom, reducer insert + standard EC34x1 1/8th top

Straight 1 1/4 inch steerer?
– reducer cups + 1 1/4 headset cups if you can still find some

Straight 1 1/8th steer?
– EC/ZS49x1 1/8th top + bottom
– EC49x1.5 bottom with reducer crown race + EC/ZS49x1 1/8th top
– reducer insert + standard EC34x1 1/8th top+bottom
– ‘Dale cups + reducer inserts inside the bearings (yes this is a thing)

There are some caveats about headset cup insertion depth on some ‘Dale frames as there is a machined lip in the headtube, but that is only an issue for some very deep headset cups in some frames and solved by turning them down on a lathe.

I stand corrected.