2001 Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra Project

Zachariah

Well-Known Member
I found this in a heap of old bicycles at a car junkyard. It was at the very bottom of the pile, but I quickly identified the Headshok. After almost 2 hours of untangling - I was able to bring this home for a mere $25:
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Despite having over 15 bikes piled on top of it - this poor specimen was in remarkably good shape.... the frame and fork was still straight! The boneyard owner told me this was taken from a car headed to the metal scrap yard. I thanked him for saving the bike:
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After careful assessment, I determined the frame was completely salvageable. It had lots of nicks, chips and scrapes... but surprisingly NO deep dents, or scoring anywhere on the frame. The Headshok was completely rusted shut. Turning the bars made a nasty, grinding sound. I immediately sent the fork out to Craig at Mendon Cyclesmith, who did his magic and restored the unit back to full operational health again. Craig literally brought back this fork from the dead - as two Cannondale-Authorized LBS refused to even touch it. In fact, the fork now works like NEW.
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I considered stripping and powdercoating the 6000-Series butted alloy frame - but feared the high-heat PC process may compromise the integrity of the T6 tempering of the frame. Due to cost - I decided not to go with a Auto body shop paint job. The decals and logos actually appeared good - so, I simply masked them all off, roughed-up the existing paint and gave the frame six light coats of ceramic automotive engine enamel, in semi-matte Black. Deep chips was filled-in, using multiple coats of Nail Salon Gel coating. I then baked each enamel coat under low heat(below 200deg F) for four hours(4x cycles) and let the entire frame air cure in the sun, for nine days. Once the fork arrived - I touched-up the scratches and chips with Revlon Black Star nail enamel....which matched the OEM finish perfectly. The end result is more like 95% of the original finish and appearance now:
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What's your bike Karma story???
 
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black lightning 1987

Moderator
Staff member
Great job. It's good to know who works on Headshoks. I have a 1996 Silk Road 500 that had a rusted up Headshok when I got it. I took it apart and cleaned everything up. Got in working order but may need some parts in the future.
 

Victor1977

Member
I dit notice your bad boy on the mtbr bad boy thread but it's always good to know the entire story.
You saved that beaty from a horrible dead and I bet she thanks you now with some nice rides.
Would love to have such one in that size too. Well done!
 

richarde206

New Member
What a beauty! I bought a 2001 Bad Boy that needs a little work, but nothing like yours. Fortunately, my Headshok will take air and hold pressure - pretty well. I would like to upgrade different components on it, though. It came with 26" wheels, and I'd like to buy some 700c wheels, too. It's a Europen version, having been solid originally by a shop in England. It has 3x8 SRAM X7 componentry matched with Gripshift shifters which, at first, I wasn't sure about them, but I've come to like the system for around town biking. Without any weight-lessening modifications, with 26x1.5 city tires, it weighs 26.5 pounds!

So, if you would, please share your purchases for your bike, if you still like them, are there any purchases you wish you had done differently, how much your Headshok work cost, how much you might have so far into your bike, possible future modifications, etc.

Thanks!
 

Zachariah

Well-Known Member
What a beauty! I bought a 2001 Bad Boy that needs a little work, but nothing like yours. Fortunately, my Headshok will take air and hold pressure - pretty well. I would like to upgrade different components on it, though. It came with 26" wheels, and I'd like to buy some 700c wheels, too. It's a Europen version, having been solid originally by a shop in England. It has 3x8 SRAM X7 componentry matched with Gripshift shifters which, at first, I wasn't sure about them, but I've come to like the system for around town biking. Without any weight-lessening modifications, with 26x1.5 city tires, it weighs 26.5 pounds!

So, if you would, please share your purchases for your bike, if you still like them, are there any purchases you wish you had done differently, how much your Headshok work cost, how much you might have so far into your bike, possible future modifications, etc.

Thanks!

I dumped so much cash into this bike. You can easily say I nearly purchased a NEW Bad Boy Ultra. The Headshok full rebuild cost $200/shipped. The alloy seatpost and flat bars has since been replaced with Cannondale C2 carbon SAVE parts... which cost me $300. The Gripshift drivetrain was upgraded to SRAM XX 10-speed, for about $400 including Power Dome 11-36 cassette.

The bike ran 700c x 28 wheels and tires, until I scored a set of Cyclocross 27.5 carbon disc wheels($650). This allowed me to run 33c gravel tires(Clement LAS), which greatly improved urban ride comfort and light off-road abilities.

One day, somebody taped a note on my saddle. They offered to buy it from me, for a price I could not refuse...$2000. I'm currently building up a 2009 Caffeine-based Bad Boy Ultra, which is the LAST of the USA-made alloy frames. I should be done soon!!!
 

richarde206

New Member
I dumped so much cash into this bike. You can easily say I nearly purchased a NEW Bad Boy Ultra. The Headshok full rebuild cost $200/shipped. The alloy seatpost and flat bars has since been replaced with Cannondale C2 carbon SAVE parts... which cost me $300. The Gripshift drivetrain was upgraded to SRAM XX 10-speed, for about $400 including Power Dome 11-36 cassette.

The bike ran 700c x 28 wheels and tires, until I scored a set of Cyclocross 27.5 carbon disc wheels($650). This allowed me to run 33c gravel tires(Clement LAS), which greatly improved urban ride comfort and light off-road abilities.

One day, somebody taped a note on my saddle. They offered to buy it from me, for a price I could not refuse...$2000. I'm currently building up a 2009 Caffeine-based Bad Boy Ultra, which is the LAST of the USA-made alloy frames. I should be done soon!!!

Yeah, but a NEW Bad Boy Ultra would not have been nearly as nice as the bike you built up, as evidenced by the offer you couldn't refuse. Man, with a bike that nice, that obviously attracts attention, and I would be almost afraid to take it out in public if it were out of sight.

To the extent the initial 'bike' was pretty much a frame and forks, it sounds like you did some intial component install, then gradually upgraded components...? You must mean upgrades from what is shown in the pictures...? For example, you note the Gripshift drivetrain was upgraded to SRAM XX 10-speed, but your initial bike skeleton didn't have any drivetrain components, as well you note the bike ran 700c x 28 wheels until you scored the cyclocross disc wheels. What were the initial wheels you put on the bike that were eventually replaced by the cyclocross wheels? What handlebars did I'dyou use? Seatpost?

I'd like to do some work to my 2001 Bad Boy, and I hope to gain some insight from folks who have already been there, like you.

Thanks again for sharing!
 

Zachariah

Well-Known Member
The first build I used Velocity Blunt SL 29er alloy wheels, with Vittoria Rubino Pro 700c x 25 tires. I replaced the original Cannondale 520mm 25.4 alloy bars with 2007 Cannondale Fire 580mm 25.4 bars(pictured, above built). I found a cheap, Cannondale Competition 27.2 seatpost on eBay for $25/shipped. Combined with SRAM X0 9-speed drivetrain Magura Marta SL brakes and XTR titanium cassette - the bike weighed just under 22 pounds.
 

richarde206

New Member
The first build I used Velocity Blunt SL 29er alloy wheels, with Vittoria Rubino Pro 700c x 25 tires. I replaced the original Cannondale 520mm 25.4 alloy bars with 2007 Cannondale Fire 580mm 25.4 bars(pictured, above built). I found a cheap, Cannondale Competition 27.2 seatpost on eBay for $25/shipped. Combined with SRAM X0 9-speed drivetrain Magura Marta SL brakes and XTR titanium cassette - the bike weighed just under 22 pounds.

That's awesome info! You have surely set the bar for us lurking here and marveling at what you did to that frame! I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with the '09 Caffeine Bad Boy...
 

Zachariah

Well-Known Member
Here is a teaser of the "latest" 2009 Caffeine BBU build(photos coming soon!):

Frame: Cannondale Caffeine 6061 alloy - Medium BBQ
Fork: Cannondale Headshok Fatty Ultra DLR-80 BBQ
Handlebars/Stem/light: Cannondale OPI 80mm x 580mm width
Crankset: Cannondale EX2 175mm, w/ Competition 44/29 Chainrings
Seatpost: Cannondale C2 carbon 31.6mm x 350mm
Seatpost Clamp: Cannondale 7075 alloy 34.9mm clamp
Saddle: F'izi:k Gobi XM Wingflex K:IUM titanium rails
Bottom Bracket: Shimano Dura Ace BB-7700 Octalink v.1
Wheelset: Mavic CR29SSMAX 700c UST
Tires: Serfas Seca Pro 700c x 25
Brakeset: Avid Juicy Ultimate hydraulic disc; F=160mm G2 CS rotor; R=140mm G2 CS
Shifters: SRAM X0 Gripshift 10-speed
Front Derailleur: SRAM XX 10-speed hi-mount top pull
Rear Derailleur: SRAM XX 10-speed long cage
Cassette: SRAM XX 10-speed Power Glide 11-36
Chain: SRAM PG-1091R 10-speed Hollowpin
Grips: Yeti/ODI shorty lock-on
Pedals: Crank Brothers Eggbeater 3ti
 
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Zachariah

Well-Known Member
I like the way you operate. I, too, have dumped far too much cash into old Cannondales.
I plan on riding it for a very long time. For future resale value - I only upgraded it with the highest-end version of the period-correct, component grouping. It's the only way I can get my money’s worth! Problem with such a nice build are the bike thieves and dope fiends....
 
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JimGreen

Active Member
It's amazing the buzz you get after saving a bike like that from being crushed. I'm currently totally restoring a 1997 F700, i've thrown away (Kept In Workshop) almost every component apart from the frame, restoring it using updated components.

I've fully rebuilt the headshok (DD60) and the frame is going away for a respray at the end of this week, then it's assembly time followed by some nice rides around some local trails here in England.

Great job you did on yours.
 
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