Restoration Modification Restomod? Nope.
Refurbishment with Modernization. Yes. So, a Modfurbishment.
1992 Cannondale 3.0. First picture as found and rescued. It did not have a model decal, so this was sold as a frameset by Cannondale. The former owner owned it from new and it was custom built, pretty much as pictured, back in about '93 by a bike shop that sponsored a team - he was one of the riders. So I was able to confirm this bike was never a "complete"... which kind of made me feel like I could take some license.
Cost me nothing. Notable features here... it came as a 9 speed (!) fully indexed and working very smoothly. Never really thought you could cram 9 speed into 126mm spacing, but here it is and it worked beautifully. FD is early 105, RD is Ultegra. It had Bontrager Select wheels. Much like Race Lights, at least in terms of the lacing. Other than that it had an old Selle Flight, and an actually really nice carbon fork I have not identified. It may have been a Cannondale fork as I have seen very similar on early bikes with Cannondale decals.
Anyway, I think we can agree that this is a relatively uninspired and drab build. TBH, it was uncomfortable though mechanically sound. I started a face lift and just kept going until there was really nothing left to do...
Modfurbished
Modifications included Ultegra STIs, compact Easton EC90 carbon handlebars, FSA SB25 carbon setback seatpost and a Fizik Aliente carbon-railed saddle. New Supacaz tape, new Jagwire cables, Mavic Ksyrium SL SSC wheels, Schwalbe One with white lines, new chain, Look SPD pedals. Oh, and I did do a threadless conversion quill in order to fit a C2 Cannondale Stem and the handlebars wich are 31.8.
Almost all of it was stuff I had on hand.
Final weight is 20 pounds 2 ounces with pedals. The original '92 R500 weighed in at 22.5 lbs with downtube shifters, etc., no pedals. The 56cm Criterium frame weighed in at 3.2 lbs or 1451.5 grams. This is a 54 cm frame, though it fits much more like a 55. Cannot really tell it from my 56cm bikes effectively. It's probably hovering right around 3.0 pounds for the frame.
Very happy with the result in terms of cosmetics, comfort and performance - the latter two being the most important to me. Overall, though this does not represent a restoration as much as a refurbishment, all the parts and pieces were, at one time or another, spec'd to Cannondale bikes. The SB25 and Aliante were favorites of Sagan. The one exception is probably the Easton bars and the threadless converter.
So in many ways it is very true to form, and I really like how it turned out. More than anything I am amazed at how comfortable it is for an old, stiff, aluminum racing bike. Many say these 2.8s and 3.0s beat you up. The carbon bits, while they weigh less, add a lot of compliance in all the right places, and it is quite reasonable in terms of comfort. For me comfort equates to speed. The more comfy, the more likely I will be flogging the bike. In my typical short time trial, my time is within the normal bounds of variation - not appreciably slower than my best carbon bike (16+ pounds). It is not as fast as my best carbon bike, but it is not far off and it IS way prettier. LOL. Mechanically, the STIs are beautiful. Perfect in fact. I opted for a 3x9 even though the crankset is a 2x. There is an extra shift in-between, but it acts like a very large trim function, so it is not really that odd - really kind of natural. Works fine and it preserves the ability to eventually go back to the original 3x spec's to the R500 and where I will ride this bike I won't use granny all that much anyway.
Anyway, now there is no reason this bike can't go another 29 years. And yes, I have since "slammed" the quill/stem.
Refurbishment with Modernization. Yes. So, a Modfurbishment.
1992 Cannondale 3.0. First picture as found and rescued. It did not have a model decal, so this was sold as a frameset by Cannondale. The former owner owned it from new and it was custom built, pretty much as pictured, back in about '93 by a bike shop that sponsored a team - he was one of the riders. So I was able to confirm this bike was never a "complete"... which kind of made me feel like I could take some license.
Cost me nothing. Notable features here... it came as a 9 speed (!) fully indexed and working very smoothly. Never really thought you could cram 9 speed into 126mm spacing, but here it is and it worked beautifully. FD is early 105, RD is Ultegra. It had Bontrager Select wheels. Much like Race Lights, at least in terms of the lacing. Other than that it had an old Selle Flight, and an actually really nice carbon fork I have not identified. It may have been a Cannondale fork as I have seen very similar on early bikes with Cannondale decals.
Anyway, I think we can agree that this is a relatively uninspired and drab build. TBH, it was uncomfortable though mechanically sound. I started a face lift and just kept going until there was really nothing left to do...
Modfurbished
Modifications included Ultegra STIs, compact Easton EC90 carbon handlebars, FSA SB25 carbon setback seatpost and a Fizik Aliente carbon-railed saddle. New Supacaz tape, new Jagwire cables, Mavic Ksyrium SL SSC wheels, Schwalbe One with white lines, new chain, Look SPD pedals. Oh, and I did do a threadless conversion quill in order to fit a C2 Cannondale Stem and the handlebars wich are 31.8.
Almost all of it was stuff I had on hand.
Final weight is 20 pounds 2 ounces with pedals. The original '92 R500 weighed in at 22.5 lbs with downtube shifters, etc., no pedals. The 56cm Criterium frame weighed in at 3.2 lbs or 1451.5 grams. This is a 54 cm frame, though it fits much more like a 55. Cannot really tell it from my 56cm bikes effectively. It's probably hovering right around 3.0 pounds for the frame.
Very happy with the result in terms of cosmetics, comfort and performance - the latter two being the most important to me. Overall, though this does not represent a restoration as much as a refurbishment, all the parts and pieces were, at one time or another, spec'd to Cannondale bikes. The SB25 and Aliante were favorites of Sagan. The one exception is probably the Easton bars and the threadless converter.
So in many ways it is very true to form, and I really like how it turned out. More than anything I am amazed at how comfortable it is for an old, stiff, aluminum racing bike. Many say these 2.8s and 3.0s beat you up. The carbon bits, while they weigh less, add a lot of compliance in all the right places, and it is quite reasonable in terms of comfort. For me comfort equates to speed. The more comfy, the more likely I will be flogging the bike. In my typical short time trial, my time is within the normal bounds of variation - not appreciably slower than my best carbon bike (16+ pounds). It is not as fast as my best carbon bike, but it is not far off and it IS way prettier. LOL. Mechanically, the STIs are beautiful. Perfect in fact. I opted for a 3x9 even though the crankset is a 2x. There is an extra shift in-between, but it acts like a very large trim function, so it is not really that odd - really kind of natural. Works fine and it preserves the ability to eventually go back to the original 3x spec's to the R500 and where I will ride this bike I won't use granny all that much anyway.
Anyway, now there is no reason this bike can't go another 29 years. And yes, I have since "slammed" the quill/stem.
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