1990 ST600 fork questions.

[marknutzman]

Hi everyone! I purchased this bike recently. The frame serial number indicates that it’s a 1990 model, and that mostly matches up what is see in the vintage Cannondale catalog. The fork is a mystery though. Shouldn’t a 1990 have a lugged fork, not a unicrown? It looks to me like they switched to the newer style in 1992. Maybe this one a a newer fork on an older frame? If that’s the case then they must’ve both been repainted also, because the paint is an exact match. Thanks for any info!

 

[JohnnyD]

I can't answer your question about the fork. However, I really have to say WOW that bike looks so nice. So regardless if the fork is the original or not. You certainly have yourself a winner when it comes to just how amazing the bike looks.

 

[marknutzman]

Thanks! Yeah when I bought it I thought it sure looked clean and low mileage. Then I got it home and wiped the dust off and wow! The paint, chrome parts, and decals all look brand new. There is not even any wear or fading on the plastic cable clips. Pretty crazy for a 33 year old bike.

 

[JohnnyD]

I only wish the red paint on my '92 M700 still looked that vivid. Maybe someday I will convince myself to restore the paint on it.

 

[marknutzman]

I only wish the red paint on my '92 M700 still looked that vivid. Maybe someday I will convince myself to restore the paint on it.

I’ve got a ‘red 93 M700 also! It was in pretty good shape when I got it too. I’ve done a bit of modding to it and given it to my son.

 

[JohnnyD]

Mine is no where near as clean as that. I've kept mine pretty current though with mods over the years the best of which is the Magura HS33's . I wish it were easy to find decent 26 in. tan wall tires here in the US.

 

[marknutzman]

Mine is no where near as clean as that. I've kept mine pretty current though with mods over the years the best of which is the Magura HS33's . I wish it were easy to find decent 26 in. tan wall tires here in the US.

Oh man, I bet those Maguras are awesome on it! Mine is mostly original, the biggest change was the threadless stem. I put new Kool-Stop pads on the C’dale Force 5 cantis and they will stop you pretty darn quick.

I wasn’t too sure about the Maxxis DTH tires, but they have turned out to be pretty awesome. They are light, smooth rolling, and fast. I actually have slime tubes in them now (13 year old son, less flats to repair) and I’ve been really surprised how great the tires have held up. We ride a lot of rough streets with broken glass and stuff.

 

[JohnnyD]

Oh man, I bet those Maguras are awesome on it! Mine is mostly original, the biggest change was the threadless stem. I put new Kool-Stop pads on the C’dale Force 5 cantis and they will stop you pretty darn quick.

I wasn’t too sure about the Maxxis DTH tires, but they have turned out to be pretty awesome. They are light, smooth rolling, and fast. I actually have slime tubes in them now (13 year old son, less flats to repair) and I’ve been really surprised how great the tires have held up. We ride a lot of rough streets with broken glass and stuff.

The Maguras are beyond awesome on that bike.. Almost as good as any 2 piston hydraulic disc , even in wet weather.
I really appreciate the honest opinion on the Maxxis tires.. I've wanted to get tan wall for the bike once the Continental Traffics wear out. They are a great tire for the riding I do on that bike, paved roads and light gravel use, but the wire bead is super stiff and makes the tire a huge pain to install. I broke a Park Tools tire lever getting them on! I use slime tubes in them too. Works well enough in preventing slow leaking punctures I sometimes get from the goat head thorns around here.

 

[black lightning 1987]

Just by the catalog pictures, it appears that 1992 was the first year for the unicrown fork. But it's not unusual to see Cannondales that differ from catalog spec. I'd guess Tange was making the unicrown forks in 1990 and they may have been substituted because of a supply issue with the lugged forks.