Hi all. These images record an August 2024 "silver anniversary restoration" to my 1999 T1000 "forever bike," which I bought in December 1998.
After 25 years' worth of Band-Aid fixes (see below), it was time for an integrated restoration from top to bottom. It started with a touring wheelset by Rich Lesnick at Rivendell Bicycle Works: USA-made Velocity Dyad 700c rims, 36-spokes with a 4-cross lacing pattern, SON28 dynamo hub, Rivendell "Silver" 135mm hub, and Rene Herse 700c x 35mm tires.
A new cockpit includes a Nitto Technomic "tall" stem, a 48cm Nitto Noodle drop bar, Rivendell's "Silver2" bar-end friction shifters (i.e., Grant Petersen's 2020 reincarnation of the 1982 SunTour power ratchet), and Dia-Compe 287V (long pull) brake levers. The bars are finished in white Newbaum's cloth tape with 3 coats of Zissner's amber shellac and hemp twine. All housings, cables, and alloy A113 top tube housing guides are new. (I got the A113s from the VintageCannondale store before it closed -- thanks!)
Keeping the original PX-2 linear-pull brakes, the Dia-Compe 287V levers allowed me to swap the original "Travel Agent" brake noodles for traditional V-brake noodles. Braking power and modulation are exceptional. (Sidebar #1: The 1999 catalog spec says these brakes are "PX-2 side-pull cantilevers"; who made the PX-2?)
The front rack is the Nitto M12 mounted at the brake bosses and fork crown. The brake cable easily clears the fender and skirts just above the rack's fork crown bolt. A VO light bracket holds the Schmidt Upside-Down Edelux II generator headlight. (Not pictured: My 1999 Jim Blackburn lowrider pannier rack installs for self-supported tours.)
The rear rack is the Nitto "Campee" 33R large pannier rack. A Schmidt SON generator taillight integrates into the rack's mount. The taillight wiring is a little kludgy, but it parallels the uninterrupted rear brake cable housing along the top tube (the A113 guides elevate the housing enough to provide clean zip-tie points). The wire is more secure than the wire on my rando bike that has exposed brake cable on the top tube. (Sidebar #2: I wish it were internally wired like a 1984-85 Specialized Expedition or the 1991 Giant Excursion. Anyone ever drill a vintage Cannondale touring frame for internal wiring? I wouldn't do it, but I'm curious on a theoretical level.)
The SKS 700c x 45mm fenders, installed in the aughts, fit the frame and 35mm tires nicely. (Sidebar #3: It's not a big deal, but I wish the CAAD2 Touring frame had a vertical threaded fender mount on the seatstay bridge and a threaded mount on the chainstay bridge like modern Crust and VO frames; I opted for thermoplastic fenders with a zip-tie at the chainstay bridge.)
The drivetrain is a circa-2009 Sugino XD2 46/36/24 triple crank and the original 105 front derailleur, with a modern Deore "Shadow" long-cage rear derailleur and new XT 11-34t 9-speed cassette. (Sidebar #4: Fun fact! Mathematically, the Sugino's 46/36/24 chainrings are a weighted average of 75% mountain 44/32/22 triple and 25% road 52/42/30 triple.) A new 68 x 107mm square-taper bottom bracket narrows the Sugino's Q-factor (my LBS tested several spindle lengths). The pedals are Shimano A530 dual platform/SPD.
The saddle is a 2008 Brooks B-17 Champion Special in honey with copper rails on a Nitto S83 seat post. These images also show a 2008 Rivendell / Baggins Bags "Keven" canvas saddle bag, King stainless cages, and a late-1990s Topeak "Einstein" mini pump that never fails. The bell is by Crane, tarnished from many rainstorms. Minus the bag and pump, she weighs 29.9 lbs post-renovation.
In addition to the brakes and front derailleur, only the original Shimano 105 headset and seat post clamp remain. And of course the marvelous iridescent "ChromaLusion Jade Gloss" paint, with its durable clearcoat, which has held up commendably for 25 years.
A 25-YEAR ROAD TEST?
Here's how the T1000 wore over the last 25 years, motivating this restoration.
Band-Aid #1: First, a crash tacoed the front wheel in summer 1999, so I rebuilt the STX RC hub with a new Mavic T217 rim (which was as close as I could get to the stock T221).
Band-Aid #2: The original CODA 500 clipless pedals didn't hold up particularly well; they lasted about 4 years.
Band-Aid #3: By 2008, the rear Mavic T221 rim cracked at the eyelets, so another wheel rebuild: the original STX RC rear hub and a new Mavic A719 rim. (Sidebar #5: Gotta love these humble STX RC hubs; as of 2024, they continue to be quiet and smooth despite 25 years' worth of miles and rain and grit.)
Band-Aids #4 & #5: The internal shifting mechanism of the Shimano 105 9-speed STI levers failed -- first the right lever in 2008 (eBay to the rescue with an Ultegra 9-speed brifter) and the left in 2009 just after I had shellacked the bars (replaced with a downtube shifter, leaving the dead shifter as a brake lever).
Band-Aid #6: When the chainrings wore out, I installed the Sugino crankset in 2009.
Band-Aid #7: All 3 plastic A113 housing guides broke off the top tube, leaving plastic bits rattling inside and requiring duct tape to secure the brake cable housing for the past decade.
The VintageCannondale touring bike gallery didn't have any 1999 T1000s, so I put a few additional images and text there (e.g., the story of buying the bike in December 1998). More pictures of the bike over the years are on my Flickr page. If you peek, you'll see that I toyed around with front baskets and mustache handlebars.
After 25 years' worth of Band-Aid fixes (see below), it was time for an integrated restoration from top to bottom. It started with a touring wheelset by Rich Lesnick at Rivendell Bicycle Works: USA-made Velocity Dyad 700c rims, 36-spokes with a 4-cross lacing pattern, SON28 dynamo hub, Rivendell "Silver" 135mm hub, and Rene Herse 700c x 35mm tires.
A new cockpit includes a Nitto Technomic "tall" stem, a 48cm Nitto Noodle drop bar, Rivendell's "Silver2" bar-end friction shifters (i.e., Grant Petersen's 2020 reincarnation of the 1982 SunTour power ratchet), and Dia-Compe 287V (long pull) brake levers. The bars are finished in white Newbaum's cloth tape with 3 coats of Zissner's amber shellac and hemp twine. All housings, cables, and alloy A113 top tube housing guides are new. (I got the A113s from the VintageCannondale store before it closed -- thanks!)
Keeping the original PX-2 linear-pull brakes, the Dia-Compe 287V levers allowed me to swap the original "Travel Agent" brake noodles for traditional V-brake noodles. Braking power and modulation are exceptional. (Sidebar #1: The 1999 catalog spec says these brakes are "PX-2 side-pull cantilevers"; who made the PX-2?)
The front rack is the Nitto M12 mounted at the brake bosses and fork crown. The brake cable easily clears the fender and skirts just above the rack's fork crown bolt. A VO light bracket holds the Schmidt Upside-Down Edelux II generator headlight. (Not pictured: My 1999 Jim Blackburn lowrider pannier rack installs for self-supported tours.)
The rear rack is the Nitto "Campee" 33R large pannier rack. A Schmidt SON generator taillight integrates into the rack's mount. The taillight wiring is a little kludgy, but it parallels the uninterrupted rear brake cable housing along the top tube (the A113 guides elevate the housing enough to provide clean zip-tie points). The wire is more secure than the wire on my rando bike that has exposed brake cable on the top tube. (Sidebar #2: I wish it were internally wired like a 1984-85 Specialized Expedition or the 1991 Giant Excursion. Anyone ever drill a vintage Cannondale touring frame for internal wiring? I wouldn't do it, but I'm curious on a theoretical level.)
The SKS 700c x 45mm fenders, installed in the aughts, fit the frame and 35mm tires nicely. (Sidebar #3: It's not a big deal, but I wish the CAAD2 Touring frame had a vertical threaded fender mount on the seatstay bridge and a threaded mount on the chainstay bridge like modern Crust and VO frames; I opted for thermoplastic fenders with a zip-tie at the chainstay bridge.)
The drivetrain is a circa-2009 Sugino XD2 46/36/24 triple crank and the original 105 front derailleur, with a modern Deore "Shadow" long-cage rear derailleur and new XT 11-34t 9-speed cassette. (Sidebar #4: Fun fact! Mathematically, the Sugino's 46/36/24 chainrings are a weighted average of 75% mountain 44/32/22 triple and 25% road 52/42/30 triple.) A new 68 x 107mm square-taper bottom bracket narrows the Sugino's Q-factor (my LBS tested several spindle lengths). The pedals are Shimano A530 dual platform/SPD.
The saddle is a 2008 Brooks B-17 Champion Special in honey with copper rails on a Nitto S83 seat post. These images also show a 2008 Rivendell / Baggins Bags "Keven" canvas saddle bag, King stainless cages, and a late-1990s Topeak "Einstein" mini pump that never fails. The bell is by Crane, tarnished from many rainstorms. Minus the bag and pump, she weighs 29.9 lbs post-renovation.
In addition to the brakes and front derailleur, only the original Shimano 105 headset and seat post clamp remain. And of course the marvelous iridescent "ChromaLusion Jade Gloss" paint, with its durable clearcoat, which has held up commendably for 25 years.
A 25-YEAR ROAD TEST?
Here's how the T1000 wore over the last 25 years, motivating this restoration.
Band-Aid #1: First, a crash tacoed the front wheel in summer 1999, so I rebuilt the STX RC hub with a new Mavic T217 rim (which was as close as I could get to the stock T221).
Band-Aid #2: The original CODA 500 clipless pedals didn't hold up particularly well; they lasted about 4 years.
Band-Aid #3: By 2008, the rear Mavic T221 rim cracked at the eyelets, so another wheel rebuild: the original STX RC rear hub and a new Mavic A719 rim. (Sidebar #5: Gotta love these humble STX RC hubs; as of 2024, they continue to be quiet and smooth despite 25 years' worth of miles and rain and grit.)
Band-Aids #4 & #5: The internal shifting mechanism of the Shimano 105 9-speed STI levers failed -- first the right lever in 2008 (eBay to the rescue with an Ultegra 9-speed brifter) and the left in 2009 just after I had shellacked the bars (replaced with a downtube shifter, leaving the dead shifter as a brake lever).
Band-Aid #6: When the chainrings wore out, I installed the Sugino crankset in 2009.
Band-Aid #7: All 3 plastic A113 housing guides broke off the top tube, leaving plastic bits rattling inside and requiring duct tape to secure the brake cable housing for the past decade.
The VintageCannondale touring bike gallery didn't have any 1999 T1000s, so I put a few additional images and text there (e.g., the story of buying the bike in December 1998). More pictures of the bike over the years are on my Flickr page. If you peek, you'll see that I toyed around with front baskets and mustache handlebars.
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