Cad2 F500

[rickpaulos]

Just bought this Cannondale. F500 bright green.
The fork is seized.
Front wheel not stock.
Rear rim tweeked.
Schwinn seat.

questions:
Year? Having trouble reading the serial number
Color? What is the catalog name for the bright green?
Fork model? Looks to be stock. How hard is this one to rebuild?

The serial numbers location on the bb puts it in the 1993-1999 era.
year J is 1998? The colors listed in the 1998 catalog are Viper Red and Split Pea which is certainly not this color. In all the catalogs I've looked through, there are some Split Pea bikes pictured (dark bland green) but no bikes showing this bright green. There is an Icelandic Green listed but not shown. So I notice Cannondale catalogs list other colors but don't show them like many other companies do.

Thanks,
rick




first lettter is a J? (1998 May)?
JE B1-0302 D3855
322423 9FMN2GMD




Head tube sticker. Looks like the 1997-1999 edition.

 

[black lightning 1987]

That's a 1999 F500. Color is Mean Green Gloss. Fork is P-Bone M. Guessing your needle bearings are the sticking point. I have a Headshok frame that came to me with a stuck fork. I was able to free it up with penetrating oil and persistence.

 

[rickpaulos]

Thanks! The 1999 catalog would not open on my home computer beyond page 16 or so. I'm at work and your tip took me straight to the 1999 catalog and there it is! And several more models in Mean Green including a tandem. That's a lot of green. Looks like I'll be buying a castle nut tool.

 

[rickpaulos]

update:

fork removed and inspected. The boot was torn so water got in. The lower guts are rusted quite badly. I put a loaner fork in for now. DOh, it'was from a H300. So the brakes don't line up so no front brakes for now. I put on a nearly matching front wheel to replace the cheap bolt on wheel that was on the bike. smooth cruiser tires just in time for winter snows. Adjusted the derailleurs so they work well now.

The stock fork was a P-bone M fork. Steel coil spring with mcu/poly dampers. No air. I did get the fork free'd up with lots of wd-40 and chain lube and a shot filled plastic mallet but it moves like a grinder. I expect the bearings are rusted to a race or the races have rows of rust where the bearings were stuck. Feels like a washboard. Doing some www reading and new needle bearings seem difficult to find. Plenty of races in numerous thicknesses.

so what to do. spend a lot on a tool, bearings, races, boot and try to do a rebuild? Just put it back in and flip it cheap. Strip it for parts? Look for another pricey Headshok fork? Get headset adapters and install a standard shock fork? I'll probably sell it in the spring anyhow.

 

[black lightning 1987]

Bikewagon had a lot of Headshok parts on ebay but perhaps just the races and not the bearings. I wonder if you couldn't find the same needles in a round needle bearing. Might tax the patience of the counter guy at the bearing shop to find them... You should check with Mendoncyclesmith and see what they do in this situation. Lefty would be another option.

 

[rickpaulos]

I put the fork (and front brakes) back on the bike. The ride is quite bizarre with the fork bearings grinding away. You feel them throughout your whole body. You try to ride as smooth as possible to keep the fork steady. I'll ride it for a while and see if they smooth out at all. No luck on finding the needle bearing strips on the www. Listed as out of stock everywhere. Even plain needles are hard to find for a reasonable price. I assume the needle bearing cages are plastic so I could possible just pop the needles out and pop in new needles. I'm not taking it apart until I can get new bearings.

 

[black lightning 1987]

I've only had one of my Headshok forks apart but that's the way I remember them, in plastic cages. I wonder if there isn't a universal joint that has the right needles. I have a box of different sized ones in the shop if you end up taking it apart. Did you ask about them at Mendon Cyclesmith?