Restoring a 1993 R900

[Clipmein]

A friend has given an old Cannondale frame to my 15yr old. He was given it by a friend who it turned picked it up for free when someone was chucking it out in Newcastle (England).

I'm pretty sure it's a 1993 R900 (would have reached the market in 1994), thanks to the excellent catalogue resource elsewhere on this website.

This is the serial number. This tells me it's August 1993 (EH), sequence # 10209. It's 56cm.
Not sure what the OE39 or the ?BOW mean. Suggestions very welcome.

The forks, bars and seat post appear to be original. It's been messed about with over time and has a mix of 105 & Ultegra kit on it.

Plan is to clean it up, keep the good bits, upgrade the less good bits (the shifters were in a poor state), new wheels and saddle and off we go.
I'm trying to persuade my lad we should get classic Cannondale decals on the cleaned up aluminium. He's thinking of spraying some of all if it.

Question - will the frame take a 700 28mm tyre? Not sure how tight it will be.

Thanks in advance all.

 

[IdahoBrett]

Nice project!

I do not currently own a 2.8 framed bike. But on the frames I do, I have 25mm tyres installed and I would think a 28mm would be possible. Hopefully someone with a 2.8 will be along to advise.

 

[letsbike]

It's a nice project for your son to learn about bike mechanics. I am looking forward to what he does with it. The best part is there is no right or wrong way to get it done. He is saving this bike from the trash heap and putting it back where it belongs.
I'd say, mount a tire an see if you have clearance. All tire manufacturers are a bit different with their measurements. I'm not sure what is available in the UK.
Please keep us apprised, and good luck.

 

[black lightning 1987]

I'll try to remember to check a 28 on one of my 2.8 frames. I know that I've run them on earlier and later Cannondales but the aluminum fork on the 2.8s might have less clearance.

 

[doxilia]

I’ve owned and ridden my polished Al R900 since new in 1993. Not much was changed/upgraded in 30 years including the excellent Cinelli cork bar tape until a few years ago when I primarily bought a new pair of wheels for it.

The original Mavic Open Pro 32h rims on Shimano 600 hubs are still going strong but I wanted an option to ride different tires.

I’ve ridden her on tires as narrow as Vittoria 19C’s but mainly in 23/25C’s for 20-25 years. It was only around 2015 when 28C tires became more common that I wanted to try that option as the roads where I live now are very poor.

I can confirm that both the frame/fork and the original Shimano 600 calipers will clear 28C’s but not 30’s. That said, not all 28C’s will clear. I’ve ridden both Conti Gatorskins and Pirelli P-Zero’s on different wheels (same narrow 17 mm internal width on both wheels) with no issues. However, Vittoria Corsa’s somehow didn’t fit. The main limiting factor is actually the front brake caliper but the fork and frame have no issue.

I have not tried wider rims (eg carbon) on 28’s but I don’t think there would be an issue since it’s height (total diameter) rather than width which is limiting.

In short, it’s rather incredible that a 32 year old frame and bike will allow the use of 28C tires when many more recent rim brake frames don’t (eg ~2015 BMC Teammachine).

 

[doxilia]

I’ve attached a couple of snaps of the bike with the original wheels on Gator 28’s and the deeper section (40 mm) Mavic’s on P-Zero 28’s. Please excuse the inappropriate Pinarello water bottles…

While keeping it as original as possible is obviously a nice idea, I’ve lately been thinking about rebuilding it into a bike I would enjoy riding more often. Unfortunately, one becomes “corrupt” after riding electronic shifting especially on a 2x bike and I wonder how she’d ride on a carbon fork with a clean cockpit and wireless electronic shifting (curious to try the new Chinese options such as Wheeltop).

I suspect it might be heresy but it would be fun to try while still allowing a rebuild back to its original state should I one day stop to ride her. It would also allow me to take advantage of the rebuild to touch up the frame, apply fresh lettering and clear coat.

Thoughts…?

 

[JohnnyD]

I’ve attached a couple of snaps of the bike with the original wheels on Gator 28’s and the deeper section (40 mm) Mavic’s on P-Zero 28’s. Please excuse the inappropriate Pinarello water bottles…

While keeping it as original as possible is obviously a nice idea, I’ve lately been thinking about rebuilding it into a bike I would enjoy riding more often. Unfortunately, one becomes “corrupt” after riding electronic shifting especially on a 2x bike and I wonder how she’d ride on a carbon fork with a clean cockpit and wireless electronic shifting (curious to try the new Chinese options such as Wheeltop).

I suspect it might be heresy but it would be fun to try while still allowing a rebuild back to its original state should I one day stop to ride her. It would also allow me to take advantage of the rebuild to touch up the frame, apply fresh lettering and clear coat.

Thoughts…?

I'd be lying if part of me doesn't say "Go for it" on modifying your bike with the parts you want. How can I say "Don't ruin it" when I have SRAM 12 speed x1 on both my Jekyll's , as well as having don't disc brake modifications to other bikes. Cannondale certainly never made a '94 Super V with a Lefty and disc brakes, carbon crank and other things done.
However, I will say that is is still a very nice looking bike. I own too many bikes as it is, but I still sometimes think of picking up a CAAD 8 or 9 since they looks so so nice. Who knows , if the price is right someday!

 

[doxilia]

I'd be lying if part of me doesn't say "Go for it" on modifying your bike with the parts you want. How can I say "Don't ruin it" when I have SRAM 12 speed x1 on both my Jekyll's , as well as having don't disc brake modifications to other bikes. Cannondale certainly never made a '94 Super V with a Lefty and disc brakes, carbon crank and other things done.
However, I will say that is is still a very nice looking bike. I own too many bikes as it is, but I still sometimes think of picking up a CAAD 8 or 9 since they looks so so nice. Who knows , if the price is right someday!

Thanks for the thoughts and compliments on the bike. It is amazing how little maintenance I’ve had to give this bike over the years. It doesn’t get ridden as much as she used to in the 90’s and 2000’s but the fact that the BB still spins freely is testament to the engineering that Cannondale put into these frames and the build quality of the bike shop - Casters in Rhode Island.

I do feel that finding a suitable carbon fork and cockpit as well as going electronic could potentially drop the weight shy of 1 kg putting it closer to the 8 kg mark. At the moment she hovers right around 9 kg on its 58 cm frame. The stem and bar are definitely “vintage heavy” as is (was) the seatpost and paper weight stem spacers. A few minor changes were made with a carbon seatpost and change to the headset spacers and top cap at the time the deeper “business black” wheels were added.

My main dislike while riding the bike is the slow and inaccurate front shifting which sometimes requires 2-3 attempts at a large chainring shift often accompanied with a drop in cogs at the rear. Less than ideal. Arguably all likely due to it needing new cables and an overhaul to the drivetrain. Possibly also the shifters themselves which are actually not internally serviceable. But the trim “style” of the front derailleur and left shifter has always been a feature albeit one that is very retro once you’ve experienced modern shifting - mechanical or electronic.

I’ve also gone headlong into the SRAM 1x camp having two bikes setup with XPLR (one gravel, one urban) and a third bike (a carbon road) with Force 2x. The auto trim and “sequential” combined shifting on SRAM 2x when switching chainrings is such a different experience over the 600 groupset that it’s hard to not be tempted. On the other hand, perhaps it’s time to accept the limitations of this R900, keep her as is and enjoy riding her from time to time.

My self custom painted and built XPLR 1x gravel bike is such a “buttery” riding experience that I often just want to be out on her either on a pair of 32c Corsa Pro wheels or the Pirelli Cinturato hard gravel wheelset. Not as fast as the road bikes but so comfortable. That build surpassed all my expectations considering it started off with a coop donor aluminum frame. Unfortunately, not a Cannondale though.

 

[black lightning 1987]

Nice looking bike. I don't know if there are any 1" carbon forks in current production. Ritchey shows on Holland Bike Shop's site as out of stock but might come back. Columbus Minimal is still available on ebay.

Columbus Minimal Carbon Fork 1" Straight, 45mm Rake - Black | eBay

- T700S monocoque carbon fiber <br> <br>- 300mm straight 1" or 1-1/8" carbon steerer <br> <br>- Clearance for up to 25c tires <br> <br>- 9x100mm aluminum dropouts <br> <br>- 45mm rake <br> <br>- 340g.

www.ebay.com

I don't know if either of those forks will clear a 28 mm tire. My guess is that wider rims should give more clearance.

Have you tried adjusting your front derailleur? Sometimes a slight twist or height change is all that's required. It's been a while since I rode a bike with that era STI but I don't remember any front shifting issues.

 

[doxilia]

Nice looking bike. I don't know if there are any 1" carbon forks in current production. Ritchey shows on Holland Bike Shop's site as out of stock but might come back. Columbus Minimal is still available on ebay.

Columbus Minimal Carbon Fork 1" Straight, 45mm Rake - Black | eBay

- T700S monocoque carbon fiber <br> <br>- 300mm straight 1" or 1-1/8" carbon steerer <br> <br>- Clearance for up to 25c tires <br> <br>- 9x100mm aluminum dropouts <br> <br>- 45mm rake <br> <br>- 340g.

www.ebay.com

I don't know if either of those forks will clear a 28 mm tire. My guess is that wider rims should give more clearance.

Have you tried adjusting your front derailleur? Sometimes a slight twist or height change is all that's required. It's been a while since I rode a bike with that era STI but I don't remember any front shifting issues.

I have adjusted the derailleur(s) over the years but the front shifting hasn’t changed much since day-1. It works but it’s just somewhat laborious and the lever throw required is excessive IMO. I strongly suspect that a fresh pair of cables and housings would help but I’m debating whether to bother if I’ll be going with a WL shifter/derailleur system which would render these unnecessary.

As for the fork, these bikes (at least the 1993 model) used to come with a massive 1-1/2” headset and a 1-1/4” steerer rather than a standard (today) 1-1/8” or vintage 1” steerer. If I’m to change the cockpit, then it would make sense to obtain a 1-1/8” carbon fork. The main concern with the fork is to insure it has the correct rake or else the wheel is going to hit the down tube (and my toes which it already does - sort of). However, I thought I may just go with a one piece carbon cockpit as I know the correct size and some are made for 1-1/4” steerers with an adapter for 1-1/8” (never loved having to use adapters but maybe it’s not an issue if and when I change forks).

Lastly, I need to check how the tire fit goes with wider carbon rims as I’ve been riding 28C tires for the last decade but on narrow 17 mm internal Al rims. The 28C tires actually do measure down to 25 mm on such rims so maybe wider 19 mm internal (25 external) with 25C tires will be optimal giving a better profile to the tire.

I’ll check that out and report back for those who may be going down the wider tire path. That said, width is less of a problem (frame and calipers still have clearance) than height. It’s the OD of the wheel/tire system that is the limiting factor. At least with the original Shimano 600 calipers.

 

[black lightning 1987]

I didn't recall that they used a 1 1/4" fork in 1993. My 1992 R1000 has a 1" threaded fork. I have a couple of other 2.8 frames with the aluminum forks but I think they are all 1", will have to check.

 

[Clipmein]

I’ve owned and ridden my polished Al R900 since new in 1993. Not much was changed/upgraded in 30 years including the excellent Cinelli cork bar tape until a few years ago when I primarily bought a new pair of wheels for it.

The original Mavic Open Pro 32h rims on Shimano 600 hubs are still going strong but I wanted an option to ride different tires.

I’ve ridden her on tires as narrow as Vittoria 19C’s but mainly in 23/25C’s for 20-25 years. It was only around 2015 when 28C tires became more common that I wanted to try that option as the roads where I live now are very poor.

I can confirm that both the frame/fork and the original Shimano 600 calipers will clear 28C’s but not 30’s. That said, not all 28C’s will clear. I’ve ridden both Conti Gatorskins and Pirelli P-Zero’s on different wheels (same narrow 17 mm internal width on both wheels) with no issues. However, Vittoria Corsa’s somehow didn’t fit. The main limiting factor is actually the front brake caliper but the fork and frame have no issue.

I have not tried wider rims (eg carbon) on 28’s but I don’t think there would be an issue since it’s height (total diameter) rather than width which is limiting.

In short, it’s rather incredible that a 32 year old frame and bike will allow the use of 28C tires when many more recent rim brake frames don’t (eg ~2015 BMC Teammachine).

Thanks Doxilla, really useful advice. After a couple of months of thinking about what we were doing and being distracting by life, we're now on it. Have ordered 28 tyres today to go with a pair of Maddux DRX 6000's we've kindly been given.

 

[Clipmein]

The build is on. My son has cleaned up the frame with 0000 wire wool and then chrome polished it. He wanted to add some colour so has sprayed the forks and stays (teenagers eh!). New stem and cable guides on their way.
105 cassette and chain rings have cleaned up nicely too.
Hoping to get most of the rest of the build done on the weekend.

 

[doxilia]

The build is on. My son has cleaned up the frame with 0000 wire wool and then chrome polished it. He wanted to add some colour so has sprayed the forks and stays (teenagers eh!). New stem and cable guides on their way.
105 cassette and chain rings have cleaned up nicely too.
Hoping to get most of the rest of the build done on the weekend.

A word of caution for your son. Tell him to be extremely careful clamping the frame at the middle of the TT or ST. This frame has extremely thin side walls especially at the center and clamping it as depicted can basically total the frame. It looks like you may already have a substantial dent right beside the clamp on the TT but that’s probably from some other incident.

My wife picked up a nice looking medium Al Giant frame of slightly later vintage that would have built up nicely for my son. However, it was trashed on someone’s lawn, due to them having clamped it nicely right in the middle of the ST. Total loss. Crushed it completely.

That’s especially true with stands and vices like the one you guys may have that don’t screw down to snugness but rather clamp down at a given pressure. But maybe yours screws down as well.

Best idea is to just insert any old aluminum or steel seatpost and clamp the smithereens out of that if you like…

 

[doxilia]

I didn't recall that they used a 1 1/4" fork in 1993. My 1992 R1000 has a 1" threaded fork. I have a couple of other 2.8 frames with the aluminum forks but I think they are all 1", will have to check.

I think you’re probably right. 1993 versions of the R900 came with a different headset and fork. My frame (the polished R900’s) is actually a 1994 model year though I bought it late summer 1993. My fork is definitely a 1-1/4”. However, I’d like to find a suitable carbon replacement that would work well with the frame (rake and trail wise). The sub-1 fork amazingly only has 38 mm of rake per Cannondale specs. Though a tad expensive, ENVE offers their road rim forks in 40 mm rake which should be close enough.

She might look quite nice with a complete ENVE finishing kit (fork, cockpit & seatpost) and Vittoria Corsa Pro tires. I wonder if a pair of those in 28C would clear the 600 calipers.

 

[doxilia]

The build is on. My son has cleaned up the frame with 0000 wire wool and then chrome polished it. He wanted to add some colour so has sprayed the forks and stays (teenagers eh!). New stem and cable guides on their way.
105 cassette and chain rings have cleaned up nicely too.
Hoping to get most of the rest of the build done on the weekend.

Incidentally, have you figured out what the spec is on the headset cups and bearings?

I’d like to see if a 1-1/8” headset or adapter kit can be found for the frame so a carbon fork can be used.

It looks like you’re running a different headset than the original which came with polished bearing cups (Aheadset I believe).

Last thought on painting these frames, they do require a good sanding and roughening up of the surface along with an etching Aluminum primer. I’ve painted a fair bit over the years and continue to experiment but have discovered that there is no substitute for top quality 2K catalyzed primers and clear coats. If shooting with rattle cans, SprayMax (SM) makes excellent products of both. With good substrate prep and 2K primer, you can shoot just about any colour coat chemistry without concern though I do favor lacquer due to its fast flash time and easy application.

The 2K clear is probably the trickiest thing to shoot and requires practice but I’ve found that the best technique with SM is to get the job done in 2 coats and no more: first is a mist tack coat followed by a flowed second coat. It has pretty good “grip” on the tack in the right shooting conditions so runs are rare but one must get it on at the right time. The can instructions are bang on so if one follows them, it works. Nothing should come into contact with the clear for a week as it cures. But after 10 days or so (2 weeks even better), the clear will be rock hard and can be buffed up to a “can’t feel this” finish with some light non abrasive polish such as NuFinish. SprayMax is the real deal. Excellent stuff albeit quite toxic so full painters mask (always) and ideally full body coverage too.

Just my 2c on painting experiences.

 

[Clipmein]

Build is pretty much finished. Need to add the decals (great range of old decals from @bicycledecals) and needs a new saddle.

We kept the existing headset and BB as both were turning well. The headset was the Ahead, though the welding wasn't great compared to modern ones. So sprayed it up and looks decent now.

Main issue was either the existing105 rear derailleur was shot or the levers I picked up on ebay were crap - or both. Ended up putting my old Campag veloce shifters and RD with shimano cassette & FD, plus sram chain & bar tape).

Existing front 105 brake was good, bought a new 105 rear brake.

So a bit of a Frankenstein bike, but it runs well, looks good and my son is rightly pride of his work. He did most of the build with me advising mainly.

Because of the ali frame it's actually lighter than my steel Condor Fratelli with carbon forks.

It's that great thing about a decent bike frame - you can make it run with almost anything.

 

[letsbike]

Let's get a few photos of Son, outsprintinng dear old Dad, up the local climb. (Even though it was awfully nice for Dad to donate those Campy parts to the project)
What size tires did you end up using?
Great Job!

 

[Clipmein]

Ha, I'll get a picture. He's 15 and a rower so, as he likes points out, stronger than me. Suspect he'll leave me for dead on the climbs.

We went with 28mm tyres. I tried some 30mm, there was frame clearance but get the brake caliper around them was all but impossible.

 

[black lightning 1987]

Spacing on 8, 9, 10 speed cassettes are different between Shimano and Campagnolo, so I wouldn't expect shifting to be perfect.

What model Shimano shifters and what era 105 derailleur did you try?