Vesatoro
Cannondale Fan
The Mongoose IBOC, was a bike I so much drooled over in the 1992 catalogue. The loop stays, triangular top tube, wishbone rear… and the name, International Bike Of Champions, wow.
When I saw this bike for sale in the local “craigslist” for 15€, about 250km away, I knew this was the probably the first and last time to get one in Finland for cheap. There are not many in a small country. So, I drove to the seller. The bike had looked a lot better in a photo. It had been a pub bike for a now late drunk. Chained from the stem in a rain… everything rusty and oxidized, the Quadra solid as a rock. Of course worth 15€, but lot worse than expected.
So, at home I started to dismantle the bike. The wheelset was gone, brakes, the fork, seat, handlebar, headset and most of the drivetrain too. At the end what were salvable were frame, bb, crankset and chainrings, stem, seatpost+qr and front derailleur. The frame surprizingly was without dings or deep scratches. BUT the steel chain had eroded all laquer from the front frame and the aluminium had oxidized quite deep. Lots of work ahead. And this was my first restoration, I wish I had known how much work… maybe better that I did not.
So the big project was to restore the frame, less work finding the missing pieces. I wanted to build the bike quite close to factory spec, but had in mind installing Mach 5 instead of Mag21. I think the Mag21 looks cool with thinner steel frames, but the thicker aluminium frames require a bit fatter fork. Most of the parts should be the M560, and I really like the aesthetics and it suits really well with polished alu frames. The steel stem and seatpost were sand blasted and painted back to black in a local car painter.
So for the frame it started with taking measurements and photos for decal reproduction. Then with the paint remover, then removing the oxidation the by hand wet sanding in winegar solution with 400, and then down with steps 800 – 1200 – 2000. And it started to look a bit more as a fine frame. Then polishing… what a shine!
Then building the bike up again, restored the Mach 5 and did find well matching wheelset with black LX hubs. For handlebar the iconic but not too high tech Zoom Brahmabar, Club Roost Dude saddle, Smoke and Dart repro tires and so on. Remember this was not a high tech bike in the beginning, but value for money… New decals from Filip. And then for a ride. The bike rides really long and low. Technical terrain is not the place for this one, but on long flat ascents it shines. The Brahmabar is just too narrow with really long stem, but sure it looks cool as a fighting bulls horns. The cranks I left "as is", as I wanted to save some memory from the bike's rough past. Some might disagree, but it's my choise.
So it’s ready, love especially the frame with all the details, Mongoose stamped rear stays and all. And now she has a new life she deserves.
When I saw this bike for sale in the local “craigslist” for 15€, about 250km away, I knew this was the probably the first and last time to get one in Finland for cheap. There are not many in a small country. So, I drove to the seller. The bike had looked a lot better in a photo. It had been a pub bike for a now late drunk. Chained from the stem in a rain… everything rusty and oxidized, the Quadra solid as a rock. Of course worth 15€, but lot worse than expected.
So, at home I started to dismantle the bike. The wheelset was gone, brakes, the fork, seat, handlebar, headset and most of the drivetrain too. At the end what were salvable were frame, bb, crankset and chainrings, stem, seatpost+qr and front derailleur. The frame surprizingly was without dings or deep scratches. BUT the steel chain had eroded all laquer from the front frame and the aluminium had oxidized quite deep. Lots of work ahead. And this was my first restoration, I wish I had known how much work… maybe better that I did not.
So the big project was to restore the frame, less work finding the missing pieces. I wanted to build the bike quite close to factory spec, but had in mind installing Mach 5 instead of Mag21. I think the Mag21 looks cool with thinner steel frames, but the thicker aluminium frames require a bit fatter fork. Most of the parts should be the M560, and I really like the aesthetics and it suits really well with polished alu frames. The steel stem and seatpost were sand blasted and painted back to black in a local car painter.
So for the frame it started with taking measurements and photos for decal reproduction. Then with the paint remover, then removing the oxidation the by hand wet sanding in winegar solution with 400, and then down with steps 800 – 1200 – 2000. And it started to look a bit more as a fine frame. Then polishing… what a shine!
Then building the bike up again, restored the Mach 5 and did find well matching wheelset with black LX hubs. For handlebar the iconic but not too high tech Zoom Brahmabar, Club Roost Dude saddle, Smoke and Dart repro tires and so on. Remember this was not a high tech bike in the beginning, but value for money… New decals from Filip. And then for a ride. The bike rides really long and low. Technical terrain is not the place for this one, but on long flat ascents it shines. The Brahmabar is just too narrow with really long stem, but sure it looks cool as a fighting bulls horns. The cranks I left "as is", as I wanted to save some memory from the bike's rough past. Some might disagree, but it's my choise.
So it’s ready, love especially the frame with all the details, Mongoose stamped rear stays and all. And now she has a new life she deserves.
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. Overall a fantastic restoration, well done!
