This Cannondale road bike makes me so happy WHYYYYYYY

samc

Retro Guru
Finished in 5-speed, with 90s Bontrager carbon brake levers (ok they’re late 90s, sure), Ritchey SPDs, Stronglight, Suntour bits and it's even got a Mt Zefal bottle now! The saddle’s a bit modern but apart from that. It’s been such a joy rebuilding and restoring it, stripped down to every single bearing and cleaned/protected right up to completion.

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Quick back story on why building this Silk Road was so special for me; my dad died a few years ago, he and I didn’t have much in common but bikes was one thing. Near the end of his life he fulfilled his dream and had a steel frame (F Wilson) custom built for him in the north of England, and truth be told that bike is extraordinary. I can’t bear to take the thing further than around the block, but it’s clearly a work of art. Growing up, I was always more a mountain biker, and though dad’s bike is waiting, mint, in an attic, it still feels like ‘his’.

117644173_10164165235055066_8946134853528536600_n.jpg
In the 1990s, Cannondale was always my dream kit, I was so inspired by the engineering risks they took, and went on to study industrial design and build and restore bikes for years. But never road bikes, that was always dad’s thing. But he’s been gone a while now and maybe part of the latter grief has been tackling some of my own hang-ups. So.

This is the Silk Road, part mountain bike, all racer.

This is my bike, it’s not perfect but I’m using it. Took it for a shakedown 50k on Friday; fastest ffckng thing I’ve ever ridden!
 
Finished in 5-speed, with 90s Bontrager carbon brake levers (ok they’re late 90s, sure), Ritchey SPDs, Stronglight, Suntour bits and it's even got a Mt Zefal bottle now! The saddle’s a bit modern but apart from that. It’s been such a joy rebuilding and restoring it, stripped down to every single bearing and cleaned/protected right up to completion.

View attachment 622746

Quick back story on why building this Silk Road was so special for me; my dad died a few years ago, he and I didn’t have much in common but bikes was one thing. Near the end of his life he fulfilled his dream and had a steel frame (F Wilson) custom built for him in the north of England, and truth be told that bike is extraordinary. I can’t bear to take the thing further than around the block, but it’s clearly a work of art. Growing up, I was always more a mountain biker, and though dad’s bike is waiting, mint, in an attic, it still feels like ‘his’.

View attachment 622748
In the 1990s, Cannondale was always my dream kit, I was so inspired by the engineering risks they took, and went on to study industrial design and build and restore bikes for years. But never road bikes, that was always dad’s thing. But he’s been gone a while now and maybe part of the latter grief has been tackling some of my own hang-ups. So.

This is the Silk Road, part mountain bike, all racer.

This is my bike, it’s not perfect but I’m using it. Took it for a shakedown 50k on Friday; fastest ffckng thing I’ve ever ridden!
These Head Shock Cannondale's have always intrigued me, almost like a more refined version of the old Moulton front suspension, bet it's much smoother... nice bike...👍
 
Yeah it's absolutely silky smooth (lives up to the name Silk Road) - esp since I put some wider tyres on it too. I met up with some friends recently on their bone-shaker carbon modern road bikes, and they were so bad on the cobbles (the street where we met, in Bristol), that they had to walk, whereas I was happy riding along the cobbles. Makes a big difference after 70k or so - when you're really tired the comfort is brilliant.
 
Your dad's bike was probably a JF Wilson, of Sheffield. The shop still exists, now run by Jim's (the J) son Nigel
 
Ah yeah that sounds right - it's a real beaut. Thanks for the info, I wasn't sure where he got it done, but it was a bit of a dream of his to do it and I'm glad he did before he was (just about) too old to ride it
 
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