1996 Specialized M2 Pro

[shogun]

Plucked this off the recycle shop pile the other week, and am putting it to use; about the last time I owned a road bike was when this was new!

It is currently as found except for a clean, replacement seat and the wheelset. It is a '96 Specialized M2 Pro, one of the'Metal Matrix' alloy framesets, handmade in the U.S. of A.

The frame and fork was sold new by the shop I work at, to a (still regular) customer, though he moved it on in about '98. It was resold as a frame and fork and I am lead to believe that is when it was retrofitted with a previous owner's boat anchor circa '93 Exage 300EX 7 speed groupset.

I snagged a pair of secondhand unused Campagnolo Eurus 20 wheels, Vittoria tyres and 8 speed cassette for it, and am now hunting period Shimano 600 8 speed or similar, hopefully with some STI shifters.

Ideally 600 cranks, derailleur and STI would be the go. Period Campy would be great but I'm not into paying vintage tax on that stuff.

Frame - 1996 Specialized M2 Pro road 52x52cm. Metal Matrix Alloy.
Front fork - Kinesis/Easton Carbon Fibre, 1" threaded aluminium steerer, aluminium crown.
Handlebars - 'Champion'
Stem - Unbrando 1" quill, polished
Headset - Specialized 1" threaded
Saddle - Specialized Toupe Team Ti rail 130
Seatpost - Micro Adjust aluminium
Front brake -Shimano Exage 300EX
Rear brake - Shimano Exage 300EX
Cranks - Shimano Exage 300EX, 52/40 Biopace chainrings
Chain - Shimano HG
Pedals - Unbrando aluminium body and cage, resin toe clips
Front derailleur - Shimano 105
Rear derailleur - Shimano Exage 300EX
Front shifter - Shimano Exage 300EX Double, downtube
Rear shifter - Shimano Exage 300EX 7 speed, downtube
Cassette - Campagnolo 8 speed 12-23
Front hub - Campagnolo 20 hole polished
Rear hub - Campagnolo 20 hole polished
Front rim - Campagnolo Eurus 20
Rear rim - Campagnolo Eurus 20
Tyres - Vittoria Freedom Techno Twin Tread, 700x20c Kevlar bead
Tubes - Vittoria
Total weight - 9.9kg

 

[john]

Nice frame, certainly worthy of a DA gruppo.

Have a 98 allez (apparently the frames were similar but I don't see that) which has given me 11 years of sterling service!

 

[shogun]

Oh man I'd love DA but I can barely afford 600! I would really like some STI though, and some better cranks/chainrings.

 

[kris1]

I run one of these. Love the bike but the frame was a replacment for the first M2 (Sworks) matt grey, which cracked. The red one has proved to be very strong. But because of the frame swap I have an Ali fork. My bike has full Ultegra 9 speed and CXP 30 deep section rims. These have proved to be bomb proof and haven't needed truing in the best part of 9 000 miles. I now change the wheels during the summer for Ksyrums which are alot lighter and responsive. Also have worked out that SKS mud guards fit for winter riding with P clips. The only thing I need is to change the forks for something that is a little more forgiving on the poorer roads round here... I have found on Sportives that after 70 odd miles I get quite fatigued

Cheers

Kris

 

[shogun]

Well this thing has done another year and a good few thousand kms more...Not much in the winter, haha. Proven to be rough and harsh but SUPER stiff and plenty bearable for the 35-80km range of my rides, even with some gravel.

I think its time for a birthday, I'll be buying a modern road bike quite soon (Avanti Quantum 2 I think).


Where should I go with it? I was competitively racing MTB in the mid 90s but the road bikes I used then were just whatever the shop gave me. I was 15 and didn't take much notice! Thus while I could come up with a killer spec for a MTB of that age, I have no idea for the roadie.

So, thinking tricolour 600 Ultegra 8 speed ~'96. Dura-ace too spendy, campy 8 speed too spendy, 105 kinda cheap looking.
This should be what was on it as per new I believe. Would that group have had a seatpost? If not what would be the hotness of that era?

Probably run some 44cm Cinelli Criterium bars, Cinelli stem, veloflexs on my campy wheelset. Dunno if I will hunt down 600 Brifters or stick with separates, I have some current 8 speed shimano DT shifters which would work fine...Just not sure how much longer I can deal with DT shifters even on a showroom bike.

Hopefully shave some weight too...its woeful at 9.4kgs with the grubby old exage 300ex and noname bits and bobs.

 

[ededwards]

Looks really fast as pictured but the tricolor 600 would complement it well I think (and, showing my prejudice against STi yet again, I'd keep it clean with aero levers and d/t shifters particularly as it doesn't sound as if you plan to race it).

 

[RooKilo]

Really nice, I'd love one of those. One finished on ebay today but I had to pass as I've just bought a Battaglin and my wife would not be impressed!

 

[shogun]

I'm pretty sold on the 600 stuff, it is what it would have come with originally anyway.

Picked up a 120mm Cinelli stem and 44cm crit bars for it which are on now, along with a pair of 105 levers I found - nothing flash but the hoods are more comfortable than the Exage ones.

Keep getting outbid on the 600 gear, haha. Cranks, derailleur, levers would be enough to keep me happy.

 

[slope]

Any updates???

 

[shogun]

Any updates???

Just bought a full 8-speed 600 groupset (including hubs, headset and loose ball BB)for it and a new Flite 1991 ...Brifters in the groupset are had it so guess I will track down a pair of brake levers and stick with the DT shifters. Will go on soon once I swap the freehub body and track down some decent rims to build the hubs into (some NOS ceramic Mavics or hard ano Arayas should fit the bill.)