Cannondale ST500 Tourer

Conventional wisdom has it that the only good kind of touring bike is a steel one. But as you know, conventional wisdom is conventionally dictated by a bunch of fearful curmudgeons so I recently decided to try out a--gasp!!!--aluminum touring bike, namely an '85 Cannondale ST500.

Cannondale started out in the '70s (or the '60s?) making cycling clothing and accessories and began making aluminum bikes (at first, just touring bikes) right here in the bad ol' US of A in 1983. My latest acquisition is an early specimen, made in '84 but spec'ed in '85. At the time, it was the company's top-of-the-line tourer and tipped the scales at an impressive 22 lbs, pretty amazing for a touring bike. While the '85 ST500 doesn't have the cantilever bosses that we've come to associate with touring bikes, it's got ample clearance for fenders, a lengthy wheelbase, double eyelets front and rear, and a few other things that suit it well for long hauls.

Unfortunately, mine did not come without its problems, not the least of which was a rusty fork crown--yes, while the main frame is aluminum, the fork is chromoly steel. Despite (or because of?) this, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to fix up one of these and give it a whirl.

It's worth noting that the original Huret Duopar Eco derailleur shifted beautifully, but I replaced it anyway with the Cyclone MkII unit below because of a concern over the durability of the dainty Huret gear-changer.

'91 Miyata 914

Right now this bike is sitting next to my '85 Team Miyata and they make quite a pair. While I'll be the first to admit that I'm not an expert, it's my impression that lugged-and-butted steel production frames just didn't get any better than this.

 

Minty Freshness: '87 Fuji Saratoga Tourer

This one came to me in really good shape and just got a routine servicing and a mild make-over. The Saratoga is a touring model that, for some reason, you never really hear anything about. Everything about this one, however, suggests that it's a really solid, well-thought-out tourer, comparable to the Trek 520 of the same era. With each Fuji that passes through my hands, I'm more convinced that Fujis are under-appreciated.

1983 Lotus Legend

Here's a lovely Lotus, a first for me. Lotus, like Univega, Nishiki and Centurion, was a US-based company that created designs that were contracted out to Japanese manufacturers. Unlike those other companies, though, there seems to be a dearth of information out there about Lotus. I haven't found a single Lotus catalog on the web, so my knowledge of these machines is sadly limited. Fortunately, there is one good website (http://vintagelotusbicycles.com/) which is in the process of culling information on Lotuses (or Loti?), from which I learned that the Legend was at the top of Lotus' "sport" lineup and is a bit of a cult favorite.

This one has been completely rebuilt with assorted components. I wish I could repaint it, but the current paint isn't quite bad enough to justify it. In order to spruce things up a bit, I tried something new: I re-upholstered an old Turbo saddle in leather and stitched together some bar wrap to match. After applying some Proofide leather conditioner/protectant, it looks pretty darn good, amateurish sewing notwithstanding.

Fuji Opus III (cont'd)

Here's what she looks like now:

Update:

Fuji Opus

 New project. I bought a Fuji Opus III this week that was sadly subject to some serious neglect and perhaps abuse. For one thing, the paint and decals were in lousy condition. Innumerable paint chips, a rattlecan sprayed section around the seat cluster, etc. For another, the parts were pretty well worn, some had been replaced with inferior ones, and the bottom bracket was so loose you could see the cranks rocking back and forth when pedaling. (I don't understand how anyone could ride a bike like that and think everything was okay but the previous owner was doing just that.) The good news was that structurally the frame and wheels seemed sound. Also, I could tell from where the paint had chipped that the whole frame was chromed, so I before buying I decided to strip the paint and let the frame go au naturel, just plain chrome. Similar plan for the heavily scratched Superbe Pro cranks: strip anodized surface, polish, and perhaps seal. Fuji and Suntour diehards, you may want to look away.

To reverse the oft-used platitude, these pictures don't do the bike justice; it looked much worse in person:

Trek 620 Rebuild - All Done!

After much toil and struggle, my latest project is complete... or all but complete anyway. (I'm still waiting on the bar tape to arrive.) It turned out quite differently from how I had envisioned it, but I'm happy all the same. It's already turned a few heads on short test rides and one visit to the bike shop. I'm guessing that it will take a while to sell as it's a rather specialized vehicle and not for everyone, but that just means I get to spend more time enjoying it (which was my secret agenda all along). Woohoo!