What's in the Workstand ? ?

[Big Dan]

Rocketship....!!!

[oliver1850]

Originally Posted by weaponsgrade

Early 90s Cannondale T700. Going to turn it into a townie grocery bike. Paint in rough shape but chain rings look pristine. My first new mtb was a Cannondale M700 so I’ve got a soft spot for early dales.

That's a nice find. I've owned at least four Cannondale touring bikes but they have all been older caliper brake models. It seems that they sold a lot of touring bikes in the early years, later ones with canti brakes are harder to find. All mine are set up for mixed surface riding and work well for that.

[oliver1850]

Tonight I was working on a 1995 Trek 7000 MTB that I bought four miles from home while delivering hay, for $50. All it needed was a flush of the front shifter and a thorough cleaning. After replacing the cheap Kalloy seatpost with a cheap FSA, I was surprised to find that it weighs under 22 lbs. I have a soft spot for rigid MTBs from the early 90s as my first bike of decent quality was a 1989 Cannondale SM800.

[jamesdak]

I was back on the Look 555 this past weekend. I picked up some sweet DA 10 speed parts here and those were used to swap out the Ultegra parts on the Look. The Ultegra parts worked fine but the shifters were the most mangled I've ever saw. I also put on some DA 7800 series wheels I recently picked up locally. It's got a 50/34 FSA crank with an 11-30 cassette

It's currently at the LBS to get them to deal with the stripped bolt head on the seatpost clamp. I'll be picking it up later today.





17 lbs, 4 ozs.

[weisan]

Originally Posted by weisan

The "a" is fine, it's the TT that you need to worry about.

As you can see, I have my work cut out for me.

No idea how it happened, but I brought it home from the local co-op as a "project".
This wil be my first carbon repair gig.

[weaponsgrade]

Originally Posted by oliver1850

Tonight I was working on a 1995 Trek 7000 MTB that I bought four miles from home while delivering hay, for $50. All it needed was a flush of the front shifter and a thorough cleaning. After replacing the cheap Kalloy seatpost with a cheap FSA, I was surprised to find that it weighs under 22 lbs. I have a soft spot for rigid MTBs from the early 90s as my first bike of decent quality was a 1989 Cannondale SM800.

The BEAST OF THE EAST!

I discovered a problem with the downtube shifter mounts. I noticed that the mounts had a bolt running from one side of the mount, through the down tube, to the other side of the mount. I didn't notice when I was inspecting. It looks like at some point the studs broke or stripped and that was the repair. It means I can't use downtube shifters which is what I was leaning towards to make sure the front is free external cables so I can run a big front bag. I found a repair kit, but it says it's for Cannondales with 44mm downtubes. The downtube on mine is about 50mm. I'll probably just stick with the barends and run the cables fully under the bar wrap.

[weaponsgrade]

Originally Posted by weisan

Can you detail how you did the repair and got the materials?

[rallizes]

Originally Posted by weaponsgrade

Can you detail how you did the repair and got the materials?

I'll second that

[weisan]

Originally Posted by weaponsgrade

Can you detail how you did the repair and got the materials?

Originally Posted by rallizes

I'll second that

Sure, I will share but get ready for some internet shaming...

It's nothing more than a water-activated carbon fiber repair patch. They are used in various applications and comes in different brands, formats or versions, from expensive to cheap. You can easily purchase them online.

https://m-source.com/3m-tm-armorcast...ral-24795.html

https://www.amazon.com/FiberWeld-Per...dp/B08B3MKWH9/

Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A80s23lAJzY
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2WZL3KvLcxI

https://dod.defense.gov/OIR/gallery/igphoto/2001915296/

Very easy to apply. Just soak in water to activate the resin, wrap it around the repair area, several layers overlapping, let it dry completely, wait at least 24 hrs. Before I wrap, I actually put another layer of quick setting epoxy over the crack, the ones that you have to mix in equal parts with a hardener. I do that to prevent any further fraying of the exposed fiber. I wore a latex glove and tried to rub the epoxy into the little nooks and crannies, not sure if that will help with anything but certainly no harm.

You will read warnings everywhere, considered an emergency repair, not a permanent fix, not safe long term.

I chose this method of repair for its easy application, after assessing the location of the damaged area, the extent of the damage, cost/benefit/risk analysis, don't care about the aesthetics etc. It's a fun experiment. What do I have to lose, it's heading towards the landfill anyway.

The bike is a 2018-2021 Cannondale Synapse Carbon. I got it from my local co-op free of charge, brought it home so I can tinker with it. Upon further inspection, other than the cracked top tube, the whole frame looks brand new and in excellent shape. It's got pretty good reviews too.
https://bikerumor.com/review-cannond...t-all-rounder/

I contacted Ruckus Composites Repair and they quoted the following repair estimate which I thought was very reasonable and probably worth it.

Unpainted - Raw Carbon Repair - $450
Repair the top tube, leaving the repaired area crisp, clean, and unpainted
One week turnaround time (approx.)
Transferable lifetime warranty

Painted - Repair and Restore - $850
Repair the top tube, then repaint the repaired area to the factory color
2-3 week turnaround time (approx.)
Transferable lifetime warranty


I decided to try a repair on my own first. The fiber after it's cured is very strong and well bonded, I would say super solid, it's not going anywhere. I have actually ridden the bike a few times around the neighborhood, a couple of jumps and up down the curb sort of thing, so far so good, don't worry, I have very good dental insurance and I will be monitoring closely.

Again, here's the usual disclaimer: if you are watching this on TV, you are not superman, don't try and jump out the window. You can't actually fly.