Remember the paint job my bicycle was gonna get??? Well....

[Zed]

Im a big drop bar fan, and ive even had them on MTB's in the past, i like different hand potions as suffer with sore hands, handle bars are a very personal thing on a bike, like pedals, saddles and even bar tape/grips, once i get some good rigid forks on my MTB ill be back on drops with bar end shifters, this is how my old cyclo cross bikes was like many years ago, i do like that green i did my old kona kilauea in green it stood out in a crowd 

paul

[Gareth]

Looks fab Kelly.    Give the drop bars a chance, I remember it took me a good long while to get used to them when I first learnt to ride.  Seems that they have done away with the double break lever sets I used to have; with an auxiliary lever for when you're sitting up so you didn't have to drop your hands to grab the break.  A modern equivelent might be something like this:

http://harriscyclery.net/product/cane-creek-crosstop-auxiliary-cross-levers-f-drop-bars.-black.-24mm-clamp-1679.htm

There called suicide lever's and they stopped putting them on bikes as they only gave you up to 30% of the total braking effort

I didn't know that.  Maybe it's psychological, but they make me feel a little better even if I rarely use them.  I'll get used to the drops eventually and then just try and stop me!!!    Hehe...oh, why am I still awake?

I think the ones you have should be just fine, it's the old style that didn't work so well.  I'm not sure I would have put it so low as 30% but it was certainly noticeably weaker.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Looks fab Kelly.    Give the drop bars a chance, I remember it took me a good long while to get used to them when I first learnt to ride.  Seems that they have done away with the double break lever sets I used to have; with an auxiliary lever for when you're sitting up so you didn't have to drop your hands to grab the break.  A modern equivelent might be something like this:

http://harriscyclery.net/product/cane-creek-crosstop-auxiliary-cross-levers-f-drop-bars.-black.-24mm-clamp-1679.htm

There called suicide lever's and they stopped putting them on bikes as they only gave you up to 30% of the total braking effort

I didn't know that.  Maybe it's psychological, but they make me feel a little better even if I rarely use them.  I'll get used to the drops eventually and then just try and stop me!!!    Hehe...oh, why am I still awake?

I think the ones you have should be just fine, it's the old style that didn't work so well.  I'm not sure I would have put it so low as 30% but it was certainly noticeably weaker.

According to Richard Ballentine they are

[Gareth]

Looks fab Kelly.    Give the drop bars a chance, I remember it took me a good long while to get used to them when I first learnt to ride.  Seems that they have done away with the double break lever sets I used to have; with an auxiliary lever for when you're sitting up so you didn't have to drop your hands to grab the break.  A modern equivelent might be something like this:

http://harriscyclery.net/product/cane-creek-crosstop-auxiliary-cross-levers-f-drop-bars.-black.-24mm-clamp-1679.htm

There called suicide lever's and they stopped putting them on bikes as they only gave you up to 30% of the total braking effort

I didn't know that.  Maybe it's psychological, but they make me feel a little better even if I rarely use them.  I'll get used to the drops eventually and then just try and stop me!!!    Hehe...oh, why am I still awake?

I think the ones you have should be just fine, it's the old style that didn't work so well.  I'm not sure I would have put it so low as 30% but it was certainly noticeably weaker.

According to Richard Ballentine they are

Perhaps it's just the rose-coloured nostalgia I have but I still reckon they were a bit better than 30%.   I do take the point though that you wouldn't wanted to have tried an emergency stop with them or looked for heavy breaking down a steep hill.  More for fine control while touring along.  The modern take on the idea seems to be far better.

Arrgh this thread has got me wanting a bike again.

 

[Zed]

Ive never bothered with those extral levers as only ride the tops while climbing,are those extra levers ok with cantilever brakes, im sure they are , it V,s that would probably be a problem ie spongy brakes, i prefer cantilevers , they always felt strong on fast down hills , but do stick out a bit hence V type brakes,

paul

[GraysonK]

Ive never bothered with those extral levers as only ride the tops while climbing,are those extra levers ok with cantilever brakes, im sure they are , it V,s that would probably be a problem ie spongy brakes, i prefer cantilevers , they always felt strong on fast down hills , but do stick out a bit hence V type brakes,

paul

The reason I had those other brake levers put on is because some idiot almost hit me (on a flat stretch of road so I wasn't going that fast) and I grabbed the brake handle and squeezed the brake lever on the drop all the way back to the bar and I didn't stop.  Had to veer off the road into a drainage ditch to get away from the car.  I wasn't happy.  The bike shop told me my brakes were fine so I had those other installed because it scared me.  I thought I was doing something wrong.  Oddly enough, the little bit that I did get to ride my bike after I got it back, whatever Chris (the guy who painted it) may have screwed up when he put it back together he actually made my brakes more efficient.  So, maybe I'll get to take those off soon. 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Looks fab Kelly.    Give the drop bars a chance, I remember it took me a good long while to get used to them when I first learnt to ride.  Seems that they have done away with the double break lever sets I used to have; with an auxiliary lever for when you're sitting up so you didn't have to drop your hands to grab the break.  A modern equivelent might be something like this:

http://harriscyclery.net/product/cane-creek-crosstop-auxiliary-cross-levers-f-drop-bars.-black.-24mm-clamp-1679.htm

There called suicide lever's and they stopped putting them on bikes as they only gave you up to 30% of the total braking effort

I didn't know that.  Maybe it's psychological, but they make me feel a little better even if I rarely use them.  I'll get used to the drops eventually and then just try and stop me!!!    Hehe...oh, why am I still awake?

I think the ones you have should be just fine, it's the old style that didn't work so well.  I'm not sure I would have put it so low as 30% but it was certainly noticeably weaker.

According to Richard Ballentine they are

Perhaps it's just the rose-coloured nostalgia I have but I still reckon they were a bit better than 30%.   I do take the point though that you wouldn't wanted to have tried an emergency stop with them or looked for heavy breaking down a steep hill.  More for fine control while touring along.  The modern take on the idea seems to be far better.

Arrgh this thread has got me wanting a bike again.

 

Go for it mate

Get a Trail Gator and take the wee one out with you

[Gareth]

Looks fab Kelly.    Give the drop bars a chance, I remember it took me a good long while to get used to them when I first learnt to ride.  Seems that they have done away with the double break lever sets I used to have; with an auxiliary lever for when you're sitting up so you didn't have to drop your hands to grab the break.  A modern equivelent might be something like this:

http://harriscyclery.net/product/cane-creek-crosstop-auxiliary-cross-levers-f-drop-bars.-black.-24mm-clamp-1679.htm

There called suicide lever's and they stopped putting them on bikes as they only gave you up to 30% of the total braking effort

I didn't know that.  Maybe it's psychological, but they make me feel a little better even if I rarely use them.  I'll get used to the drops eventually and then just try and stop me!!!    Hehe...oh, why am I still awake?

I think the ones you have should be just fine, it's the old style that didn't work so well.  I'm not sure I would have put it so low as 30% but it was certainly noticeably weaker.

According to Richard Ballentine they are

Perhaps it's just the rose-coloured nostalgia I have but I still reckon they were a bit better than 30%.   I do take the point though that you wouldn't wanted to have tried an emergency stop with them or looked for heavy breaking down a steep hill.  More for fine control while touring along.  The modern take on the idea seems to be far better.

Arrgh this thread has got me wanting a bike again.

 

Go for it mate

Get a Trail Gator and take the wee one out with you

It's keeping it somewhere safe mate.   I've no room inside the house and I absolute faith in the fact it (or bits of it) would get nicked by the local s**ts the first night I left it out in the garden.

I have to admit though that I've been thinking of a plan to make an old shed I have a lot more secure though, so that might work out.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Just get a folder then, and keep it under the bed

[Zed]

Ive never bothered with those extral levers as only ride the tops while climbing,are those extra levers ok with cantilever brakes, im sure they are , it V,s that would probably be a problem ie spongy brakes, i prefer cantilevers , they always felt strong on fast down hills , but do stick out a bit hence V type brakes,

paul

The reason I had those other brake levers put on is because some idiot almost hit me (on a flat stretch of road so I wasn't going that fast) and I grabbed the brake handle and squeezed the brake lever on the drop all the way back to the bar and I didn't stop.  Had to veer off the road into a drainage ditch to get away from the car.  I wasn't happy.  The bike shop told me my brakes were fine so I had those other installed because it scared me.  I thought I was doing something wrong.  Oddly enough, the little bit that I did get to ride my bike after I got it back, whatever Chris (the guy who painted it) may have screwed up when he put it back together he actually made my brakes more efficient.  So, maybe I'll get to take those off soon.  

i use shimano STI levers, there not the cheapest or the top ones but ive got caliper brakes and there very powerfull, im surprised yours dont work well as you have cantilever brakes and i always found them really good, possibly need re- setting up,  

paul  

my old kona i did green, and many other colours before 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

That looked pretty swish Paul

[Zed]

That looked pretty swish Paul

cheers mike, it was white originally, ive got a pic on phottobucket somewhere , and a pic of it in blue   this bike was my biggest regret as i shouldnt of sold it, but its another one that got away  

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

White is never a good colour for a mountain bike

[Zed]

White is never a good colour for a mountain bike

your right mike, my old explosive was while but was covered in coloured splatters so never seemed dirty, black isnt great as well, funny though as i always seem to end up with a white bike and then change it after a year   my new MTB is white go figure  

same bike, blue 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Yeah that works much better in blue

[GraysonK]

Hi,
Here she is...freshly tuned and ready to go...I love the bar tape!!!







And some tools just so it's kind of relevant to the forum...hehe.   

[AHB]

Eek... What happend to the Über-cool blue/yellow tape..?  
That's one nice bike Kelly, eventhough I have no knowledge what so ever about those 2 wheelers..   

[Gareth]

Looking great Kelly, now you need a green multi to go with it.

[Zed]

looking very cool  and i prefer that saddle to your other one 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

That tape set's it of nicely girl

Now get some proper mudguards on it

[GraysonK]

Thanks again everyone. 
Zed: Yeah that's the original saddle that was on the bike.  Since the fit is better and I now have bike shorts, I think it will work better now. 
Mike: One step at a time buddy.  But thanks. 

Guys, wait 'til you see the bright green saddles they are going to be getting soon...I might try one, take a pic and see what you guys think.  LOL!  GREEN!!!
Gareth: I've got a forest green explorer but I'm not sure they make that color in a MT. 
Allan: Thanks!  The yellow and blue tape just didn't work quite right. 

The mechanic at the shop is on the look out for some Cannondale stickers so I can, as he put it, "give props to the brand".  He's having fun accessorizing my bike, I think. 

[Zed]

kelly you should check out ebay if no joy getting decals for your bike, ive had loads off of ebay, here is some on my old cannondale sm800, i had a few different types on that , there is lots to choose from and colours  

paul



with black decals,

[Neil]

(Image removed from quote.)

I think this shot shows the paint job off best.  Very nicely done.

Do you have a matching helmet?     You need a matching helmet

[GraysonK]

Neil, I like the picture too.. might have to make it my avatar.  And i don't have a green helmet yet, but I think I'm gonna have to go find one.
Zed: Thanks for the heads up.  I'd like to find a big Cannondale sticker to go down both sides like in your second picture.  Gotta find the right color though.

I rode her to my eye doctor appointment this morning.  Since I fiddled with the fit she feels SOOOOO much better.  But the roads around here shook me to within an inch of my sanity.  I'm pretty sure I knocked a kidney loose.    And, FYI, I'm trying out contacts for the first time in 11 years.  And I got to buy my first pair of real sunglasses for the first time in 11 years.  I'm excited.  But I don't know about these contacts.  Left eye is fine, but right has bad astigmatism...but we'll see.     

[Zed]

try these ones kelly, theres lots of color options 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/15-Set-CANNONDALE-Bikes-Decals-Stickers-Bicycles-15D_W0QQitemZ200459013910QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2eac49cf16


Paul

[Gareth]

If it were me I'd avoid the big stickers, it'll just end up looking like a factory job IMO and I don't think that's the point.  I'd go with a smaller sticker somewhere less obvious so as to still give kudos to Cannodale but makes it clear this is a custom paint job.

[Neil]

I agree with Gareth entirely

[Zed]

or get custom decals, ive had a few as a mate of mine does them,  but i agree less is more