akdmx

Unfortunately my 1986 Cannondale st-500 singlespeed conversion was stolen over the halloween weekend here in Santa Barbara. Here's a picture of the bike:



Distinguishable features include:
-salsa chain ring with about 3mm of clearance from the chain-stay
-easton ea70 low-rise handlebars
-Odyssey pedals, I forget the model, but not factory
-Dropouts are dremelled out to get perfect chain tension
-White cable housing
-Continental ulta tires (the cheapos)
-This bike has 27" wheels, and 126mm spacing in the rear drop outs, it's virtually useless!!


You never see these things around, so if someone sees it, or the frame for sale in the santa barbara area, please let me know.

I filed a police report and a claim with my property insurance company, hopefully they will hook me up.
But I'm still out a 45 dollar on-guard lock

RoboIsGod

Why would you do that to a bike?!

shubonker

Some guy locked his brand new 2010 Capo in the city the other day with a tiny little cable lock around the frame. He's living dangerously.

As for your misfortune, my sympathies.

akdmx

I'm exactly what you're referring to when you say "that", but if you meant the modifications -- UCSB is an entirely flat campus; I don't need gears, furthermore it's nice to have less moving parts to get corroded and rusted in the rain. I'm in college, I don't have time to keep my bike running perfectly anymore. As for the flat bars, they are way more comfortable when you're riding around on bumpy bike paths with heavy traffic. I didn't seek this bike out for this, I made modifications to what I was given to work with.

If by "that" you were referring to the action of stealing a nice bike like this, let me console you by saying that when I see the poor fool riding this bike around campus I will make sure it's the last bike that he or she ever steals.

stryper

by that he means dremel dropouts and ride with what appears to be a dented driveside chainstay. But I know what you mean about working with what you've got.

akdmx

Dremel dropouts:
-I played with half links and it wasn't good enough for me. By taking off about 1-2mm I achieved perfect chain tension and the wheel is (was) still centered. It's hard to explain, but trust me when I say that it wasn't "janky", I did it slowly and carefully. SERIOUSLY what should I have done? Ridden with a slack chain? A chain tensioner is out of the question because of the spacing of the freewheel relative to the dropouts. Most chain tensioners on the market are designed to work with singlespeed hubs, or conversions done with a free hub. Freewheels (on a threaded hub) are so far from the point of attachment for a derraileur that most tensioners wont reach (gusset, soulcraft, surly style)

Chainstay:
-Those aren't dented. They come creased from the factory to make way for the crank arm. There's actually a second crease right by the chain ring, too, to compensate for the biopace rings that were on there originally.

Leukybear 

You might want to check the local flea markets around there... a flea market is a thieves showroom...

And when you do hopefully get it back or get another bike; you might want to invest in a better u lock; not all u locks are built equal.

arcade

Word, you should've spent the day at the flea market at the old drive-in today.
santa barbara's a small town. I would think it would turn up sooner or later. Make sure you don't jump to the conclusion that the person you see riding it is the thief, too. Could have already been sold to an unknowing person.

teedoff087

This. To verify if they stole it or not, tackle them first. Hard. Make sure you have an ether-soaked rag handy. Once they're unconscious, take your bike back, making sure you leave the address of a public phone booth and a time that you will call (make sure you know the number). If they didn't steal the bike, they'll show up. If not, it looks like you narrowed it all down.

Don't worry about assault charges.

akdmx

Dang, that method sounds very refined and perfected, maybe even practiced.

teedoff087

Only in GTA.

RoboIsGod

i understand the whole 'working with what you got' concept. but to modify dropouts and completely gut a bike; that is completely uncalled for. your modifying a bike to do something it was oviously not intended for. you want a beater/simple commuter, then get a cheap 10 speed off craigslist or get a bike off bikesdirect. the lengths you went to to modify that bike were completely uncalled for, and to be frank i think you ruined a bike that needed no altering (I dont even like em a whole lot, but cannondales are in no way conversion bikes).

RoboIsGod

and FYI: that cannondale retailed for $550 back in '86, which is roughly $1200 today.

akdmx

Since I already justified my actions as a way of making this bike usable for what I needed to do with it and you continue to present the same argument, I'll have to assume you're just one of those ignorant "purists" with something to prove.

It actually was "called for" to dremel the drop outs, otherwise the chain would have been slack.

In terms of the bikes suitability as a flat-bar road bike; I find the fact that this was once a touring bike to work to its advantage, as many other flat bar conversions become far to short to ride comfortably after eliminating the drop bars. It's fine that you're not a cannondale dude, I'm not either, but as you may have (actually, clearly didn't) understand the first time -- this was what I was given to work with.

Normally I wouldn't be so contentious, but your obvious lack of understanding for the adjustments I made to have this bike better suit my needs. It doesn't matter to me what kind of bikes you prefer, or how deep your pockets are that enable all of your builds to be ideal.

Feel free to continue expressing yourself; I appreciate the opportunity to bump my thread.

arcade

i really don't think he gives a **** what you guys have to say about his bike. It's missing. He already has that on his plate, you don't need to give him **** because the bike doesn't look like it would if it was yours.... swear to god man... some people.

arcade

p.s. BUMP

preston811

yeah no kidding leave him alone IMO it sucks having a bike stolen

arcade

haha... "IMO"... i don't think it's just your opinion that having a bike stolen sucks. i know, i know... force of habit.

chaifilms

You are now my signature

Sorry about your bike, it looks like a fun ride to me.

preston811

yeah actually that occurred to me when I wrote that but the IMO referred more to the 1st part of my sentence, the leave him alone part

Cyclist0383

Good luck getting your bike back. Do you know which model of lock it was and how it was defeated?

akdmx

I don't know how the lock was defeated, it wasn't there. Nothing was there.
It was either a Pitbul STD or a Brute STD (on-guard brand). Unfortunately I didn't get around to registering the lock to activate the policy. The good news is that I have property insurance which will most likely cover me.

Whats the best U-lock out there? Or does one really have to go with the mondo chain to feel safe?

Cyclist0383

Kryptonite NY locks are highly rated. What was it locked to?

stryper

it was locked to his bike. What do you mean what was it locked to? Do you usually put your lock on something else.

wait a minute....................are you supposed to put the lock on the bike and something else. I knew I was doing something wrong

wheeldeal

and you think this is funny because....... ????