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1986 Cannondale SR400 Team Comp survivor

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1986 Cannondale SR400 Team Comp survivor

Old 09-13-20, 11:08 PM
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StuBotNYC
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1986 Cannondale SR400 Team Comp survivor

This is my 1986 Cannondale SR400 56cm Team Comp aluminum road bike made in the good old USA.

My buddy bought this bike new as a holdover in a LBS around 1989, I was seriously jealous! He let me ride it then amd I was amazed how slick and tight this ride felt. He put maybe 100 miles on it and it sat in his garage for decades.

Flash forward to 2020 summer of the Pandemic and he sends me a text of the bike dusty with yellowed clear stock tape and 2 flats with the words, "you want it? Free?", I was like, HELL YES I DO!

I took it out of the garage, hit it with Meguliars right on the spot and the near flawless slate gray paint shone in the sun, he himself was as impressed as I was after 30 seconds with a little elbow grease and a microfiber cloth.

I took it home and spent a few hours degreasing, polishing and lubricating it:



After a test ride, I slapped on some Schwalbe tires and new Silic1 black silicone bar tape, new Kool Stop Eagle 2's retired the original Vetta saddle and swapped it out with a updated also white saddle, kept the hot pink stock cables (they really do grow on you and keep that 80s vibe strong on this classic ride).

It rides so nice. Stops on a dime, shifts pretty amazing for an old Suntour setup with down tube index friction shifters, a bit of a re-learning curve gives one great respect for the racers of the past, the closest I had to these was the stem shifters on my old Schwinn World Sport I got in 1979 as a kid.









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Old 09-14-20, 08:42 AM
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kermie
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I had a buddy who had a Cannondale back in the day. I did love that thing, actually, I liked the looks better than my Trek 1400. Post up when you can, would love to see it
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Old 09-20-20, 07:33 PM
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Originally Posted by kermie
I had a buddy who had a Cannondale back in the day. I did love that thing, actually, I liked the looks better than my Trek 1400. Post up when you can, would love to see it
pics up!
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Old 09-20-20, 07:42 PM
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Bone stock.
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Old 09-20-20, 11:13 PM
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ryansu
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very nice, be sure to address the bearings too 20 years of sitting around does no favors to grease. Enjoy your Cannondale. Had an R800 in the late 90s
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Old 09-21-20, 05:53 AM
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Nice!!! Man, that is one to be proud of owning!
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Old 09-21-20, 07:22 AM
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Is the seatpost backwards?
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Old 09-23-20, 11:57 PM
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The seatpost is backwards, and looks like a steel post with a separate stamped-steel clamp. A cheapie, and not what would have been specc'ed by Cannondale. Are you sure it's the right size?

That said, that's a nice Can O' Ale, and a heckuva score!

--Shannon
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Old 09-24-20, 01:16 AM
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Originally Posted by ShannonM
The seatpost is backwards, and looks like a steel post with a separate stamped-steel clamp. A cheapie, and not what would have been specc'ed by Cannondale. Are you sure it's the right size?

That said, that's a nice Can O' Ale, and a heckuva score!

--Shannon
A tube post and separate clamp was standard equipment for that model dale. The 400 had some pretty sketchy components being the cheapest model.
Good news is that it is the same frame as the previous years top bike. The same frame except without the criterium geometry that became standard in 87.
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Old 09-24-20, 01:33 AM
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Originally Posted by embankmentlb
A tube post and separate clamp was standard equipment for that model dale. The 400 had some pretty sketchy components being the cheapest model.
Good news is that it is the same frame as the previous years top bike. The same frame except without the criterium geometry that became standard in 87.
Learn something new every day!

I always knew that low-end 'dales had cheap components, especially in the pre-group 80s, but I didn't know they went that cheap! I mean, what was the unit cost of an SR Laprade in 1986? I just assumed that the OG post was an SR... because that's what darned near everybody used back then. The Kalloy UNO of the 1980s, it was.

--Shannon
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Old 09-24-20, 01:49 AM
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Actually, most low-end Cannondales had decent components in those first 5-6 years if you take a spin through their catalogs. The post/clamp seatpost on this SR400 is an anomoly (it's a Strong Model S, FYI), as it belongs on cheap BSO's and not a performance-oriented Cannondale. The entry level Suntour Alpha 3000 indexed shifting is on par with the ranking. Like early Treks, early Cannondales' "floor" was higher than other full-range companies' entry level models. Why they call a bottom-ranking model a Team Comp when there are Superbe Pro and Dura-Ace levels above it is beyond me. In typical Cannondale fashion, the spec and paint are from 1987, but the logo/font on the top tube is 1986 (and earlier). A serial number (underside of a chainstay) would tell us actual production date (and size, etc).
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Old 09-28-20, 12:42 PM
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Originally Posted by ryansu
very nice, be sure to address the bearings too 20 years of sitting around does no favors to grease. Enjoy your Cannondale. Had an R800 in the late 90s
I plan to get it to the shop to grease the bearings all around. Dont have the correct tools to DIY.
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Old 09-28-20, 12:47 PM
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Originally Posted by ShannonM
Learn something new every day!

I always knew that low-end 'dales had cheap components, especially in the pre-group 80s, but I didn't know they went that cheap! I mean, what was the unit cost of an SR Laprade in 1986? I just assumed that the OG post was an SR... because that's what darned near everybody used back then. The Kalloy UNO of the 1980s, it was.

--Shannon
I did not realize I mounted the seat backwards, thanks for that observation.

I was assuming the suntour wasnt that great at first but it rides pretty great considering all I did was clean it and replaced the tires and tape.

I'm in to the retro shifters just because its a retro bike and not too keen on replacing them, but I'd sure love some combo shifters up on the handlebars.

I have other bikes I ride so its not like I need to do it and I like that it's stock.
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Old 09-28-20, 12:49 PM
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Originally Posted by kermie
Nice!!! Man, that is one to be proud of owning!
Thanks!!!
It does bring me joy

Once you get used to the retro downtube shifting its pretty smooth, keeps you focused on where the chain is and what youre doing, not so great on downshift approaching intersections.
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Old 09-28-20, 01:06 PM
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I had a team comp in 87 and it performed just fine. I was in college in those days with no extra money, I traded the shop owner labor for the bike. I had a zebra striped seat cover and hot pink bar tape and housing. That was the 80s.
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Old 09-28-20, 03:29 PM
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Originally Posted by StuBotNYC
I plan to get it to the shop to grease the bearings all around. Dont have the correct tools to DIY.
I made a point when I started tinkering on bikes to acquire a few bike specific tools at a time, In the case of bearings for hubs you need park cone wrenches -one size for the front cones and a different size for the rear cones that in conjunction with either a metric wrench or adjustable wrench will allow you to open up the hubs and of course guidance from Sheldon Brown or a video (park tool RJ the bike guy etc) to give you guidance. I stated off using Zinn and art of road bike maintenance and it is my go to. Just be sure if you get a shop guide that it covers bikes of the vintage you are working on and has lots of photos or illustrations . Amazon has a number of older bike maintenance manuals for pennies.

The headset can many times, not always, be taken apart with an adjustable wrench

The bottom bracket is where it can be tricky I think I have about 4 or 5 BB specific tools for different applications. You might want to research the tools you would need and search for instruction and then compare that to what the shop charges you.
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Old 09-28-20, 04:13 PM
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Originally Posted by ryansu
I made a point when I started tinkering on bikes to acquire a few bike specific tools at a time, In the case of bearings for hubs you need park cone wrenches -one size for the front cones and a different size for the rear cones that in conjunction with either a metric wrench or adjustable wrench will allow you to open up the hubs and of course guidance from Sheldon Brown or a video (park tool RJ the bike guy etc) to give you guidance. I stated off using Zinn and art of road bike maintenance and it is my go to. Just be sure if you get a shop guide that it covers bikes of the vintage you are working on and has lots of photos or illustrations . Amazon has a number of older bike maintenance manuals for pennies.

The headset can many times, not always, be taken apart with an adjustable wrench

The bottom bracket is where it can be tricky I think I have about 4 or 5 BB specific tools for different applications. You might want to research the tools you would need and search for instruction and then compare that to what the shop charges you.
See thats where I usually draw the line

I have a pedal wrench and a pretty complete set of tools, but there's something to be said of experience and a tool for each situation, I have japanese and Italian components on my bikes, anf my use for specific tools lasts maybe once every few years, then after use sitting in my basement.

The shop charges $100 for a full tune and quoted me $25 to do the BB, didn't get a quote on the hubs yet, have 6 bikes and sure it can also add up.

Excellent help, if I decide to go the DIY route you sure helped with all that info and links, thank you!
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Old 10-02-20, 07:26 AM
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Originally Posted by StuBotNYC
Thanks!!!
It does bring me joy

Once you get used to the retro downtube shifting its pretty smooth, keeps you focused on where the chain is and what youre doing, not so great on downshift approaching intersections.

Haha yeah, that was my issue this past summer when I bought a Panasonic DX3000. I had not run downtube shifting in almost 30 years, so it took sometime getting used to it. The DX3000 is from 1985 so it also has friction shifting. Another thing to get used to, but boy is it fun once your on board.
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