Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

Cannondale Black Lightning derailleur

Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

Cannondale Black Lightning derailleur

Old 06-24-14, 07:15 PM
  #1  
Stradguy93
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Birmingham, AL
Posts: 118

Bikes: Wilier Triestina Gran Turismo , Alan Record, Giant OCR 1.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Cannondale Black Lightning derailleur

I bought a 1988 Cannondale Black Lightning a while back and love it. It came with Shimano 600 Tri Color shifters and derailleurs as well as Campy rims and 600 tri color hubs. I am wanting to bring it back to original minus the wheels so I have been hunting for original components. Last week I bought and installed a rear derailleur sight unseen that was supposed to have come off of a 1988 Black Lightning, however upon inspection I noticed it is a Suntour Superbe Pro derailleur and not a Sprint. Am I mistaken or did 88 Black Lightnings come with Superbe Pro derailleurs?
Attached Images
Stradguy93 is offline  
Old 06-24-14, 08:16 PM
  #2  
Chombi
Senior Member
 
Chombi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 11,138

Bikes: 1986 Alan Record Carbonio, 1985 Vitus Plus Carbone 7, 1984 Peugeot PSV, 1972 Line Seeker, 1986(est.) Medici Aerodynamic (Project), 1985(est.) Peugeot PY10FC

Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 150 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 34 Times in 27 Posts
When one bought the Black Lightning from dealers just as a frameset, It did come with Suntour Superbe Pro front and rear derailleurs, but the RD had derailleur arms that were anodized gold to match the Black Lightning decals on the frame. The FD had also had gold anodized touches, IIRC. That's what was on my brother's Black lightning when he bought it from a Trek Dealer in Milwaukee......
I think Trek included the higher spec, special Superbe Pro derailleurs (Compared to the ones that came standard on the whole bikes) to enhance the frameset so they would sell more of it.
Chombi is offline  
Old 06-24-14, 09:12 PM
  #3  
Chuckk
Groupetto Dragon-Ass
 
Chuckk's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Lostin Austin, TX
Posts: 602
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 412 Post(s)
Liked 762 Times in 363 Posts
Mine has a black Sprint with a gold bar under the logo.



Don't forget that a '88 bike could easily be on its third derailleur by the time somebody takes one off of it.

The '88 catalog shows a Sprint with a gold parallel


while the '87 shows one like mine


But, you go to VintageCannondale and check out the '88 BLs, and those that still have what could be the original parts seem to have the gold bar AND a mostly chrome FD.
Go HERE
Attached Images
File Type: jpg
Image1.jpg (27.0 KB, 66 views)
File Type: jpg
Image2.jpg (26.0 KB, 59 views)

Last edited by Chuckk; 06-24-14 at 09:47 PM.
Chuckk is offline  
Old 06-25-14, 07:31 AM
  #4  
Stradguy93
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Birmingham, AL
Posts: 118

Bikes: Wilier Triestina Gran Turismo , Alan Record, Giant OCR 1.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
My front derailleur is long gone, thinking about just putting a Superbe on it and calling that correct for now. Is this rear derailleur supposed to have a barrel adjuster for the cable? Also, is there a secret warehouse somewhere with all the DID gold chains in it?

Stradguy93 is offline  
Old 06-25-14, 10:49 AM
  #5  
oldbikenewbike
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 647
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Liked 51 Times in 33 Posts
Finding OEM parts for the Black Lightning's are like looking for hens teeth. The 1990 Black Lightning I purchased last year was taken care of and not ridden to death, hence all original components except for tires. Bike rides great!
Attached Images
File Type: jpg
1990 Black Lighning.jpg (106.9 KB, 43 views)
oldbikenewbike is offline  
Old 06-25-14, 11:27 AM
  #6  
Stradguy93
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Birmingham, AL
Posts: 118

Bikes: Wilier Triestina Gran Turismo , Alan Record, Giant OCR 1.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I love mine, the Darth Vader look is gorgeous. They don't make bike frames with beautiful welds like this anymore. Almost reminds me of a Klein.
Stradguy93 is offline  
Old 06-25-14, 03:12 PM
  #7  
Chombi
Senior Member
 
Chombi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 11,138

Bikes: 1986 Alan Record Carbonio, 1985 Vitus Plus Carbone 7, 1984 Peugeot PSV, 1972 Line Seeker, 1986(est.) Medici Aerodynamic (Project), 1985(est.) Peugeot PY10FC

Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 150 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 34 Times in 27 Posts
Originally Posted by oldbikenewbike
Finding OEM parts for the Black Lightning's are like looking for hens teeth. The 1990 Black Lightning I purchased last year was taken care of and not ridden to death, hence all original components except for tires. Bike rides great!
The Imron paint on the Black Lightning (at least the earliest ones) was not very resistant to chipping, so any kind of "normal/regular" use might really be hard on the paint.
Chombi is offline  
Old 06-25-14, 08:46 PM
  #8  
Stradguy93
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Birmingham, AL
Posts: 118

Bikes: Wilier Triestina Gran Turismo , Alan Record, Giant OCR 1.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I have a little bottle of Toyota Black Mica paint that matches perfectly for small chips. Personally think it's pointless to have a bike for any other purpose than putting the miles on it.
Stradguy93 is offline  
Old 06-26-14, 06:54 AM
  #9  
oldbikenewbike
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 647
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Liked 51 Times in 33 Posts
Originally Posted by Chombi
The Imron paint on the Black Lightning (at least the earliest ones) was not very resistant to chipping, so any kind of "normal/regular" use might really be hard on the paint.

The bike has just a few tiny chips. (Incredible, considering the bike was purchased in California new, ridden, and when the owner moved to Long Island brought it with him). Maybe the paint was improved as the years wore on. I have a white 1989 Criterium that I purchased from a local seller a few years ago. He was a real clean freak with his bikes, and treated them with love. To this day, there isn't a chip on it.
oldbikenewbike is offline  
Old 07-12-14, 09:38 PM
  #10  
ThirdCog
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 49
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
StradGuy...funny, I just picked up a Black Lightning on Craigslist about a week ago - ironically, just a bit of distance south of you (going to throw a post up about it somewhere if the forums can handle another BL love fest). While it has a number of components swapped out, the owner handed me a box with original parts in it. Has an RD in there and other goodness, most of which looks to have never been used or was very well maintained. The frame looks like it came out of a time capsule. Super happy. Anyway, I'll have to go back and dig through that box of parts....hmmm...
ThirdCog is offline  
Old 07-13-14, 04:29 AM
  #11  
Bianchigirll 
Bianchi Goddess
 
Bianchigirll's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Shady Pines Retirement Fort Wayne, In
Posts: 29,725

Bikes: Too many to list here check my signature.

Mentioned: 191 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2912 Post(s)
Liked 2,836 Times in 1,460 Posts
Originally Posted by Stradguy93
My front derailleur is long gone, thinking about just putting a Superbe on it and calling that correct for now. Is this rear derailleur supposed to have a barrel adjuster for the cable? Also, is there a secret warehouse somewhere with all the DID gold chains in it?

That model Suprebee does not have an adjuster and is not index compatible. You might try an inline adjuster where the cable housing meets the frame but I don't know if that will give the desired results.
__________________
One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"

Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
Bianchigirll is offline  
Old 07-21-14, 06:37 PM
  #12  
OrangeOkie
Senior Member
 
OrangeOkie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Oklahoma City
Posts: 446

Bikes: Canondale LL Bean, Criterium; both MY Schwinn Volare's, Voyageur 11.8; Holdsworth; Bob Jackson; Raleigh Super Course Mk II and Super Course Racing USA; Trek 1500

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Bought the grupo from a guy who was parting out his Black Lightening and put it on my 11.8.





OrangeOkie is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
JohnnyBee
Classic and Vintage Bicycles: Whats it Worth? Appraisals.
10
11-21-19 07:05 PM
nesteel
Classic & Vintage
13
12-01-15 05:56 AM
DorkDisk
Classic and Vintage Bicycles: Whats it Worth? Appraisals.
2
07-29-15 10:45 AM
jsears
Classic & Vintage
23
03-04-14 12:10 PM
frpax
Classic & Vintage
23
02-17-10 10:55 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.