chet90si

I have recently gotten back into cycling after a 9 year hiatus, and decided to get a modern/light road bike to use as a beater (and possibly turn into an around-town commuter). All I have known about road bikes up until now has been vintage road bikes, so this is new territory for me. I came across a '99 Cannondale R1000, and the price seemed too good to be true (I live in a very bike friendly town, and CL prices can get pretty outrageous). The bike rode great, and I managed talked him down to $140. It looked like it has some rough spots here and there, but in my excitement over possibly owning my first modern road bike I went ahead and made the purchase.

After getting it home and taking it on a more thorough ride, I was amazed at how great it felt compared to the old steel bikes I'm used to (still love them though!). It truly rides and shifts great, but then I started to notice its many flaws. Mainly, the entire stem seems to be rusted, and there appear to be small corrosion spots in several spots on the frame. Also, I cannot get the hex in the stem to budge whatsoever, despite soaking it in PB Blaster for a few hours.

So keeping in mind that this bike is not going to be used in racing situations, and will likely be converted to a beater city bike, is this thing worth keeping around? Is it even safe to ride in its current state, or could the stem snap on me without notice? Any tips to get the hex loose?

TenGrainBread 

Nice bike. A little bubbling under the paint on an aluminum frame isn't very bad.

The stem on the other hand should probably have given you pause. Always check that the seatpost and stem (if a quill stem) aren't stuck before buying.

You will need to soak that stem and wedge bolt in penetrating oil for a while. If I were I would strip the whole frame of parts, give everything a good cleaning, and replace that stem.

qqy

Flip the bike upside down and apply PB blaster into the bottom for the fork if there's a hole. This should help break the bond between the bolt and the expander wedge. Get a very large 6mm allen wrench, ideally with a handle. Go to town. Use a breaker bar of need be. This isn't uncommon, and you can probably break it loose. Worst case you have to drill it out. BTW, those stems were some of the best quill stems ever made, and $140 is quite a deal.

datlas 

Agree it's salvageable, but realize this is set up as a TT/Tri bike, with seat angled way forward and aero bars. May not be especially comfortable for longer rides.

rpenmanparker 

Yes, that is not an everyday workhorse for the ordinary road rider.

rumrunn6

here ya go, grab it quick & sell the 1st bike for whatever you can get for it

https://asheville.craigslist.org/bik/6081421642.html

I see what you mean about your area being expensive. if you had asked before buying I'd have suggested these

https://asheville.craigslist.org/bik/6130422365.html

https://asheville.craigslist.org/bik/6110497860.html

https://asheville.craigslist.org/bik/6136512511.html

I like the stem riser on this one, but then, I'm an old fart

https://asheville.craigslist.org/bik/6136081100.html

save your pennies

https://asheville.craigslist.org/bik/6131588356.html

https://asheville.craigslist.org/bik/6131588356.html

save your quarters ... ;-)

https://asheville.craigslist.org/bik/6096496907.html

chet90si

Thanks for the responses, everyone!

I went ahead and flipped the bike over and filled the headtube with PB Blaster before heading to work this morning. I'll take another stab at that hex when I get home. Given that the fork is carbon fiber and the stem is steel, do you think there's less of a chance of the stem being stuck (once I get that hex out)? I had to deal with a frozen stem on one of my old steel bikes and it was not fun. Really hope I won't have to go through that again.

As far as the bike being set up for TT/Tri, I fully intended on throwing on a more comfortable seat/seat tube and handlebars (thinking trekking or moustache bars, even though it might look weird on that bike). Might even see if I can get some wider tires on those rims, they are currently 25mm.

rumrunn6, thanks for looking up bikes in my area! I had actually seen that Lemond before. Its quite nice, but I was really itching for an Aluminum bike since I've never owned one before. For a $140 entry point, I felt that I couldn't pass it up.

TenGrainBread 

The fork blades might be carbon fiber, but the fork's steerer, where the quill is actually engaged, is most likely aluminum, possibly steel. You'll have to wait 'til you get the bolt loose before you see if the stem will come out or not. If not, more soaking with oil is in order. If it is still not coming loose by hand you might want to flip the bike upside down and put the stem in a vice and twist. There is a chance you could damage the steerer if the stem is really stuck in there, but at that point the fork is probably worthless anyway and should be replaced.

chet90si

Well I managed to get the hex bolt in the stem out by soaking for 2 days in PB Blaster, and then using a large handled allen wrench. But unfortunately, the headset seems to be stuck. I can't seem to unscrew the locknut even after using PB Blaster.

I may have an easy fix to this bike though. I just found a 2005 Trek 2300 locally for $220. Would it be a worthwhile upgrade to this bike? I'm sure I could sell this for at least what I paid for it, and the Trek looks to be in pristine condition. How do the frames compare?

https://asheville.craigslist.org/bik/6138763975.html

raisinberry777

The Trek is a great deal, so long as it fits.

goenrdoug

Get the trek for $200 cash tomorrow and keep the Cannondale's wheels as spares. Sell the other pieces-parts on e-bay or toss them in a parts bin, but, really, with the headset and stem and seatpost and questionable frame corrosion issues, Id say the Cannondale is kinda toast -- or at best, a money-pit.

That Trek looks ready to ride (possibly in need of new tires/tubes and some oil)

mercator

If the quality of the frame is the most important thing, then those two lemonds linked by rumrunn6 are your best options.

Shuffleman

I have to agree with the others, it is a money pit. There are plenty of options but that depends on your budget.

dbf909

A buddy of mine purchased (against my strong discouragement) a '98 Cannondale R300 for about $140. Not a bad bike but this one was a real basket case - it needed so much work and $ invested. He immediately dropped another $200 in it just to make it rideable. The biggest problem was that it was a 58" frame and he is 5'9". He insisted that it fit fine but was in quite a bit of discomfort and pain when riding it. He finally realized after a month or so that it was the wrong bike but he had way too much $ in it by this time and it still needed more work. He tried selling it for a few weeks but no one would give him anything for it.

So finally he talked the LBS guy in to taking on a trade against a brand new Giant Contend 1. He got $150 credit toward the new bike and was very happy - figures he lost about $250 total but chalked it up to a "learning experience".

If you really like the bike and it fits you well and you are planning to keep it forever, go for it and spend what it takes. It can be a great bike and a lot of fun to work on if you like projects. Otherwise, you have to assume that you will never get out of it what you put in.

chet90si

Appreciate the advice everyone!

Just a little update: I went and picked up the 2005 Trek 2300 on Saturday for $220, and this is a significantly nicer bike. Whereas with the Cannondale I was finding a new issue every time I looked at it, the Trek is the complete opposite. I keep looking at it and tearing it apart trying to find something wrong, and keep coming up empty handed. Even though I was hoping for a Cannondale, the Trek fits what I was looking for quite nicely: a modern, aluminum-based road bike in good condition for around $200.

Needless to say, the Cannondale will likely be on its way out. I may take goenrdoug's advice, and keep the wheels/parts around for back-ups, and sell the frame for dirt cheap to someone who is willing to take on a project.

ecnewell 

In the long run, I'd say you did well with your combined purchases. The Cannondale will make a good donor bike. If you really intend to convert to mustache bars, you got your bar end shifters (it looks like Ultegra?) and downtube cable stops out of it, which would have set you back at least $50. That Rolf wheelset was pretty nice when it came out and still sells for over $100 on the auction site. And then you've got a bunch of other Ultegra components (assuming they're original) , tri bars, etc. that you could either keep or sell. Not bad at all.

chet90si

Well just a little update. Most of the parts from R1000 have been donated to my '87 SR400 build, so ultimately this purchase worked out in a way.

As far as the frame, I am considering turning it into a super cheap "beater" bike, but I have some questions. I finally managed to get the quill stem bolt and the headset off, but the stem is still frozen in. Weirdly, the quill stem had threads on it, and it appeared to be threaded into the fork? I have never seen a quill stem like this, as every one I've encountered just slides out once you get the wedge bolt loose. Anyways, I could not get the stem to screw off no matter how hard I tried (even after tons of PB Blaster). I'm afraid its stuck for good.

That being said, how unsafe is it for me to just use the frame/stem as is? My thoughts are to just clean it up, and throw a cheap/used Sora or Tiagra groupset on it and call it a day. I need a bike that I don't mind throwing around (or worst case, getting stolen) and this seems like it could fit the bill pretty well.

ecnewell 

Are you sure? Pictures would help here. I have to doubt this is the case, as it would also have to mean the inside of the steer tube is threaded.

As long as you can torque the wedge back up, I think you should be ok (assuming there are no other issues). You said you took the bolt out?

chet90si

@ecnewell I couldn't believe it at first, either. I took pictures of multiple angles, so you can get a sense of what I'm seeing. The bolt is completely out, the wedge is loose inside the steer column (knocked it loose with a screwdriver) and this stem won't budge at all.

Anyone else come across a threaded quill stem like this one? The threads and the stem are one piece. Unless the rust has just fused these two together that well, it doesn't appear that these are 2 separate pieces of metal.

ecnewell 

Ah, ok. The threaded section you're seeing is the top of the steer tube, where the headset screws on. The stem is inside there, rusted all to hell. I see how it looks like the stem is threaded though.

Pompiere

That isn't the stem that is threaded, it is the top of the fork. It looks like the stem is still seized in the fork tube. Did you loosen the long allen bolt on the top of the stem? If so, reassemble the headset, and give the bolt a good wack with a hammer. If you haven't loosened the bolt, back it out a few turns. You may have to spray some more PB Blaster from the bottom of the fork. The bolt is used to draw a wedge up to tighten the stem in the fork and sometimes they get stuck pretty hard. Good luck.