Cannondale 1FG

As I mentioned in the Super-V post I was looking to get back into mountain biking but was looking for something… simpler. Really, I had no idea how to maintain shocks and stuff and I HATE owning stuff that I can maintain myself. Also I generally feel that the more moving parts a machine has the more there is to break down – and when those fancy moving pars break down it’s expensive.

I sold the Super-V and picked up a Cannondale 1FG. I think it was the 2004 model. It was the last year they offered a fully rigid/v-brake version. So I got it just in time!

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)

This is what it looked like when I first brought it home. The tires are ancient Panaracer Smoke/Darts that I had kicking around – just to get it home as the tires I had ordered hadn’t come in yet. I had some kind of Maxxis Larsen something-or-other, I swapped them for a pair of Hutchinson Cross Comp Air light 26x1.3 (yeah, I like the skinny tires…).

The saddle, I think, came off of the Pink Bianchi originally? The bike had come with some sort of WTB saddle.

It also came with a rider bar which I didn’t care for. The flat bar and bar ends are actually old Cannondale parts that I happen to have kicking around (I love my flat bars and bar ends….).

I raced it once…


I rode out to the course early to register then had to wait around a couple hours until my race started…


Because this pic was taken frm above and at a funny angle it almost looks like I’m going downhill. I am not. In the back ground you can see the river. The course was a nasty series of climbs and descents straight up and down a steep riverbank. This was one that I could actually climb the whole way. I got off and ran (and later… walked) at least part of the rest of them – which was often faster than most were cranking their way up in granny gears…


Me, disappearing into one of the descents…

These three pics were taken my Jared Miner – then a mechanic at the Bike Doctor. He also took a close up of my shoes as he was so thoroughly entertained by the fact that I was wearing Birkenstocks…

This was the second mountain bike race I ever rode in. DFL is better than DNF, right?


This is how it looks nowadays. The current saddle is I think the one that originally came with the Cannondale ‘Cross bike. got some new Continental Cross Country tires last summer when I had briefly taken up bike polo and had a couple slipping spills on the grass because the old Hutchinson tires had been worn bald!

There's a bunch of super reflective strips on it now as I was using this as the kiddie bike trailer towing bike for  a summer or two (2005).

I have a love-hate relationship with this bike. I love it because it’s so simple and crazy light! Snippy-snappy fast and responsive. But I keep throwing chains!? I’m not sure if it’s that the bottom bracket eccentric slips or if I’m just I high-powered chain stretching BEAST…

Anyway the chain came off in the middle of a bike polo and I ate it while pedaling air. That coupled with the fact that there were a couple nasty accidents at bike polo wrecking both bike and people parts – neither of which I can afford to do – I just didn’t have the motivation to do any wrenching on it… so it’s been hanging since.

I do want to do XC8 later this year and have been getting the itch to get out on the trails so I’m going to have to get the chain sorted out pretty quick…


OFS-baby! Handmade in the U.S.A.

Vital Statistics:
Bike: Cannondale 1FG
Frame: Optimo alloy
Fork: Cannondale alloy rigid MTB fork
Headset: Aheadset
Stem: Cannondale
Bar: Cannondale 6061 – T6 butted flat bar with Cannondale bar ends.
Grips: Cannondale
Brake levers: Cannondale
Gear Shifters: NOT APPLICABLE!
Brakes: Cannondale
Bottom Bracket: Truvativ splined
Cranks/Chainring(s): Truvativ Fire-X
Wheels:
-Hubs: Cannondale Fire
-FW/Cog/etc: 18T Stainless
-Spokes: black?
-Rims: Mavic MX117
Tires: Continental Cross Country 26x1.5
Post: Giant Carbon
Saddle: Fizik Pave