Bike Profile: 1997 Cannondale T900
This is the first in a series of profiles of the various bikes in my stable. Starting with my trusty blue Cannondale T900.
For the past four years this has been my companion around the Denver area for commuting, grocery getting, and everything else. Before this I had been riding around town on a single speed, and wearing a backpack. This worked fine in my early 20s, but I was rapidly approaching my 30s! Something more functional was long overdue. Some gears, and most importantly a basket, were calling my name.
I found the bike for sale up in Fort Collins on Craigslist. The price was right, and when I met up with the seller I was even more intrigued. He explained that he had bought the bike new from Rock N’ Road Cyclery in 1997 or 1998 in Fort Collins and had proceeded to ride the bike across the country not once, but twice. The bike had since been collecting dust in his garage, so he was excited to hear it might have a new life. I threw it on the rack and was on my way.
The build I went with is pretty simple. A 1x setup with an old XT Derailleur and some random Shimano cranks I found on eBay. Not a super wide range but enough to get around Denver. Swoopy handlebars for the comf. This was also the first time I had tried a thumb shifter. I went back and forth between running it friction and indexed, but mostly settled on indexed.
My two favorite things I tried on this build were the basket and the dynamo setup. The versatility of a humble Wald 137 basket never ceases to amaze me. It easily carries my work laptop, clothes, food, etc. And the dynamo is easily the best upgrade to make to any commuter bike. Not having to charge lights was seriously a game changer for me in terms of safety and functionality.
Build List
Frame: 1997 Cannondale T900 Touring Frame
Stem: Salsa Quill
Handlebars: Dimension Arc Bar
Grips: ESI Chunky
Seatpost: Thomson Elite
Saddle: Brooks C17 Cambium
Shifter: Microshift 10 Speed Thumbie
Cassette: Shimano 11-32
Brakes: Shimano Deore
Levers: Avid Speed Dial
Rims: Velocity A23 Rear. Mavic Front
Hubs: DT Swiss 370 Rear. Shutter Precision Front
Rear Der: Shimano XT RD-M786
Crankset: Shimano 600 170mm. Wolftooth chainring
Pedals: MKS
Tires: Specialized Sawtooth 38mm
Here are some random moments with Mr. Blue. Thanks for the memories. You’ll be missed.
