New life for old Cannondale

Ronanmk said:

Hi everyone. I have an 98 F500 Cannondale, which has been (and still is) my main mountain bike. Although the bike works perfectly, its suspension is a bit dated. Its an older Fatty "M" fork which is a bit of a pain uphills.

What can I do to improve my suspension?. Is it worth upgrading to a Cannondale Fatty Ultra D?. Should I consider fitting a Rock Shox or another fork?

I love this bike and other than the fork, I don't see a reason for upgrading to a new bike.

Thanks!

There may be issues trying to switch to another fork.

boudreaux said:

There may be issues trying to switch to another fork.

So...I should just...upgrade my bike? :-((

Ronanmk said:

So...I should just...upgrade my bike? :-((

You handle the high level decisions.

If it's a Headshok capable frame, you can get reducer cups to let you use normal 1 1/8" suspension forks.

You can also upgrade the suspension cartridges in most Fattys and Leftys (rather than buying a whole new shock), which may end up cheaper than finding another fork elsewhere. I would double check compatibility with your LBS before doing anything expensive.

rek said:

If it's a Headshok capable frame, you can get reducer cups to let you use normal 1 1/8" suspension forks.

You can also upgrade the suspension cartridges in most Fattys and Leftys (rather than buying a whole new shock), which may end up cheaper than finding another fork elsewhere. I would double check compatibility with your LBS before doing anything expensive.

Thanks. Basically, I just want to be able to lock out suspension in long climbs. I called my LBS yesterday ( a Cannondale distributor) and they say they can fit a new cartridge in there, which is great. I'm taking it in tomorrow to see if its worth doing (I don't want to spend more than 200$ on this)

Cheers

I

I updated my 96 model Super V-1000 which had the original DD50 shock with a Fatty SL air/oil shock I bought on ebay for $150. A GREAT upgrade!

Most Cannondales have "headshocks" which means the shock absorber is located in the head tube rather than in the fork legs. That requires a larger head tube than normal, so you can't directly fit anything but a headshock in there unless you get a reducer to reduce the diameter to a standard size.

Unfortunatley, Cannondale charges your left nut for a new headshock, so unless you've got the big bux or an extra nut, you'll have to get one on the used market. You're taking your chances there, so be sure and ask a lot of questions before bidding/buying.

If you get an air shock (much better than the coil and elastomer types), make sure it holds air for MONTHs at a time. Find out if it has been serviced recently (oil change, new seals, etc.). Make sure there are no holes/tears in the boot. The shock should move smoothly and quietly up and down, and if it has rebound adjustment/lockout it should be working in all positions. Make sure the brake mounts are compatible with your brake/wheel. Some of the headshocks are for disk brakes only.

TD