Messages

16

Gear Talk / Rack and Panniers for T2000?

« on: April 11, 2007, 10:52:15 pm »

Paul,  Nice of you to do some leg work with C-dale and OMM! Cycle tourists are good people! One of the things I realized while preparing for my NT tour was that touring cyclists are, for manufacturers, just a tiny segment of their market. Many bike shops are pretty vague on touring issues and equipment, too. I'm not sure how well they hear some of our concerns - which makes this forum a valuable asset.

Cannondale's response is interesting: "the only rack we know fits for sure" is the OMM. It begs the question as to why they'd put a fork on their high-end touring model with such obvious and known limitations. When I first talked to one of the C-dale techs, he directed me to an OMM AC Low-rider, which we know doesn't fit. The thing I'm not too crazy about with the Ultimate Low-rider is that it mounts using a long skewer right through it, which would seem to be a pain if you have to remove your front wheel. Bishop, if the OMM doesn't solve your problems, I'd go directly to C-dale using the contact info in Paul's e-mail rather than going through your bike shop. That's what I did, and the fork swap didn't take long. I think you'd have a quicker resolution than if you went through the bike shop. If it's any consolation, it's worth doing all the head-scratching and cussing now, before you leave on the tour. Once underway, you don't want to be thinking about this stuff! You just want it to work. Once I got my fork issue resolved, the T2000 did just fine on the NT and rode really well. I'm hoping to ride it on the Trans Am in a couple of years.

I live quite close to the NT route in mid-coast Maine and have plenty of space if you need a stop-over on your way through - I rode the NT with an AC group, and we all stayed here for our last layover day. Plenty of tent space, covered storage space, a work rack for the bike, hot water, laundry and shower, and internet for e-mail - all the essentials! If you're
interested, I can e-mail you my contact info. Good luck!

17

Gear Talk / Rack and Panniers for T2000?

« on: April 11, 2007, 12:49:48 am »

I'm sorry to hear that your experience is as frustrating as mine was back in '05 (see my earlier post). When I first called Cannondale to talk about my difficulties, the tech rep told me that it's not an issue for most folks, since most people use the T2000 as a sport road bike. With my NT tour about a month away, I went just about ballistic! I tried a Tubus Tara on the Fatty fork, and it just wasn't going to work to my satisfaction. After a few other failed efforts, and a few phone calls and a choice letter to Cannondale, I got them to paint up a T800 fork for my bike and have the shop where I bought it install it. The Tara slipped on like it was made for it - problem solved. And no regrets - it's a rock-solid rack. The T800 fork is a much better fork design for a touring bike. I'd suggest trying that route directly with Cannondale, and ask your bike shop to help, if you think they'd be effective. Let 'em know that you have a cross-country ride depending on it. If they'll do this for you, you'll probably find that you'll have a choice of racks that would fit. Ultimately, I wish C-dale would listen up and re-design or replace the Fatty fork. Who needs the headaches? It'll probably only happen if enough of us make noise. You paid the money for their bike - they should help make it work for you. Good luck! Let us know if you get it worked out.

18

Gear Talk / Rack and Panniers for T2000?

« on: March 23, 2007, 08:50:00 am »

I bought a 2005 T2000 for my tour of the Northern Tier during the summer of that year, and I had a difficult time finding a front rack that would mount on the "Fatty" front fork. Honestly, I feel it's a very limiting design that Cannondale should address. As you may note by the variety of responses, personal preferences are just that - very personal! From what I can see, the Jandd rack might be more successful, simply because the rack's bottom attachment point comes up from below and behind the drop-out eyelet on the fork. Due to the design of the fork, you might find that to be critical. Bruce Gordon makes great stuff, but before I spent the money on one of his racks, I'd check with him very carefully to see if the rack would work on the T2000, specifically at that point. It might require long bolts and spacers, which I'd want to avoid. As for my own experience, I ranted at Cannondale enough so that they gave me a fork for the T800, painted to match my bike - you can see how the forks differ on their webpage. A Tubus Tara slipped right onto it and provided a very solid and dependable rack. My personal preference is a low rider. The Tubus racks and Arkel Grand Tour panniers were an excellent set-up on the bike.

I'd be less concerned with heel-strike than with "toe-strike". If you turn at very slow speeds on the Cannondale - you're liable to hit the rear of the front wheel with your toe as you pedal on the down stroke. Just be mindful of it, and it shouldn't be an issue.

Have a great ride on the NT - you're in for a treat!

19

Gear Talk / Mirrors

« on: November 07, 2006, 11:56:13 pm »

I used to use the Blackburn mirror which velcro-ed around the STI hood, but it vibrated horribly. I have switched to a StarCycle mirror, sold by Peter White Cycles in New Hampshire. They have a choice of mounting options, a surprisingly large field of view for a small mirror, and are practically vibration-free. I swear by mine and wouldn't leave home without it!

20

Gear Talk / Front rack for new T2000?

« on: April 06, 2005, 03:55:10 pm »

Blueridge-
Please see my previous reply, but don't spend the money on the AC Low-rider from Old Man Mountain. I called Cannondale today and spoke with a tech, who acknowledged that rack choices were extremely limited for that fork. He seemed to say that it wasn't a big deal since most people use the bike as a "sport road" bike and don't actually need front racks! I pointed out to him that both the '04 and '05 catalogs show photos of fully-loaded T2000's and that the T2000 is marketed and advertised as a touring model, not a sport model. The bottom line is that I'm getting them to give me a new fork - possibly the one that goes on the T800. I have to go through my dealer, who will work with the Cannondale rep to process the whole thing. My dealer already spoke with the tech that I talked to, and the tech as much as admitted to the dealer that it's not a good fork for a touring bike. My new advice is to call Cannondale (1-800-245-3872), be an active consumer, and make some noise! It's the only way that a glitch like this will be addressed. We spent the money - we should be able to find a good rack that will go on without jumping through hoops and wasting more money trying racks that won't fit. Good luck! Let me know how you make out.

21

Gear Talk / Front rack for new T2000?

« on: April 06, 2005, 03:34:14 am »

I just bought an '05 T2000, and have had the same problem. The Tubus Tara low-rider, which fit my Giant perfectly, wouldn't even come close. A call to Cannondale seemed to indicate that the rack they recommended was an Old Man Mountain lowrider. I bought their AC Low-rider, which I managed to get on, but I'm not impressed. The blades of the "Ultra Fatty" fork maintain their "Fatty" all the way down to the drop-outs, which seems to be part of the problem. I plan to call Cannondale again to see if I can speak to a tech for specific advice, and possibly see if I can get a different fork. Personally, I don't think that the "Ultra Fatty" makes for a good touring bike design. I'll let you know if Cannondale has any words of wisdom to add to the discussion.

22

Gear Talk / Giant OCR Touring bicycle

« on: April 06, 2005, 03:45:17 am »

Reply to Giantman: The Tubus "Tara" low-rider fits like it was made for it, and is rock-solid. To Overthenexthill: I've got the same bike - it's a pretty good ride. Initially, I liked the idea of the internal cable routing, but have since thought that I like the idea of visible cables, which would be more straight-forward to replace, if need be.

23

Routes / Shipping bike to Seattle area?

« on: May 02, 2007, 10:07:49 am »

Hi, Bishop,

If you're starting your tour in Anacortes, Skagit Cycle Center (360-588-8776) can probably help you out. In 2005, I had my bike shipped there, and it was tuned, ready, and waiting when I arrived. I used Sports Express as the shipping agent. Probably not the cheapest, but they insure the bike and guarantee their delivery date. Skagit Cycles understandably doesn't want to take up a lot of their space with bikes and shipping crates, so I arranged the bicycle delivery date at Skagit to coincide with my own arrival date in Anacortes, and I set up the Sports Express shipping dates, pick-up and delivery, to work for both parties. Everything went off without a hitch, and the bike was in fine tune when I picked it up. Again, you might find a cheaper method, but the peace of mind was worth it to me. I made sure to send Skagit a postcard when I arrived in Bar Harbor!

Hope that the rack and fork issue was resolved to your satisfaction. Have a great ride!   BC

24

General Discussion / Where's your bike taking you this summer!?

« on: March 21, 2008, 10:24:18 am »

A loop in the Canadian Maritimes in June. Possibly the Green Mountain Loop this summer, and definitely the Adirondack Loop this autumn (fall foliage, minus the black flies!).

25

General Discussion / Tire Choice ??

« on: March 20, 2008, 11:08:13 am »

I'd second the good opinion of Continental Travel Contacts. They came standard on my Cannondale T2000 and I rode the Northern Tier on them. They have an almost slick center tread, with small knobs on the outer edges. Recommended pressure is 80 - 85 pounds, I think. Might be hard to find in the 700 sizes - one source I found is bikesomewhere.com. Mine lasted me the whole trip, and I switched to Schwalbes when I got back. Like biker_james, I prefer the Travel Contacts, but I'm not quite ready to give away the Schwalbes yet. When I launch off on another long tour, I'll probably go back to the Conti's.

PS - Are you heading east or west? May 1 might be a bit early for a start in Washington. Safe travels!

26

General Discussion / Bike Stolen 2 Weeks Before X-Country Trip--IDEAS?

« on: May 25, 2007, 01:16:53 pm »

ignatzy,

I've thought more about your ride and memorial aspirations. Whose life hasn't been touched by cancer in some way? Do you have a link for donations? If so, let us know!

27

General Discussion / Bike Stolen 2 Weeks Before X-Country Trip--IDEAS?

« on: May 24, 2007, 05:13:15 pm »

ignatzy,

Really sorry about your bike! I hope that you can work something out, especially considering your cause.
I rode the Northern Tier in '05, and our motto, as paranoid as it might sound, was "If you are far enough from your bike that you can't actually touch it, lock it!" Seemed like overkill in friendly North Dakota, but it just became second nature. Once you're underway, the bike is almost a part of you. Lose it, and you have a world of hurt. Thieves probably can't understand that --- or just don't care.

Good luck - ride safe!

BC