Fixing up an 85 Cannondale, Please advise! - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

07-18-2004, 12:56 AM

So earlier I posted a question about possibly forgoing buying a bike,
and just borrowing an old friend's 85 cannondale road bike. I finally
picked up the bike today to see if it's in shape for a round-trip 24
mile commute, and I must say I was amazed at how beautiful a bike from
1985 could be.

Anyway, I'm new to cycling entirely, and was wondering whether I
should spend 700 on a new bike, or should i just consider changing
some of the components on this older model (brakes in front are a
little bit uneven, i probably ought to take it to a shop that can fit
the bike to me...). What are the big changes that took place between
then and now? Do I just stick with what I have?

If i got a new bike, i was leaning towards touring. Although with the
quality of the roads on the way to work (multi-potholes) perhaps I
would be best doing it with a hybrid.

Thoughts on repairs/upgrades? Let's say you had 200 bucks with an 85
cannondale (tuned up 2 years ago). What do you do?

Side question: How does one get used to that forward position that
drop handlebars seem to require? Do I ride in a parking lot to get
acclimated? How long does that usually take?