Friday, July 24, 2009

My Cannondales stable of bikes

I never have taken a picture of all three of my Cannondales which I enjoy riding so much. I got them out of the garage and set them up in front of my house and here they are.

The first bike on the left is a Cannondale full suspension Jeckle 800 Mountain Bike. It built like a tank and can run over about anything that can be found on a rugged Mountain trail. I don't ride this bike much anymore as with my handicap left leg I just can't ride the bike as it was meant to be ridden.

The Bike in the Middle is my first Cannodale that I bought back in 1994. I rebuilt it in 2005 and converted it into a touring bike with European butterfly handlebars that I really like. It cost about as much to convert it as it would have if I bought a new one. The only thing orginal on it is the frame and brakes. This bike is fun to ride and I ride it a lot as it so comfortable to ride. However it is a few miles slower under most circumstance than my road bike on the right end. I injured my leg while I was in the process of rebuilding so I have not ridden it on any tours. May not ever get the chance to do now.

The red bike on the right end is my Cannodale R 2000 Road Racing bike and it is fast. I have ridden it on many bike tours in 15 states. The first year (2005) I did about 6,000 miles on it before getting injured,(not on the bike)I guess you can say this is my favorite bike as it like driving a sport car and handles real well. Although it is a racing bike similar or just like the Cannondales they used in the Tour De France I use it only for touring. I admit in some tours I did enjoy racing some with other that I was with on the tours. I won some and lost some.

It been almost four years since my accident that shatter my left leg and left me unable to ride a bike as good as I once did. Although my injury did not stop me from riding my bikes I can't ride none of them nearly as well as I once did. I have moved to a new home where the roads are hilly as heck and these is really testing me on the bike. I have never been good on hills but I can't avoid them now. The bad things is I can't stand on the pedals anymore to get that extra boast going up hill. Having to set down all the way up a hill now make going uphill extra hard but I am doing it.

The Cannodale Jeckle has hardly been ridden since 2005 and I guess I might as well sell it as I can't ride it the way is was meant to be ridden.


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