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Cannondale M300 mountain bike restoration

At just $455 ($716 inflation-adjusted for 2020) the Cannondale M300 was the cheapest non-suspended mountain bike of 1998. It needed a lot of TLC before it again achieved its flawless riding nature it has today. After the first night inside the house it also turned out to be the home of various kinds of insects. Ants, beetles, and ladybugs.

Repairs

Hubs

Everything that could rust, had rusted. Water had seeped into the rear hub and corroded one of the cones and all of the bearings. An LBS helped finding the correct cone and bearings.

Bottom Bracket

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1o4LUioCl1/

Water had also entered the frame, completely welding the bottom bracket into the frame with rust. It was an absolute nightmare and the biggest issue I had with this bike. It took 3 feet of extra pipe on my big adjustable wrench to get it to finally move, laying on the ground, a small table on top of the frame to keep it steady, pulling with all my might.

Brakes

None of the brakes worked. Cables were broken and all cantilevers were seized with corrosion. After I fixed them and put in new brake cables, they turned out to probably be the best brakes on any bike I own. I can easily get my rear wheel off the ground by braking with my front-brake. Who knew these types of brakes, coming from a place of being totally destroyed, would turn out so well?

Derailleur

The derailleur cables were fitted wrongly and crossed each other underneath the lower frame tube. The metal on the front derailleur was one unrecognizable clump of orange. I soaked it in vinegar for four days before trying to move it again. It did.

Tires

It had two flats and a torn sidewall (the other would tear a couple months later). I actually tried to fix the tear with glue, which worked for a while, until the other tire gave out. I replaced both with Schwalbe Fat Franks

Handlebar and Stem

The handlebar and stem were black, but severely faded and scratched. They received a new paint job with a spray can. Note to self: even though it says on the can it doesn’t have to, use primer the next time.

Crankset

The original crankset was completely worn. I received a fantastic Shimano Nexave replacement from a 1994 Gazelle Golvo donor bike with a broken frame. The choice for a bigger chainrings is a logical one considering the fact I do most of my riding in the city and didn’t want to run out of gears.

Cassette and chain

Obviously the chain and cassette we’re worn as well and we’re replaced with a KMC X8 and Shimano 7-speed cassette.

Lessons learned

This bike taught me that you can repair basically anything that’s rusted. Even if it’s totally seized. I didn’t have a rust remover at the time so it was a lot of tin foil and vinegar. But as soon as I got things moving a little, whether it was the front derailleur or one of the v-brakes, WD-40 did the rest.

All in all it’s a fantastic bike and an absolute joy to ride through the city. And the combination of the Fat Frank whitewalls with the “Emerald Green Pearl” paint have turned it into a vintage beauty if you ask me. What do you think? Let me know in the comment section below, and if you have any questions, please ask.

Repair costs

  • Cassette: €10.49
  • Tires: €47.98
  • Chain: €12.95
  • Shifter cables: €10
  • Total: €81.50 (excluding shipping fees)

Specifications

Year
1998
MSRP
$455
Frame
CAAD1 Mountain
Fork
Cro-mo
Rims
Sun AT18, 36 hole
Hubs
Shimano RM40
Spokes
DT Swiss stainless steel 15 gauge
Tires
Schwalbe Fat Frank, brown / whitewall, 60-559 | 26 x 2.35
Pedals
Wellgo LU-924
Crank
Shimano Nexave, 28/38/48, FC-T410
Chain
KMC X8
Cassette
Shimano CS-HG41 7-speed
Bottom Bracket
Front derailleur
Shimano Alivio
Rear Derailleur
Shimano STX
Shifters
Sachs Power Grip Plus
Handlebars
High-rise steel
Stem
High-rise TIG-welded Cro-mo
Headset
Tange-Seiki SE-II
Brakes
TX-22 Side pull canti w. LC26 levers
Saddle
Coda 500M
Seatpost
Kalloy SP-263B
Size
24″

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