There is a 1998 cannondale silktour 700 for sale for $650. It has Headshok suspension. Anyone used one of these bikes as a gravel bike? Are the headshoks more maintenance than they are worth? It was marketed as a touring bike but the owner says it leans towards a modern gravel bike. Looks pretty well-kept, but havent seen these around much.
by Aware_Afternoon6722
7 Comments
I know nothing of Headshok maintenance, although it seems like a pretty cool idea for gravel. I’d look into basic parts availability like the seal(s) and the IIRC roller bearings they used- AFAIK the Cannondale that made that doesn’t exist anymore & hasn’t for a while. And they definitely had no qualms using proprietary stuff *eyes old set of Coda wheels with 4 bolt rotors*
I also don’t know the market, but $650 sounds kinda rich for that. Like, it’s cool, yeah, and looks clean… but it’s 25+ years old, rim brake only, presumably with ooooooold tech drivetrain, and maybe parts availability issues. And it’s also not 2020 with factories in Asia shut down & everyone & their brother wanting to buy a bike. I bought a demo Kona ‘endurance road’ that I pressed into being a gravel bike in ’17 or ’18… hydraulic disc, 11 speed, a year old with basically no use, and I think I paid $800. 🤷
Freakishly long cranks
At this point in time I greatly doubt the damper will work but it doesn’t look collapsed but I could be wrong so the spring might work. Hope it’s a coil and not air. From a quick look at cannondale experts the headshock era stuff is out of stock and likely never to be made again. Good luck!
Also, cantilever’s down a steep grade on loose gravel sounds like an early funeral to me but that’s me.
Someone gave me a silk tour for free, and it was my first gravel bike. It was way too big for me! Gearing is fine for flat rail trails, but anything with hills and forget it. I never touched the head shock. It seemed to work, so i left it alone. That bike is not worth $650.
I had a couple of headshoks back in the day on a Caad 3 and super V and I remember the roller bearings would sneak out occasionally. It made it feel like the headset was loose. Also I swapped out the headshok on both bikes I once that started happening and put on regular suspension forks. Manitou two and three, I believe (It was 1996). So maybe that’s an option but with a newer fork, of course. Also the adapter kit was available then, but now? Maybe eBay. So that adds cost to your already slightly overpriced inexpensive bike…
I still have a 98-99-ish Cdale with the headshock. It’s old technology and no shop will know what to do with it. It’s fairly simple and robust, basically just a spring. Somewhere in the corner of the internet there’s a shop or two that will work on them or mail you parts. Mine still works but for $650 it’s just not worth it. Also, $650 is outrageously overpriced for that. Knock $500 off and maybe but why?