Cannondale touring bike is finished!

I have finally finished converting my old 1988 Cannondale SM700 to a super comfy, fast touring bike.

I added some multi-position touring bars, called butterfly bars or trekking bars. Found a great pair of BBB BHB-30 Multibars for good money at Freemans Cycles and finished them off with a matching set of foam grips encased in Cinelli carbon tape. The fatter the grip the better (for comfort) and as I am using it to commute, the tougher the better too, hence the Cinelli bar tape.

I found a cheap short hi-rise stem on Ebay to pull the ride into a more upright position, added a Cateye Cordless Strada and a bell to stop the dog walkers on the Sustrans bike paths whinging when I shoot past them. BTW, Sustrans maps now available from Memory Map for 20 quid.

If you look down at my fork crown in the top picture, you can see the best cycle mirror ever made – and I have tried a few. It’s called a Zefal Spy and it fits anywhere (look at this Amazon link and you’ll see what I mean). They are so good I have fitted one to the forks of my road bike too. They have saved my skin a few times and you can see cycling clubs approaching from behind so you can suck in your belly and put on a burst of speed.

The finishing touch is my pride and joy – a copper finished Brooks B17 Special. I had one of these on a bike I had as a youngster – not sure where it came from, probably something my grandfather found somewhere. It was ancient and a joy to ride.

The B17 saddles are touring classics and once broken in, nothing compares comfort wise. They’re not light (I didn’t go for the titanium version, but I do have a titanium Brooks Swift on my mountain bike), but at my age I am happy to forsake a few ounces for a comfy ride. I’m pretty lucky with this B17, I did 60 miles on it today and it feels great, so pretty much broken in after about 120 miles.

I wish I could say the same for the Swift ;)

Whatever bike you ride, invest a few quid and a few miles in a Brooks saddle. Sure, you need to treat them well, nourish them and cover them in heavy rain, but they will last longer than the bike and probably longer than you.

And when you are 92 and find it in your shed, you’ll probably make a profit on Ebay.