Some times you just get lucky: Black Lightning - Bike Forums (2024)

xiaoman1

Join Date: Mar 2014

Location: City of Angels

Posts: 4,876

Bikes: A few too many

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)

Tagged: 1 Thread(s)

Quoted: 1367 Post(s)

I have been looking for a "Black Lightning" for quite some time and noticed one that has been listed on CL for a while and not sold. Thinking it was one of those adds that sellers never take down I continued to watch and one day on a whim, I decided to email to see if it was still on the market. No email the first day so I thought it was sold...next day I get a confirmation that it is still on the market...great, but I am teaching all week and can not make it out to see the bike...Days go by and I am hoping it is still for sale, one more email and a request for contact information and I am on my way to see the bike.

I was expecting the worse because I was told there was paint loss ( Dales especially B.L. seem to have weak paint) and that tires were flat and the bike was not in the condition to be ridden. When the garage door was open there was a very clean albeit dusty Black Lightning....flat tires, non-original seat, and a mismatched set of wheels.
Overall a worthy project with very little paint loss needing a service but with all the hard parts with the exception of the seat present.

I had been looking for one that was close to my size for quite a while and we struck a deal. I now have one of the bikes I have been after for quite some time. It's currently raining in SoCal right now so I will post some pics a bit later.
As mentioned the bike is very clean with "no" dents and very "little" paint loss....all the original equipment still there with the exception of the seat .
I expect it will clean up very well.

Happy Camper, Ben

__________________
"EVERY PERSON IS GUILTY OF ALL THE GOOD THEY DID NOT DO"
Voltaire
Voice recognition may sometimes create odd spelling and grammatical errors

Kevindale

Join Date: Apr 2013

Location: Amsterdam

Posts: 1,662

Bikes: 1980 Koga-Miyata Gentsluxe-S, 1998 Eddy Merckx Corsa 01, 1983 Tommasini Racing, 2012 Gulf Western CAAD10, 1980 Univega Gran Premio

Mentioned: 49 Post(s)

Tagged: 0 Thread(s)

Quoted: 600 Post(s)

Likes: 0

It's interesting how the Black Lightening seems to be the one vintage Cannondale road bike that is lusted after by collectors. I've never even seen one in person but I'd love to have one, if only for the look. I'm not sure a full-on crit frame would agree with me, but it would be fun to try out. I look forward to seeing your new baby.

BTW, what was the original saddle on the BL?

xiaoman1

Join Date: Mar 2014

Location: City of Angels

Posts: 4,876

Bikes: A few too many

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)

Tagged: 1 Thread(s)

Quoted: 1367 Post(s)

Kevindale,
Not sure if the geo will work for me either, this is a case of aesthetics for me...I just like the look of the all black and gold "Dale".
I liked it before I found out that there was a sort of following on them.
The saddle is a Cinelli Volare SLX Saddle, too pricey for me unless I can find a clean used one here on the forum

__________________
"EVERY PERSON IS GUILTY OF ALL THE GOOD THEY DID NOT DO"
Voltaire
Voice recognition may sometimes create odd spelling and grammatical errors

3speedslow

Join Date: Oct 2010

Location: Jacksonville, NC

Posts: 9,367

Bikes: A few

Mentioned: 117 Post(s)

Tagged: 0 Thread(s)

Quoted: 1952 Post(s)

Congrats on getting one of your Grails! I have only seen one upclose in the shop while I worked as a mechanic, very fast looking even while on the stand.

Skip the Cinelli and grab yourself a black perforated San Marco Rolls and you will be comfy and gold!

tyler_fred

Join Date: Nov 2010

Location: Magnolia State, 100° with 110% humidity

Posts: 1,230

Bikes: American, Italian, and Japanese.. in no particular order.

Mentioned: 21 Post(s)

Tagged: 0 Thread(s)

Quoted: 350 Post(s)

jetboy

Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: Oakland, CA

Posts: 2,888

Bikes: centurion cinelli equipe, look hinault 753, Zunow z-1, 83 stumpy sport

Mentioned: 66 Post(s)

Tagged: 0 Thread(s)

Quoted: 814 Post(s)

gaucho777

Join Date: Aug 2009

Location: Berkeley, CA

Posts: 7,284

Bikes: '72 Cilo Pacer, '72 Gitane Gran Tourisme, '72 Peugeot PX10, '73 Speedwell Ti, '74 Peugeot UE-8, '75 Peugeot PR-10L, '80 Colnago Super, '85 De Rosa Pro, '86 Look Equipe 753, '86 Look KG86, '89 Parkpre Team, '90 Parkpre Team MTB, '90 Merlin

Mentioned: 87 Post(s)

Tagged: 0 Thread(s)

Quoted: 848 Post(s)

Congrats.

Another +1 on the Rolls: one of my personal favorites, and they come with a nice gold/bronze plate on the rear. Alternatively, you might look for a San Marcos Regal. It's closer to the Cinelli saddle in shape and you're more likely to find a Regal in perforated leather like the Cinelli shown above. The gold rivets would also go with the black/gold theme.

greg3rd48

Join Date: Aug 2014

Location: Bronx, NYC

Posts: 1,885

Bikes: '19 Fuji Gran Fondo 1.5, '72 Peugeot PX10, '71ish Gitane Super Corsa, '78 Fuji Newest, '89 Fuji Ace, '94 Cannondale R600, early '70s LeJeune Pro project

Mentioned: 87 Post(s)

Tagged: 0 Thread(s)

Quoted: 293 Post(s)

Congrats on your grail BL find! I found my '87 last year from the original owner and I then decided to modernize the drivetrain and wheelset. I love that bike and have to ride it a bit more this year. Others seem to always take precedence.

IMG_0356 by irishbx4th, on Flickr

Untitled by irishbx4th, on Flickr

Last edited by greg3rd48; 06-09-17 at 05:58 AM.

qcpmsame

Join Date: Jan 2008

Posts: 12,943

Mentioned: 89 Post(s)

Tagged: 0 Thread(s)

Quoted: 1173 Post(s)

Nice find Ben, those Black Lightning are one bike I want to find and restore. +1 about the saddle, skip the pricey Cinelli and go with the perforated Rolls, or even a perfed Concor, much less costly than that scarce as hen's incisors, Cinelli beauty. Regardless of the saddle choice you have a great project for the summer, enjoy it.

Bill

__________________
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977

I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13

cb400bill

Join Date: Jul 2007

Location: Kalamazoo MI

Posts: 20,790

Bikes: Fuji SL2.1 Carbon Di2 Cannondale Synapse Alloy 4 Trek Checkpoint ALR-5 Viscount Aerospace Pro Raleigh C50 Cromoly Hybrid Legnano Tipo Roma Pista Vitus 979

Mentioned: 59 Post(s)

Tagged: 0 Thread(s)

Quoted: 3131 Post(s)

https://nmi.craigslist.org/bik/6165928445.html - $200

The Golden Boy

Join Date: Aug 2009

Location: Waukesha WI

Posts: 13,667

Bikes: 1978 Trek TX700; 1978/79 Trek 736; 1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport; 1984 Schwinn Voyageur SP; 1985 Trek 620; 1985 Trek 720; 1986 Trek 400 Elance; 1987 Schwinn High Sierra; 1990 Miyata 1000LT

Mentioned: 86 Post(s)

Tagged: 0 Thread(s)

Quoted: 2612 Post(s)

__________________

xiaoman1

Join Date: Mar 2014

Location: City of Angels

Posts: 4,876

Bikes: A few too many

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)

Tagged: 1 Thread(s)

Quoted: 1367 Post(s)

Bill, You may be right...I will keep an eye out for both.
Sunny today may clean it up and post some pics Saturday.
Ben

__________________
"EVERY PERSON IS GUILTY OF ALL THE GOOD THEY DID NOT DO"
Voltaire
Voice recognition may sometimes create odd spelling and grammatical errors

xiaoman1

Join Date: Mar 2014

Location: City of Angels

Posts: 4,876

Bikes: A few too many

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)

Tagged: 1 Thread(s)

Quoted: 1367 Post(s)

GB,
The group on mine is not Superbe, it is Sprint...it is my understanding that early frame only B.L.'s were upsold with the gold Suntour Superbe group.
BTW mine is 1988 vintage.
Ben

__________________
"EVERY PERSON IS GUILTY OF ALL THE GOOD THEY DID NOT DO"
Voltaire
Voice recognition may sometimes create odd spelling and grammatical errors

BB code is On

Smilies are On

[IMG] code is On

Trackbacks are Off

Pingbacks are Off

Refbacks are Off

Forum Rules