Bike Project: 1994 Giant Cadex CFM2 "The Purple People Eater Meets The Blue Meanies"

1994 Giant Cadex CFM2 = "The Purple People Eater Meets The Blue Meanies"

1994 Giant Cadex CFM2 updated

As purchased - utterly trashed

THE STORY: I bought this bike from a landscaper who quite literally pulled it out of a pile of landfill.  Visually, the bike looked utterly trashed, with warped wheels, bent handlebars, rotting rubber, a frozen suspension fork, and generally rusted parts.  I particularly liked the carriage bolt and nut securing the seatpost along with a soup can shim.  But the kicker was the bodge to work around a stripped pedal threading on a crankarm (see pic below).  Nevertheless, I eyeballed the frame and it seemed relatively straight, so I gambled and took it home.  I couldn't resist - I remember these Giant CFMs and CFRs back in the heady early days of production carbon fiber bikes and always wanted one.  These frames were made well before one-piece moulded frames, and like others in the era, were carbon fiber tubes bonded into aluminum lugs.

Definitely a WTF?! moment

A long way from home

 

Interestingly enough, the dealer sticker indicates the bike was bought at a Bicycle Superstore located in Dandenong, Australia.  I emailed the company with the serial number, but that particular location closed years ago, and records were no longer available.  I wonder how the bike ended up in Kelowna, BC, Canada?  If only bikes could tell stories....

Straightened up

A mite rusty

THE BUILD: Of course, there are always a few build obstacles.  The rear derailleur hanger was torqued off alignment.  There was little chance I could find a NOS replacement or even to cannibalise one, so I considered getting a new one cut from aluminum plate.  In the end, I managed to carefully straighten it without resorting to undue force.  When I removed the bottom bracket, I found a nice slush of water, dirt, and rust inside.  I cleaned out the insides of the tubes and inspected the BB joints; there was no signs of either notch failures or bonding issues.  The clearcoat was peeling, scratched up, or entirely rubbed off in some spots.  I carefully sanded off the old clearcoat and re-applied it.  I wanted to keep the purple fade graphics and left any flaws to give it some character.  The uniquely-shaped aluminum lugs were a Giant signature; I sanded out the scratches and chips, and matched the original silver paint.

Ready for assembly

The entire bottom bracket lug was impressively beefy, creating a solid wishbone structure for the chainstays.  The seatstays and the chainstays were made of a carbon fiber and kevlar composite; the material gave them a yellowish mesh look.  Small nubs in the chainstays indicate they were pinned as well as bonded into the bottom bracket, possibly for extra integrity.  I cut out some carbon-pattern vinyl to use as a chainstay protector.  Here is the finished result:

    

Frame: 1994 Giant Cadex CFM2 Carbon fiber/kevlar 18"

Fork: Tange Struts rigid fork

Headset: Dia-Compe Aheadset

Seatpost: Kona

Stem: Tioga

Bars: Kore

Shifters: Shimano Deore LX

Front derailleur: Shimano Deore LX

Rear derailleur: Shimano Deore LX

Brake Levers: Shimano Deore LX

Brakes: Tektro 865A cantilevers (purple anodised)

Crankset: Shimano Alivio with XT chainrings

Bottom Bracket: Shimano UN-52 sealed cartridge

Rear wheel: Sun Rims Rhyno Lite rim, Shimano Deore LX freehub

Cassette: Shimano 11-32

Front wheel: (Unknown) blue rim, Shimano Deore LX hub

Tires: -

Chain: Shimano HG

Saddle: WTB

Pedals: Time ATAC

RIDE REPORT: The first impression is that the bike is surprisingly stiff - it certainly is no noodle.  The CFM rode almost like oversized aluminum except there was a bit of a muted springiness to it that kept it from being harsh.  I tested it on the road and on the gravel, and I almost couldn't believe the ride quality of this thing.  By modern standards, the frame is far from the lightest.  Still, very impressive for a frame over 25 years old and manufactured by obsolete assembly methods.  I'm glad to see it lived up to the hype from the 90's.

This one sold quickly and went into an industry collection.

N1+1-1.

(2020-09-30)