At Paris-Roubaix, more than any other race in cycling, technical innovation has long been given free rein in the pursuit of an advantage.
From 1997 to 2004 American cycling brand Cannondale sponsored the Saeco team of Italy, providing its riders with a series of bright red and now-iconic aluminium framesets.
For Paris-Roubaix which is popularly known as the “Hell of the North” the company gave the team’s riders a specially engineered Headshok-equipped bikes named the Silk Road.
The design was launched in 1994 and originated from the brand’s mountain bike line-up. The road-modified version gave riders 10mm of travel, greater torsional stiffness than with other road dual-leg suspension forks from brands such as RockShox, and in later years even an electronic lock-out.
With 10mm of travel and a 25mm tire, Cannondale’s engineers claimed that the ride quality of the Silk Road equated to the feel of a 33mm tire when the damper was activated.
So with the lockout on riders had the feel and efficiency of a 23mm tire, or with the damper opened they had improved ride quality and traction.
In the 2003 edition of Paris-Roubaix the Silk Road made it onto the podium ridden to 2nd place by Dario Pieri of Italy, behind Belgian cycling legend Peter van Petegem who lives just down the road from the Flandrien Hotel in Brakel.
Pieri was supported by German Team mate Jörg Ludewig who’s mint condition Silk Road we have in our collection.
Size: 56cm
Groupset: Campagnolo Record 10s
Wheelset: Aluminium Tubular
