1990 Kestrel 4000
Part Diary, Part Technical Manual, Part Tips & Tricks

The Kestrel 4000 was the first production monocoque carbon fiber frame, introduced in 1986 as a 1987 model. Ever since it was produced, I loved the way the bike looked, but the price was WAY too steep for me in high school. Even today, I can't really think of a more graceful looking bicycle. Unfortunately the new Kestrels are now made in China and have an angular look, instead of the old smooth designs. Interesting how the new Cervelo Soloist Carbon looks alarmingly like a 4000 made 20 years ago.

These 4000s are surprisingly hard to find, so after months of looking, I found one on eBay. I won the bid on June 4, 2007. The package arrived a few weeks later, containing the frame, fork, Dura-Ace bottom bracket, and Wolber rims laced to Shimano 600 hubs. I'm guessing this is a 1990 model, based on the newer style grey decals.

6/1/09 - After almost two years, I decided to sell the frame and fork, after I transfered most of the parts onto my Bianchi Krono. It was a very nice bike to own, with the carbon frame and the aluminum fork, it's the most comfortable road bike I've ever ridden. Sold it to a nice guy in San Leandro.

Frame: 1990 Kestrel 4000 Spectra, 52.5cm CTC. Serial Number: 12473. The frame has a large hole at the base of the bottom bracket (pic). I was told that the seat tube was formed by inflating a bladder and laying carbon fiber over it. After the carbon fiber cured, the bladder was pulled out through this hole. In later models, there is no hole, they just left the bladder in the frame.
Fork: Kestrel 1" threaded, aluminum.
Wheels: Wolber T430 Alpine, Chrome Magnesium with hard anodized finish.
Front Hub: Shimano 600, HB-6400.
Rear Hub: Shimano 600, FH-6400, Uniglide.
Tires: Continental Ultra 2000, 700 x 23C.
Cassette: Shimano 7spd Hyperglide 13-25T. This was complicated, the gruppo originally game with a Uniglide 12-24T cassettte, but the middle three sprockets are worn and caused the chain to hop. After reading this article by Sheldon Brown, I realized that I could just simply flipped the sprockets around and now it rides fine. That worked fine, but I wanted to get slightly lower gearing, so I installed a new 7spd Hyperglide cassette body, which opens up a lot more possibilities, as HG cassettes are very common, but UG cassettes are getting pretty hard to find.
Cranks: FSA Vero Compact, 50x34, 170mm, 110 BCD. Cold-forged AL6061/T6 alloy with polished black anodized finish.
Bottom Bracket: Shimano Dura-Ace BB-7400, 112mm spindle, NJS approved.
Front Derailer: Interloc Racing Design (IRD) CD, braze-on, bottom pull. This front derailer accommodates the larger jump on compact chainrings that standard derailers cannot handle.
Rear Derailer: Shimano 600 RD-6400.
Shifters: Shimano 600.
Headset: Shimano 600.
Chain: SRAM PC 48 8spd.
Stem: Nitto 1" quill, 100mm, cold-forged aluminum.
Handlebar: Nitto B115, 420mm width, 140mm drop, 100mm reach, aluminum alloy.
Extensions: Cinelli Spinaci Light.
Brakes: Shimano 600 BR-6400.
Levers: Shimano 600 BL-6401.
Pedal: Shimano PD-M520 SPD.
Seatpost: Shimano 600 SP-6400, 27.2mm, NOS that I got from Vicenza, Italy!
Saddle: Selle San Marcos Regal Girardi, leather with copper plated steel rails.

Gearing with compact crankset

Gearing with standard crankset

The bike currently weighs 22lbs 5oz as shown. The frame weighs 4lbs 3oz. The fork weighs 1lb 4oz.

The following are OE parts that I am currently not using:

Saddle: Selle San Marcos Regal Girardi, leather with copper coated steel rails.
Front Derailer: Shimano 600 FD-6400, braze-on.
Cranks: Shimano 600 FC-6400, 53x39, 172.5mm, 130 BCD.