After losing his mother in a struggle with cancer, Romanian XC racer Vlad Sabau decided to get involved with the fight against this prolific disease. First he began adding pink accents to his race outfits to increase awareness, but soon decided he could raise some cold, hard cash for those who need a bit of financial help.
Each year Sabau auctions off his top-shelf Cannondale race bike from the previous season, and all the money is given to a cancer patient of his choice to help cover costs of treatment and other needs. This year’s pink chrome 2016 Cannondale F-Si will be the fourth bike Sabau has sold so far. Keep reading for specs on the bike and how to participate in the auction…
Sabau spent the last season racing aboard this F-Si hardtail, which dons a more subtle silvery pink color than the bright paint seen on last year’s bike. The overall look is similar to the standard F-Si graphics but this one has been customized for Sabau with its unique pink hue and cancer awareness ribbon logos on the top tube and seat mast.
Up front the bumps are handled by a Cannondale Lefty 2.0 carbon XLR fork, and a Cannondale SI headset and stem holds up a KCNC 710mm handlebar. Sram manages shifting and stopping duties with their X-01 shifter and rear derailleur, mated to a pair of XO brakes.
The tubular Vittoria Peyote tires roll on 29” RX 350 rims with Cannodale hubs. A Cannondale Hollowgram Si crankset with an AbsoluteBlack oval chainring keeps those wheels turning. Cannondale supplies the Save 2 seatpost and seat clamp, and Sabau’s sponsor Tune provides the saddle and bottle cage. The bike also comes with Ti-spindled Xpedo pedals and of course, bright pink ESI Fit XC grips.
To put the icing on the cake, Sabau has once again enlisted a few Cannondale Factory legends to add their signatures to the frame. Autographs from Manuel Fumic, Marco Aurelio Fontana and Henrique Avancini should make this bike highly desirable to collectors.
Since this is a pro’s customized personal ride buyers don’t have a choice of frame size. If you happen to ride Medium frames, you’re in luck because that’s Sabau’s size too.
To set the starting price for the bike, prospective bidders can visit Sabau’s website and lay down an offer between Feb. 13th and 19th. The highest offer received will act as the reserve bid for the auction, which will be open between Feb. 20th and Feb. 26th. All bids will be shown on the website as the auction occurs.
Sabau will accept bids from anywhere in the world but if you live outside of the EU, email him before bidding to ensure shipping the bike to your country is possible. All shipping and customs fees are to be paid by the buyer.
If the bike is a bit too pricey for you, you can still help Sabau’s cause by purchasing some brand new customized pink components or softgoods including Mucky Nutz fenders, Grip Grab gloves, ESI grips, Xpedo pedals, or Tune hubs. Limited quantities are available, so contact Sabau if you wish to purchase any of these items.
If you’re interested in laying down a bid, visit Sabau’s website here.
