Originally Posted by
fasthair
Now there is another 80's R model with the Cannondale decal on the downtube instead of on the top tube. My 87 Black Lighting is the very same way and I've never found out why or saw another like that until you posted this. They didn't start putting them on the downtube until 1992 if I'm not mistaken. I do notice though that your Cannondale decal has a much smaller font compared to mine. I'm guessing yours is because of the Crest decal on the toptube.
Very cool bike though, can't say I've ever saw one before.
fasthair
Pretty sure that this was a "not in the catalog special make up", if you google Cannondale Crest, there's info that they had a Crest sponsored team from 1988-1992(?) so this could be a 1992 model with the down tube decal. There's no stamping on the chain stay or bottom bracket indicating frame size or year of manufacture.
The decals are super thick (like stickers) not like the flush decals that come on regular C'dales. It's almost the consistency of "puffy paint", kinda plasticky per se
I rode it reluctantly and it's too tall on the stand over (I had lean it way over at the stop lights) and as you can see the seat is as far down and it barely allows me to reach the pedals.
Scroll down to page 9 in the 1989 catalog and it shows a picture of the team version.
http://vintagecannondale.com/year/1989/1989.pdf