Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

Older aluminum Cannondale road bikes?

Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

Older aluminum Cannondale road bikes?

Old 03-12-12, 03:31 PM
  #1  
EpicSchwinn
Just smang it.
Thread Starter
 
EpicSchwinn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Bellingham
Posts: 2,295

Bikes: Felt F1X, Trek 2300 Composite, Dawes Deadeye

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Older aluminum Cannondale road bikes?

Hey there C&V!

I've had this question in the back of my mind for a while and I thought you guys would be the ones to ask. I've always had a soft spot for the early-mid 90s aluminum Cannondale road bikes. Something about the oversized stays, rear dropouts, and those lugged steel forks just works for me. Does their quality and value match up to my appreciation for them aesthetically? I've heard all the buzz about aluminum having a harsh ride and being prone to failure. Would getting one this late in its life be asking for trouble?

From what I've looked at in the old catalogs I'd be interested in something like an R2000, R900, R800, R700, or R600.

I know these were a big range of values. R2000 got Dura Ace, R900 got Ultegra, and the rest got 105. What's a fair price to pay for any of those in decent condition? I'm decent mechanically so it wouldn't have to be perfect or anything.

Thanks!!

EpicSchwinn is offline  
Old 03-12-12, 03:36 PM
  #2  
pastorbobnlnh 
Freewheel Medic
 
pastorbobnlnh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: An Island on the Coast of GA!
Posts: 12,878

Bikes: Snazzy* Schwinns, Classy Cannondales & a Super Pro Aero Lotus (* Ed.)

Mentioned: 140 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1448 Post(s)
Liked 2,177 Times in 957 Posts
I paid $175 for this '93 R600 with Shimano 105 about 18 months ago. I think the value depends on your market.



I added the Brooks saddle, a larger rear cassette, long cage RD, and new tires.
__________________
Bob
Enjoying the GA coast all year long!

Thanks for visiting my website: www.freewheelspa.com





pastorbobnlnh is offline  
Old 03-12-12, 03:40 PM
  #3  
Bianchigirll 
Bianchi Goddess
 
Bianchigirll's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Shady Pines Retirement Fort Wayne, In
Posts: 29,724

Bikes: Too many to list here check my signature.

Mentioned: 191 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2912 Post(s)
Liked 2,836 Times in 1,460 Posts
The quality was pretty top notch and I know lots of people who love them, personally I never really cared for them.

Hey PastorBob is that gripshift OEM?
__________________
One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"

Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
Bianchigirll is offline  
Old 03-12-12, 03:47 PM
  #4  
EpicSchwinn
Just smang it.
Thread Starter
 
EpicSchwinn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Bellingham
Posts: 2,295

Bikes: Felt F1X, Trek 2300 Composite, Dawes Deadeye

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Lookin good! I'm looking to get back into geared bikes and these seem to be in that sweet spot where it's modern enough that you can find and upgrade parts but old enough that cheap used parts are plentiful.
EpicSchwinn is offline  
Old 03-12-12, 05:10 PM
  #5  
Giacomo 1 
Senior Member
 
Giacomo 1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Queens NYC
Posts: 3,175

Bikes: Colnago Super, Basso Gap, Pogliaghi, Fabio Barecci, Torelli Pista, Miyata 1400A

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 316 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 13 Times in 13 Posts
I ride a 90 Miyata 1400A, which is a bonded frame with a full Shimano105 group and to be honest, the ride is pretty darn good. If there is a difference between the way my Miyata rides compared to steel bikes I've ridden, the difference is pretty miniscule. Maybe slightly stiffer, but certainly nothing disconcerting or off-putting about it.

I have heard though that Kleins run very stiff...
__________________
It never gets easier, you just go faster. ~ Greg LeMond
Giacomo 1 is offline  
Old 03-12-12, 05:35 PM
  #6  
Standard Issue
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Albany, NY
Posts: 243

Bikes: 89 Bianchi Campione d'Italia upgraded with 10 speed Ultegra/105, '92 Trek 1100 8 speed, bar end shifters

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I had an old r300 with the 3.0 frame and found it to be a real bone shaker, even with the steel fork. I came across an sr900 a few months later and didnt even bother riding it before selling it off.
I think they look great and closer to a modern bike than any other 20 year old bike but the stiffness was just too much for me. I've sold three to eager buyers for 250-300
Standard Issue is offline  
Old 03-12-12, 06:35 PM
  #7  
rccardr 
aka: Dr. Cannondale
 
rccardr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 7,852
Mentioned: 234 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2151 Post(s)
Liked 3,380 Times in 1,198 Posts
Buy one and ride it, then decide. I don't find the ride harsh myself, but then I may be biased.


__________________
Hard at work in the Secret Underground Laboratory...
rccardr is offline  
Old 03-12-12, 06:43 PM
  #8  
jyl
Senior Member
 
jyl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 7,644

Bikes: 61 Bianchi Specialissima 71 Peugeot G50 7? P'geot PX10 74 Raleigh GranSport 75 P'geot UO8 78? Raleigh Team Pro 82 P'geot PSV 86 P'geot PX 91 Bridgestone MB0 92 B'stone XO1 97 Rans VRex 92 Cannondale R1000 94 B'stone MB5 97 Vitus 997

Mentioned: 146 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 392 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 48 Times in 30 Posts
I bought a '92 R1000 with all Mavic drivetrain/brakes/headset/BB, which they did for one year and one model only, for $225 - but with shipping, $380. No bargain but it is the lightest bike I own.


Last edited by jyl; 03-12-12 at 10:03 PM.
jyl is offline  
Old 03-12-12, 06:57 PM
  #9  
escii_35
deleteme
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: PNW lifer
Posts: 587

Bikes: deleteme

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 50 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
My 1995 T series with a uncrowned fork was -HARSH- unloaded. The 2008 has a much nicer ride.

You may need to dip into the 80's to get the lugged fork.
escii_35 is offline  
Old 03-12-12, 07:51 PM
  #10  
mickey85
perpetually frazzled
 
mickey85's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Linton, IN
Posts: 2,470

Bikes: 1977 Bridgestone Kabuki Super Speed; 1979 Raleigh Professional; 1983 Raleigh Rapide mixte; 1974 Peugeot UO-8; 1993 Univega Activa Trail; 1972 Raleigh Sports; 1967 Phillips; 1981 Schwinn World Tourist; 1976 Schwinn LeTour mixte; 1964 Western Flyer

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 6 Posts
I've got an '87 black lightning that I got from a friend for free. Needs the rear wheel trued and the front brake cable is sticking, but it rides like butter...for a while. It's like another appendage - you know what it's doing and where it's going at all times. It feels what you're doing and reacts appropriately. It handles like it's on rails, accelerates like none other, and would probably hang with modern bikes if I chose to ride in a group with it (and did with a bunch of C&V'ers a couple years ago), but after about 80 miles or so, when you need to have some stability and some upright-ness, it just isn't the bike to use...or perhaps I haven't ridden it enough to get used to doing distances on it.
mickey85 is offline  
Likes For mickey85:
Old 03-12-12, 08:03 PM
  #11  
auchencrow
Senior Member
 
auchencrow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Detroit
Posts: 10,327
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 39 Times in 31 Posts
Here's my chance to repost my '87 SR 400



It's really a fun ride, and I do not find it harsh at all. (It does have a steel fork however and I guess that is half of the equation)
__________________
- Auchen
auchencrow is offline  
Likes For auchencrow:
Old 03-12-12, 08:21 PM
  #12  
gioscinelli 
Senior Member
 
gioscinelli's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,245

Bikes: 2012 Moots VaMoots-74 Peugeot Mixtie U018-73 Peugeot U018

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 9 Times in 7 Posts
Here's my Cannondale Sport/Tour ST400 a 1984.

__________________
Moots VaMoots 2012-Peugeot Mixte 1974-Peugeot Mixte 1973
gioscinelli is offline  
Old 03-13-12, 01:56 AM
  #13  
EpicSchwinn
Just smang it.
Thread Starter
 
EpicSchwinn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Bellingham
Posts: 2,295

Bikes: Felt F1X, Trek 2300 Composite, Dawes Deadeye

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Thanks for all the info so far, everybody! Looks like these are solid quality and may not have depreciated as much as other road bikes of this age. I don't think the harsh ride would bother me too much. I don't do a whole lot of distance riding and I'm used to a bike with track geometry so an aggressive riding posture doesn't really bother me. Looks like I'll have to add these to my list of things to stalk on craigslist!

Btw, everybody who posted their c'dales - they all look great! Esp. this one, rccardr:
Originally Posted by rccardr
EpicSchwinn is offline  
Old 03-13-12, 04:47 AM
  #14  
Grim
Senior Member
 
Grim's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 2,992

Bikes: Cannondale T700s and a few others

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
I had a 89 R600 with the Aluminum fork. Very harsh ride and I was use to my DD Touring Cannondale. I now have a 98 R300 with a Carbon fork, one of the best riders I have. The Carbon fork made all the difference in the world.
Grim is offline  
Old 03-13-12, 06:01 AM
  #15  
bradtx
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Pearland, Texas
Posts: 7,579

Bikes: Cannondale, Trek, Raleigh, Santana

Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 308 Post(s)
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
ES, Durability of an aluminum frame is just fine, much better than some suggest. As long as there is no frame damage you're good to go, as with any older frame regardless of material.

If you're tall you may want to look at the early ST. They make for an attractive large framed bike and with their caliper brakes look more roadie than tourer (like rccardr's white bike in post #8). If you want a stable, yet quick handling bike then look at one with crit geometry.

Large diameter tubed aluminum frames such as the Cannondale and Klein are stiff, but not harsh. They were made to race or tour, where stiffness is a virtue.

My '89 CR300 (crit frameset model). Crashed, bashed and scarred:


Brad
Attached Images
File Type: jpg
2011 bike updates 005.jpg (96.2 KB, 1743 views)
bradtx is offline  
Old 03-13-12, 07:55 AM
  #16  
sportridertex
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Vancouver,Washington
Posts: 228

Bikes: 1988 Cannondale SR500,TREK Mendota 2011

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I have a 1988 SR500, it looks like new, I bought it off of eBay maybe 2 years ago, been a fun bike to ride, Now if I was looking again I would go with a ST model, a little more relaxed frame, but Cannondale made some really nice bikes, looks and feels like a step above the other offerings.

I like what Rccadr does on his rebuilds, he puts together some beautiful machines.
sportridertex is offline  
Old 03-13-12, 11:13 AM
  #17  
rccardr 
aka: Dr. Cannondale
 
rccardr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 7,852
Mentioned: 234 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2151 Post(s)
Liked 3,380 Times in 1,198 Posts
Thanks for the kind words. Got three more in the pipeline:
* A 56cm 88 SR in the same red as the one above, with Shimano 600 Tricolor 8 speed and Shimano 500 wheels, white saddle, cable housing and bar tape.
* A 56cm 89 SR in black with Shimano 105 9 speed with D-A downtube shifters and Shimano 500 wheels (got a great deal on two new pairs of these over the winter), black saddle, cable housing and bar tape. I think I have enough 5600 series 105 stuff in black and a new pair of Tektro black R200L levers (pre-ergo style) to make it kind of an updated Black Lightning. Even have one more BL chainstay decal.
* A 23" 88 ST in black for my personal 2012 stable. DA seatpost, 3TTT stem, Cinelli bars, Ultegra hubs laced to Open Pro rims, polished 5600 RD/FD and new 5700 brifters, so a 10 speed (12/27) triple. Truvativ crankset and since it's a 110 BCD I may replace the 52/42 rings with 50/34 and have a 50/34/30 'compact triple'. Tektro 539 caliper brakes, black cable housing and bar wrap and a new Regal black saddle. Then I'm going to go look for some hills and a long weekend.

Anybody looking for a 23" ST frame, 60cm SR frame or 58cm SR frame? I have one of each. At least.
__________________
Hard at work in the Secret Underground Laboratory...
rccardr is offline  
Old 03-13-12, 02:44 PM
  #18  
OldsCOOL
Senior Member
 
OldsCOOL's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: northern michigan
Posts: 13,317

Bikes: '77 Colnago Super, '76 Fuji The Finest, '88 Cannondale Criterium, '86 Trek 760, '87 Miyata 712

Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 659 Post(s)
Liked 595 Times in 313 Posts
Originally Posted by mickey85
I've got an '87 black lightning that I got from a friend for free. Needs the rear wheel trued and the front brake cable is sticking, but it rides like butter...for a while. It's like another appendage - you know what it's doing and where it's going at all times. It feels what you're doing and reacts appropriately. It handles like it's on rails, accelerates like none other, and would probably hang with modern bikes if I chose to ride in a group with it (and did with a bunch of C&V'ers a couple years ago), but after about 80 miles or so, when you need to have some stability and some upright-ness, it just isn't the bike to use...or perhaps I haven't ridden it enough to get used to doing distances on it.
That's my dream bike. I want one and bad. Probably later this summer. '87 is the year. Nice bike!
OldsCOOL is offline  
Likes For OldsCOOL:
Old 03-13-12, 11:46 PM
  #19  
mickey85
perpetually frazzled
 
mickey85's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Linton, IN
Posts: 2,470

Bikes: 1977 Bridgestone Kabuki Super Speed; 1979 Raleigh Professional; 1983 Raleigh Rapide mixte; 1974 Peugeot UO-8; 1993 Univega Activa Trail; 1972 Raleigh Sports; 1967 Phillips; 1981 Schwinn World Tourist; 1976 Schwinn LeTour mixte; 1964 Western Flyer

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 6 Posts
OldsCOOL, having done some research on them, I like these frames a lot better than the later ones with the rear dropouts sticking out behind the triangle. These are the more "normal" looking frames. And it has all the original black and gold Suntour Spirit stuff, along with the Wolber rims. Good stuff. Actually, I really want to get it on the road this year...Right now I've got it with yellow cables and yellow-treaded Continental Ultra-Sports...think I'm going to go all black this summer with Kenda Kaliente tires I have on my Nishiki Modulus...

Truly though, best deal I ever got - a free Black Lightning
mickey85 is offline  
Old 03-14-12, 12:53 AM
  #20  
reducedfatoreo
Full Member
 
reducedfatoreo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 330

Bikes: Old Cannondales: '85 ST400, '85 ST500, '85 SR900, '01 R600 CAAD4

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
Originally Posted by bradtx
ES, Durability of an aluminum frame is just fine, much better than some suggest. As long as there is no frame damage you're good to go, as with any older frame regardless of material.

If you're tall you may want to look at the early ST. They make for an attractive large framed bike and with their caliper brakes look more roadie than tourer (like rccardr's white bike in post #8). If you want a stable, yet quick handling bike then look at one with crit geometry.

Large diameter tubed aluminum frames such as the Cannondale and Klein are stiff, but not harsh. They were made to race or tour, where stiffness is a virtue.

My '89 CR300 (crit frameset model). Crashed, bashed and scarred:


Brad
You call that scarred? Geez, wait 'til I finish my ST build and post it...half the black paint's chipped off, but I'm keeping it that way as a theft deterrent (I'll treat it nicely, but make it look like it's crap).

EpicSchwinn, I'd say yes, quality and value does live up to your aesthetic appreciation for them. The two '85 frames I have (one SR and one ST) are rock solid...the 80s models had nice over-sized seat stays that seem bomb-proof. They may have fiddled with that design through the 90s, but I'm no frame expert.

Proper tire inflation and size will help mitigate any harshness, but you probably already know that. I have a rattler of a time going down 9th avenue pothole hell if I'm up to 120 psi and 23C, but at 110 or 100 with thicker tires it's no problem. Slap a threaded carbon fork on there for even more mitigation.

Because they're so stiff, these frames really jump like horses out of the gate when you drop the hammer. Pretty cool feeling.
reducedfatoreo is offline  
Old 03-14-12, 06:22 AM
  #21  
bradtx
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Pearland, Texas
Posts: 7,579

Bikes: Cannondale, Trek, Raleigh, Santana

Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 308 Post(s)
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
reducedfatoreo, Looking forward to your ST's photos. The crit bike just passes the six yard visual.

As far as frames go, the SR and 3.0 are mostly the same. The 3.0 series changed to a butted seat tube and cantilevered seat stays. The 2.8 series road frame introduced tapered and butted top and down tubes and became the foundation for all of Cannondale's later aluminum road frames.

The ST and the 3.0 touring series frames differ only in the seat tube. The later touring frames were more 2.8/CAAD like.

Brad
bradtx is offline  
Old 04-27-12, 01:58 PM
  #22  
Burkeman
Newbie
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I have a mid-80's Cannondale road bike that I've been looking to get rid of since I don't ride it. I found this link in looking up what the value is. They are great bikes albeit a bit of a harsh ride. Mine is white with old Dura-Ace components and downtube shifters. Since it sounds like there is a market for these I'll have to get it listed.
Burkeman is offline  
Old 04-27-12, 02:09 PM
  #23  
bobotech
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Spokane, WA
Posts: 2,255

Bikes: Specialized Sequoia Elite/Motobecane Fantom Cross Team Ti/'85 Trek 520

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
EpicSchwinn, I have a friend who is a semi-flipper and he got one of those early Cannondale bikes. I can ask him if he is wanting to sell it. I forgot the group it has though, but it was a lighter blue.

I will let you know.
bobotech is offline  
Old 04-27-12, 02:55 PM
  #24  
Chombi
Senior Member
 
Chombi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 11,138

Bikes: 1986 Alan Record Carbonio, 1985 Vitus Plus Carbone 7, 1984 Peugeot PSV, 1972 Line Seeker, 1986(est.) Medici Aerodynamic (Project), 1985(est.) Peugeot PY10FC

Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 150 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 34 Times in 27 Posts
I would say the aesthetics of the Cannondales with their welded construction and oversized tubes are an "aquired taste" People that grew up more with lugged steel bikes are not as big fans of them as much as the next generation of cyclists that were just raring to go forward to a different style/design of bicycle, without the lugs, pantographing, drillium, chrome," traditional/old world" paintjob and graphics and all that other stuff that was prevalent in the 70's and early 80's.
I was one of those who had a bit of a hard time appreciating the Cannondales. Even now, I still prefer a lugged frame with not so oversized tubes, whether they be steel, aluminum or CF.

Chombi
Chombi is offline  
Old 04-27-12, 04:00 PM
  #25  
LVRider
Senior Member
 
LVRider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Slatington, PA
Posts: 220

Bikes: Fondriest Status w/Campy, Schwinn Moab 2 Aluminum Mountain

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by auchencrow
Here's my chance to repost my '87 SR 400



It's really a fun ride, and I do not find it harsh at all. (It does have a steel fork however and I guess that is half of the equation)
I had this exact bike. Rode the hell out of it for two decades. I did find the ride a bit harsh, it would actually resonate at certain frequencies/speeds. I sold it to a friend who still rides it a few times aweek. I remember the welds were very clean and sanded beautifully. I now ride a late 90s Fondriest steel frame, Deddacchi tubing. It's almost as stiff and a lot more comfortable. Would I like to have that '87 Cannondale back? Definitely!
LVRider is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.