DC City Hauler

Hi.

I'm on the market for a used road bike. In the 80s I raced on a Cannondale, so I'm familiar with the qualities that that brand used to have when it was a US manufacturer. And I wish I hadn't gotten my frame bent in a minor car crash, which is the reason I don't have that bike anymore. But I also remember being obsessed with a friend's Vitus, which is, well, sexy.

Anyway, I can get a nice Cannondale for $200, or pay $700 for a Vitus. Can anyone give me any objective reasons besides price why I should opt for the Cannondale? I can also get a VItus for $500, but that's just a frame.

RiddleOfSteel

I don't know the vintage of Vitus, only the Cannondale, but I can venture to say that the Cannondale is likely newer, benefiting from years of R&D into overall frame strength and metallurgy. A Vitus is sexy, but Cannondales aren't so bad either. You have a heart/subjective issue here, but are asking for an objective answer. $500 is a massive difference, so you gotta really like a Vitus and any of the compatibility issues it may present over the more modern frame should you want to upgrade. We also don't know the component set of either bike, nor the condition of either bike. Those are big deals in trying to reach an objective conclusion. Ya gotta give us some context.

DC City Hauler

Context: I'm not racing but have decided to get back into riding for health/pleasure. I raced in the 80s, and then in the 90s stopped riding because it was dangerous where I lived (the traffic, I mean), and I somehow tweaked my Cannondale frame such that the rear wheel never sat properly...leading to breaking axels, IIRC.

The bad part about having been into cycling is that I largely priced myself out of the market, not being able to afford a "good" bike that would replace the Cannondale. And for most of those years cycling wasn't really an option. It is now, and a bit ago I picked up a crappy bike just to get around. It's rekindled my love for biking. I go out with my kids, whom I've bought some fairly decent road bikes.

I'm a big Cannondale fan and mourned its demise. That gen Cannondale are super stiff. I really enjoyed mine, which was about 15 years older than the one I'm eyeing but looks very similar. Sprinting was amazing, and I really got a sense that every ounce of effort I put into the bike translated directly into forward momentum. It wasn't forgiving, though, of rough anything. I didn't care.

The Vitus is a heart thing, not a head, but I am trying to be mindful of head issues. Like the longevity of those glued joints. Or problems maintaining it. The Cannondale should be a breeze. One thing that bothers me about the Vitus is that I can't inspect it in person. I'd really like to look closely at it.

I will say this: cruising Craig's List has my convinced that unless one is riding competitively and needs the latest tech to squeeze out comparative advantage, there's zero reason to buy a new bike.

jetboy 

the Vitus 979 is a sexy beast for sure. If money was not a problem then I would get it for sure just because i like unique and beautiful things. That said, get a nice T700 cannondale and use the saved money to kit it out.. dead cool: and versatile!

bargainguy

I'd be much more interested in a $200 C-dale than a $700 Vitus 979. Nothing against the 979, but the C-dales are so versatile, and hold their value well.

Different ride qualities. The C-dale is stiff, whereas 979 frames can be very soft - "wet noodles" in larger sizes.

If you can't inspect or test ride the 979, pass. Not worth buying into problems.

DC City Hauler

The not being able to inspect is the best reason yet. Plus the photos on ebay are terrible.

I just wasted some time looking at a vintage Cannondale website that has old catelogues. Looking at the ones from the 80s..of course I went straight to the one I got for my high school graduation. I still remember the first time I road it...my previous bike was a Schwinn Varsity, you getting on that Cannondale was like switching from a Buick wagon to a Porsche. Vroom.

I've read mixed things about the Vitus flex. Not sure if it would matter without testing. I'm 5' 7" and 175...so maybe.

sdn40

With careful planning, you could do whatever you wanted to the Cannondale and still come in under the cost of the Vitus ....... if that's your thing. That's what I did to this Criterium. I would have done a few things differently but no regrets considering it was my first build.

DC City Hauler

I'm not so interested in pimping my ride, although I can imagine trying to upgrade the components. Sure.

rccardr 

Not a big surprise that I would join with others above who have suggested buying the Cannondale (model? year? correct size for you?) and putting the additional funds into improving the component mix. A mid-late 80's SR or ST with later 9-10-11 speed bits will not hold you back, in any way.

stykthyn

Get the cannondale. Carbon bars, 25mm tires, and a SAVE seatpost go a LONG way towards correcting thier bad manners. Pick up a lightly used tiagra or 105 set and enjoy the benefits of 10spd shifting at your fingertips.

Chr0m0ly 

I don’t think you’ll get objective reasons without knowing the model and approximate year.

...but if it’s a touring Cannondale get it while it’s available.

Chombi1 

If you are a rider with an iron butt,............ then the Cannondale's ride might be tolerable......

scarlson 

I am a Vitus 979 devotee, so I want to tell you to get the Vitus. They are amazing frames. I've never felt faster than on mine (but mine also weighs 18.5lbs or so as a full build). But $700 is too much money for a Vitus 979. In my experience you should never pay more than $250 for the frame if you can wait a little while for a good deal.

When shopping around, you can tell frame size by looking at the left side of the headtube. The size (center-top) is stamped there (see below picture).



Part of the fun of the Vitus, for me, is that you can build it up however you want and still be "period-correct", because a lot of these were sold as bare frames, allowing their owners to go wild with whatever weight-weenie components their hearts desired.

Re: above comments about durability, I've never seen a Vitus 979 bonded joint fail. I challenge you to find photographic documentation of such a failure occurring under non-abusive circumstances (e.g. fixie with vertical dropouts). Not saying it's never happened, just that it's disproportionately rare considering the amount of talk about it. Not including carbone models (tubes known to come un-bonded because of the carbon flexing at the tapered joint), or the Alan, which is put together the opposite way and suffered from cracking at the lugs.

70sSanO

I can’t speak for Vitus, but if you go Cannondale, stay in the 80’s or get a 1997 or later. There is not enough money in the world that would get me to buy one with the cantilever dropouts. A ‘97 or later will let you go to 130mm OLD rear world that opens up your drivetrain. 80’s Cannondales are limited to 126mm; although there are work-arounds including just shoving a 130mm into the dropouts. You may find a 128mm dropout at the end of the decade.

I’m not sure if the geometry of the late 90’s Cannondales. The Criterium geometry of the late 80’s was a great bike; stable and great cornering. Steel forks improve the ride.

John

Funktopus

I have a Vitus 787 and love it. Mine cost £70, but was in no way ride-able at the time. But I agree with the above points around price, 700 sounds like a lot.

RiddleOfSteel

Thank you for the additional context, and story! Love it, and it helps a lot. There have been some great contributions to this thread. I've had a number of Cannondales and will always like them a lot, even if I never seem to keep them. As a 6'5" 200 lb guy, I'd actually still like to try a Vitus as the noodly feel is something I don't mind. Well, certainly in steel as I can wind it up and it springs back at the right time. I had a '16 Trek Emonda ALR (aluminum) frame that flexed and lunged just right upon hard acceleration, so if a frame can do a little give and take with me, I'll dance.

I have a few Cannondales on my mental radar: a 1984-1988 SR of some persuasion (aka in a fun color), a late-'80s ST800/1000 with cantis yet with a crowned steel fork (not uniglide), and/or a 2.8-era frameset. I've had a number of 3.0s and they are just fine, but want to try more. Had an '85 SR400, ST400, and '90 ST400 with cantis, '91 SR800 (should kept that???), '91 SC1000, '89 SR800. Geez, I'm crazy here. Almost snagged a Vitus in my size, but it had frame damage. :/

top506

With a '93 R600 and a '97 SR500 in the barn, along with a 979, I'm not qualified to give an either/or answer.

Top

easyupbug 

Years ago I swapped frames with a fellow member to get my 979 and while I have enjoyed the Cannondales that have passed through the shop none have stuck. The Vitus has been in my rotation for a few years with the likes of Colnago, Tommasini, customs, etc. I don't try to figure out why it or any of them are there but just go with the rides I best enjoy. I will say the flexing a bottom bracket is not a concern for me anymore. Don't think you can go wrong with either bike.

jetboy 

though I was early in the thread thinking Cannondale- I will also chime in that a flexible or "noodle" of a bike is not necessarily a bad thing depending upon many factors, not the least which is your personal preference and riding style no matter your weight. I have somehow come to prefer a flexible frame, - as long as its not so bad its shifting gears on me!- and there is a certain cadence one can get into with a frame that bends than whips back - its sort of thrilling- even if in the long run it may be less efficient. since I am not racing and just like the thrills.. what do I care?
it is the primary reason my favorite bike is still my kg98, which is carbon/alu with lots of glue...that I just have to accept may some day fail. but what the heck, so will I.

That all said, it comes down to personal taste- and if you have not had a vitus i'd hesitate to spend the 700 and find out you are not into it- what works for one is not the others bag-- on the other hand, you may find yourself in love

DC City Hauler

As it happens I was too slow and the Cannondale was sold. It was an R400, a 3.0 frame. Is it really the consensus view that 3.0s are to be avoided because of the cantilever drops?

The Vitus in fact is $600--it's fully built with a motly of period-appropriate components. But it costs $120 shipping, and the photos suck. I never understood why ebay sellers post crap photos. The seller is highy rated but is not a bike seller. He/she just seems to sell lots of random items. It's the bike I want, though, in the right size.

DC City Hauler

Here's the link to the Vitus:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-VIT...MAAOxy4YdTSvIa

sdn40

IMO you have to love it - like it has to be a grail bike - because it's not perfect and that price reflects that it should be IMO -----and most likely from craigslist straight to ebay. $700 for a non-brifter bike
Have you mentioned if you've ridden a Vitus yet ?

DC City Hauler

No, I never have. Keep in mind, it's been over 15 years since I've ridden any kind of racing bike. What's a "non-brifter" bike?

sdn40

downtube shifters instead of the newer paddle style

Brake + shifter all in one = Brifter

DC City Hauler

So generally speaking non-brifter bikes are clustered at a lower price point? I have no problem with down-tube shifting.