ESchmitt

Anyone know if there was a purple MT 1000 or any other Cannondale tandem that was purple.

TandemGeek

Yes, there have been several over the years. Off the top of my head, the purple MT and RT models were produced in the mid 90's. There was a black/purple fade model in the mid-90s and then a Techulusion or Shade-shifter purple/green RT3000 at some point.

If you want to know the exact years Google "Cannondale Catalogs" and you can find .pdfs of Cannondale's catalogs going back into those early 90's when they began offering the tandems. I don't believe BikePedia has the colors listed before '97 or '98.

turkey9186

Don't know if the tandem serial numbers are listed. It does have almost all of the catalogs in PDF form though.
https://www.vintagecannondale.com/

ESchmitt

Thanks for your help it is a 1995

Mainframeguy

We have one! I realise the poster likely no longer needs to know - but I was searching the forums for Cannondale serial to work this out (ours seems to be GE 131 09729 62016 and I am still trying to decode from there, but suspect it means it was made in '96 or '97? One of the things we liked was the deep purple, almost iridescent. Front forks are branded "Pepperoni" FWIW.
[edit] just discovered "GE" means it has a birthday of May 1995! So we have a teenager! [/edit]

bgross

I can help you by eliminating 1996 -- our MT1000 is matte blue.

LuckySailor

To mainframe guy- my wonder is does your bike have a decal on it to indicate what model it is? I've just purchased a used cannonade mt and there is no decal on it to indicate the model. My components are shimano xt and it has a shock absorbing stoker seat post. These things indicate supposingly that it is an mt2000. So I am told. My bike is also grape in color and I am told that it was built in 2005. I am puzzled really of what I bought or maybe frustrated that I don't "really" know. Your thoughts, thanks.

TandemGeek

Some years have model names, others don't. The earlier 90's MTs were labelled as "Los Dos" even though they also carried the MT800, MT1000, etc. designations to differentiate component levels. The later 90's models carried their respective MT2000, MT3000 model markings. I'm guessing the mid-90's models just omitted the model markings as they made the transition.

Best way to establish what you have is to use BikePedia to find the closest component mix, noting that components do sometimes get changed over time.

Based on what you described and assuming it is a 1995, it sounds more like an MT3000 than an MT2000

Here's a link to the info page on '95 MT3000 at BikePedia: https://www.bikepedia.com/quickbike/B...3000&Type=bike

Here's a link to the info page on '95 MT2000 at BikePedia: https://www.bikepedia.com/quickbike/B...2000&Type=bike

Note that Cannondale was pretty good about only offering each model in a different frame color and changed colors almost every year in the 90's and early 2000's.

Mainframeguy

I am prepared to almost guarantee from what you have said that your 'dale dates from the 90's (unless they rotated the colours?).

In order to actually "know" the technique to employ is to invert your bike, clean beneath the front bottom bracket and see what serial has been stamped. Look here to cross reference and learn more as a starter (was all I needed I think).

If there's any sign your serial number has been filed away or something then beware! Likely your bike may be "hot". One of the usual reasons you may have taken the serial number down already would be for insurance purposes.

By your descriptions I am guessing you have an MT1000, likely '95 - it matches most of the specification for ours except we have upgraded to a Deore transmission, if I remember rightly was XT and I think had a twist shisft for the gears, but we rapidly upgraded so memory not good on that. The V-brakes remain as XT. Recommend the upgrade BTW!

It is a bike worth keeping and investing in IMHO. Ours has managed to clock up 2,300 memorable miles since that transmission upgrade!

dcagibbs

I think I have a 1995 MT1000, it's the violet colour. When I can I'll look for the serial number as explained above. We bought it new but I cannot remember which spec it is, I think it's a mish-mash of a 1995 MT1000, I remember upgrading some bits, the Maguras, I think I changed the shifters, possibly the USE seat-post if it is an MT1000. I really like the ride of this tandem with 1 1/2 inch tyres, it feels .... swoopy. It is supple for an ally frame, presumably because of the length or maybe it's just the big fat tyres. We enjoyed riding it again so much this summer that it's inline for some tweaks, mostly for greater comfort.

Freerojo

My 96 Cannondale RT2000 is purple (grape) and quite beautiful.

dcagibbs

A road one, I think that would be great RT2000 - fancy ;-). I have a photo of mine but apparently I must post several more times before I'm allowed to upload the photo :-)

dcagibbs

Freerojo

96 RT2000 . The color is actually Hyperviolet or something. The weird thing is, depending on the light it could be black or even a blue. It’s a real nice color. I added a Bafang BBS02 over the winter.

dcagibbs

Looks great ! I still think that both of ours are 1995, see the site vintagecannondale.com/year/1995/1995.pdf. I can't post a link, silly forum. That electric motor looks powerful...

dcagibbs

Here is our bike in Quelven, Bretagne

Leisesturm

Actually, the motor itself looks pretty standard for its kind. The battery on the other hand. Whoa. Lot of capacity there. But back to you? The photo of your rig (if it is your rig, unclear whose pictures are whose) makes my eyes water just looking at it. The amount of seattube extension the both of you are running makes me think the bike is way undersized? Been there, done that. There are workarounds. You badly need some kind of stem extender. Like on the very bike you are admiring. Your Stoker needs bars with enough rise to at least get her grips level with her saddle. So do you. Even if you did (recommended) a dropbar conversion, you would still need to get those bars up, up, and away to be commensurate with the amount of seattube extension you have decided on. Which is also a mystery, because I am not really seeing how that works either. Which is a polite way of asking, how exactly did this fit configuration come to be? Obviously you both look happy on this bike, but ... on the off chance that I might actually be helpful in pointing out what looks like (from a distance) a less than optimal experience, there you are.

Freerojo

They carried over the same frames, mine was technically a 96 because of the parts, that year The RT2000 was clear coat aluminum.

Freerojo

I have to add (to this 11 year old thread) I am 6’2” and my wife is 5’2”. The tandem is a Med/Sm. I was able to replicate exactly my Roubaix cockpit to the tandem with the addition of the stem extender. The beauty is I don’t have to kick as high to get my leg over the top tube.