Lbxpdx

I found this old thang today to ride around while I’m visiting family. Pretty cool though odd old Giant. It has a stellar looking stem. Can someone educate me on Giant Cadex carbon fiber from the 1990’s?

mech986 

According to Giant’s About page:

CARBON FIBER PIONEERS

Giant introduced the CADEX carbon fiber road bike in 1987, becoming the first bicycle maker to apply computer-aided design and volume production techniques to the production of carbon fiber road bikes.


https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/ab...fiber-pioneers

So I suppose the bike is an On Topic bike for C&V. It appears that your bike model, the 890i, May date into the early to mid 90’s.

T-Mar

The subject bicycle is a 1990 or 1991 model. The serial number will provide confirmation. It is a bonded carbon fibre frame and would be classified as a hybrid bicycle, though Giant did not use that terminology. At the time, they preferred A/F/S (All-Terrain/Fitness/ Sports). The component specifications are mid-range but the frame jumped the pricing to $800-$900 US, depending on the exact year.

During this period, hybrids were still in their infancy and most manufacturers were still testing the waters with entry level to lower mid-range models. It was rare to see hybrids above $500, let alone in the Giant's price range. Budget conscious consumers could find comparably spec'd hybrids but with more tradtional steel or aluminum frames for several hundred dollars less.

The 890i's target demograhic was the young urban and suburban professional who wanted a light, yet durable and versatile bicycle for short distance, light duty, fitness ridng. Giant's 1990 advertising campaign (see attached sample) depicts what would appear to be DINKS (Double Income No Kids) enjoying a stress free weekend ride in pleasant surroundings.

Based on the 980i's short, two year production run, the expected sales never materialized. Giant's 1992 hybrid line reverted to more traditional steel framed offerings, with nothing priced over $500 US. Ironically, just as Giant scaled down, the industry at large realized that hybrids were a viable market and started introducing more upscale models.

icemilkcoffee 

The 'cracky' paint job seems to be the wrong choice for a carbon frame back in those days when the durability of the material wasn't established yet.

T-Mar

I can appreciate why Giant choose that finish.Their carbon fibre road and ATB models of the period used a nude or semi-nude carbon fibre finish. That was appropriate for those market segments, where the owners wanted to ensure others knew that they were riding the latest technology. However, the high end hybrid consumer was essentially the same market segment that had been buying Shimano Santé equipped bicycles. There, the aesthetics were a fashion statement. The silly string/spider web paint jobs were very trendy at the time and the white base was considered clean and classy, with the matching stem being the crowning touch. It was a very appropriate finish for the target demographic of that era.

dddd

Giant Cadex bonded carbon framesets were a feature of Univega-branded "Carbolite" bikes, I had and raced one circa 1993 or so, no issues.