Mountain Biking - '97 cannondale F1000 for $500 or new bike for $800?

I have the opportunity to buy a really nice ;) 1997 Cannondale F1000 that appears almost brand new, and everything works well on it. The price will be around $500-$600. Originally the 1997 Cannondale was about $1500(I believe).

My question is: Has mountain bike technology moved forward enough in the last 10 years that I could buy a new bike for, say, $800- $850 and end up with a bike that is in fact, superior to the 10 year old Cannondale F1000, due to technology improvements in components and frame material/design? Has anyone owned an F1000 that was made around '97?
:beer: I appreciate any input, thanks...

I bought a mid-range F series in 98. No model number as it was custom, but it was probably the equiv of an F600-800 if such a thing existed. I gradually upgraded through the years until it was about an F2000 or F4000, and I rode a fair bit of English singletrack and toured all over the world on it. It's still going strong today, but I now ride a Yeti full suspension bike on the hills.

Some general comments:

Generally, I'd go with the older bike. The Headshoks are famous for their simple maintenance. I had mine serviced once in 8 years, and it still works fine. Can't do that with modern coil or air shocks that seem to leak oil constantly. The only downside of the 97 Headshok is that it is probably around 60 or 80mm travel- is that enough for your riding?

There haven't been any major improvements in frame technology, unless you want to talk about affordable carbon or cosmetically pretty hyrdoformed (i.e. curved) top tubes.

The F1000 probably runs 24 gears, but that's nothing to sweat as you'd have the same ratio range as a 27 geared bike and 8 speed stuff is still easily available.

The main caveat on the F1000: Cannondale had an inhouse brand (Coda) that they spec'd on their bikes. Coda parts were usually utter crap. My CNC'd Coda cranks were really flexy and prone to snapping teeth. The hubs had a bad rep and even the Coda handlebars had black paint that faded to dark green after exposure to the sun. I'd say that Coda parts should be considered Alivo-equivalent, so hopefully the F1000 doesn't have too much of this junk, or at least be prepared to upgrade the cranks.

I have a '98 F2000 frame and fork that I built up back then and have upgraded parts as needed over the years. Its been a great frame and fork. Like womble said, the coda parts mostly suck. I would say $500 is a bit too much for that bike now though. I couldn't see paying more than about $250-$300 for it, unless it has had some major upgrades. Good luck.

The Headshoks are famous for their simple maintenance..
Not unless you really know what you are doing.

You said that you ride a Yeti? They cost a fortune yes? How much are bikes in Hong Kong? I've noticed when shopping online that bicycle prices in countries like the UK are sometimes 50% higher priced for a given model than that model would cost here in USA! Is you buy your bike new or used? I'd rather buy a new bike, but I have other more pressing priorities right now. For instance, I was out shopping for a mortgage today for the house I've been renting from my Mom for the past 3 years. I took out a new car loan in July, 05, and I bought a new Harley Davidson Sportster in June, '06, with another loan. So I guess I'm limited to buying a nice, older mountain bike, cause I cant afford the $1000- $1700 that it would cost me to buy a moderate to good quality mountain bike like a new Cannondale Caffeine F1, or a Klein Attitude.

Not unless you really know what you are doing.

Yes, I should restate that: Headshoks are known for being incredibly low maintenance, not simple.

How much are bikes in Hong Kong? I've noticed when shopping online that bicycle prices in countries like the UK are sometimes 50% higher priced for a given model than that model would cost here in USA!

Bikes in Hong Kong run at roughly US kit prices, maybe a little cheaper. The main difference here is that any major bike purchase is pretty much a custom build- you just tell the shop what frame and components you want. And many people tend to have nice bikes out here, possibly because people don't sink money into cars.

Some countries (e.g. UK, Oz) are expensive usually as a result of higher taxes and smaller markets.

Is you buy your bike new or used? I'd rather buy a new bike, but I have other more pressing priorities right now.

My bike is new, but that's because it's a full suspension bike. If I were buying an aluminium hardtail, I'd get a used one as long as the frame was in decent shape. Hardtail frames are dead simple- no complex suspension with moving parts, basically a couple of triangles welded together. IMO, what you get by paying the extra money for a new Klein or a Caffeine frame are really flash paintjobs and a smidgeon less weight.

I have the opportunity to buy a really nice ;) 1997 Cannondale F1000 that appears almost brand new, and everything works well on it. The price will be around $500-$600. Originally the 1997 Cannondale was about $1500(I believe).

My question is: Has mountain bike technology moved forward enough in the last 10 years that I could buy a new bike for, say, $800- $850 and end up with a bike that is in fact, superior to the 10 year old Cannondale F1000, due to technology improvements in components and frame material/design? Has anyone owned an F1000 that was made around '97?
:beer: I appreciate any input, thanks...
I'd say NO to finding a $800 NEW bike superior to an older bike. I found my 02 Cannondale Jekyll FS used for $600. You will need patience, perserverense, and good fortune to find good deals, but they are out there! I agree in getting a clean, used bike before plunking down $3-4 grand on a new bike that is way above your capabilites!

Yep, last Wednesday evening, I placed the winning bid on the Cannondale F1000. I had looked at literally
hundreds of used mountain bikes on Ebay and elsewhere, and this was the cleanest bike I found. There were
at least 8 pictures of it posted, and most were close-ups of different crucial parts of the bike. I could hardly detect a scratch anywhere. The guy selling it lives in the great plains region as well. Most of the other bikes I looked at(a lot of them newer) had obvious scratches, paint wear, dents, etc. I mean some of these bikes looked as if a bunch of guys stood around them with golf clubs, and pummelled them for an hour or so!
My new bike should arrive on Thursday. It also comes with a new helmet, a bike computer, headlight, etc.
I ended up paying $520 for it. I know someone said that I shouldnt pay more than $300-$400 for it, but I looked up the price on an '06 F1000 which is $2000. I believe the '97 price to be around $1700. So if it is in as good shape as it seems to be(and supposedly only has 600 mainly flat trail/road miles) I will have gotten it for between 1/3- 1/4 the original price. I'm OK with that. I saw some of the beat up $1400 bikes selling for more. Plus it would cost me at least $1500 to get something of equal quality new. My only concern is the mixed reviews I see for the Coda components on it. Anyone have any input into Coda component quality?
Oh well, I guess i'll know whether I got my $$'s worth on Thursday(*&%@# slow Fedex shipping!)

congrats,and hope to see some pictures when you get the bike! I have some Coda components on my jekyll when I got her, like the coda cranks and pedals. I hear round the way that CODA stuffs not too great but I havent pushed any components to the test. I'd say if youre on a limited budget, just ride it until the CODA's break!

I'd love to post pics of it, unfortunately i'm no computer whiz and i'm new to this site. So how, in layman's terms, would I go about posting pics here? I have a digital camera, and I use Picassa to download pics to my computer. Thanks....