General Cycling Discussion - What is freakish about this bike?

What looks so wierd about this bike? The geometry looks all screwed up.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cannondale-19-Bicycle-M500-8-speed_W0QQitemZ130074631320QQihZ003QQcategoryZ98084QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://i10.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/88/28/8e71_3.JPG

Road bike set up as a mountain bike, with 26" wheels and skinny tires? If that's not it, I give up.

No it's an M500 MTB frame...but it does look more like a touring bike geometry, look at the size of the rear triangle and how low the BB seems to be. Maybe it's just an illusion because of them tires and wheels.

Road bike set up as a mountain bike, with 26" wheels and skinny tires? If that's not it, I give up.

plus an optical illusion from the turned front wheel, and the saddle is far back on the rails and tilted down slightly.

What looks so wierd about this bike? The geometry looks all screwed up.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cannondale-19-Bicycle-M500-8-speed_W0QQitemZ130074631320QQihZ003QQcategoryZ98084QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://i10.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/88/28/8e71_3.JPG

It's way old. judging by the parts and components it's way old. At least 10 yrs probably more. Old school geometry also. Not what they're building today

What looks so wierd about this bike?

It's way too immaculate. I think it's a lot older than what the seller has listed. I had an F-400 (It's been so long ago I can't remember the model number exactly) which was a newer model. Exact same color scheme too. Got that maybe 15 years ago. But it had one of those head tube shocks. He's asking $300 for it. I gave mine away a couple years ago. But then mine wasn't in such fine shape though. Maybe he should have listed it in the collectibles section.

Your right though about screwy geometry. Especially with a large frame and street tires. I recall several people asking if mine was a folder.

The very early mountain bikes had long wheelbases like that. Look at my wife's '87 Peugeot:
http://thumb9.webshots.net/t/26/26/8/57/7/315585707QQAdCs_th.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/1315585707068014369QQAdCs)

Wheels look too small?

Nah, put some 2.10 knobs on it and you'll think it looks right.

Nah, put some 2.10 knobs on it and you'll think it looks right.

Exactly. It's just an older MTB set up for road work. Nice bike. My '92 Trek 930 would look like that if it was a small frame size. They were very long.
http://i9.tinypic.com/2hn1j4w.jpg

Those wheels do look small. Can someone photoshop some 2.10 tires on those wheels? For comparision.

It's just an older MTB with road wheels, tires & saddle set up. Very clean for as old as it is. the cables matching the decals is a nice touch.

Nah, put some 2.10 knobs on it and you'll think it looks right.

Yeah, I think that the saddle pushed way forward and tilted down a little bit adds to the funny look too. Those are things that are easily changeable.

I agree on the narrow tires causing some strangeness in the looks. I also wonder if it has a replacement fork that has leveled off the top tubeslightly on a bike that should have a sloping top tube...

Anyone know if the bike would have originally come with a suspension fork?

Looks similar to this, to get a perspective on the tires and geometry.
http://www.s-rinten.com/date/image/175.jpg

Are those 26" MTB wheels or 650c?

It's a MTB with skinnies. The skinnies make you want to think it's a road bike, but the wheels are too small and so is the crank. The geometry is all off too. Also, the saddle looks too low...

1.) Newer components on an older frame

2.) Unusually long chain stays, coupled with seat way forward. That definitely shifts the rider's center of gravity towards the front.

3.) Rigid fork, possibly not OEM, looks skinny compared to the large tubing

4.) Canondale grinds their welds down. I've always thought that looked weird.

5.) Are those 40 spoke wheels? I lost count.

6.) Threaded headset. That's the part that weirds me out the most.


It also looks well cared for given its age. Personally not my taste because of the forward leaning geometry, but it might make a good commuter bike or ride for someone who likes XC climbing.

* Geometry from the early '90s (level top tube)

* Rear brake set up wrong. Cable housing does not stop at post clamp 'stop'.

* Six miles of derailleur housing from the chainstay to rear derailleur.

* Shift cables could be routed better from shifters to down tube stops. (crossed underneath)

Needs fenders, a rack, North Road handlebars and a Brooks Flyer.