Touring - LBS has a used Cannondale T800... Need advice

Hi All,

My LBS has a used Cannondale T800 touring bike on sale. I think it's a 2005 or recent year model. It looked like it was in excellent shape. It included fenders, a rear rack, and a trip computer. I don't know details on the components but the bike looked like it wasn't very heavily used.

The bike is too small for me, but I thought it might make a good bike for my wife. Currently, she has a mid range Schwinn mountain bike, but I think she'd like something faster. She is interested in a road bike, but I think a touring bike might be better suited for her interests since it would make a more comfortable commuting bike, plus the lower gears would be helpful for the hills near where we live.

The bike is listed at $650. Does $600 to $650 seem like a reasonable price for a used, but excellent condition T800? Assuming it fits her, I think this might be a nice bike that she could use for commuting, fitness, and touring.

Think of it this way, thats about half price as a brand new one. I would go for it but offer them $600 cash I bet they will take it.

Curt - my thoughts exactly. If it fits, I thought $600 cash would be a fair offer. It really looked in good condition when I checked it out, but I have to look at it more carefully. I have to get my wife to go to the store to see if it fits and then convince her that it would be a worthwhile investment. She thinks a used road bike would be a better value, but I think the low gear ratio of the touring bike and the strong frame for hauling gear and our kids around would be a better fit for her needs.

I have a T-800 and love it. While I am tempted to buy a road bike for my day rides, which would be lighter, the 800 is a very good all-round bike. My only concern for your wife is that it would be attractive to thieves, but that would also be true for a good road bike. Unless you live in a place where theft is not a problem, or she has a secure place to park it at work, I would also invest in a top-line lock.

I would go for if, and only if, it fits perfectly.

Just make sure shes able to stand flat on her feet when she straddles it, no tippie toe thing.

I have to get my wife to go to the store to see if it fits and then convince her that it would be a worthwhile investment. She thinks a used road bike would be a better value, but.....

Um.... "convince her" ????? Don't you think your wife should decide what bike she wants? If she doesn't like it, she's not gonna ride it, and then it doesn't matter how little you paid, it's too much.

On the other hand, if she gets exactly the bike she wants, is happy with it, rides it a ton for years... then isn't it worth whatever extra money she has to spend?


My $.02.

Anna

It's a nice bike and sounds like a good price, but make sure it's what she wants. My wife has had a T2000 for a few years and was out test riding a C'dale Synapse yesterday. Big difference in ride and performance. If she's not going to tour (has this been discussed?), it'd be worth looking and testing out a lot of other bikes first. A carbon frame can be very comfy, even with 700x23 tires, and it will be a lot lighter and snappier. Combine that with still having the option of a triple chainring and you've got a real candidate. Again, not that there's anything wrong with the T800, just make sure it's going to be the bike that gets her riding the most and having the most fun!

Hi Folks,

Thanks for the replies. When I used the term "convince" it's not that I"m trying to force her to buy something she doesn't want. I should clarify - what I meant to say is that my wife is reluctant to spend so much money on a bicycle. She was thinking of spending around $300 or less on a used road bike. She likes her mountain bike, but it's kinda heavy and slow. She thinks $600 would be too much to spend on a bike (hence the "convince her it would be a worthwhile investment" statement). She's been looking on Craig's list for bikes in the $300 and less range.

She went to the LBS today and tried it out and it fit well (according to her and the sales person). She also checked out some Trek road bikes (Trek 1200). I'm not sure what she really prefers.

Shemp - I saw the Cannondale Synapse at another LBS. It's a really nice bike. Maybe she would prefer a road bike. We'll have to see.

anyway, thanks everyone for the replies and advice!

PS She said she really liked the T800 and thought it was a very comfortable and stable ride. Still, she was a little concerned about the price. She found this bike listed on Ebay and thought it might be a better deal (assuming the bidding doesn't go up too high)...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Trek-Alpha-1000-Road-Bike-54cm-2002-USED_W0QQitemZ300115225516QQihZ020QQcategoryZ98084QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem (http://cgi.ebay.com/Trek-Alpha-1000-Road-Bike-54cm-2002-USED_W0QQitemZ300115225516QQihZ020QQcategoryZ98084QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

ah, that makes sense. Hope she finds something she loves!

Hi Folks,

Thanks for the replies. When I used the term "convince" it's not that I"m trying to force her to buy something she doesn't want. I should clarify - what I meant to say is that my wife is reluctant to spend so much money on a bicycle. She was thinking of spending around $300 or less on a used road bike. She likes her mountain bike, but it's kinda heavy and slow. She thinks $600 would be too much to spend on a bike (hence the "convince her it would be a worthwhile investment" statement). She's been looking on Craig's list for bikes in the $300 and less range.

She went to the LBS today and tried it out and it fit well (according to her and the sales person). She also checked out some Trek road bikes (Trek 1200). I'm not sure what she really prefers.

Shemp - I saw the Cannondale Synapse at another LBS. It's a really nice bike. Maybe she would prefer a road bike. We'll have to see.

anyway, thanks everyone for the replies and advice!

PS She said she really liked the T800 and thought it was a very comfortable and stable ride. Still, she was a little concerned about the price. She found this bike listed on Ebay and thought it might be a better deal (assuming the bidding doesn't go up too high)...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Trek-Alpha-1000-Road-Bike-54cm-2002-USED_W0QQitemZ300115225516QQihZ020QQcategoryZ98084QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem (http://cgi.ebay.com/Trek-Alpha-1000-Road-Bike-54cm-2002-USED_W0QQitemZ300115225516QQihZ020QQcategoryZ98084QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

My wife also rode a Scott Contessa for kicks and REALLY liked that one. She liked the Shimano short-reach shifters that came on the Contessa and the ladies' Synapse. Different price range, but the idea I'm trying to convey is that she might see some more virtues in a carbon fork, or short-reach shifters or different geometries etc.

Anyhow, is your wife going to tour with you, or is this just for riding area roads or group rides etc? How important is comfort over going fast? The T800 sounds like a better deal to me than the ebay link. If I were going with a road bike, I'd prefer at least a carbon fork. That, and if yo buy from the local bike shop, you're probably going to get a few dollars worth of free or low-cost service in terms of tuning and fitting.

valygrl - me too! i hope she finds something that will keep her enthused about cycling.

Shemp - thanks for posting those questions. I think my wife and I need to figure out what she a would like to do with her bike and what we would like to do together with our bikes. These questions will help us get a beter idea of what we're looking for.

Right now she just wants something faster than what she's got, but I'm concerned that if she gets a road bike with a freewheel that's geared towards racing, she might get discouraged when she hits some of the hills here. We have some hills that climb 500+ feet in less than a mile, with a few really steep parts along these hills.

We would be most likely riding together, and NOT in a group. She's worried about not being fast enough but that's a non-issue for me. I just would like for us to have an opportunity to ride together. Another reason why I think the T800 might be a good choice is because we would be able to stick the tag-along bike or trailer on it. I'd be worried about towing either with a skinny tubed road bike.

Do you think an aluminum road bike would be strong enough to pull a tag along (attached to the seat post) or a trailer (attached to the chain stay)?

Hey All - here's an update. My wife shopped around and looked at several road bikes including a Trek 1000, a Trek 1500 and a Cannondale R400. Ultimately, she decided that she liked the Cannondale T800 touring bike. Although she thought she might like a sleek, fast road bike, we talked about the kind of riding that we planned on doing and she decided that the touring bike would be a better match for her interests. The stronger frame and bigger brakes, and the lower gear ratios will be helpful when we tow the little ones around or when we cruise up and down the hills near where we live..

The LBS gave us a great deal on the bike - $500 instead of the $650 asking price. The bike is in great shape. It looks only lightly used. There was a teeny scratch on the fork, and some minor scratches on the handle bar (where a light was probably mounted) but otherwise it looks almost new!

I need to adjust the derailleurs a little but otherwise she should be good to go. We're both excited about doing some nice rides together. Thanks all for your advice.

Good job! The truth might be that the LBS only wanted $500 for the bike in the first place...and asked for $650 because they know that the buyer will get them to come down a bit. Ask $500 for a bike and buyers will try for $350.

I'm sure your wife will love it!

Negotiating 101. Higher you set your price the higher your return(that is if it sells)

She'll love it, I have a Cannondale T800 and also a Fuji Royale, I haven't ridden the Fuji since I purchased the Cannondale.

Jeff - my wife has started riding the T800 and loves it! I tuned up the derailleurs and checked the brakes and tires, and then she took off and used the bike to commute to work. It's much quicker and quieter than her older bike (an inexpensive Schwinn mountain bike). She raved about her first ride on the "new" bike.

Thanks for the replies. When I used the term "convince" it's not that I"m trying to force her to buy something she doesn't want.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Trek-Alpha-1000-Road-Bike-54cm-2002-USED_W0QQitemZ300115225516QQihZ020QQcategoryZ98084QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem (http://cgi.ebay.com/Trek-Alpha-1000-Road-Bike-54cm-2002-USED_W0QQitemZ300115225516QQihZ020QQcategoryZ98084QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

Cynergy, we know what you meant.

To the person that is now feeling like they have been attacked, don't take everything so literally. Yes, women are equal...and believe it or not, not all men are pigs...