Touring - Cannondale T800 came home with me today!-a couple questions

I was at the one LBS in my area that gives professional service and I took a Cannondale T800 Touring bike for a ride and loved it. It ended up on the rack coming home with me. It's Blood red and looks and rides great! I did'nt want an all out road bike but also did'nt want a Hybrid or Comfort bike. We ride mostly on the Erie Canal path and some of the great scenic roads in the area. I am not a real experienced rider but am in good condition and would like to learn more. I have a couple questions about my new bike: Does anyone else have a T800 and if so what are their opinions after riding it for awhile AND after riding this bike briefly before I bought it, other than the more comfortable saddle and longer wheelbase what makes this bike a "Touring " bike as opposed to a road bike? I think I'am really going to love riding this bike! I'll post a couple pics tomorrow!

I have a r600 which has the same frame (caad5) and many of the same components as yours. Unless you have a r800 sport it is not a touring bike, it is a full fleged road bike as the caad 5 was raced professionally a few years back. you made a great choice especially if you are taller and heavier. I'm 6' 180 and many of the other bikes I tested, especially Bianchis, had too much frame twist for me. This bike is very stiff in the right places, but with the hourglass seat stays very smooth for an aluminium bike. I am envious of your rims and full 105. great pick on your 1st serious bike. If it is a r800 sport it has a longer head tube giving you a more upright riding position. What kind of pedals did you get?

Cannondale calls this a Touring bike I believe. Here's a link to the exact bike. http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/03/cusa/model-3TR8.html

The T800 is a genuine, and highly regarded touring bike, not a sport or road bike. They have been used on round the world trips, rides across Austrailia etc. The frame is very stiff, which favours large riders and people with lots of luggage.
The T800 gives you plenty of tyre clearance, long chainstays, steering which is stable when loaded, strong 36spoke wheels. The gearing is really sport-touring, rather than the MTB style chainset of a full expedition bike but that is easily changed, but for general purpose riding on trails and road, the gearing is perfect.

Right, like Michael said. Other differences besides gearing, wheelbase, and wheels: cantilever brakes (to help provide lots of clearance for wide tires and fenders); rear *and front* rack mounts; a tall head tube that makes it a little easier to get a high handlebar position.

The T800 is a very nice bike. It used to have spokes that were too light for the wheels -- they were either 15g straight or 15/16, I forget now -- and there were a lot of complaints. I don't know if that's been changed.

I think you'll be very happy with it. The amazing thing is that you just walked into a shop that happened to have one in your size in stock. For many people in many parts of the country, touring bikes are almost impossible to find.

RichC

Its a really nice bike! Congrats on your purchase.. hope you have many fun filled days of touring ahead of you!!

Thank you very much for your comments and info on my new bike.I'am sure I'll have many more questions and hope to contribute to the discussion here.

This bike fits me perfect. Funny thing how I ended up test riding it. There was a TREK 520 right next to it in a side facing rack at the LBS. I THOUGHT the price tag on the Cannondale was very, very reasonable for this model and said "Lets check this one out".:) Well, ofcourse it was the right size, a large, and I loved it. Without much convincing I said I would take it and ring it up along with some other items like a couple cages and water bottles which the LBS threw in gratis. Well, it turns out I had the TREK's price and the CANNONDALE's price mixed up. The tag for the TREK was hanging off the handlebar just right to look like it was for the CANNONDALE! There was no way I was leaving without that bike, so I spent a little more than I was planning but....I am sure we all have been down a similar road before at the LBS so I don't feel bad about that at all. Got my cleats, the manual and video also with my bike. Great LBS too makes it all good!! Good miles to all!

edit: heres a couple pics of the bike

http://www.mindspring.com/~ls1417/can1.jpg
http://www.mindspring.com/~ls1417/can2.jpg
http://www.mindspring.com/~ls1417/can4.jpg
http://www.mindspring.com/~ls1417/conti.jpg
http://www.mindspring.com/~ls1417/dx1.jpg
http://www.mindspring.com/~ls1417/look1.jpg
http://www.mindspring.com/~ls1417/mavic.jpg

Hey, nice bike. I just got one of those myself in April. Mine's a 2001 model, but I think it's basically the same. Here's an idea of what yours could end up looking like if you get bitten by the touring bug.

http://www.gregie.com/neil/bike/t800.jpg

Since I've gotten it, I've changed the crank/bottom bracket, stem, saddle, seatpost, and tires. Not because any of those parts were bad, just because they weren't exactly what I wanted. And then I've added the fenders, front and rear racks, 3 cages/bottles, and panniers. In a few days I should get my new wheels, with a Schmidt hub generator and lights. I did break a spoke on my rear wheel after about 1000 miles; they seem to be regular 14g spokes, and breaking spokes is nothing new for me so I don't really think it's a specific Cannondale problem.

I commute to work every day on it, and it works great for that. So far I've only done four days worth of loaded touring, but I haven't had any complaints in that mode either.

hello

wow i guess you are really lucky to get the canon for cheaper! how much is it really??

Neil G thats a beautiful bike set up very nice. Its kinda where I want to go with mine. Do you find your bikes handling characteristics(sp) change greatly when fully loaded? I would like a set of fenders like yours too and a light, I love the rear panniers also. We want to get geared up properly first but my wife is already talking about us taking a ride with our camping gear and doing a small overnighter at a campground in the area, maybe in the early fall.

Originally posted by Turbonium
hello

wow i guess you are really lucky to get the canon for cheaper! how much is it really??

The Cannondale was about two hundred dollars MORE than the Trek. I probably would not have test rode the T800 if I looked at the price tag correctly but once in that saddle I just loved it. The price change did'nt really matter after the test ride.. :)

Neil, several nice touches there, including the (highly recommended!) Arkel panniers and the Brooks saddle, which makes the bike look suitably retro. And the color scheme is timeless...:)

RichC

Great bike! I just bought the T2000 a few weeks ago. If I remember right they're the same, just different component. I was comparing the T2000 to the T800 and thought I only live once and spent too much by going for the T2000 :-)

Since buying mine people have starting calling me the cycling maniac because I can't get enough kilometers on it, I love riding it so much.