1988/87 Cannondale road bike
09-01-18, 12:11 PM
#1
aka: Mike J.
Thread Starter
1988/87 Cannondale road bike
I just picked up a Cannondale road bike, but I’m having trouble figuring out exactly what model it is. Per a Vintage Cannondale website the s/n works out to be an early 1988 size 60 frame. But the 1988 catalog shows those with 7-speed,
and the 1987 catalog scans show 6-speed but nothing with a 100% match. Closest is the Black Lightening model, but the decals and crank don’t match this one.
One pic attached, I can add more later once I’m back on wifi.
SunTour Blaze matching component group on this one. I guess everything could have been swapped out.
The size 60 frame looks to be center to top, but with the post slammed the bike is a functional fit for me. This thing looks like it was bought new and has very little use on it.
and the 1987 catalog scans show 6-speed but nothing with a 100% match. Closest is the Black Lightening model, but the decals and crank don’t match this one.
One pic attached, I can add more later once I’m back on wifi.
SunTour Blaze matching component group on this one. I guess everything could have been swapped out.
The size 60 frame looks to be center to top, but with the post slammed the bike is a functional fit for me. This thing looks like it was bought new and has very little use on it.
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Last edited by treebound; 09-01-18 at 12:49 PM.
09-01-18, 12:20 PM
#2
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Looks more like a 58 cm ?
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09-01-18, 12:22 PM
#3
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I’ll bet it’s a 60. Those thick tubes can fool ya.
09-01-18, 12:25 PM
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Doesn't the cantilever dropout make it more like an '89 or newer?
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09-01-18, 12:35 PM
#5
aka: Mike J.
Thread Starter
Measures close to 57.5 center to center
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09-01-18, 12:54 PM
#7
aka: Mike J.
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09-01-18, 01:17 PM
#8
aka: Mike J.
Thread Starter
More images
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09-01-18, 01:29 PM
#9
aka: Mike J.
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I’ll get out a tape measure tonight or tomorrow and see what I can figure out from geometry charts.
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09-01-18, 04:11 PM
#10
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The serial number will contain the frame size in CM as well as the date as you know. I have a 1987 Cannondale SR500 (Shimano 105, 1050 era) with six speed freewheel. I believe yours is the Crit frame which only the bikes above the SR400, and SR500 had. Both the 1987, and 1988 Cannondale catalogs show the Black Lightning having Suntour Sprint components.
Edit: Just saw the post above. Yeah, that's a 1990. Check the serial number for the date.
Edit: Just saw the post above. Yeah, that's a 1990. Check the serial number for the date.
09-01-18, 06:40 PM
#11
aka: Mike J.
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60111588021 should make it a sized 60cm stamped on November 11th, 1988, 21st one built that month assuming I deciphered correctly. But the 6speed is throwing me off. It does look like that 1990 SR300. I wonder if this was a warrantied frameset replacement, stranger things have happened. Tape measuring tomorrow and hopefully getting a short ride in on it.
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09-01-18, 08:32 PM
#12
aka: Mike J.
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Good find Chuckk, that ‘89 looks like a near perfect match, thank you.
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09-01-18, 10:11 PM
#13
aka: Mike J.
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Got home from a family function and I went out in the garage for a few minutes. Pretty much everything matches up to the ‘89 SR300. The wheelbase and chainstay length matches up eyeball close to the criterium geometry chart. And the more closely I look at this bike the more convinced I am that it was ridden/rode very few miles. No visible wear nor gunk built up on the freewheel, chainring teeth look nice. One spoke of the rear wheel was so loose I could turn the nipple with my fingertips, yet the wheel spins nearly true.
I believe what I need to do is to tension up the spokes, maybe throw on a pair of tires if I don’t like the look of the current ones in the daylight, and then puts lots of miles on it.
Oh yeah, the bike even had a vintage Cateye headlight on it that looks like it has never had a set of batteries in it.
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Last edited by treebound; 09-01-18 at 10:14 PM.
09-01-18, 11:14 PM
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Maybe I'm crazy, but from the two full pictures of the bike, does the fork not look slightly bent? I hope I am wrong and it's just an angle thing.
09-02-18, 01:12 AM
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● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
09-02-18, 05:00 AM
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I've got the 1988 Criterium model, I don't think it had a name. The plastic top tube cable guides are long gone. Many fast rides on this bike since the 80's. IIRC the frame's geometry was designed by Davis Phinney, the winning-est crit rider of the late 1980's. I entered my first race on the bike in 1988, and won.
These frames do tend to beat you up though. They're screaming fast when you first jump on, but the lack of flex starts to bother my joints after an hour or so, always did, even in my late 20's. They are no the compromise, criterium crushing speed machines of the era. I have done a century ride on it, but would use something else next time.
I would try to get some nice comfortable tires, maybe GP 4000's and a box-style rim. I doubt you have room for anything bigger than 25's though, and maybe not even that much. Enjoy all that speed and stiffness!
These frames do tend to beat you up though. They're screaming fast when you first jump on, but the lack of flex starts to bother my joints after an hour or so, always did, even in my late 20's. They are no the compromise, criterium crushing speed machines of the era. I have done a century ride on it, but would use something else next time.
I would try to get some nice comfortable tires, maybe GP 4000's and a box-style rim. I doubt you have room for anything bigger than 25's though, and maybe not even that much. Enjoy all that speed and stiffness!
Last edited by Colnago Mixte; 09-02-18 at 05:03 AM.
09-02-18, 12:03 PM
#17
aka: Mike J.
Thread Starter
I’m thinking paved bike path and paved county roads for rides up to 30 miles. I’ll probably coin-flip between keeping this one and the Trek 1000 I picked up not long ago. No racing, just fun and at times some spirited rides on the weekends and during the workday lunchtime laps.
I’m fairly sure the fork is not bent, but my eye picks up in the photo the same potential issue.
I’m fairly sure the fork is not bent, but my eye picks up in the photo the same potential issue.
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Last edited by treebound; 09-02-18 at 12:37 PM.
09-02-18, 02:19 PM
#18
aka: Mike J.
Thread Starter
I adjusted the rear spokes and moved the dish left a little bit to better center the rear rim between the front of the chainstays. I think I’ll set a wheel off of another bike with slightly wider tires to see how wide I can go. The ancient Michelin (?) 700x25 tires look skinnier than a set of 25’s that are on another bike.
Just tinkering with it when i have time.
Just tinkering with it when i have time.
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09-02-18, 02:32 PM
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I've got the 1988 Criterium model, I don't think it had a name. The plastic top tube cable guides are long gone. Many fast rides on this bike since the 80's. IIRC the frame's geometry was designed by Davis Phinney, the winning-est crit rider of the late 1980's. I entered my first race on the bike in 1988, and won.
!
!
Congrats on winning
I raced on those bikes for a few years.
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09-02-18, 02:33 PM
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These frames do tend to beat you up though. They're screaming fast when you first jump on, but the lack of flex starts to bother my joints after an hour or so, always did, even in my late 20's. They are no the compromise, criterium crushing speed machines of the era. I have done a century ride on it, but would use something else next time.
I would try to get some nice comfortable tires, maybe GP 4000's and a box-style rim. I doubt you have room for anything bigger than 25's though, and maybe not even that much. Enjoy all that speed and stiffness!
I would try to get some nice comfortable tires, maybe GP 4000's and a box-style rim. I doubt you have room for anything bigger than 25's though, and maybe not even that much. Enjoy all that speed and stiffness!
I had one exactly like the OP's, though I built it from the frame with a mix of Superbe Pro and 600, with Fiamme red label tubulars.
The bike was AWESOME for crit-style riding - short-ish but aggressive rides on a 1-2 mile circuit with tight corners. Amazing sprinting and cornering, but I found longer rides to be less pleasant. I got pretty beat up on anything longer than 25 miles.
Shorter rides with lots of sprinting, though, the bike was awesome.
Enjoy!!!!
09-04-18, 01:12 PM
#22
aka: Mike J.
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Thanks
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09-04-18, 01:52 PM
#23
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Yes, my crit geometry road bikes used to beat me up on longer rides, too, but they were Italian steel bikes.
I suspect that the sweeping generalizations among the hoi polloi about harsh-riding aluminum bikes stem from the fact that crit geometry Cannondales were manufactured in large numbers and were bought by lots of people who were not racing on them and had previously ridden only sport geometry bikes.
If those riders had bought short-wheelbase Gios bikes or (gasp!) Rigis, they'd have found that the harsh ride is in the geometry and not the frame material.
I suspect that the sweeping generalizations among the hoi polloi about harsh-riding aluminum bikes stem from the fact that crit geometry Cannondales were manufactured in large numbers and were bought by lots of people who were not racing on them and had previously ridden only sport geometry bikes.
If those riders had bought short-wheelbase Gios bikes or (gasp!) Rigis, they'd have found that the harsh ride is in the geometry and not the frame material.
09-04-18, 02:03 PM
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I have never ridden one of those harsh steel bikes, but I've heard many people talk about them. My Paramount PDG is about the stiffest steel bike I've ridden, and it's fine for all day rides, even though it was designed as a crit bike. It was supposed to compete with Cannondale's crit bikes which were popular during the late '80's, early 90's.
One thing my Cannondale does very well is descending and high speed cornering. Once I timed a very twisty, 5000 foot, 18 mile descent, comparing my steel Bottecchia and my Cannondale, and the Cannondale had a good 2-3 minute advantage.
One thing my Cannondale does very well is descending and high speed cornering. Once I timed a very twisty, 5000 foot, 18 mile descent, comparing my steel Bottecchia and my Cannondale, and the Cannondale had a good 2-3 minute advantage.
09-04-18, 02:52 PM
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I have never ridden one of those harsh steel bikes, but I've heard many people talk about them. My Paramount PDG is about the stiffest steel bike I've ridden, and it's fine for all day rides, even though it was designed as a crit bike. It was supposed to compete with Cannondale's crit bikes which were popular during the late '80's, early 90's.
One thing my Cannondale does very well is descending and high speed cornering. Once I timed a very twisty, 5000 foot, 18 mile descent, comparing my steel Bottecchia and my Cannondale, and the Cannondale had a good 2-3 minute advantage.
One thing my Cannondale does very well is descending and high speed cornering. Once I timed a very twisty, 5000 foot, 18 mile descent, comparing my steel Bottecchia and my Cannondale, and the Cannondale had a good 2-3 minute advantage.
My Columbus SL/SP Italian bikes had head tube angles of 74 and 74.5 degrees, with proportionally shorter wheelbases and a "lively" (i.e., jackhammer-like) ride.
The use of criterium geometry was a fairly short-lived fad. (In fact, there was a guy on the Framebuilders subforum a few years ago who embarrassed himself by insisting that there was no such thing---because he'd never heard of it.)
The results of that downhill speed test of yours are fascinating---thanks for the info! I remember reading a few years ago about three young Italian racers who were persuaded to spend a day riding '80s vintage steel road bikes through the Pyrenees. They all said that they liked the bikes and wouldn't mind racing on them, except they couldn't ride descents nearly as fast as on their own carbon bikes.