Newbie with old bike - advice please
09-18-08, 07:57 AM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 1
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Newbie with old bike - advice please
Hey all--
New member here, looking to get a few questions answered.
I inherited a bike from a good family friend. It is a Cannondale Criterium, very late 80s or early 90s. It has been stored for the better part of a decade, and I'm certain is in very sore need of a tune-up and some upgrades. Flat tires, dirty, etc.
Wife and I want to start biking casually, basically for general fitness and to rely less on the car -- basically, we'll ride to the market or the library, and probably even just around the neighborhood. There's a great bike trail nearby that we may take advantage of for exercise, too. At this point, neither of us want to race or anything serious. I'm looking to get into biking at a modest starting point, so my inclination is to fix up what I've got rather than buy new, if it makes sense to approach it that way.
So is a 20-year-old Cannondale Criterium appropriate for general road use? I've read that the purpose and geometry of this type of bike makes it unattractive for casual use. On the other hand, I know the previous owner would have spared little expense on components, so I assume that it's all good kit.
On the other hand, if the consensus here and at my local bike shop is that it would cost too much to get it roadworthy, then I'm prepared to go new, too.
Fire away with questions. I'm no expert but I can measure things and count stuff and look at labels... --RN
New member here, looking to get a few questions answered.
I inherited a bike from a good family friend. It is a Cannondale Criterium, very late 80s or early 90s. It has been stored for the better part of a decade, and I'm certain is in very sore need of a tune-up and some upgrades. Flat tires, dirty, etc.
Wife and I want to start biking casually, basically for general fitness and to rely less on the car -- basically, we'll ride to the market or the library, and probably even just around the neighborhood. There's a great bike trail nearby that we may take advantage of for exercise, too. At this point, neither of us want to race or anything serious. I'm looking to get into biking at a modest starting point, so my inclination is to fix up what I've got rather than buy new, if it makes sense to approach it that way.
So is a 20-year-old Cannondale Criterium appropriate for general road use? I've read that the purpose and geometry of this type of bike makes it unattractive for casual use. On the other hand, I know the previous owner would have spared little expense on components, so I assume that it's all good kit.
On the other hand, if the consensus here and at my local bike shop is that it would cost too much to get it roadworthy, then I'm prepared to go new, too.
Fire away with questions. I'm no expert but I can measure things and count stuff and look at labels... --RN
09-18-08, 08:19 AM
#2
Don't be that guy
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Portland, ME
Posts: 105
Bikes: 1988 Peugeot Bordeaux
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I'm no expert either, but I ride an '88 Peugeot road bike and find it perfectly comfortable. It's almost all original components, too. Without pictures (you should post some for sure, in this forum, pics are basically a must) it's hard to say what components might be shot. Total guess, but if you take it to your local shop, you can probably be riding again for $100 or less (assumes new tires/tubes, adjustments to brake and derailers/cables, misc cleanup).
Good luck!
Good luck!
