mgmoore7

I have been looking for a deal (low cost) on a road bike. I have a hybrid now.

This one came up but I am having a hard time getting details of it from the seller. Here is a bad picture. Any ideas/comments?

He says it is 6 years old and here is the rest of the description I have recieved.

bike is 6 years old
2 sets of spare rims and tire
spare handle bar
dont know the model #
56 cm
i bought used from the bike shop



Thanks.

Any thoughts, info, comments would be helpful.

dcbikeguy

Only if you can help me identify this creature...

mgmoore7

wild man of the woods of course.

big john

Pretty hard to tell anything from that picture. Can you ask if it's one of the CAAD series? 6 years means maybe a CAAD4 or 5. What parts? It looks smaller than a 56, but I could be wrong. Would a 56 fit you?
You didn't say how much he is asking.

carpediemracing 

Get a better picture?

Here's a few thoughts. I sold those types of Cannondales. Couple clues:

1. three plastic black top tube cable housing holders - this means there is no bare cabe, the housing is complete from brake to brake lever. They stopped doing this in 1992. The plastic top tube pieces occasionally break and you have to put a new one in.

2. same diameter wide down tube (not cone shaped). This means 3.0 frame (or "criterium") versus cone (2.7, newer) or narrow (3.0 "road").

3. "cantilever" dropout - the rear dropout sort of sticks out from the chainstay/seatstay junction. Started doing this is 1989.

I don't know the paintjob - they had different ones for different models, it might have been bought as a frameset (they had a frame trade in program that was pretty popular back then).

So frameset was made between 1989 and 1992. That is 15 to 18 years ago. Also, it looks like a 54 to me. Weird thing is they also made a 53 (i.e. steps were 50, 53, 54, 56 - the 53 didn't belong). It might be a 53.

I don't think that person has any accurate info on that bike.

cdr

mgmoore7

I got a little more info.

He clarified that he bought it used from a bike shop 6 years ago. He does not know the parts except that they are Shimano but did not know the specific model and was at work and it has 3 front and 7 back (he said the front gears are eliptical (I did not understand that)??). He has it setup with tri bars now and I would not mind that as I do duathlons but it is not a reason to buy. It has shifters on the down tube.

He is asking $175.

He also said that he just took it out of the shed where it has been for a while.

big john

carpediem, you have better eyes than me. A 3.0 frame is one of the harshest things they ever made.
The oval chainrings are called Biopace, most of us hated them. I would look for something newer, but it's your call.

mgmoore7

Thanks for your help.

I am going to pass. It being in the shed is probably the biggest issue to me. In Florida, a shed is where you throw all your junk that you don't care about getting rusted, mildew, wet, scratched, thrown around, etc.
Even if I could get him down to $125, I don't think that old of a bike that has not been cared for is worth it. Could easily cost a good bit more to get it in good working order.

I will keep saving and looking for the steal.

wanders

That's my sister-in-law.

Homebrew01

I'm pretty sure the cantilevered dropout started in 1987. I still have one of them. It lived in my shed for 12 years until I started riding again last year. Then I got a 2006 CAAD 8, so my old "3.0" is back in the shed !

carpediemracing 

In 1988 they still had the "5.0" (as we called it - all us shop rats wanted a Mustang 5.0 and this was about as close as we'd get to a "5.0"). 1989 was the first year of the "cantilever". When looking up stuff on my old cannondales (5.0 and 3.0, I tossed my bent and broken 2.7), I ran across this site:

https://www.vintagecannondale.com

Excellent archive and their catalogs don't have the shop's prices scribbled on them like mine do. I only have sporadic catalogs back to 1982 so this was a nice site to find.

I'm actually saving bits and pieces to restore my 3.0 to its glory days since all the parts are laying around and they're pretty much useless now. For those that raced back then it's the "actual size" bike. The original "actual size" bike is the 5.0 but I don't have many parts for that so it just sits in my basement.

cdr

prendrefeu

Count how many logos it has applied to it, that helps age a Cannondale.

Dr.Deltron

Aw, c'mon, it's a Cannondale!

I just paid $100 for an '87 ST400 FRAME & fork that has some serious toptube corrosion!

A quick sandblast, some Bondo, a fresh coat of paint, install those 3 nasty little cable guides and it'll be good for another 20 years!

I got it to keep my '86 SM700 company. I'm the original owner of that one, and it's been through Hell & back and still going strong!

Sirrobinofcoxly

If he can't give you any info about the bike, I would let it pass. Maybe that's just me. Doesn't look like a real prize from the photo anyhow.

Maybe have him take the photo again in front of a white garage door, from the drive side. That would help.

DieselDan

A 3.0 has the rear brake cable run on the top of the top tube. A 2.8 has the rear brake cable run under the top tube.

CharlieWoo

It's a ca-non-da-lay

CastIron

Grey Poupon sir?