Steve S

Edit: Sale pending, thanks for the input!

TandemGeek

Looks like you've already 'priced' it....

https://ventura.craigslist.org/bik/1643129146.html

So, are you looking to quantify just how far off that is from fair market? Or, just wanting to get some exposure here?

Here's the original specs for your '96 RT2000: https://www.bikepedia.com/Quickbike/B...2000&Type=bike
MSRP was $2,384.

Your example seems to be in very good condition and has some better parts than were originally spec'd for the bike, but it's still running essentially the same 8 speed gearing as it did in '96.

For reference purposes, Cannondale pretty well wiped out the value of all it's older tandems a few years back when they trimmed their line up down to just two frame designs (MT & RT) and significantly reduced their prices which, after all, forms the basis for replacement cost that is the key to establishing fair market value.

Today you can buy a brand new top of the line Cannondale R2 with 10 speed Ultegra, dual discs, White Ind./Sun rims for $3,200.

So, off-hand, because the components are dated and the frame has gone through several re-designs, fair market is probably about 1/2 of what you're looking for. That is, unless someone is really looking for a polished frame C'dale of that vintage and size to hang a new transmission on.

Nice bike though....

Steve S

So much for a simple question. It sounds as if you doubt my motives and since I'm new here I suppose that's understandable .As I noted in my first post here (in the RC forum), if this type of post isn't allowed then please delete it. If it puts your mind at rest then no, I don't care about exposure here because I am only listing it locally. I had no plans to post a link to the Craig's List ad, and do not plan to ship it unless I can't find a local buyer. If I am forced to advertise nationwide then I'll just put it on eBay (shudder). My post here was only supposed to ensure that I'm asking an appropriate price for the tandem.

I do appreciate your thoughts, but he specs you listed are for an RT2000, which this is not. The RT2000 was a middle line tandem with a mixture of Shimano 600 (mid line road components) and Deore LX (low end MTB). The only thing that made it such a decent bike was the CDale frame, which brought high performance quality and materials into an affordable price bracket. This tandem shares no components with an RT2000 other than the brake levers (best dual levers at the time) and bare crank arms (couldn't afford Campy Pista). Trust me, I sold enough Cannondale tandems back then to know the difference!

As noted above my tandem was built from the frame up, with hand selected components, and is is far superior to the RT2000 you've linked to. Incidentally, this frame was actually the last one they polished, and was done after they had stopped offering polished frames at all. I had to call in a favor to get it. Of course it's a bit outdated now, and if it had current components of this caliber then I'd be asking far more for it! I can post the original build sheet with prices if anyone is interested in historical trivia.

pathdoc

I'd guess maybe $1000. Really depends on your local market.

TandemGeek

Just asking...


Actually, it was just a point of reference for the other readers... which is why I went on to say, "Your example seems to be in very good condition and has some better parts than were originally spec'd for the bike, but it's still running essentially the same 8 speed gearing as it did in '96."

True, but it's still an older tandem frame with older components. However, in an effort to recognize the better than stock-spec RT2000 components I based my fair market value on the price of the referenced top-of-the-line C'dale R2, not the less expensive R3 which has the same middle of the road, value-based component package that the RT2000 did back in '96.

Just giving you my assessment, which is what you asked for. Trust me, I wish tandems did retain far more of their original value and it's amazing that they seem to hold value better than single bikes... I've got a pretty nice '98 Erickson that had a component re-fresh in '02 that's still only worth about 40% of it's replacement value. No way I'd ever part with it for $3k because to me it's still a $7k tandem. Cest la vie

jnbrown

I agree with the $1000 estimate. Even though it looks like new and was built with premium 90's components, it is not comparable to what you get on a new Cannondale as mentioned above.
If you get an eager buyer, then maybe $1500. You could try advertising on Tandem Magazine online classifieds, but then you will have be prepared to ship it.

Steve S

Thanks all, I do have one tentative offer of $2K from the local ad I had placed so hopefully that pans out. I'd love to not have to box this one up. Heck, if I didn't need the space and funds then there's no way I'd sell it at all! I have a Campy 9-speed road bike drive train I could "upgrade" it to but I don't think that would be worth the effort, and to lose some of the cool (to me) stuff it has now. Thanks again!

TandemGeek

There's nothing as exciting as hearing from an anxious buyer who's first question is, "It's not sold yet is it?" Oh yeah... Catch of the day!!

What's even better is having one show up with that glazed-over look in their wistful eyes and a large wad-o-cash.

Seriously, though, as recently mentioned in my Blog the right price is what the market will bear. Sellers and Buyers define the market one transaction at a time. LaLa land is the land of big earners and big spenders too, so your odds of scoring your asking price are much higher than in many other locales. The Atlanta market is really tough in this regard when it comes to tandems.

Keep us posted.

zonatandem

A georgeous C'dale Los Dos!
Tandems can be a bit difficult to sell.
Anything over $1,000 would be a + and would be a great starter tandem for someone.
Downtube shifters, steel fork, drum brake, 24 speed, dual-pull lever are good, but older technology.
Back in 1977 we designed/owned a 34-lb racing tandem; put 64,000 miles on it and sold it for almost what we paid for it.
However, have owned several top of the line custom twicers (with 50,000+ mileage, but always in top condition) since then and never got more than 1/4 of our investment back.
Yeah, but we did get our money's worth in great riding!
Good luck!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy anbd Kay/zonatandem

tandemnh

It is a great looking bike but as nice as it is and the high hopes you may have, it will be tough to get near the $2K. Riders want new and if the can't afford new they want used/cheap! The type of person most likely to purchase your ride is someone new trying to break into the hobby.

We spent $2.6K on a '07 C'dale and it is a great ride. Like a car, almost right after you drive it off the lot you lose 50% of the value if you try to sell it. Add another 10 years and the price and interest will spiral down to a smaller group of people looking to get into cycling.

As a C'dale owner and lover, I would be hard pressed to cough up more than a grand and that would be tough. It would be a great second ride for those times we anted to go old school or retro, but to keep up with the pack, we'd be on our newer ride.

Best of luck on your quest.

TandemGeek

Two observations and an admission....

1. Great water bottles. We've been using a set of four clear Torelli large-size water bottles since '02, although being mega-anal retentive I even swapped out the black Specialized bottle caps for some clear ones that came on some other, less awesome-looking water bottles.

2. Why on Earth would you go to all the trouble of building a lightweight racer with a corn-cobb cassette and then hang a 2lb Arai drum brake on the bike?

Admission: First thing I did when I saw your polished C'dale was to check the size; that's my favorite 'lack of color' for any Cannondale tandem followed by Black. I've been stalking mid-90's black and polished Los Dos / MTs / RTs as a potential gift for our kids to use to haul their two little girls around on the Silver Comet Trail. Thankfully, yours was also too large.

Steve S

I love those water bottles too, and the cages are also some of my favorites.

Good question on brakes. Honestly it's the only thing I would be changing if I were keeping the bike. Disc brakes were not up to my standards when this bike was spec'd out, and the proven technology was to have wide MTB calipers (for added torque on road levers) with a drum as a drag brake, which would also help reduce rim heat. It works very well, and will practically stand the tandem on end. But, pad selection is critical to avoid howling and modern brakes do have a more firm feel which I like. A set of discs would round things up nicely and save at least a pound, maybe two!

You all have me thinking of slapping on a 9-speed Chorus group with Ergo, but I'm not sure it would be worth the expense for the "extras" to make it work, nor the time and effort versus the added value. Perhaps it's best left alone since it all works so well as it is. Gotta stop thinking about these things before I change my mind about selling it...

dprayvd

...

Steve S

Yeah, I paid dearly for it and used a huge favor, but I absolutely had to have it that way. For those who don't know, one reason why Cannondale stopped polishing frames is that it was difficult to construct enough "perfect" frames for polishing. The majority would have small (non-structural) blemishes in the welds and joints which would be covered by the paint. When a customer wanted a polished frame, they would spend a lot of time examining the frames in their stock to produce one perfect enough to be polished. If one didn't exist, they would have to make a whole new frame and hope it came out flawless.

Technically I was sworn to secrecy about that story but considering how long it's been, I think I'm safe.

Stray8

Just keep it.

With that kind of history you'll likely just wind up regretting selling it. Mark my words....

Why are you never riding the tandem anymore? Medical or no stoker?

I have both single bikes and a sportbike to spend my riding time on, and yet I will still make time to ride the tandem whenever I can.


.

TandemGeek

Santana had the same problem with their aluminum (i.e., Sovereign) frames which is why they came up with the Blueberry and Rasberry Swirl paint schemes. They eventually moved away from the problematic anodized finishes - both clear and the swirls - towards paint and the more recent 'Prism' finish.

Ventana took a different tack and used a translucent powdercoating process that allowed the natural blemishes and marks from the manufacturing processes to show through as "beauty marks" . Our first Ventana ECdM had the Electric Red finish with 'beauty marks' and it was really stunning.

pathdoc

I think you'll end up regretting the sale. You would probably be happier just holding onto it. The next owner will never appreciate as much as you do.

specbill

Thankfully your beautiful Los Dos is too big or I would be in trouble here for sure...I have a matching original polished '95 C'dale R900 Ultegra that is my favorite looking single bike. While I rarely ride it these days I could never part with it. I hate to guess the miles on it but it is as clean and new looking as the day I bought it...that finish cleans up incredible well and you are right about the welds... as they are all flawless looking despite being aluminum. I could never bring myself to sell it and if it were a tandem, as spectacular as yours, I'd probably have it mounted on a wall somewhere in the house when we weren't riding it.

Nice ..nice..C'dale Steve S !...I think you're going to have a hard time the day it rolls down your drive way with its' new owner.

Bill J.

Steve S

I wish I had a good reason for never riding it, but the painful reality is that I just don't ride anymore. I grew up cycling, racing on the veledrome at age 11. In fact I rode a track bike before I ever sat on a "10-speed". Before that I was riding a BMX bike with my father (on his Nuovo Record Colnago) over the local mountain passes. I rode and raced cyclocross, time trial, MTB, tandem, anything with two wheels and pedals it seems. I also swore to never be one of those guys who came into the bike shop with some outdated machine, blabbing about how they used to ride and all that. Well, I became one of those guys! (except for the blabbing in the shop bit) The nature of my work was the main cause, namely long and unpredictable hours.

My track bike is the one I will never, under any circumstances, sell. The tandem will surely be painful to let go, but it's hard to let it sit there unused when someone else could be enjoying it. Plus I really don't have a lot of space here, and the extra money would be useful. (antique cars are murder on a bank account) If space and money were no option then this thread wouldn't exist!

By the way, the 23x17 frame size sounds a lot bigger than it is. I actually ride a 55cm (c-t) SLX road bike and my wife rides a 48cm Cannondale. This frame fits us perfectly even though C-Dale's numbers translate to 58cm / 43cm. I'm not sure why the C-Dale numbers are so strange.

blamp28

What a beautiful frame! Unfortunately a bike like this is rarely worth to potential customers what it is to us. $1000 - $1200 is my best guess. If you have a customer at $2000, your doing great.

tandemnh

I'm sort of glad we live on the other side of the country or I would be greatly tempted as we ride a '07 C'dale and we still have or '84 Schwinn singles. Your bike would be a great way to go to have as a second to get other friends and family tempted into getting into cycling. It will be tough to let go but it most likely would be someone truly interested in riding that would put up the cash.
best of luck in hopes the right person(s) come along!

Steve S

Thanks folks. I have two interested parties but no one has gone farther than to ask for more photos. If it doesn't pan out locally within a couple weeks then I'll consider other avenues including Tandem Magazine as suggested. My primary goal is to avoid eBay! If you see it listed there in a couple months then you'll know how it went!

zonatandem

We have *loved* all our tandems, except our first one (a new 1975 Folllis).
The next 3 were all custom built and lasted us a minimum of 56,000 miles each. Our current one is what we consider 'properly broken in' with 25,000 on the odo.
We use, but do not abuse our bikes.
However when it comes time to upgrade the componenry, we skip that part and order a new custom one instead.
It does not pay to hold on to bikes that don't get ridden.
Pedal on!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem