Originally Posted by
mtnbke
Ooh. We're going to need a complete breakdown of that bikes geometry and measurements. The one I'm most interested in is the thickness of the rear dropouts. I'll measure the dropouts on all my ST bikes. I think your prototype is a bit thinner in the dropouts. What do you think? I also think it would be awesome if this had a different seat tube diameter than 27.2, that would only make it more special in my mind.
As for what year? Not to be snarky, but if that's a prototype Cannondale that's likely an '81 or '82, right? Maybe my logic is flawed but wouldn't a prototype be before the production run? Sure looks kind of like the ST series to me. That's my guess, and what I thought when I saw the listing. The components could be red herrings and this could have been a rework or just a custom frame built by an employee. Who knows. Still I like thinking about it as what I suspect it is, truly a prototype of the original Cannondale bicycles.
Which is what made it interesting to me, and why I posted it.
Wheelbase is way too short for it to be an ST. Also the lack of rack and fender mounts rule out a touring model as well. Paint looks similar to my wife's 86 SR500, I think it was called "rose". It could possibly be a prototype for their first racing model which first appeared in 84 or it could have been built at one of the after hours welding workshops at the factory.
