Originally Posted by Blaireau
Well the LBS in my area that carries Cannondale is a den of sharks.... Guy tried to sell me an alu frame for $1,000 --enough said.
The Optimo 2 with Tiagra should be about $1,100, and you only need add pedals.
Cannondale's frames are not inexpensive. I don't have the list in front of me, but they are not in the market to sell frames. They want to sell bikes.
However, you can do a frame upgrade. But I'd suggest maybe calling another dealer if you don't trust this one. You can take your dented CAAD5 and upgrade to an 8 for only the upgrade price. But I doubt a small dent is an issue for you.
I'm surprised the dealer did not make you aware of that. I think Cannondale's the only company that does that and it's a huge advantage for them. It's less expensive than just buying a frame from them.