jrhii

https://stlouis.craigslist.org/bik/3546638082.html

This would seem to be a goodish deal to me if everything checks out. Anyone disagree?

It has a 56cm measurement of something according to the ad, but it looks much shorter, who is what I am hoping for. Needless to say I probably shouldn't spend the money, but you know how that goes. It is a decent looking bike that might fit me...The only trick might be the stem. I have some aero bars that I use and a 26mm handlebar, so getting a quill stem for that means going out of my way a little.

frantik

i'm not following? that stem is likely to be 26mm...

Bianchigirll 

I suspect the seller is measuring the seat tube C to Top and getting 56. Judging from the looks of the HD I think this is closer to a 50 so if your petite it may be a good fit.

I agree with Frantik the bars on that more than likely have a 26.0 clamp. I don't know how close that is to you but for that price I would have been in the car at sunup to go check the size in person.

The gearing on that looks interesting, and from the factory, it looks like it is set up with a Half step style gearing. That might be a good thing considering some of the hills I have had to pull around St Louis.

know1

Looks to be in pretty good condition. It will need bar tape, brake hoods, and likely tires. Usually that means it will need a tuneup, ideally with bearing service. Even then assuming everything is as it looks it's worth 200. If it's rideable now you can do that work as needed. 56cm is certainly center to top on this bike (if not just an incorrect measure), it looks small.

wrk101

In my experience, having bought hundreds of bikes, I have yet to have a sell get the sizing right.

+1 That bike is not a 56.

Bike is a deal. In that price range, you will not normally see a Cannondale, small sizes even more so. You may need to spend a little money on maintenance and set up. Finding a turn key bike perfect for you on the used market could cost you 2X. Your choice.

jrhii

I had always just assumed most quill stems were 25.4. I will likely replace the levers with some modern tektros. I will service bearings, just a one changes oil and other maintenance when they buy a used car,. Just to bee safe. Size should be about perfect, i wouldn't say I'm petite, but stout. Should be bring seller in a say or 2. Maybe I'll be able to justify my cost by selling my Bianchi (strada, road) for around 100.

T-Mar

The equipment is New 600EX not 600 Ultegra. It's not indexed, so the bicycle should be 1984/1985. It's got a long wheelbase and I can see the rack mount on the seat stays and what appears to be low-rider mounts on the forks, so it appears to be an ST-400 touring model.

Agreed,it's not what we would normally consider a 56cm frame and doesn't look abused or worn out, so should be a good deal. Cannondale's top tube on the ST400 was spec'd at 20.3" for the 19" frame and 21.75" for the 21" frame. This one looks like the latter, though I always find Cannondale deceiving. The stem was spec'd as Nitto Young and the bars as Belleri. I believe these are 25.4mm.

jrhii

Now that you pointed Mr in the right direction, out looks to be a 1985 st400. Should i bee commented about three scratches that appead to be on it?...also how well does old aluminum hold up. I'm getting him at 6 today, will get a better idea if it then

wrk101

Older Cannondale paint was pretty mediocre. They made nice bikes, but did not figure out how to apply a durable paint job until the 1990s. I would not be concerned about paint loss, unless it has other damage (dents, etc). You are at an attractive price point, so some cosmetic and mechanical issues are to be expected.

I am guessing a 21 inch frame on this one.

jrhii

Sizing may be the deal breaker...the imperial sizing has always been weird to Me, well see in a few hours

jrhii

So I took a look:

-Size seems right, small enough where I should be able to put my 120mm stem on to met it stretch enough and and still have a proper standover (i have weird proportions)
-Lots of chipped paint, no big deal
-The inner chainring is much smaller than 45, which is a good thing, but I don't know if 50 is too small or not (I think my top gear is currently 52-13...but I rarely use it, also, if it is 52-14 then 50-13 is bigger)
-Front hub and headset a tiny bit scratchy, but should be expected after 25 year; rear hub surprisingly smooth.
-crappy plastic pedals, replaceable
-small rust on fork, not comprimising

My major questions are this: there do not appear to be any cracks, but there is a line at the top tube to seat tube weld seam where the pain is gone, is that normal? How have these older aluminum frames held up. I hear about metal fatigue and all this, but I don't know how that has played out. Should the bike last for a number of years?

Would I be better off spending $400-$600 on a bike later on when I can spare the cash?

FastJake

I would not worry about the missing paint. Paint looks somewhat rough to begin with, missing spots could've happened from any number of reasons.

If you just plan to ride it for a few years I wouldn't worry about it. If you wanted to keep the bike forever, maybe I would suggest looking elsewhere.. Frames do fail (of any material), but the old Cannondales seem to have a good reputation.

Regarding that last question, that is for you to decide. I think this bike is a pretty good deal at $200. I would've bought it. Really just depends how nice of a bike you want. What are you riding now?

jrhii

mid-late 1980's bianchi strada (the road one, before the stradas were like hybrids), It was a bottom line bianchi, weighs about 30lbs.