1993(ish) cannondale r900
 

Hey everyone I am new to this site and to cycling. I have been riding a rebuilt schwinn traveller III for the last 6 months. I am looking to upgrade into something nice. I found this cannondale Cannondale R900

I am 6'0 190lbs

I will be riding this bike everyday for commute and workouts.
Thanks!

I'd buy it for $400-500, if it is your size and in good condition.

Not sure what he means by "dents and dings". A visible dent in a frame devalues it, a large dent (visible from 10 feet away) cuts value by $100s - some, like me, simply won't buy a bike with a large dent. Note the "dents" in the chainstays are intentional, for crank clearance, don't worry about those.

The 1980s/90s Cannondales are going up in value, at least I see that in my local market. The R900 was top of the line in that year. A stock one in good condition would get >$300 here. This one has Zipp 440 wheels, a major upgrade, they sell for around $300.

This will be a fast, light, stiff, responsive bike. Note the Zipp wheelset uses tubular tires. I and many others ride tubulars, but they do involve some extra work and you have to be self-sufficient - walk into the average bike shop with a flat tubular and you are not likely to get any help. For commutes, you'll want to carry a can of Vittoria Pitstop sealant and a spare pre-glued tubular tire. Or change to a model of tubular tire that has removable cores, charge those tires with a more effective sealant than Pitstop, and carry one of the existing tires as a pre-glued spare. Read about tubulars here (Road Cycling forum) or view Youtube threads. Gluing on a tubular is not hard.

You could, if you wished, sell the Zipps and get a set of good quality used clincher wheels, probably have $100 left over.

No go with the tubulars and Zipp wheels, thats racing gear and not good for commuter duty. I'd also be surprised if that bike is not too small of frame for you, but maybe not. Have you determined the correct size frame for your build? For example, at 5'11' I am long legged and short torso,need a 61-62 cm with a shortish stem. Others at my height need at 54-56 and a long stem.

I appreciate the feedback. I am uncertain what my correct size of bike is, I am sure this is something I can research online. Are the zipp wheels and tubulars that detrimental for a 10mile roundtrip commute each day?...I am meeting the gentlemen this evening for a test ride. My hopw is that the feel of the bike will answer some of my unknown questions.

Zipp/tubular is a racing sort of setup. Good if you like to ride really fast on decent roads and are willing to deal with the flat repair issues I mentioned. Not good if you ride on crappy roads, want more comfort, want cheaper/simpler flat repair.

Obviously you can swap the wheels. But overall this is a stiff, fast, high performance racing bike, so if the goal is a comfortable casual commuter ride on crappy roads, the bike is wrong. Lacks eyelets or clearance for conventional fenders (though you can use Crud RoadRacer fenders or RaceBlade fenders) or a rack. Way too nice a bike to leave locked up outside in the rain and get banged up in a crowded bike rack. Will be a theft target, especially the wheels.

I'd ride it on my commute (similar length as yours, in a city, good roads) but I have a safe place to lock the bike at the workplace. If I had two bikes, I'd probably ride this one on weekends and ride a cheaper bike, with wide fenders and permanently mounted lights and bell, for the workaday commute. Actually, that is what I do - I have a 1992 R1000 for fun and something else for commuting.

You've heard of the n+1 rule, right?

As for size, I'm 5' 11" and a 56 cm fits me fine, but it all depends on proportions - short or long legs vs torso. You can look up bike sizing online. You being 6' 0", the bike is not going to be too big. It could be a little small or just right. That bike has a long stem and the seatpost is extended pretty far, I'd hazard a guess the owner is around your size.

Thanks for the heads up. The main reason for the purchase of a new bike is because I have started to ride long distances 18-28 miles 2-3 a week, where my goal is to ride as fast as possible. Currently I am riding a schwinn traveler 3 with a new front derailleur, break pads, break cables, and tires. This bike blows for these long distances... maybe I can continue to use it for my commute and purchase the cannondale for the long rides...on a side note Ill be in Portland in September for the first, where are good places to rent a bike and explore the city?

Unless money or space is a limitation, I'd have two bikes. Weekend speedy bike, weekday commute bike.

The commute bike wears wide tires, fenders, lights, bell, lock, maybe rack; it is heavy, kind of sluggish, dirty; you ride it as fast as you can, but boy it takes a lot of effort.

Then on Saturday you get on your speedy bike; it is light, fast, shiny; you feel like the wind. Give some thanks to the legs you built, in part, by pushing that heavy commuter all week.

I've never rented a bike here. Try Waterfront Bicycles, they are right downtown and have a pretty big rental fleet, all kinds of bikes.

I'm 5'11 and I ride a 54cm CAAD9 with a 120mm stem. I fit in the others section.