rccardr 

You are correct, sir, it's a mid year '88 model. So, later Wolber rim decals but still 6 speed 105. It looked awesome cosmetically and hardly used, but turned out to be a bit of a pain. Freewheel had seized, rear axle bent, half the drive side spokes were bent behind the freewheel, etc. But it cleaned up and fixed up nicely, now runs like a swiss watch.

The red one is actually dated a late '86 (note top tube decal but with plastic top tube cable guides). It may have been sold as a replacement or bare frame and fitted by the owner or an LBS, as it came to me with an interesting mix of components. Years ago I bought a similar replacement frame from an LBS that was going out of business, and like this one it was equipped with a 6207 FD and 6400 BB, same decal/guide setup.

I really like the combination of 6 speed 105 (SR500) and 7/8 speed tricolor (SR800) on these late 80's Cannondale frames. Absolutely solid bikes, with even minimal maintenance and care will last a lifetime. Fast, comfortable with the steel forks, and soooooo sexy.

fury413rb

What's the cutoff for vintage cannondales?

RiddleOfSteel

Oh wow, that's a bunch of work that one took to get running properly. Feels good when we do get something "back to the way it should be" though. Feel you on the sexiness of the frame. So very true--and I like Cannondale putting metal flake in their paint.

I was thinking about the harshness vs. comfort of these or same-era Trek aluminum frames and thinking to myself, I have no idea what people are talking about with the harshness, even with a low padded saddle. And then I remembered tire pressures make a huge difference. Since I commute and pleasure ride any and all of my bikes, I usually run a 85/95 F/R PSI combo (23-25C tires), sometimes a 90/100. 5-10 PSI up from that 85/95 makes a noticeable difference in feel, and consequently makes many bikes quite stiff, to say nothing of people running at 110-120 for races and crits. So since I'm not out to win races, a slight airing down or B-17 saddle gives me the best of both worlds--comfort up top, and power transfer down low (stiff alu frame).

rccardr 

RoS, you make a good point. I ride my ST on a lot of long rides, centuries and weekend doubles, and with the steel front fork have never felt the ride was particularly harsh, at least no more so than any of my steel bikes. Same deal with my '88 SR.

But I also ride 25's on everything now, with 100 pounds of pressure at both ends, and middling-good Vittoria Rubino Pro III 120 Tpi tires. So, there's that.

bradtx

That's a good question, seriously.

This forum is more lax than some others regarding age...and to some extent the frame's material. For this forum I'd vote for the newest models, for roadies, to be the small smattering of CAAD4 bikes with the 1" threaded head set to be a true classic. Later Cannondales certainly intrigue me, but threadless headsets and sloping top tubes kind of mark the modern era in my mind.

Brad

PS I haven't seen a 413 hood ornament since the mid '60s.

fury413rb

Well here is my '99 multisport. I did Boulder 70.3 and ITU Worlds on it. I have Rev X 650c wheels for it too.





Here is my '97 R800. I converted it to 6800 Ultegra.





My project MT2000 tandem has a threadless so maybe it doesn't count.



My '98 F400 is peaking out there too.


Hope these count and sorry for the crappy pics. I do like USA made Cannondales

High Fist Shin

Wow! Love the color and welcome to the forums!

-Shin

stykthyn

[IMG][/IMG]Here's my r400. I am absolutely in love with this machine. I've ditched the rack but I've been riding it like this for the last 4 years. This year I plan on stripping it down to the frame to polish it and do an sti conversion.

greg3rd48 

@fury413rb I really like the R800. The 6800 groupset meshes with it very well. @Mr.Toolbox I agree that is a very unique color!

Here is my '87 Black Lightning which I built up for my wife. Full 5800 groupset with a carbon fork. She loves it and that is her saddle of choice. I would have chosen another but it is pretty comfortable. I ride it from time to time and enjoy it as much as she does.

Untitled by irishbx4th, on Flickr

Untitled by irishbx4th, on Flickr

fury413rb

thats a great looking bike!

DMC707 

For me, it would probably be when they started calling them CAAd- this and that --- I think that was 1997 (but I think your tri bike makes it in by virtue of the 650c wheels, which are seldom encountered today)


Others would say if it had a threaded steerer its vintage,

Still others would say that Cannondale in general is not old enough as a company to have anything considered vintage -- LOL

The important thing is we are out riding our bikes , whether, they be vintage, classic, retro, neo-vintage, partially vintage, just plain old, or even new ones

icedog

This is my 85 (oops! Not an 83....found the original receipt and I bought it in 86, 85 catalog shows the samed color so my bad) SR600...purchased almost new as a frame. I think there are a number of PDX-Area members on the board. This was bought from a mechanic at Woodstock Bicycles before they were absorbed by the Bike Gallery hegemony (I liked Bike Gallery when I lived in the NW...always very helpful). In any case, originally built up with Suntour Superbe Pro friction, Modolo Speedy Brakes, Aero Gran Compe levers and a Specialized racing double crank.

Over the years it's been subjected to a number of revisions. Now running on the Sheldon Brown recommended 8 of 9 on 7 setup. The hubs are an 80's classic-Shimano Sante with the uniglide hub body replaced with a hyperglide body. I'm running 8 cogs of a 9 cog cassette with an Ultegra rear derailer and 105 9-speed levers. It has been a reliable setup. Cranks are now Ritchey WCS and brakes upgraded to Ultregra dual-pivot. Notice the made-in-America cable guide repair on the top tube. Replacement guides are no longer available (at least that I have been able to find) so for them moment a cable tie has sufficed to keep it in place.

Another 80's anomoly are the Scott drop-in bars. I never found them to be that comfortable down low but since I ride mostly on the hoods I have left them all these years.

She has become a garage queen since I got my Kestrel and moved the pedals over....I am switching all my bikes over to SPD pedals and I am going to make a point of getting her out on the road a couple times a month. It never fails to attract some attention...the tubes look postively skinny these days.

icedog

Trying to post a couple more photos:

fury413rb

Wow that is a clean bike. I've never seen a small tube Cannondale like that.

I'm intrigued by the 8 of 9 on a 7 speed hub. I didn't see it in the Sheldon Brown site. Do you have a link?

Homebrew01

The idea was that a 24" rear wheel had better traction.

icedog

Thanks...it's actually pretty grimey right now....dust from sitting. This is first-gen Dale. I was originally shopping for a Klein. Stopped by the factory on the way back from Seattle to Portland and did some test rides but the price was just too steep. I paid $280 for the Cannondale frame with a Paramount headset and Suntour Sprint front derailer.

The link to the Sheldon Brown site is (Shimano Cassettes & Freehubs). It's most of the way down the page but the entire page is interesting. Sheldon really dug into the dimensions of cogs and spacers and was able to sort out what Shimano was doing with the changes and use that to reverse-engineer solutions for bikes with 126mm spacing.

I probably did this change 10 or 12 years ago.

rccardr 

BTW, The Vintage Cannondale site now has replacement top tube cable guides. Not completely original, but a good design that works and looks stock.

icedog

That's good to know....I'll be sure to check it out. Tks.

turkey9186

Before and after of the 1985 ST500 garage sale find I built for my wife.


Repaint and upgrade to Shimano 5600.

bradtx

Have you bought any and how are they different?

@icedog, Before any were available from VC, I have used the Shapeway's 3D printed TT cable housing guides and they work pretty well...so far (two years). Mine are glued to the frame as there is no provision for the pins.

Brad

rccardr 

Have not purchased any myself, but they are fixed using a kind of pin.

Lascauxcaveman 

I bought the Shapeways ones (in white) for a flip bike, and on them, the mounting nubs that go in the holes in the top tube were sized just right for a really tight press-in fit. No glue, no pins. The surface finish is a little rough looking compared the harder plastic originals. The ones at vintagecannondale look somewhere in between, finish-wise, apparently anodized AL, by the description. And $32 for a set of three ain't bad, since the originals can't be had today nearly that cheap.

The real reason I bought the flip bike was to scavenge the two intact original cable guides it had, for future use when I get around to restoring my ST600. At fifty bucks it was a no brainer, in retrospect.

Shapeways "textured" repops:

OTS 

I gotta ask @Lascauxcaveman

How do you remove intact cable guides without destroying them so they can be reused at a latter date?

Thanks

DMC707 

--- Sheesh --- another one in the "why the heck don't people ride their bikes category . 1992 R800

I have found several 25 year old bicycles in this very condition over the years, and I'm not even really looking that hard ---

Bike is catalog correct with exception of the stem and a new set of tires ---- there are water beads on the bike in the pics as it was raining heavily when I brought it in , the group is in beautiful shape ---- The only problem with the frameset is a scratch in the paint on the top tube but it doesn't look like it has gone through to aluminum

A shame to scavenge the group off an otherwise great bike I would be proud to ride, - but my top tube clearance is negative 1 --- I still may give it a run down the block to see how she goes first though

As you can see in the pics, the drivetrain is filthy though -- the reason is the owner was a motorcycle enthusiast and used thick viscous motorcycle chain lube on the chain and cassette,

Speaking of cassette though, -- its a 12-21 8 speed corn cob, -- and its factory , --- you can pretty much tell who the target audience is here - this thing was built to run

DMC707 

Wow ! Just WOW

I hope your wife loves it because I sure do