Andy_K 

Oops. They aren't actually. That one is just upside down.

This one s why I always post pictures of my brakes before taking a bike out for its first ride.

RiddleOfSteel

Looks fantastic, man. [EDIT] Looks like you replied about the brake pads!

ehcoplex 

I've got fork-envy! My '97 has a unicrown fork- perfectly functional, but man, so inelegant and fugly! The earlier Tange forks were so much classier.

Chuckk

Got my Newest Bike Ever last weekend. It even has them DISCO brakes!

2007 Rush 5.

jamesdak 

Love the paint job! I picked up my only Cannondale this year because of the paint. Wanted to have another patriotic bike. I have no use for another one but I'd still love one of the stars and stripes bikes.

My CAAD8 Optima, not really vintage but....


How it looked when I picked it up after a cleaning.

How it's configured now, turned into a silly weight weenie build sorta. 15 lbs 14 ozs. Fast ride but harsh on the back end.

Velo Mule

I got this as a frame and crank, then picked up a M700 parts bike and added a few more items that were missing. And laced on new rims. The seat has since been replaced . Cannondale calls the paint BBQ black. It is not my favorite color amongst the colors that they offer, however, having a vintage mountain bike that rides this nice makes the paint more appealing.

thehammerdog

i ve owned several going back to 1986....mt bike road bike loved them but that was 30 yrs ago.....
First , do they ride well still. is fit feel function good for today...also is the old school aluminium solid and safe.
i have been looking at several on craigslist but not sure if its a good buy.
thanks.

Trakhak

Please get it straight: "assplode" is the carbon myth; "hammer you to death" is the aluminum myth.

Trakhak

One of my lasting regrets is that I didn't buy a Cannondale road bike in the '80s or early '90s, when I was working at a bike shop; t could have bought one at a substantial discount. But at that time I was still laboring under the delusion that I should own only one road bike at a time and should be satisfied with my Bianchi Specialissima Supercorsa. (I later came to my senses.)

Look up the Cult of CAAD thread to read endless testimonials to the continuing excellence of Cannondales. For myself, I've owned a dozen or more high-end steel road bikes, but aluminum bikes are all I ride now. Why? I can never feel any difference in "comfort," whatever that means for a diamond-frame bike, between aluminum and steel bikes (comparing like for like, for a given wheelbase), but I can instantly feel the difference in handling.

Modern aluminum bikes (including every Cannondale bike ever built) just feel better to me than steel bikes for the simple ;reason that the torsional rigidity of the large-diameter tubing ensures that the rear wheel tracks the front wheel perfectly. I accept that not everyone is as sensitive to bike handling characteristics as I am, but the difference is enough that I'm still thrilled with the feel of my aluminum bikes from the moment I begin riding. And I enjoy knowing that those aluminum frames are likely to last at least as long as any comparable steel frame.

Speaking of which, time to again trot out the famous German Tour magazine article from 1994, archived on the sheldonbrown.com website.

TLDR (although I highly recommend reading the whole report): all of the steel and titanium frames failed during the testing. The only frames that didn't fail were a Cannondale (a CAAD3), a European aluminum frame (a Principia), and Trek's carbon OCLV frame.

12 High-End Frames in the EFBe Fatigue Test

jamesdak 

Well to be honest, there is quite a bit of difference in comfort between the 4 aluminun road bikes I've ridden. The Vitus Argal was fast and comfortable enough but the handling going down hill at speed was vague and a bit scary. The Schwinn 684 was comfortable and fast on chipseal roads but seemed a bit dull in handling. The Klein Quantum II is just a dream in all aspects of the riding equation. Now the Cannondale, yeah I have to honestly say the rear end is harsh and right now I can't see using it on any long rides. Sure is fun to hammer on though which is what it was built for.

That fatigue test link was an awesome read and something I don't remember seeing before.

Trakhak

Thanks for providing real-world differentiations from direct comparisons. I think of your contributions to Bikeforums as being up there among the most valuable posted on the site because of the sheer range of bikes you own and your evenhanded evaluations of them.

My experience differs from yours only in that I've found that the harshness of a given bike's ride seems to directlly correlate with the wheelbase. All my bikes with very short wheelbases, steel or aluminum, feel more or less the same with respect to harshness.

The perceived harshness of the shorter-wheelbase bikes seems to be the effect of the quicker, almost instantaneous impact of road surface undulations on the front and rear tires and has very little to do with the choice of frame material. My steel track bikes with genuine sprint geometry (and ultra-short wheelbase, around 958 mm, for example) are just as harsh (or, more accurately, hair-raising) to ride on the road as my aluminum bikes with the same wheelbase.

rccardr 

You make some excellent points above.
SR short wheelbase bikes, like the CAAD frames, generally have the reputation for being the choice for shorter, faster rides where fatigue is less of an issue. So not the best choice for a Century. I’ve owned and refurbished many of them, and while lovable, I would not take one on a ride longer than 50 miles or so, even with 25mm high quality tires and an upscale wheelset.
ST bikes, on the other hand, with the longer wheelbase, are a pleasure to ride any distance you choose. They accept any upgrade that includes a 130mm OLD rear hub and depending on the rim used and actual size, will take 700c tires up to at least a 28, and in some cases a 32 (my 88 is happiest with Conti 28’s). Without racks they are a spirited accomplice to all sorts of adventure, including gravel roads. With a complement of racks they’ll serve well as a touring mount.

And yes, still safe to use and ride.

eom 

Serial#
JD 51-0302 1G483
312610 2RCX3E56
Fork:
H5190 25
8XR3AL56

What I think it is.
1998, April
XR800 Viper Red

Any corrections or information greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Genghis Kant

This thread is such a beauty!

nikku 

This is an amazing build. PM me if you’re ever looking to sell it!

nikku 

My vintage C’dale. Nothing special, but my favorite bike. 1994 M300. A great singletrack bike.

jim dandy

Pretty sure I’ve posted this before. But, can’t find the post. So, will apologize in advance …
JD, Dallas

1988 Cannondale Black Lightning

Shawn1970

My '94 R900.

Roger M 

Two vintage Cannondales


1989 SR series & 1998 Cannondale Edition Volvo

daverup 

Here is my 87 Black Lightning, just finished up rehab,

jim dandy

Excellent Work … Another Black Lightning saved!
JD

Rooney 

In the interest of tying up this loose end — I found the T1000 I was talking about in this post. It turns out it's a 1996 T1000 and has had extensive work done to keep it operational, as well as gain additional clearance.

Rooney 

Here's a better beauty shot of the '90 ST1000. I added VO faceted fenders and put on 32mm GravelKing SS tires. The GK brown wall coordinates with the anthracite green so well. I love it! I should decide on bar tape. Life, and the weather, have prevented me from riding much this winter, so it hasn't been a priority.

In other news, I found another 25" ST1000, this time a black '88. The paint is rough, and most of the components have been changed. A few weeks ago, I saw a black Cannondale low rider rack on eBay but didn't buy it because I thought, "When would I need that?" and it's exactly what this new 1000 is missing. Now I'm looking for one of those hahaha.

ehcoplex 

Beauty- I've always loved the green of those early(ish) ST1000s! I'm envious you've scored not one, but two 25"ers. My 23" T900 is just a tad small.... but 25" would be just a tad big, so.....

Rooney 

The anthracite is iconic for sure. I had zero intention of looking for another bike and thought the first would hold me over for a while. When I saw the black 1000 pop up nearby, I couldn't help myself. It's interesting seeing the differences between the two, notably; the downtube and top tube are 1/4" larger on the '90, and the rd cable stop is a plastic piece vs. the '88's integrated metal stop. I need to do a bit of work to get the '88 in running order: True the wheels, new cables and housing, brake pads, chain, different saddle and pedals — the list goes on. I've already removed the stickers, which were old and brittle, flaking off.

This weekend, I finally tracked down the elusive Cannondale trunk bag! It came with two rear panniers, which are in better condition than the ones I already had. It's a very good look on the black 1000.