new chain
 

I'm gonna buy a new chain for my cannondale 600 , what would be best for moderate rides. also what does a long cage, or short cage mean, I'm still new to this

How many speeds? 8, 9, 10?

Short or long cage refers to the spacing between your rear derailleur pulleys. A long cage derailleur is generally used with wider-range gears and requires a longer chain. A short-cage derailleur is always used with narrower-range gears and can use a shorter chain.

I like SRAM chains and hear good things about Whipperman -- just make sure you buy an 8 (or fewer), 9, or 10-speed version, according to the number of cogs on your freehub/freewheel.

The chain will be too long for your bike. They're made that way so it will work with almost any bike.
Do you have a chain tool to remove the extra links -- and maybe to install the chain?

I swapped out chains on two bikes about 6 weeks ago, I put on Nashbar chains. They work just fine, are quiet and shift smooth. We will see how long they last but at the price I can replace them twice as often and still be ahead.

The Nashbar chains are by KMC. I've had good service from them. I have noticed ads for Mavic 10 speed chains for under $25 lately. Has anyone tried one?

You always try putting the same number of links of chain on as you had before.:innocent: