Authenticity
 

How do I check if my canondale sl3 29er MTB is legit

legit in what sense?

Well, is is gnarly???

call cannondale and give them the serial#?


Would love to hear what about a midlevel MTB makes you think its fake.

Take it to REI. They would know.

Third world problems
 

Am buying it for 700 dollars which is a big deal to me

Define "legit."

I have a hard time thinking that you think someone took some Cannondale stickers and threw them on a Walmart bike ... if buying this is a big deal to you (it would be to me) I am sure you have researched the bike ... Right?

I bought a Rize 4 a while back. I know what every component on the bike was supposed to be. I know every change the owner had made. I knew what the bike looked like new.

So ... I assume "legit" doesn't mean "legitimately the bike it is purported to be."

n which case you must be asking about .... condition?

Unclear.

or is OP questioning how to determine if bike he's considering buying was stolen?

You can ask questions of buyer to determine if bike is stolen, if that's what you mean by legit.

If by 'legit', you mean authentic...

The serial number should be identifiable.

Compare the bike to Cannondale catalogs for that model year. Does the frame construction look right? Do the color and decals match? Are the components the same -- crankset, fork, derailleurs, shifters, brakes, etc.?

Authenticity
 

Thanks alot Skydog

I think Skydog has answered my question thanks anyways

Components could have been changed over by a shop, the owner, or even a previous owner, so this is not always a good way to tell. Some shops even change the builds that come out of the box.

Best way to tell is to meet the seller at a shop, preferably one that sells Cannondale if possible. Have a mechanic take a quick look at it, which most shops will do.

Well, there are a lot of things that you need to consider if a bike is "authentic". Are the components correct? How much wear?

FWIW, this bike is worth at best $475 used.

Only sure way to tell is the serial number. But seriously ... what bike would someone buy that Looked like the bike in question, which, with the application of Cannondale stickers, would suddenly be worth all the money? And whether the components were replaced or not ... you would be able to see what the components were, right .... by looking at them? And then you could judge the value.

Here is a point: If you really the think the seller is so dishonest that he would stick "Cannondale" stickers all over a cheap frame and try to fool someone ... why would you buy it?

If nothing else, I would worry about the wear and tear. It's not like anyone who would lie like that wouldn't lie about the age of the components. Seals, pivot bearings ... that stuff adds up.

If you really think the seller is that dishonest ... why not buy something else?