v1k1ng1001

Ladies and Gentlemen of bikeforums.net,

My '98 Cannondale R1000 just died (cracked the bottom bracket shell). Since Cannondale refused to honor the lifetime warranty, It looks like I'm going to have to replace it with something new. I don't race anymore (I sucked when I did anyway), so I was thinking of buying something a bit more comfy. Just to give you some idea, I'm 6'3", 225 lbs. Like I said, I haven't raced in years but I still ride about 120 miles / wk.

I've found a screaming deal on a couple of '06 Lemond Spine Series.

First question: Is the carbon/steel spine series going to hold up under my weight? After cracking the Cannondale frame, I'm terrified of buying something that will fall apart. I'm also worried that the Lemond will feel whippy (I did enjoy the quickness of the Cannondale).

Second question: Versailles or Buenos Aires??? Which one would you pick??? Let me explain:

The Buenos Aires is marked down from $2100 --> $1400
https://2006.lemondbikes.com/2006_bik...os_aires.shtml

The Versailles is marked down from $1750 --> $1000
https://2006.lemondbikes.com/2006_bikes/versailles.shtml

The primary differences are that 1) the Buenos Aires offers an upgraded wheelset (Bontrager Select --> Bontrager Race) and 2) the Buenos Aires offers a 10 spd drive train featuring ultegra deraillers and shifters.

Would you pay $400 for the upgrade??? Seems iffy.

Maybe I'm better of upgrading the Versailles over time.

But then again, the Buenos Aires comes in a super sexy orange color (the Versailles is red).

Thanks for your input

stevecaz

OK, well you've answered your own question but lets start at the beginning.

I just got the Tete De Course after leaving a Cannondale CAAD5. Your R1000 would have been CAAD4, Maybe CAAD3 I think. Either way all the C 'dales would have similar stiffness feeling to them, with the CAAD4/5 having the hourglass stays for more comfort. I have found my Lemond to be just slightly stiffer than the Cannondale. While mine is titanium and carbon, the steel and carbon should have a similar feel in the lateral stiffness department and stiffer than my titanium. At the same time, the Lemonds are fantastic in the vertical compliance department for comfort. If you were on a CAAD3 frame with straight seatstays, then the Lemond will feel immensely more comfortable.

You are definitely a big guy. I obviously can't say the Lemond won't fail, but can offer some facts. 1) Cannondales failures are rare, but not unheard of. They are great bikes and nobody should hesitate to get one. But aluminum does has one of the lowest fatigue rates of bicycle materials. Your '98 is 8 years old and with your weight and all those miles, the aluminum probably met its maker. Some people can keep a Cannondale a lifetime, others can't, and others just get unlucky with a bad frame as any company will have a few of.
The carbon in the Lemond has a fatigue greater than aluminum, steel, or titanium. And the True Temper OX steel is strong with a very good fatigue that you should never have to worry about. As for the bond, well just as there can be a few bad eggs in frames, there can be a few bad bonds. But overall bonds are typically stronger than the material they hold together. Its more likely the steel would fail before the bond between the carbon. But you are buying the bike new and will have all the rights for warranty if something happened which is very very unlikely. I know you had issues with the Cannondale warranty - are the original owner with original receipt?

Those are real great deals. Is the $400 worth it for the Buenos Aires, close call. First you are getting Ultegra 10 including shifters. Thats worth some decent cash right there. You are also getting a Cane Creek S3 headset which is a very nice headset with nicer slimmer profile that can last forever. The S-1 on the Versailles is not so good with cheaper bearings and basic seals that are rougher and more likely to get fouled.
They are the same frame however and are certainly worthy of upgrades over time.
Finally color. You said the Versailles is red, but I only see white on the website?
But it doesn't matter, having a bike you love to look at and show off is worth real money. You clearly have an attraction to the orange Buenos Aires and that is worth $$. Its the bike that attracts your eye in the store. You never want the regret factor either, which is worth more money. The Ultegra 10, headset, and wheels might be worth $250 to you, then having a color and look you love more is easily worth $75, and not having regrets later on that you should have bought the Buenos Aires is worth another $75. There you go, $400 justified. Hey $400 is alot of money and if you don't have it/want to spend it then fine, just give good consideration about the love/regret factors because they can't be worth lots.

Hope this helps.

v1k1ng1001

Thanks stevecaz. I appreciate your input. I guess I need to scrounge up $400 dollars and see if they still have a buenos aires in my size.

Oh, I had pro-formed the R1000 back in '98 and lost the original invoice subsequently. I figured that Cannondale would keep those records handy but they cited "financial restructuring" as the reason they had lost any record of me. I thought that was kind of lame but I also see people trying to sell broken frames on ebay with the pitch that the buyer can use that frame to get a brand new warranty frame.

v1k1ng1001

Just sealed the deal on the Buenos Aires!!! Can't wait to ride it.

Thanks again for your input!

stevecaz

The only thing people can do with a broken Cannondale frame is use the trade in program for a new one at a discounted cost. Sometimes Cannondale has a promotion where you can trade in any frame, and other times its just for Cannondale owners. Nobody however will ever be able to claim a warranty from a second hand frame. No bike company will ever honor that.

I spilled that out fast and I see my errors, but I think my rambling was clear enough.

Keep your receipt of the new Lemond in a safe spot, although you really won't need it. Enjoy.

v1k1ng1001

Yeah, I wish I'd kept my invoice. At the time I was working in a shop and knew the rep pretty well so I figured I would be taken care of. I also didn't think I'd be on the bike for 8 yrs.

Anyway, the R1000 served me well for thousands of miles so I don't feel too bad about not getting the warranty frame.

The LBS where I now live offered me a $750 frame replacement deal on a CAAD9 which is when I started to think, "I wonder if I can pick up a hot deal on a full bike for a few bucks more?" After inspecting all of my old components from the R1000 and looking at frame prices on ebay, I decided it would be more cost effective and less of a hassle to simply buy a new bike.

dakota cycler

what size buenos aires did you get

kcham16

where did you find that deal???

v1k1ng1001

59 cm

v1k1ng1001

https://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=235021