Hi. I'm not exactly sure if this should go here, but I'll try. I've been wanting to get into touring, and I recently found the perfect bike. It's a 2000 Cannondale T800. It's almost NOS. I got it from a reputable shop used. They said an elderly person traded it in for a cruiser. I digress. Anyway, as I was testing it, I noticed i small dent in the downtube. The guys at the shop didn't think anything of it. They said it was fine. The more I've been researching, the more weary I get. Here are some pictures.






If anyone thinks it would be dangerous to ride, please let me know. I have a tour planned, and it would be terrible to have a broken frame in the middle of nowhere. At this point, I can return it to the shop. Thanks so much.

Live with it..
If you strip the paint .. if it cracks, you can see it sooner.
thats about it.

17 years ago, an airline put a big gash in my mountain bike downtube at the beginning of a trip in South America. The bike continues to ride just fine today.

I wouldn't give that dent any more thought. It's a nice looking bike, I say, let it ride like it is.

I could be wrong, but I can't imagine that that dent would cause the metal to fail, the paint or decal doesn't even looked scratched .

davidmikesell, The bike shop and the previous posters are correct. If I had a dent like yours in any of my Cannondales, I wouldn't worry about it. It lacks any sharp crease and is at the middle section of the downtube where there is very little stress.

Brad

I have a similar dent (about 2 inches lower on the cross tube) in my Cannondale road bike due to a fall of the workstand. I agree with the others. It is not a big deal as long as the dent is "smooth" with no creases.

The Tubing on my wife's T 800 seems thicker and larger diameter than my road bike. If this is the case I definitely would not worry about it.

Yep, the dent makes the bike look a bit tougher than the rest. Ride it for sure! Overall, it's a really good looking bike.

Thanks everybody. I never thought it was too dangerous, but I just wanted to be sure. See you on the road!