Cannondale 1999 R800

Price Paid:  $225.00 at craigslist (1999 mod

Favorite Ride:
to school n back

Bike Setup:
1999 CAAD3 frame, shimano 105 components, mavic rims, CODA slice carbon front fork, shimano look pedals, shimano flight deck computer

Summary:
never ridden a road bike before this one, but i had a cannondale mountain bike and fell in love with the stiff, light cannondale frame. decided to try a road bike and wanted to stick with a cannondale, and i was not disappointed. this bike is very light, very stiff, rolls like a dream. what i love about cannondales is you can really feel the transfer of power from your pedal to the bike's roll forward, there's no flex or wasted motion. even after 9 years, the components are strong, it shifts quickly, brakes well. i am a cannondale fan.

Strengths:
light, stiff, good transfer of power, great components, rolls super fast. love it.

Weaknesses:
probably some, haven't found em yet.

Similar Products Used:
2008 specialized sirrus, 2008 cannondale capo (new model commuter bikes, close to road bike geometry but w/ riser bars)

Price Paid:  $2600.00 at CRANKS NORTH SYDNEY

Favorite Ride:
SYDNEY TO WOLLONGONG

Bike Setup:
MICHELIN AXIAL PRO TYRES,SHIMANO WH-535 WHEELS,ITM HANDELBARS,ROLLS SADDLE,SHIMANO SPD PEDALS

Summary:
THIS IS A BIKE FOR THE HEAVIER RIDER,THE FRAME IS VERY STIFF BUT THE FORKS SMOOTH THE EDGES OFF THE BUMPS.THE STANDARD WHEELS WERE OKAY(MAVIC CXP23)BUT I HAVE RECENTLY PUT ON SHIMANO WH-535 WHEELS AND THESE HAVE MADE A GREAT IMPROVEMENT TO THE RIDE WHITH OUT DETRACTING FROM STIFFNESS.MY RIDING IS JUST RECREATIONAL AND THIS BIKE IS PERFECT

Strengths:
LOOKS,BUILD QUALITY,STIFFNESS,PAINT DURABILITY

Weaknesses:
THIN TUBE WALLS COULD DING EASILY

Similar Products Used:
RALEIGH 531 SPORT/7 SPEED NON STI 105

Price Paid:  $1800.00 at Bike &

Favorite Ride:
road racing

Bike Setup:
105 with TA chainrings, Mavic Classic Pro.

Summary:
Great bike for fair price. With small adjustments race ready.
For touring maybee not smooth enough.

Strengths:
Great sprinter , great climber , aggresive.

Weaknesses:
Standard wheelset.
Saddle.

Similar Products Used:
Specialized Allez

Favorite Ride:
A smooth highway

Bike Setup:
CAAD3 with 105. My Heliums are in the mail... Currently Velocity rims (old ones) with RSX hubs.

Summary:
I bought this bike to try racing... I had previously been riding a steel frame Kona mountain bike. What a difference! The CAAD3 frame is light, responsive, and does not flex under hard pedaling. I have a lower back injury, and was worried about the ride being too harsh, but it has not been a problem for me. I am going to a more expensive set of wheels, which I think will be a big improvement over the cheap ones I have on it now (the current ones I have are not what comes stock...)

This bike screams to be sprinted hard, loves to climb, and is more than capable of handling a 100miler.

Strengths:
Stiff, nice finish, excellent handling. Loves to go fast. Carbon fork.

Weaknesses:
Can be harsh on rough roads. I am heavy enough that it is not a big problem, but light riders may find the ride too harsh.

Similar Products Used:
Trek 2200, Trek 2100

Favorite Ride:
round prestbury, cheshire, into the peak district

Bike Setup:
standard 105 but with mavic CXP33 up front, michelin axial pros and flite saddle (the most comfortable ever for light guys btw)

Summary:
this bike is a tool. it works well and will help you win races but it is not something you will fall in love with. and it probably suits the gravitationally advantaged amongst us a little more.
advice: buy it only if it is cheap and you want a bike to get by with, otherwise buy the trek 2200 instead

Strengths:
efficient (although i still get some chain rub when going up steep hills), predictable handling, nice weight distribution so minimum wheelskipping antics when sprinting

Weaknesses:
uncomfortable ride (but then i am pretty light 135-40 lbs)but paradoxically not much feedback when cornering either. feels dead - no "spring" or liveliness at all, and feels kind of slow (and probably is over rough surfaces with all that bouncing about).
overall like riding a tank (ok, a very light tank)
disappointingly, it basically is just an ordinary alu frame: gets a lot of the trickle-down hype from the CAAD4 but not much else. not particularly light either.
really poorly built wheels - they went out of true really early on and i have since managed to break a spoke (all 135 lbs of me) which was a career first
oh and in the uk we get an awful red paintjob that together with the green michelins makes me look like one of santa's elves

Similar Products Used:
alu: trek 2200 (now this was a rocketship), ribble 7005
steel: omega custom frame (neuron tubing), colnago slx, orbit 531, viner