Cannondale 1999 R800 Compact

Price Paid:  $1200.00 at Kozys

Favorite Ride:
North Branch trail

Bike Setup:
pretty much they way i got it. 48CM frame

Summary:
great farme nice and light. great group set. the welds are beautafull and nice and smoth. nice and fast. good for some one my size and waight. i am 5 foot 5 inch guy who waighs 120 poundsso the fit is perfect for me

Strengths:
can take a morte betting i have gooten dored on it while going 20-25 and the farm and fork are still good. but the we=hells got nocked out of true.

Weaknesses:
650c tires are staring to become harder to find now.

Favorite Ride:
Custom Mezzatesta

Bike Setup:
Mix of Dura Ace and Ultegra, 170 cranks, 650c Spinergys.

Summary:
Great bike even for strong racers. Would recommend every woman under 5'2" at least take one out for a test ride.

Strengths:
The 47cm is a great fit for a 5'1" woman with shorter torso and longer legs. Very stiff and light...great for climbing and sprinting. Also a reasonable price. I have had a very difficult time finding stock bikes with a comfortable and powerful fit and this was by far the best yet. I have tried Trek women's specific bikes, Trek OCLV, 48 cm Cannondale (non-compact), and an Independent Fabrication and the 47 cm Cannondale was the best fit. Short of going the custom route, I would highly recommend this bike to smaller women. In fact, I just sold my to a woman who wants to begin bike racing and I am now considering getting another Cannondale unless I buy a custom built frame. The paint job also seemed to take a beating without showing much wear.

Weaknesses:
The usual Cannondale rough ride but the good fit outweighed the bumps.

Similar Products Used:
Custom Mezzatesta frame, 48 cm Aegis.