[kalkan]

Hello all... ive been a lurker for a while, well over 2 years now, and havent bothered to post... until now.

im looking for a little advice. over the past few years, ive been riding a mountain bike for short recreational rides, 5 miles or so. tough on hills for longer bike rides tho, and i dont think i need full suspension to get around the block. i used to be a more frequent rider, but with kids and job and the like, its been tough...



i digress - i took my old Cannondale 2.8 bike out of storage (i think i got it in 1995?), and brought it to a very reputable and probably the best bike shop in town. it needs new tires, new shifter, new derailleur according to the mechanic - probably running upwards of $550. However... i have Mavic wheels i had specially built about 8-9 years ago, and i have an old handlestem shock absorber that isnt for sale any more, and sentimental attachment.

btwive also gained about 20 pounds on top of it all, but i had wheels made - mavic 36 spoke tires because of my weight, several years ago. im close to 250 now.

the bike shop guy says a decent new road bike will start at $900. he didnt say comparable...

should i give up on the old aluminum frame? im worried that finding something similar to what i have/had will end up costing much more, closer to $1600, which is what i spent in 1995. so... $500 for old bike or bite the bullet, and can i get something like a cannondale 2.8 for under $1000?

 

[Zeet]

Hello all... ive been a lurker for a while, well over 2 years now, and havent bothered to post... until now.

im looking for a little advice. over the past few years, ive been riding a mountain bike for short recreational rides, 5 miles or so. tough on hills for longer bike rides tho, and i dont think i need full suspension to get around the block. i used to be a more frequent rider, but with kids and job and the like, its been tough...



i digress - i took my old Cannondale 2.8 bike out of storage (i think i got it in 1995?), and brought it to a very reputable and probably the best bike shop in town. it needs new tires, new shifter, new derailleur according to the mechanic - probably running upwards of $550. However... i have Mavic wheels i had specially built about 8-9 years ago, and i have an old handlestem shock absorber that isnt for sale any more, and sentimental attachment.

btwive also gained about 20 pounds on top of it all, but i had wheels made - mavic 36 spoke tires because of my weight, several years ago. im close to 250 now.

the bike shop guy says a decent new road bike will start at $900. he didnt say comparable...

should i give up on the old aluminum frame? im worried that finding something similar to what i have/had will end up costing much more, closer to $1600, which is what i spent in 1995. so... $500 for old bike or bite the bullet, and can i get something like a cannondale 2.8 for under $1000?

The Cannondale 2.8 was one of the roughest riding aluminum bikes Cannondale ever made. My advice would be to sell it and move on!

 

[mpre53]

$900-$1000 will usually get you a bike with a Tiagra group, carbon fork with aluminum steerer, and meh wheels.

 

[PlatyPius]

The Cannondale 2.8 was one of the roughest riding aluminum bikes Cannondale ever made. My advice would be to sell it and move on!

Normally I advise people to fix up the old bike. In this case, however, I'm with zeet....those things were awful as far as ride quality.

Maybe you could buy a new frame and whatever components are "bad" and build a new/old bike? It would be a shame to waste the wheels if they're nice ones...

 

[MrMook]

$500? That's insane. What the hell sort of replacement derailleur is he recommending? I'd get a second opinion. Even with new brake pads, tires (25mm to help with the rough ride), tubes, cables, and a basic derailleur, you should be able to come in well under the $300 mark. Hell, if you can do the work yourself, you can get everything you need on Nashbar for less than $75.

 

[Zeet]

$500? That's insane. What the hell sort of replacement derailleur is he recommending? I'd get a second opinion. Even with new brake pads, tires (25mm to help with the rough ride), tubes, cables, and a basic derailleur, you should be able to come in well under the $300 mark. Hell, if you can do the work yourself, you can get everything you need on Nashbar for less than $75.

+1

This is exactly what I was thinking.

The OP should join a bicycle co-op and learn how to do his own repairs on that 2.8, himself. Sounds like somebody's trying to pay for the overhead....

 

[mikerp]

$500? That's insane. What the hell sort of replacement derailleur is he recommending? I'd get a second opinion. Even with new brake pads, tires (25mm to help with the rough ride), tubes, cables, and a basic derailleur, you should be able to come in well under the $300 mark. Hell, if you can do the work yourself, you can get everything you need on Nashbar for less than $75.

Agreed, sounds as if you are being pulled over the table. I'd get the old bike up and running, make sure you are going to stick with it and think about something new in a year..

 

[jpaschal01]

He said it needs a new shifter too. Depending on what they are trying to match, that could run up some cost.

 

[kalkan]

He said it needs a new shifter too. Depending on what they are trying to match, that could run up some cost.

it was the shifter that was going to run $250+.

the total cost i believe was for new shifters, rear derailleur, new tires (armadillos), tubes, and the obligatory $60-80 for the "tune up".

the wheels were Mavic Cosmic rims, Deep V maybe?


thanks for the replies, i beginning to feel like i should salvage parts of the bike and "build my own"... but i dont have time or experience for that :cryin:

 

[Randy99CL]

I'm really wondering why you need new shifters and derailleur. Was it shifting well when you parked it all those years ago?
Those parts don't go bad just sitting there.

Did you take the bike to him and say you wanted to "make it like a new one" or did you ask for the minimum that he could do to make it rideable again?
A dealer has many motivations for throwing out a high repair figure, the most obvious being the profit from selling you a new bike.

Just for the hellovit I'd take it to another dealer and get another quote. Or if you know anyone who is a decent bike mechanic, see what they say.

Surely you could get the tires cheap from Nashbar, etc., and change them yourself.

Just trying to help....

 

[PlatyPius]

I'm really wondering why you need new shifters and derailleur. Was it shifting well when you parked it all those years ago?
Those parts don't go bad just sitting there.

Did you take the bike to him and say you wanted to "make it like a new one" or did you ask for the minimum that he could do to make it rideable again?
A dealer has many motivations for throwing out a high figure.

Just for the hellovit I'd take it to another dealer and get another quote. Or if you know anyone who is a decent bike mechanic, see what they say.

Surely you could get the tires cheap from Nashbar, etc., and change them yourself.

Just trying to help....

Agreed. If the shifters are not working due to the grease solidifying in them (common with Shitmano), that can be fixed. If one is actually broken though....then yeah, you're in for some money. If it was an 8 speed bike, then you're stuck with 2300 and their horrible thumb levers (until Shimano Claris/2400 arrives later this year - see below).
If it's 7 speed, then you have to deal with with Tourney or try to find some older 2200 shifters. Or was the shop maybe upgrading you to 9 speed? That would explain shifters and rear derailleur. Of course, there'd also be a new cassette, chain.... If you actually need new shifters, buy a new bike. Seriously.


View attachment 278850

Shimano Claris (2400) 8 spd STI

 

[[email protected]]

From a performance stand point, I'd say putting $500 toward a new bike will be well spent. However sentimental attachment can be difficult to overcome.

Hello all... ive been a lurker for a while, well over 2 years now, and havent bothered to post... until now.

im looking for a little advice. over the past few years, ive been riding a mountain bike for short recreational rides, 5 miles or so. tough on hills for longer bike rides tho, and i dont think i need full suspension to get around the block. i used to be a more frequent rider, but with kids and job and the like, its been tough...



i digress - i took my old Cannondale 2.8 bike out of storage (i think i got it in 1995?), and brought it to a very reputable and probably the best bike shop in town. it needs new tires, new shifter, new derailleur according to the mechanic - probably running upwards of $550. However... i have Mavic wheels i had specially built about 8-9 years ago, and i have an old handlestem shock absorber that isnt for sale any more, and sentimental attachment.

btwive also gained about 20 pounds on top of it all, but i had wheels made - mavic 36 spoke tires because of my weight, several years ago. im close to 250 now.

the bike shop guy says a decent new road bike will start at $900. he didnt say comparable...

should i give up on the old aluminum frame? im worried that finding something similar to what i have/had will end up costing much more, closer to $1600, which is what i spent in 1995. so... $500 for old bike or bite the bullet, and can i get something like a cannondale 2.8 for under $1000?

 

[Randy99CL]

Opinions are mixed but I like MicroShift and they still make 7 through 10 speed shifter/brake levers and derailleurs. Much less expensive than any of the others and most users say that they work well and are reliable.
If you want to consider them, OP, let me know and I'll link you to their catalog and dealer.

 

[Roland44]

The Cannondale 2.8 was one of the roughest riding aluminum bikes Cannondale ever made. My advice would be to sell it and move on!

Yeah, definitely agree, I tried the Cannondale once and let me just say that I was not impressed..

 

[kalkan]

Yeah, definitely agree, I tried the Cannondale once and let me just say that I was not impressed..

i havent ridden the bike in over 5 years.

i probably put over 10,000 miles on it, but stopped riding it 5 years ago for a variety of reasons. it had been sitting in garage, and i decided to try to rejuvenate it... so there is some sentimental value. (it was a 7 speed, i believe the guy tried greasing it, but it didnt work).

in addition, i was concerned about quality of bike for under $900, but i seem to get the feeling that most people think the 2.8 was too stiff and uncomfortable, and not worth rehabbing...


seems like the consensus is to salvage parts and move on?

 

[SBard1985]

I would put as little money into the 2.8 at possible. I would set a goal, lets say if you ride it for 1,000 miles this summer you can buy yourself a new bike for next summer. A 1,000 mile goal is easily achievable, if you feel like you're going to ride more, shoot for 2,000 miles.

 

[froze]

I agree with the second opinion too, I think the LBS mechanic is smelling blood.

You can find great tires for less then $30 online that are on sale, look for the largest percentage off and good reviews. It's a little tough on sales for tires now due to the cycling season is coming into force, but Performance Bike has the Hutchinson Equinox road tire on sale for $19 each. Then get a set of tubes, nothing expensive, but again Performance Bike has Forte tubes for just $6 each.

Not sure about those shifters, have another LBS take a look at them and if he agrees then see if they have any used ones or try the Microshift brand which are less expensive then Shimano and Nashbar has those for $120 (not sure if that price is each or for the pair!). More then likely you don't need shifters, and if you do you should only need one not both. And a lot of riders have perfectly good shifters replaced due to always looking for the next best thing, and most LBS's should have at least one used one on the shelf.

Again the rear derailleur, get another opinion, you don't need a fancy rear derailleur, Shimano 105 is a perfectly good derailleur for $65 at Performance Bike, or is your not going to ride it a whole lot then Shimano Sora will last a long time for just $35 on Amazon.

Then maybe replace the cables?

If the second opinion comes out the same then you have a decision to make, keep it and fix it, or sell and take the money from the sale plus the $500 or so you were going to spend to fix it and get another bike. You could also sell wheels to add more money to the new bike, or keep them for backup.

 

[midlife_xs's]

It is a 1995 bike meaning 18 years old and the drivetrain has to be (replaced?, upgraded?, overhauled and $$ labor? etc..) but the rest and wheels are good.

You can start riding again with minimal cost by making it into a single speed. Link:

Forté Single-Speed Conversion Kit -