Used Cannondale... fake??

[e17kbc]

Hi guys... I need your opinion on this one...
Someone is offering me this bike... it's a Cannondale frame (according to seller), because of the logo shape and gears system it seems to be from 1997-1999 period.... I've never owned a Cannondale so I do not know if the bike is real or a fake... they want 260 bucks for it...
its an aluminium frame, that was bought as a frame only and assembled later...
any thougts on this one?

[bikerjulio]

I don't think so, but for that money I'd be looking at the bike overall. Pretty good from what i can see if it fits you.

[jekyll man]

its not a cannondale......

It would have to be between a caad2 and caad4 if it were, due to the steel fork and external headset.
Nothing points to it being one at all.

Downtube looks like its a straight pipe- Cannondales a lot bigger and increase in size to the BB junction.
Caad2 had old style extended dropouts, maybe 3 did as well.
braze on front mech?? never seen an alloy dale with one.
down tube braze ons? AFAIK anything newer than a caad2 had threaded adjusters.
Tube junctions/ welds look all wrong.
Internal brake cable routing? Never seen it.

It looks like a load of old kit (and mostly cheap low end) mashed together to sell. It might be worth 260 as a hack bike to you, but then again, if its all that old, replacing old knackered unobtainable parts can be a pain and expensive...

[SixThirteen]

Long time lurker, first time poster...

I own a 'Dale from that era (a 97 R200) and this doesn't look like a Dale from then.

If it is real it'll have a Cannondale serial number under the BB.

You can also try to find it on the vintage 'Dale site. Since this is my first post I can't post links, so do a search for "cannondale 1998 catalog"

[Oswald]

Doesn't look like a Cannondale to me, and lot's of old low end parts. I wouldn't bother with it... You can find better deals for 260.

[justkeepedaling]

Fake, and overpriced to boot. Don't go for this.

[bikerjulio]

Agreed that it's a mashup of parts on an unknown frame.

There's some similarity to a CAAD2 with steel fork, but not the same. CAAD has external brake cable run for one.

[shoemakerpom2010]

All Cannondale frames from that period have the welder stamp and number under the bottom bracket from that period and the tubes should be large. Also the welders stamp is usually at the fork dropouts or on the derailleur hanger.

[bikerjulio]

All Cannondale frames from that period have the welder stamp and number under the bottom bracket from that period and the tubes should be large. Also the welders stamp is usually at the fork dropouts or on the derailleur hanger.

did you look at my post above?

CAAD3 and on had fat tubes.

[roadieboy]

Because of the chain stays, and the seatpost binder, I am almost certain that it is an old Trek.