CAAD5 frame great paint scheme

IdahoBrett

IdahoBrett

Well-Known Member
I found a great paint schemed frame for sale. It would likely cost more than I should or could pay.

Its serial number starts with “N” = 2002. How would you complete it? What is a realistic working man’s budget?

IMG_0562.jpeg
 
JohnnyD

JohnnyD

Well-Known Member
I've always loved this paint scheme. I've considered doing something similar before on one of my bikes, still might do it once I get around to FINALLY stripping the paint job off of it again!(can you guess which one?)
I am leaning more to polishing the frame thought then doing red candy clear and blue candy clear with the decals being Red,White and Blue though.
 
IdahoBrett

IdahoBrett

Well-Known Member
Having never built a bike I imagine chasing down individual parts could be a chore. Probably would be easier to find a bike or two or more with say, Ultegra level components and cannibal-ize
 
black lightning 1987

black lightning 1987

Moderator
Staff member
Buying a complete bike and swapping the components is a good option. I would go with Campagnolo in that era as the shifters are generally more reliable, as well as rebuildable. Harder to find than Shimano but 10 speed Veloce/Daytona/Centaur groups show up in the $300-400 price range. But if you could source a low mileage 105/Ultegra donor bike I wouldn't hesitate to build it that way.
 
IdahoBrett

IdahoBrett

Well-Known Member
Learned that this frame is a 9/11 commemorative edition. Production number that I found says there were 1100 made.
 
IdahoBrett

IdahoBrett

Well-Known Member
$742 shipped. Just for the frameset. As much as I like it, that is a lot of money for a paint scheme. If it was $150 lower I might. That is a lot of parts to find to make it complete.
 
IdahoBrett

IdahoBrett

Well-Known Member
I like it a lot. I slept on it and still think it is too high of a premium to pay. It would take some time to find, but I could find a complete CAAD5 of that vintage for less or at the very least a very nice complete one at that price. What I am still thinking about it is that it is in a very hard to find frame size and the sense of pride and accomplishment I would feel after building a bike up from just a frameset for the first time.
 
IdahoBrett

IdahoBrett

Well-Known Member
Ahhh…nevermind. I read the ad a little more carefully. The seller is advertising it as an XL 61cm frame. He has all the frame dimensions listed. His 61 cm is the top tube length! The seat tube is listed at 66.5cm. No such thing of course. In reality it’s a 66 cm bike frame.

I’m not tall enough at 6’2”. Whew! And to think I contemplated spending that much. I have messaged the seller a few times already. Swell chap. I’m not the kind of person to go and message him again and educate him on frame sizing. That would be ridiculous anyway, considering my knowledge level is basic beginner.
 
black lightning 1987

black lightning 1987

Moderator
Staff member
It looks like a 63 cm to me. People make mistakes measuring all the time. Easiest tube to measure accurately is the head tube. Lengths were not published in the CAAD 5 era but I measured a 60 cm CAAD5 at 19 cm, and a 63 cm CAAD7 at 22 cm. He specifies a head tube length of 22.7 cm. I'd expect the 66 cm frame to have a 25 cm head tube, or close. I sent him a message to check for a 63 stamped in the bottom bracket shell.
 
black lightning 1987

black lightning 1987

Moderator
Staff member
Pretty sure of the size now, as he sent a photo of the BB shell. The 63 shown is where the size normally appears, I believe the 66 above it is a continuation of a longer number.
CAAD5 stars stripes 63 cm.jpg
 
IdahoBrett

IdahoBrett

Well-Known Member
Neat additional info! I did not know the BB stampings included the frame size in cm, for that vintage. Good to know.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember reading odd number frame sizes were sold as framesets.
 
black lightning 1987

black lightning 1987

Moderator
Staff member
IdahoBrett said:
Neat additional info! I did not know the BB stampings included the frame size in cm, for that vintage. Good to know.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember reading odd number frame sizes were sold as framesets.
Click to expand...
That is correct, at least in certain years. But 63 cm was a standard size for a long time and sold as complete bikes. In 1999, 53, 55, 57, and 59 cm road frames were only available as framesets according to the catalog. Except in Europe where they were probably available in multiple finishes that we are still waiting to see in the USA - my frustration kicking in.
 
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