Help identifying a H600.

[blxxp]

I purchased a H600 this morning. The head decal seems to identify as 1997-1999. The serial number also shows IE (May 1997?). However, I can't find this model in the catalogues from this year. I have looked either side and all H600s are shown with a sloping top tube - only in 1992 can I find a horizontal tube.

I would like to know what is original and what isn't for a bit of a restoration, and photos would really help.

It has a Shimano Nexave derailleur and brake levers, and a few other CODA bits. Apologies for the non-drive side photo.

 

[black lightning 1987]

Nice find. I'd say it's a 1997 model as indicated by the IE stamp in the shell. Most likely the H600 model was added to the lineup after the catalogs were printed. Perhaps Shimano offered Cannondale a great deal on Nexave and they created a new model to utilize it. The 1997 catalog photos show only a slight slope on the top tubes of the H series frames. I don't know if the slope varied with frame size but the 1996 H bikes appear to have much more slope than the 1997s.