How about defining vintage cannondale

[finflyer]

How about defining the year, what is qualified here as a vintage cannondale? It seems that we are seeing newer and newer bikes here. Even made in far east 2017... Everything that reads Cannondale on downtube is not vintage...

All Cannondales prior 1997? 2000?
All Cannondales made in U.S.A.?

 

[JohnnyD]

My opinion is that anything prior to 2008 should be considered vintage. I say that only because that is the last year that Cannondale offers product manuals for on their website. For any other information on bikes prior to that year the website refers you here. I could also agree that that maybe 2010 would be the last year to be considered vintage due to that being the last year for USA made Cannondale bikes.

 

[black lightning 1987]

First reaction to the question would be made in USA Cannondales. But they are already 13 years old, so I think at some point later models will need to be included.

 

[finflyer]

Generally vintage mtb’s are concidered somewhere before Y2k. Maybe this site is more focused on ”handbuild in USA” theme than rigid years. But please, no Taiwan made bikes allowed here, never?

 

[Brian]

I feel its the same for anything vintage. For example a Honda civic. Is a 83 Civic vintage? 93 Civic? 2003? 2013?

 

[JohnnyD]

I feel its the same for anything vintage. For example a Honda civic. Is a 83 Civic vintage? 93 Civic? 2003? 2013?

It is an "in the eye of the beholder" kind of thing. The real benefit of forums such as this one is the sharing of others experiences and knowledge to help me . To me it is immaterial if that experience and knowledge comes from bikes made in a certain time and place.

 

[kjop]

when we have a look to the automobile & motorbike industry, then cars and motorbikes with 30 years and older are here in germany called 'oldtimer'. from 20 to 30 years those vehicles are 'youngtimer'.

on bikes in my opinion it can be handled the same way... not? if a bike is more or less 15-20 years old, it's a 'youngtimer' to me. bikes from the 90's, like the CAAD1 CAAD2 are oldtimers. a CAAD3 or 4 from the early 2000, maybe a CAAD5 from 2004 is a 'youngtimer' and with it's nearly 20 years right on the doorstep to be 'vintage'.

for this special cannondale-thingy here: it is to me, as mentioned from others before, the border when cannondales weren't produced anymore by hand in the usa

 

[black lightning 1987]

Just as a point of reference: I'm pretty sure any race car older than ten years old is eligible for vintage racing events. All the ones I worked on are over 20 years old (one is 50!), so I'm feeling old just thinking about vintage.

 

[finflyer]

when we have a look to the automobile & motorbike industry, then cars and motorbikes with 30 years and older are here in germany called 'oldtimer'. from 20 to 30 years those vehicles are 'youngtimer'.

on bikes in my opinion it can be handled the same way... not? if a bike is more or less 15-20 years old, it's a 'youngtimer' to me. bikes from the 90's, like the CAAD1 CAAD2 are oldtimers. a CAAD3 or 4 from the early 2000, maybe a CAAD5 from 2004 is a 'youngtimer' and with it's nearly 20 years right on the doorstep to be 'vintage'.

for this special cannondale-thingy here: it is to me, as mentioned from others before, the border when cannondales weren't produced anymore by hand in the usa

Caad1,2 and 3 mountain frames were all introduced in 1996, none of them is more or less vintage than another.

 

[black lightning 1987]

What first attracted me to the brand was that the frames were made in the USA at a time when most manufacturers in the USA were struggling and lots of production was being shifted to cheaper labor markets. I simply wanted to support workers in my country and do what I could to keep some skilled people employed - and hopefully contribute to a few younger workers getting an opportunity to develop their skills. So I tend to think of vintage Cannondale as any USA made frame.

 

[roKWiz]

Vintage Cannondale should always be remembered as Cannondale "Handmade in the USA" as far as I'm concerned.

 

[letsbike]

Personally, I turn off when I see a Cannondale manufactured after 2003, because that is no longer the original company.
I entirely agree with concept of The Eye of the Beholder that JohnnyD talks about. That is the unique energy that everyone brings to this website's forums.
Hundreds of people look at the gallery posts, yet the newest pictures are months old. I would love to see more posts from those other people. It doesn't matter if your bike is museum quality or not. Every bike has a story. What's yours? For one, I'd like to hear and see it.

 

[IdahoBrett]

For me the word vintage conjures up a nostalgic feeling. As time passes and decades are measured I find myself from time to time wandering mentally to a place or a feeling.

As an American in my fifties I’ve experienced the shifting of products manufactured in the USA to being made elsewhere. My nostalgic journey into bicycles brings to memory names like Schwinn, Murray, Trek and Cannondale.

Seeing “handmade in USA” on the frame of a Cannondale invokes a nostalgic feeling of sorts. Of course components came from far away places. Such as Italy, France, Japan and Belgium. For me those places a long, long time ago were exotic places.

My introduction to Cannondale was when my friend Mike showed me his 1985 SR300 in Continental Blue around 1988. As a kid who rode gas pipe framed bicycles I was astounded by the lack of weight. I imagined my friends bike as a professional race bike.

Being absent from biking for a time, my return caused me to gravitate toward Cannondale. Thanks Mike.

For me, downtube shifters are definitely vintage. And so is handmade in USA. For others it is different. I don’t know if an absolute definition for vintage can be determined. Because I believe the word vintage has an emotional meaning for a lot of people.

 

[letsbike]

For me the word vintage conjures up a nostalgic feeling. As time passes and decades are measured I find myself from time to time wandering mentally to a place or a feeling.

As an American in my fifties I’ve experienced the shifting of products manufactured in the USA to being made elsewhere. My nostalgic journey into bicycles brings to memory names like Schwinn, Murray, Trek and Cannondale.

Seeing “handmade in USA” on the frame of a Cannondale invokes a nostalgic feeling of sorts. Of course components came from far away places. Such as Italy, France, Japan and Belgium. For me those places a long, long time ago were exotic places.

My introduction to Cannondale was when my friend Mike showed me his 1985 SR300 in Continental Blue around 1988. As a kid who rode gas pipe framed bicycles I was astounded by the lack of weight. I imagined my friends bike as a professional race bike.

Being absent from biking for a time, my return caused me to gravitate toward Cannondale. Thanks Mike.

For me, downtube shifters are definitely vintage. And so is handmade in USA. For others it is different. I don’t know if an absolute definition for vintage can be determined. Because I believe the word vintage has an emotional meaning for a lot of people.

For me, I was really in love with the Columbus tubed Schwinns of the 1980's. Really well made bikes.(I owned four) What brought me to Cannondale was all the guys with more experience than me always lamenting that they really wanted to own "A Dale."

 

[roKWiz]

It's very much like these new "Chinesem" built cars with MG badges on them pretending to be a classic British car company.

 

[FPrue1304]

My CAAD9 of 2009 feels vintage to me?

And my Slate of 2017 might do so soon. It was one of the first gravel bikes.

 

[black lightning 1987]

It's hard for me to think of a CAAD9 as vintage because I think it's still a frame that any race in the world could be won on.

 

[kjop]

CAAD9 ...it's still a frame that any race in the world could be won on.

naaaahhh... i doubt that. in amateur races with an experienced rider, maybe... but i don't think any worldtour rider can win a race by riding a CAAD9. we should ask alberto bettiol to try that for us... xD

as peter sagan did one stage at tour de france in his last year for bora hansgrohe when riding an aluminum frame for just one race for marketing purpose by specialized.

 

[black lightning 1987]

We will never know as there's no way to get a pro tour rider on a CAAD9.

 

[FPrue1304]

naaaahhh... i doubt that. in amateur races with an experienced rider, maybe... but i don't think any worldtour rider can win a race by riding a CAAD9. we should ask alberto bettiol to try that for us... xD

as peter sagan did one stage at tour de france in his last year for bora hansgrohe when riding an aluminum frame for just one race for marketing purpose by specialized.

I think on the professional level small increments and prize money matter too much that a rider could afford to pass on the advantages of newer carbon frames. But a recreational, even ambitious rider can be very happy with the CAAD9 (I am).