Model question/ color

[Pyromedic]

In 1989 I bought my 1st “real” bike. A cannondale either r300 or possible r500.
Sun tour components, but color wasn’t available according to the catalogs. I checked both 1987, 88, 89 and 90 catalogs.
I do seem to recall it being 3.0 which would make it an 89 more than likely or early 90?
Was beautiful bright yellow with black graphics. Downtube shifters as well.
Here’s the odd part, was bought on post at an AAFES in West Germany in Gießen.
Rode that bike all over Europe. Would love to find another!
Did AAFES get a special color?
Thanks in advance!

 

[black lightning 1987]

Very tough to tell what you had at this point. I can't recall yellow on any USA model Cannondale before 1991 besides the Omega MTB. It seems that we get a lot of questions about bikes that were sold in Europe that don't match any known catalog description.

I would suggest that you track down a 3.0 frameset (or complete bike) and build it up with a reasonably correct period group and see if it's still fun to ride. It shouldn't cost too much to recreate the riding experience. If you are happy with that, the next step would be to have the paint done as best you can remember it.

I still ride a number of 1980s Cannondales. I also understand the desire to reproduce a bike that you remember fondly. My first Cannondale was a 1989 SM800 that I bought new. It was stolen in 1994 or 1995 after I had ridden it nearly 8,000 miles. I've been looking for another ever since. My 2nd Cannondale was a pink 1987 R600 which I still own but I repainted it red (with leftover paint from my 1966 Oldsmobile) sometime in the early 1990s. I eventually regretted changing the color. I was lucky to find another pink frameset in good shape, for which I'm still trying to locate all the original parts.

Hopefully someone will chime in with better information about your bike than I have.