Old Guy, but New to Cannondale!

wild

wild

Well-Known Member
I haven't ridden since 1977, and started shopping bikes so I could ride with my wife. I found a beautiful 1972 Schwinn Sport Tourer for cheap, and used it for trading stock on a 1986 Cannondale R500 Racer (I think since all of the hardware is correct, but the paint isn't). I intend to restore this bike in the fall as most of it is in good shape except for the paint. At 72, I can't ride like I used to, but am really looking forward to putting this one on the street next week after a crank and pedal change.
ST-500.jpg
 
wild

wild

Well-Known Member
black lightning 1987 said:
Welcome. I can't see much of the details of the bike but the paint looks right for a 1986 SR400.
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The bike has the equipment of the SR500 as listed except the color. It has been repainted, but not very well, and without a primer coat which has caused some blistering. It also has what appear to be carbon fiber rims and a seven sprocket 12-22 coaster plus Modolo side pulls. Everything else is Shimano 600 as listed in the catalog for that year. My guess is that whoever had it was more of a flatland rider and didn't need the lower gearing. The paint is the only puzzle for me. Did Cannondale stick to the paint options as described in the catalogs or could you order any bike with different colors?
 
black lightning 1987

black lightning 1987

Moderator
Staff member
Generally speaking, the built bikes came as described in the catalogs, with paint specific to given models. There were sometimes substitutions of a part here and there. Cannondale did sell framesets most years, so any dealer could order a frame and build it any way the customer wanted. It also wasn't unheard of dealers to switch parts from one bike to another. So if someone wanted a blue SR500 it would be easy for a dealer to accomplish.

Shimano 600 is nice stuff if that's what it has. 42/52 chain rings were pretty much standard issue back then. It was assumed that every buyer would be a strong young racer I guess.
 
wild

wild

Well-Known Member
I appreciate the info since I had never heard of a Cannondale. Back in my day I rode Raleigh and Frejus. Whatever the history of this bike is, I'll put it back to the SR500 color latter in the year and see if it will tolerate an old man on it occasionally until then.
 
black lightning 1987

black lightning 1987

Moderator
Staff member
Cannondale started out in the bike business selling trailers and bags for tourists. The first bikes were made in 1983. The company has sponsored a number of pro and amateur teams, the best known being the Saeco - Cannondale road and Volvo - Cannondale mountain bike teams. I would guess that very few bike races of any sort have been held in the USA since 1990 that didn't include a Cannondale in the field.
 
wild

wild

Well-Known Member
black lightning 1987 said:
Cannondale started out in the bike business selling trailers and bags for tourists. The first bikes were made in 1983. The company has sponsored a number of pro and amateur teams, the best known being the Saeco - Cannondale road and Volvo - Cannondale mountain bike teams. I would guess that very few bike races of any sort have been held in the USA since 1990 that didn't include a Cannondale in the field.
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I rode until about 1976 when I lost my butt in the oil field down in Houston, TX, including my Frejus. What little I know about the Cannondale bike, I learned from this site and a little internet research. Happy to have this one which I hope to be riding this weekend.
 
black lightning 1987

black lightning 1987

Moderator
Staff member
I should have mentioned that Cannondale was one of the very few large scale manufacturers whose frames were made in the USA. The only other company I can think of that made a lot of frames in the USA was Trek, but a lot of their lower end frames came from Taiwan. Cannondales were produced in the USA through the 2010 model year.
 
wild

wild

Well-Known Member
That is one of the reasons I made the trade. Once I've put it back together this coming weekend, I'll [post some pictures of the old guy on the cool bike...hopefully upright!
 
black lightning 1987

black lightning 1987

Moderator
Staff member
I got to thinking that Raleigh may have made frames in the USA during the Technium era. I have a Technium, will have to dig it out and see if it's listed on the frame.
 
wild

wild

Well-Known Member
I had one of the last Raleigh's built in England before they went to Malaysia in the early seventies. Didn't know they had made them in the states. Good information.
 
black lightning 1987

black lightning 1987

Moderator
Staff member
I would have guessed that they made Raleighs in Nottingham much later than the early 70s, but perhaps only the high end ones. The company history could probably make for a pretty thick book. The wiki article explains the use of the Raleigh name for the USA made frames which started in 1982. They were exclusive to the USA, even Canadian dealers received Raleigh UK frames. Also from wiki: "Derby Cycle acquired Diamondback Bicycles in 1999. In the same year, Raleigh ceased volume production of frames in the UK and its frame-making equipment were sold by auction." So from that I assume that there were significant numbers of UK made Raleighs made through 1999.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raleigh_Bicycle_Company
 
wild

wild

Well-Known Member
Excellent info. I rode that old Raleigh Grand Prix through rain, shine, and snow back and forth to college in Fredonia, NY until 1975. When I left for Texas, I took the Frejus with me, so 1976 would have been my last ride until now.
 
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