Cannondale CAD3. Worth it?

in message <[email hidden]>, andrew carver

(') said:

I've been offered a CAD3 for £400, its in pretty good nick. I'm not
sure of the groupset and wheels but they're decent.

Is it worth it?

I'm not sure whether an Aluminium frame of that age is a wise buy.

If it's CAD3 it's guaranteed for life (although I think that guarantee
is only for the original owner). Obviously, check very carefully for
cracks, but I wouldn't have any worries buying a good Cannondale of any
age, frankly.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
"The result is a language that... not even its mother could
love. Like the camel, Common Lisp is a horse designed by
committee. Camels do have their uses."
;; Scott Fahlman, 7 March 1995

Simon Brooke said:

If it's CAD3 it's guaranteed for life (although I think that guarantee
is only for the original owner). Obviously, check very carefully for
cracks, but I wouldn't have any worries buying a good Cannondale of any
age, frankly.

A lot of them break, but my M1000 hasn't (yet). Mind you, I think
having it resprayed probably voided the warranty.

Zog The Undeniable said:

A lot of them break, but my M1000 hasn't (yet). Mind you, I think
having it resprayed probably voided the warranty.

Really? In the EFBe tests they were one of the few high end frames that
survived the full test cycle -
http://www.damonrinard.com/EFBe/frame_fatigue_test.htm.

Mine is now about six years old and still absolutely fine (and in the
biggest size at that). Aluminium frames being more prone to breaking is
an old wives tale.

Tony

Tony Raven said:

Zog The Undeniable said:

A lot of them break, but my M1000 hasn't (yet). Mind you, I think
having it resprayed probably voided the warranty.

Really? In the EFBe tests they were one of the few high end frames that
survived the full test cycle -
http://www.damonrinard.com/EFBe/frame_fatigue_test.htm.

Mine is now about six years old and still absolutely fine (and in the
biggest size at that). Aluminium frames being more prone to breaking is
an old wives tale.

The LBS used to be a dealer, and one of the reasons they stopped selling
them was the number of returns. They might be more sorted than they
used to be.

Zog The Undeniable said:

The LBS used to be a dealer, and one of the reasons they stopped selling
them was the number of returns. They might be more sorted than they
used to be.

An opinion echoed by the staff of EBC. They apparently saw a ridiculous
number of returns (Not sure if they were MTB / road / both). AFAIK
things have improved, but in the industry Cannondale still have a bit of
a reputation.

Jon