# Cannondale 3.0, what do you think?



## kaw550

I am looking at an older cannondale 3.0 bike.
What can you tell me about it? What is it made of? What was it designed for?
A was told a lot of the components have been replaced (some Ultegra). I was told it has index shifters on the downtube???

I would be using it for MTB training and maybe a race or two if I get up the nerve.
The asking price is $225

I think it is about 10 years old. Is it to outdated?


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## kfurrow

kaw550 said:


> I am looking at an older cannondale 3.0 bike.
> What can you tell me about it? What is it made of? What was it designed for?
> A was told a lot of the components have been replaced (some Ultegra). I was told it has index shifters on the downtube???
> 
> I would be using it for MTB training and maybe a race or two if I get up the nerve.
> The asking price is $225
> 
> I think it is about 10 years old. Is it to outdated?


Oh, I had one of those for a while; it was my first real road bike. About 10 years old sounds right; I got mine in 1992. It's made of aluminum; it is not exactly a plush ride. I had mine back when the shifters were on the downtubes; the whole STI / Ergopower shifting thing was in its infancy back then. C-dale's top-of-the-line frame back then was called the 2.8; that was probably the only one that came stock with integrated brake / shift levers.

Mine was back in the days of 7-speed cassettes; I'm not sure if the rear-triangle width changed to accomodate 8, 9 and 10 speed versions or not. Something to keep in mind -- i.e., upgrade-ability, parts availability, etc..

$225 frankly sounds a bit steep...


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## excitebike02

It's made of 6061 aluminum, has a aluminum fork, fat tubes, very stiff ride, and has good acceleration. I had a Cannondale 3.0 Criterium frame. It will beat you up on a 50 mile ride all the time. You better get a good seat, a carbon fork if possible, which means you will need a new headset, unless they make threaded 1" carbon forks. I don't think it's really outdated, aluminum is always a stiff ride. You can always upgrade components and try to make the ride a little more comfortable. Make sure the dropouts are not bent since they are not replaceable on the 3.0. For a bike to train on and the price it could be a good choice, but it's not going to be a smooth ride.


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## king4wd

I had one as well. 6061 T-6 aluminum in HUGE diameter tubes. Great acceleration and absolutely zero flex in the bottom bracket area. However, the super-stiff frame and steep geometry make for a twitchy ride and sore bum. For short rides its a good bike. For longer rides, its an "Abu-grahib" style interrogation device  . As its been said- get yourself a carbon fork, possibly a new headset and stem as well if you're going threadless, and get a comfortable saddle- I recommend one with suspended rails like a Turbo-matic or pro-link. On the plus side, its a strong, durable frame, and I ran 8speed 105 components (130mm rear spacing) on it with no problems so 8&9 speed groups will fit without any trouble. Note: use strong wheels. That frame is so stiff, I had lots of trouble keeping rear wheels in true.


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## bikersteve

I bought one earlier this year for $300 bucks. You might say it's on the steep side, since it has the original Shimano 600 components on it (6 speed, downtube, etc.). But even after all these years, all the components still work perfectly, and it only had around 1500 miles when I got it.

I use it to commute and I can't complain about it whatsoever for those purposes. It's a real rocket on hills, and I don't think that the ride is unbearable, even with an Al fork and frame. I do notice that it is rough, especially when I switch off to the Fuji team with carbon fork and seat stays. Despite the jitters, it's never something I worry about when I ride this bike. A big reason why I bought it was because it's a relatively good looking bike (at least mine is), however, not so flashy that it's automatic theif bait. One more thing I like is that the frame is tough and can take lots of abuse despite it's age. I'm happy. I'd rather have this bike than a brand new low end model.

If everything is ok with the bike you're looking at, 225 is a good price. Added ultegra is a plus.


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## kaw550

*What material for entry level frame?*

Should I be looking for steel or aluminum?
I had assumed aluminum was a step up.


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## kfurrow

kaw550 said:


> Should I be looking for steel or aluminum?
> I had assumed aluminum was a step up.


There's no way to say that any frame material is inherently superior to any of the others. There are extremely high end steel bikes made (Richard Sachs comes to mind), and there are extremely high end aluminum bikes made (any number of manufacturers come to mind).

Despite what a lot of people will try to tell you, the frame material itself has little to do with how the bike actually feels. You could make a steel or an aluminum bike that is bone-shaking stiff or so limp that you could easily flex the frame while pedalling.

One site to check out: http://www2.sjsu.edu/orgs/asmtms/artcle/articl.htm


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## crossracer

Great bike, very much a go fast bike. If i recall they made a road and crit version. I had the crit version and it will beat you up. However with a nice carbon post and a new carbon fork you should soften up the ride a bit. Also the axle spacing issue is correct, so you should maybe try a wheel to see if you can fit it with a little "english". Other wise look for bubbling paint, or cracks around the welds. I've seen some brand new 2.8 frames in the shop latly, never ridden, and i could sell as new. Other people have some sweat that reacts with c-dale paint and bubbles the paint. Good luck Bill


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## cdmc

kfurrow said:


> Despite what a lot of people will try to tell you, the frame material itself has little to do with how the bike actually feels. You could make a steel or an aluminum bike that is bone-shaking stiff or so limp that you could easily flex the frame while pedalling.
> 
> One site to check out: http://www2.sjsu.edu/orgs/asmtms/artcle/articl.htm



That is the honest Truth. That said, that model Cannondale rides like a brick. Even for my 225 pounds that frame was way to stiff.


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## 3ohMasterpiece

*I love the 3.0!*

Yes the bike is "outdated" as far as not being the latest glorious thing from shimano. 

The frame was US made, probably with a hardy parts spec from Shimano with Mavic wheelset. 

I had a 90's 3.0 and it was a very stiff and lightweight bike. It is not a comfort road bike! It is a criterium racing rocket with a high bottom bracket and fat aluminum tubing. I used to use one with a disc rear wheel for road racing and road riding just for fun. 

Over long distances (50-100+ miles) this bike will beat the living out of you. But for short sprint races or 25 mile races, this thing is 5 *s ! You can soften the ride up some with classic style aluminum rims (not the stiff deep dish kind) like some old wienmenns. 

NOTE: The rear spacing is probably 125 mm and not 130, and cannot be "bent" to accomodate wider hubs. You may be able to manipulate a modern hub and redish your wheel to use an 8speed rear cluster, but you may run into dish or chainline problems.

This bike most likely did come with Downtube Shifters. If you don't like them, buy another bike. You can find obsolete cable routing accessories to put cable stops on the downtube bosses, or you can file them off and use full length cables to your STI shifters, but you are wasting your time. Downtube shifters were made for light weight bikes, for people with sprinting power and torque. 

The 600 ultegra series was downright awesome as far as reliability and stiffness of the cranks, shifted very well, and was very durable. The 2x6 setup won't make a lot of new bikers happy, but can be tamed with a 38t chainring. 

The old style caliper brakes can be vastly improved by using Kool Stop v-brake pads instead of those hard rubber blocks, if you have the clearance. This worked great on another road bike I used to ride in the rain. 




kaw550 said:


> I am looking at an older cannondale 3.0 bike.
> What can you tell me about it? What is it made of? What was it designed for?
> A was told a lot of the components have been replaced (some Ultegra). I was told it has index shifters on the downtube???
> 
> I would be using it for MTB training and maybe a race or two if I get up the nerve.
> The asking price is $225
> 
> I think it is about 10 years old. Is it to outdated?


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## Kerry Irons

*Back from the dead*



3ohMasterpiece said:


> Yes the bike is "outdated" as far as not being the latest glorious thing from shimano.


I'll tell you what's outdated. You responded to a thread that is almost 5 years old. Newbie enthusiasm? :0


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## 3ohMasterpiece

No, nostalgia! I have another cycling thread, and was discussing the bike. I was looking for photographs of several models of the bike. I like cannondales. 





Kerry Irons said:


> I'll tell you what's outdated. You responded to a thread that is almost 5 years old. Newbie enthusiasm? :0


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## yednap47

The thread might be old, but I still got something out it. Thanks. I'm thinking about getting 3.0 road race with integrated RSX shifters, any advice?


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## wim

> _I'm thinking about getting 3.0 road race with integrated RSX shifters, any advice?_


Great bike. Look closely around the plastic cable housing guides on the top tube for bubbling paint and corrosion. No big deal if you see any, but it might get you $20 or so off the price.


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## Mr. Versatile

I hope you have a cast iron butt. You're gonna need it.


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## Dinosaur

This Post Is Five Years Old


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## yednap47

who cares?


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## yednap47

Thanks for the advice, but I did a standover height measurement and think im too short. The bike and I are both at 32"


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## kburggibbs

I just bought one yesterday -- yeah, I'm a newbie -- my first road bike. I want to use it to commute, about 10 miles each way. I think I'll be ok.


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