Saeco Cannondale CAD3 (Now CAAD4) {UPDATED Pg2}

[Nathan]

99% Finished - Updates on Page 2!!

Here's my newly aquired Saeco Cannondale.

I've been searching for a CAD3 in my size for ages, and this one came up on eBay a couple of weeks ago complete with a flogged out Shimano RX100 groupset and wheels and some other ghetto parts.
Its also in desperate need of some new paint and decals, and you an clearly see where the prwevious owner has touched up a bunch of scratches with totally the wrong colour paint.

Still... I'm more than happy to give it some love and restor it back to as new spec and condition.

Here's the frame/fork after I pulled everything off it.

I'm a little confused about the paint scheme on this one. I havent seen the purple dropouts on any other Cannondale, except for some of the Saeco/Timex team bikes. So if anyone can shed some light on the purple dropouts, I'd be very appreciative.

I also picked up a partly NOS, partly mint, Shimano Dura-Ace 7700 9-Speed groupset for it last week for a good price.

And a quick shot of it semi-built with the groupset bolted on and the old RX100/CXP12 wheelset.

And finally a quick shot in very average weather from this morning after I picked up some Spinergy Rev-X's

I'm still waiting on a NOS Dura-Ace 7700 headset, Yellow Selle Italia saddle, Yellow/Red bar tape, and a cable kit.

I'm also trying to track down a decal kit so I can have it repainted and give it some fresh decals.

Stay tuned for more updates over the next week or 2!

 

[Nathan]

Ok so, I have some questions which I thought I'd keep seperate from the opening post.

Can anyone clarify the purple rear dropouts?
The only other CAD3's I've seen with a purple and red colour combo after trawling through the Cannondale Catalog's and google image search is the Timex/Saeco team bikes such as Giana Roberge's World TT Bike. All others have been completely red with yellow decals, and no purple on the frames anywhere.

Also, the decals on mine are somewhat different to most usual Saeco Replica frames. I havent seen any others with the Time decals on the forks, or the CODA decals on the seat stays. The only one's I've seen with these decals were actual team bikes.
There was also a decal on the non-drive side seatstay of a local bike store in Australia in the same colour yellow as the others.

These facts are leading me to think it may have been a team frame back in the day, and not a replica frame. Can anyone shed some light on this?

Also, I'm going to try and get a decal set made up, so if anyone know's where to source some or all of these decals, I'd be greatly appreciative.

I'm also still looking for a CODA Frontloader 1" quill stem, and a Team Saeco Saddle.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

I've just spotted this.

That's not a CAAD3 frame. The CAAD3 has a distinctive "Power Pyramid" downtube - fairly slim at the front end, big and fat at the bottom bracket. That, combined with the odd paint job and slightly unusual decal fonts suggest this might be a refinished CAAD2.

 

[mikeekim89]

still a beauty of a frame, looks like it'll be a great ride

 

[Jay75]

I'm not even sure its a Cannondale. The bulges on the steerer tube don't look right for a Cannondale, I remembered them as always been straight top/bottom no significant bulges for the headset cups. And the sticker on the seat tube is backwards. Also the replaceable dropout when originally sold was black. But there is always the chance it was a team frame custom build. Check the serial no. and send it to Cannondale, in my experience with them they have been really, really helpful went it comes to decals, and trying to date a frame.

 

[i-am-iron-man]

I don't quite know what you've got there - I'm definitely not a 'Dale expert, but the decals are almost certainly reproduction.

Also, I found these very good pictures of a CAAD2, and it uses a band-on front derailleur, not a mount on the seat tube like yours has.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

I'm not even sure its a Cannondale.

I think you're right.

The proportions of the tube diameters look wrong: a Cannondale would have a fatter top tube in proportion to the seat tube. The replaceable dropout isn't the right style, the braze-on attachment for the front mech is wrong, and the head tube reinforcements aren't a Cannondale feature.

So what could it be? Any guesses?

[

nice big pictures of a CAAD3 here:

http://www.matuzmaster.hu/_userfiles/im ... 54-big.jpg

http://www.matuzmaster.hu/_userfiles/im ... 53-big.jpg

http://www.matuzmaster.hu/_userfiles/im ... 55-big.jpg

]

 

[fatfixie]

definitely not a C/dale

rear dropout is completely wrong..........

Andy

 

[KeepItSteel]

cue heart sinking feeling....

I feel for you bud.

Still looks a nice bike though eh?....

 

[Nathan]

Lol, yeah I'm not enjoying this thread all that much! ha ha.

Still, I cant complain. The frame was an eBay buy and I didnt get the chance to inspect it before a mate picked it up, nor did I do enough reserch into it.

I'll continue to build it up to catalog spec as if it were a real one, and then when a mint or NOS frame comes up, I'll buy that and swap the frames out.

I still have all of the parts I've taken off this one, so I'll just rebuild it and sell it on.

At the moment, it owe's be about $1000usd, and thats the cost of buying the complete bike, then the NOS/Mint 7700 groupset, then the mint Spinergy Wheelset, and also new saddle, stem, bar tape, cables etc etc.
So even after getting another genuine frameset for it, and selling the old one complete with the parts it came with, it still shouldnt owe me any more than about $1200usd.

I'll still ride and enjoy it in the meantime though Means I dont have to fork out on new decals and paint job for it!