At least it turns heads, Shaun. Pretty sure it doesn't turn corners.
I'm a former Cannondale owner myself (1999 F400 and 2007 F6). Here's how I described the F400 elsewhere.
Raging_Bulls":3tx62r1s said:
It had the build quality of a prehistoric spear, was as reliable as a South-African dictator, cornered like the road was made out of vaseline, didn't brake and was too heavy to get it up to any speed. Apart from that, it was great.
I'm afraid the F6 wasn't much better. It actually spent more time in the shop than it did on the road.
- Both shifters (SRAM SX-5) failed several times. One front lever mechanism even collapsed without me ever using it. I went through 3 full sets.
- One of the V-brake arms broke (Cannondale-branded Tektro arms, and I never had problems with Tektro before).
- The rear mech (also a SRAM SX-5) collapsed when pulling away from a red light, before I planned to make the first upshift.
- The headset needed to be replaced because they forgot to put grease in it. Note that the fork is already assembled when you open the box, so it's not my LBS' fault.
It also handled with all the precision and finesse of a sinking boat. I managed to stand it for 400 miles before I sold it for less than it cost me to replace all the broken parts.
It's been the same with every American bike I owned or had the misfortune of riding (2 low-end Scotts, 4 Cannondales, 2 GTs and an Adroit).
As much as I like certain American bikes' styling, I think I'll stick with European ones. If I ever buy another American bike (Probably a Klein frame), it'll undergo some serious modifications before I'll even consider riding it.