’92 Cannondale 3.0
Canny, whose frame was proudly hand-crafted in the USA, posing with a flag and mailbox motif during the 2004 Tour of Two Forests Double Century.
I can’t say enough about Canny, my ’92 Cannondale 3.0 that I purchased new in August of ’93. Much more than a mere machine, she’s a faithful friend… reliable, economical, exhilarating, not to mention super-stiff, very light, very fast, and downright gorgeous. As of 2006 we have traveled well over 27,000 miles together, including numerous ultramarathon rides, culminating in the successful completion of Paris-Brest-Paris in 2003. She has also gotten triathlon duty in recent years.
Despite the advances in bicycle technology over the last decade, Canny remains a viable, raceable machine. Case in point: her 53-cm frame weighs just 3.0 lbs., which is light for an aluminum frame even today. The Cannondale 3.0 was the stiffest frame ever tested on Bicycling Magazine’s Tarantula test fixture, and since then Cannondale designed more flex into their frames for a more comfortable ride. Yet as I can attest from the several dozens of double centuries I have done, Canny does not “beat me up”. The tires, saddle, and handlebar padding contribute much more to ride comfort than frame flex or material.
Since June 1999, Canny has been Campy-equipped. Viva Italia y Campagnolo!
See my 10-year photo tribute to Canny here.
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- Tribute to Canny '04
Glenn Kamka said:
Congrats on the 10 yr. anniversary. I came across your site as I was looking for some info on my newly aquired Cannondale 3.0. I bought it from a bike shop in a college town where a guy crapped it up by spraypainting it to look like a junker to ride on campus. I guess he moved on and traded it in on another bike because it was stripped to the frame. I bought it for 25.00 and proceded to the paint shop where it was blasted and a hot coat of metalic copper paint was applied. The decals will be in and soon and the other components I ordered and it will be on the road by spring. ‘The Veteran flies again!’ will be its theme. Email me and please tell me what you can about the design and riding. I am glad I am not the only one with such a cool bike.
Suzuki said:
I enjoyed your site. And great to hear that you are happy with Canny. I hope you still have her beside you. Any how, I was searching information on my bike.
I have a Cannondale 3.0 Criterium (Red and White). I purchased the bike recently and I am enjoying the bike as well. However, I can not find any info on my bike and I was woundering if you would happend to know? I can send you a picture of my bike. It doesnt look like yours but similar. Please let me know.. Thank you.
Suzuki
Hafiz said:
Congratulation to you and Canny.
I saw a red with white Cannondale this morning in a second hand shop. Its written there 3.0 CRITERIUM and gears and brake sets are Shimano 105. Other than that I don’t know anything about the bike including manufacturing year. The cost is about US$200. I’m still thinking of buying it or not. For info, it is not easy to find a used Cannondale bike here in Malaysia. I will send a photo if I got the chance. Please give any comment. Thank you.
Philippe said:
Nice bike!
I’m racing on a Cannondale 2.0 from 1989! I got it new in ’89, but hardly used it until 2004 (it had been my TT bike). So I’ve been training/racing on it for three years now. In 2005, I moved up to indexed shifting with a used set of Ultegra 8-speed shifters. My team is aghast, seeing me line up at a big race with this late ’80′s production. Fellow 40+ racers have reported marital problems as their wives find out how cheaply I race! Ooooops! My team is offering me a CAAD 9 frame + carbon fork for $450, and I am tempted, but my heart is still in the ole Blue from yesteryear… Gotta get you a photo… Cheers! – P.
whcanilang said:
Nice Bike. However, really wondering which seat bag you have attached in many of your photos. Its so hard to find a decent expandable seat bag, especially with such large reflective panels. I’m not familiar with yours and hope that model is still available somewhere. Thanks, bro!
clyde said:
What campy group are you using.I want to up grade my cannondale.
jasin said:
i have blue one and love it,but when is it time to get a new one?
Brian said:
Funny, I think I am riding the same frame Philippe is riding, a Cannondale 2.0 in blue with yellow sponge prints on the frame. It’s so retro, has the original Wolber rims on it (now creaking with each revolution in the rear), and weighing in at 23 lbs with the original equipment, a real chore to hillclimb with.
After having a female riding partner admonish me for the last time, I went and bought a used Giant TCR Advanced SL frameset outfitted with Dura Ace 7800 and Ksyerium wheels off eBay. No doubt it’s a smooth ride, but I expected the thing to launch fast enough to give me whiplash. Nope!
It will be interesting to do a longer ride with the bike though.
I guess I’ve always wondered why I never bought a new bike over all these years, now I know!
Scott said:
I’ve got an ’89 SR2000 that my dad bought me as a teenager when I was pretty deep into road racing. She’s a hyper-highlight blue, criterium 3.0 frame with Dura-Ace 8 speed and tubulars. Her gearing was definitely set up for racing and is a far cry from today’s compact crank setups. She came stock with a 39×53 crank and 12×19 cogset. Not a climbing gear anywhere which was a bear. My knees were teenage knees at that point and I thought I was indestructible.
I had been riding steel prior to that, columbus tubing Bianchis and this bike was way stiffer and much more responsive. The ride however was quite harsh. Got out of competitive biking for a while and then got back into serious mountain biking and my road bikes sat for quite a while. I’ve since evolved again and have started road riding more.
I upgraded my Cannondale with aero clinchers rims and still get out and hammer her quite a bit. The bike is still very quick and of course still harsh. She weighs in about 20 lbs. so still somewhat respectable. I’ve not raced her since the early nineties but have done several organized rides and she gets a lot of comments. I’ve even done RAGRAI on her, she only beats me up because she loves me.
Since she just turned 21 this summer. I occasionally let her drink but only in moderation, she’s pretty fond of a strong belgium. Can you tell I still love the ol’ girl.