1996 Cannondale F700 CAAD3 Mountain Bike
My Cannondale family expands again. This time I picked up a late 90s “flaming yellow” F700. The bicycle—like Carrie the Commuter Bike—is comprised of a CAAD3 frame, but this one is the mountain bike version. Yes, finally I own a real mountain bike!
This is not to slight The Tank, my virtually indestructible Raleigh M300 that is sitting in my friend Adam‘s garage in California right now. It’s just that without front suspension, The Tank wasn’t the most optimal for really gnarly singletrack. Ditto for The Tanks’ 33 lbs. or whatever it weighs. In contrast, this F700—despite being equipped with Cannondale’s proprietary HeadShok suspension—only weighs 25.2 lbs. That is one pound lighter than the Reynolds recumbent and even 0.2 lbs. lighter than Carrie when the latter is equipped with a rear rack, lock, pannier, and rat-cage pedals (as she is now).
The bike is mostly Shimano Deore components, though the previous owner, Marieke, upgraded quite a few things including the saddle, seatpost, quick-releases, tires, etc. She was selling the bike due to moving from Golden, CO. Due to the wonders of Craigslist and depreciation, the bike only cost me about $25 more than I invested in The Tank back in 1996 despite being a much more competent machine.
What will be the name of this F700? “Cranky.”
As I wheeled the bike away from Marieke’s home after handing over cash, Marieke said to me, “Take good care of her…” So Cranky is a “she.”
As I write this, I have yet to take the bike for a spin off-pavement since the trails around here are still more appropriate for snowshoeing or x-country skiing. But unlike for skiing (which I’ve already squandered away half of the season due to not procuring equipment in time), I am now prepared for mountain bike season. Good thing because mountain biking opportunities are brilliant out here!
Catalog Page
Show below is the Cannondale F700 CAAD3 mountain bike from the 1996 Cannondale catalog. The official name of the color for my bike is Speed Yellow.
Components
These were the initial components when I first purchased the bike. Again, the previous owner, had upgraded many of the stock components.
| Frame | Cannondale CAAD3 |
| Size | 17″ |
| Fork | Cannondale HeadShok DD40 |
| Stem | CODA |
| Handlebars | ?, has riser sections(?) cm |
| Seatpost | Bontrager |
| Saddle | Bontrager FS-10 Race |
| Shifters/Brake Levers | Shimano Deore XT 8-speed |
| Crankset | CODA? 42/32/22T |
| Bottom Bracket | CODA? |
| Chain | Shimano Hyperglide |
| Front Derailleur | Deoree LX |
| Rear Derailleur | Deore XT 8-speed |
| Cassette | Shimano 8-speed Hyperglide 11-28T |
| Front Hub | CODA 700 |
| Rear Hub | Deore LX Parallax |
| Front Rim | Mavic 220 wit UB Control |
| Rear Rim | Mavic 220 wit UB Control |
| Front Tire | Panaracer Fire XC Pro, 26 x 2.1″ |
| Rear Tire | Panaracer Fire XC Pro, 26 x 2.1″ |
| Pedals | SPD-type |
The overall bike weight with the components above (and water bottle cages) is 25.2 pounds. This is about eight pounds lighter than The Tank, even though Cranky has front suspension.
2008 Tour Divide
Despite being a little outdated, Cranky and I completed the inaugural, self-supported 2008 Tour Divide Canada-Mexico mountain bike race in 6th place out of 17 starters. We were just the 11th in the world to have successfully time-trialed the entire stretch of the world’s longest mountain bike route, the Great Divide MBR.
Cranky is now retired from racing, but we still hit some local trails now and then.
There are 4 comments.
I just stumbled across your website. Its a fun read. Your cannondale is a 1996 version. I have a 1995 F700 and have studied the older hardtails a lot. By 1997 the F700 was dumbed down to CAAD2. The crank is branded coda but is made by sugino. Bottom bracket is shimano UN51 68x110. I replaced some parts and you can get under 23 lbs without much trouble. They are awesome bikes even by todays hard tail standards.
I have those same tires on My 2001 F700 disc. They work great, but when they wear out I wonder if I could fit 2.3 tires on that. My bike is so light and and great climber. I compare it to driving a Porsche compared to my friend's big heavy full suspension rig. Nice bike you found.
Not sure if this site is still active considering that last comment was 2018 and the one prior was 2008. In any event, I just bought the exact bike pictured above (Cannondale 1996 F700) from a retired man that hardly ever rode it - it looks perfect! But I can't find an owner's manual for this bike. What is "Head Shok" up on the handle bars? And can I adjust the handle bars any higher or is it permanently stationed where it's at. Hope you see this! Thanks....Randy
Hi Randy. Thanks for stopping by my website and for reaching out. Yes, the site is still active, and congratulations on finding a Cannondale 1996 F700 in such great condition—what a fantastic find!
To answer your questions:
1. HeadShok: The "HeadShok" you mentioned is Cannondale's unique suspension system. In the 1996 F700, the HeadShok offers 2 inches of travel, providing smooth and precise suspension. You can control the suspension by turning the black knob at the top—turn it "off" to lock out the suspension or "on" for up to 2 inches of travel, depending on your riding needs.
2. Handlebar Adjustment: You can change the handlebar height by flipping the stem, which is conceptually simple but does require some work. You'll need to remove the handlebars from the stem, which involves taking off the grips and shifter/brake assemblies. The only other way to adjust the height and reach is by getting a different length stem, though finding one that fits might be a bit challenging.
If you’re still searching for the owner’s manual, you might find it through online resources or Cannondale forums.
Hope this helps, and feel free to reach out if you have any more questions! Enjoy your new ride!