Canny Has Another Twin! (Cannondale R500 3.0)
Cannondales, especially newer ones, are not exactly a rare breed. Tune in to any Grand Tour like the Tour de France, for example, and you would spot them in the peloton beneath some dudes with massive quads. You do not even need to turn on the tube to encounter one of these oversized aluminum or carbon beauties; likely, at least one buddy of yours may be pedaling an example in your local club ride.
Yet my now twenty-four-year-old Cannondale R500 with red 3.0 frame and white aluminum fork is still unique enough that I always do a double-take when I see one. Since purchasing it in 1993, this has only happened, oh, four or five times. The feeling is similar to when I once met someone who was using a Nokia Lumia 900—the very first smartphone I had—sporting a striking unibody polycarbonate design and gorgeous Windows Phone 7 “Metro” user interface that never gained much traction in the marketplace but was nevertheless capable and delightful.
The most recent rendezvous with the twins, triplets, and quadruplets of my Cannondale R500 (affectionately called Canny) was in Central West End in St. Louis. I was walking through the Medical Center of Washington University when the unmistakable paint scheme and smoothed, filleted TIG welds of this classic made me crank my head around. Upon my second pass of this bike U-locked to a commuter bicycle rack I snapped the featured photo of this post.
It’s almost exactly as how my Cannondale 3.0 was configured when I bought her brand new, including the polished silver Shimano R500 seven-speed components, downtube shifters, triple crank, seatpost, Suntour front derailleur, white brake hoods, black stem and headset. The differences were the following:
- Frame: Mine is 53 centimeters. This one looks smaller, like 50 centimeters.
- Handlebar tape: Mine was white (cork, I think), not black vinyl.
- Pedals: Mine had silver Shimano toe clips and straps and accepted cleats, not black plastic cages.
- Rims: Mine had silver box-section Mavic MA2s, not Arayas. But it did have 32 spokes on both wheels like the example below.
- Tires: Mine had Michelin Select (?) 700x23c tires that retailed for $7 at the time. (This is when Michelin’s top-of-the-line tire, the Supercomp HD, retailed for only $22—not $70 like the high-end tires today.) The R500 below has a Schwalbe dual-compound tire that is different from the front and is certainly a replacement.
- Saddle: Mine had a black Vetta that tore pretty quickly. This one has a black Selle San Marco Ischia that is likely a replacement.
I’m actually amazed that this bicycle still has so many of its original components—much like the 60-centimeter Cannondale R500 I saw in Fort Collins in 2013. The only OEM parts Canny has after nearly 35,000 miles are the frame, fork, and handlebars as I had replaced everything else.
There must be more red and white Cannondale 3.0s out there. If you have one, please drop me a line or leave a comment below.
William Tsui’s Cannondale 3.0
Thanks to William Tsui for sending me a photo of his former red Cannondale 3.0—from Hong Kong no less! His explanation of how he acquired the bike is below.
I had had a red Cannondale which I bought in 1993 in Hong Kong. The shop, Flying Ball (the shop that got Scotsman David Millar into bike racing), built the bike with a CADD 3.0 frame. And I remember I spec’ed full Ultegra components, Mavic Open 4CD rim, Michelin Hi-Comp tires, Turbo saddle on it. Unlike Canny, it has red fork. Unfortunately I sold it in 2007 because I found its ride too harsh. I did not take many pictures of it. There are some low resolution pictures and a very unflattering pic of it being a resting place for clothes hanger (my mom did it).
About Millar, if you read his book he did mention Flying Ball bike shop. He was a teenager living in Hong Kong at that time when his father was pilot for Cathay Pacific. He attended high school in Hong Kong.
Lam Wing Kwong’s Cannondale 3.0
In addition to sending me a photo of his own Cannondale 3.0, William Tsui sent me a photo of his riding buddy’s:
My riding buddy also had a red Cannondale. I am not sure whether it was CADD 3.0 frame though. He bought it in 1992 at Flying Ball and as you can see, it used downtube shifters (my bike has STI). He said it had a mix of Campy, 105 and 600 components. He sold the bike some ten yrs ago.
Canny has many siblings.
It looks slightly larger than my 53-cm frame and it has a red fork and seat collar. It also has “Handmade in the USA” on the seatstay and lacks the model number on the top tube.
Jean Pierre Blin’s 1993 Cannondale R500
In February 2026, I heard from Jean Pierre Blin of France, who shared photos of his remarkably preserved Cannondale. It turns out that Canny has yet another twin across the Atlantic!
Jean Pierre’s bike—which he named “Bugger” in homage to the world’s first bicycle-towed trailer and Cannondale’s first product—is a stunning example of American 1990s craftsmanship. He had this to say about its history and condition (originally in French, but I have translated it to English below):
Having owned an M500 in the early 90s and always being a fan of the Cannondale brand, I was able to acquire a blue R500 in December 2025. I believe it is identical to yours, except for the color, of course. It’s in impeccable condition; the seller told me it has barely more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) on it, though looking at its condition, I think it’s even less.
It was a bit dusty, so I had the slightly oxidized cables replaced and did a full overhaul, including checking the Mavic rims. The seller originally bought two of them in Germany—one for himself and one for his partner—and I was lucky enough to purchase his.
It is practically new. In my opinion, it’s the 1993 model because it appears in the 1993 Cannondale catalog, although the serial number contains the year 1992 within its 11 digits. Additionally, it has the Suntour front derailleur which is indeed mentioned in the 1993 catalog; only the R400 next to it in the catalog retained the Shimano RSX front derailleur.
Have you seen the condition of the handlebars? It’s crazy, right? It looks like it just left the factory—even the housing is all original. All of this confirms its very low mileage. There you go, I hope my ‘Bugger’ brings back good memories to many enthusiasts.
Interestingly, the color of Jean Pierre’s bike is particularly nostalgic for me. When I originally drove over to Noe Valley Cyclery in San Francisco back in 1993, I intended to buy a Cannondale 3.0 road bike in blue. At the time, that blue was featured on the R400. However, once I arrived at the shop, I saw they had the R500 in red for only $20 more. Since the R500 came with a triple chainring (the only major difference between the two models), I opted for the red one instead.
By 1993, this stunning blue color had become the standard for the R500. Apart from the paint, there are a few minor cosmetic differences between Jean Pierre’s bike and my 1992 R500. His seat post is black instead of silver, and his cables and brake hoods are black, while mine were white. He also replaced the original Continental SuperSport Ultra tires and Vetta Lite with Vetta Gel seat and Continental Gatorskin tires, along with a modern Cannondale-branded saddle. Otherwise, the components appear to be an exact match, right down to that specific Suntour front derailleur. It’s truly a time capsule on wheels.
There are 14 comments.
We should start a Canny club and do rides. https://flic.kr/p/a6Qo9h
Hello. I have a Cannondale R500 3.0, aluminum. And need to replace some pieces. Where do you guys order your parts from? Thank you.
Hi Sandy. Thanks for stopping by my blog and for your comment; it?s great to hear from another Cannondale R500 owner!
I get most parts from eBay nowadays aside from things like cables, which I get from local bike shops.
What parts are you looking to replace
Happy cycling!
Hi! Love your post on the red and white R500. I sadly sold mine off about 15 years ago and have regretted it ever since. Question, mine also had the Suntour front derailleur, something i found odd then. Was this common on that year? The original catalog specifies it should be the shimano 100 matching everything else.
Hi Andrew. Thanks for your message; itvs always great to hear from other Cannondale 3.0 owners!
I don't know why the Suntour derailleurs were used, but every 3.0 R500 I've seen has had one. They were common for sure in Cannondale's lineup.
Hello my Dad has this same R500 3.0 and is looking to part with it to make space for a new bike. What do you think is a fair value if its in good operating condition? Thanks in advance!
Hi Charles, thanks for stopping by my website and for your comment.
I estimate that the market value for a 1992 Cannondale R500 in 2024 is around $200-250, maybe $300 at most.
While that may seem low, I bought mine for $600 brand new in 1993, so that wouldn’t be too bad a depreciation over 31 years!
Of course, mine is worth much more to me than that, partly due to all the modern upgrades I’ve done, but mostly because of the sentimental value from all the adventures I’ve had with it. No one would pay as much as the bike is worth to me, so I’ll likely be keeping it forever.
Good luck to your dad if he sells his!
Love reading about the bike and info.I myself have a SR800 and a R500, and I feel the same way about the bikes.You only know if you have one.
Hi Michael, thanks for your comment! It’s always great to hear from another Cannondale enthusiast. The SR800 and R500 are such classic bikes—there’s just something special about their craftsmanship and ride quality. You’re absolutely right: you really can only know if you’ve experienced it yourself. Glad to connect with someone who shares the same appreciation for these vintage machines. Happy riding!
Thanks, you said it like I feel about my Cannondale.
Bonjour Félix. Ayant possédé un M500 début des années 90 et ayant toujours était fan de la marque Cannondale, j’ai pu acquérir en décembre 2025 un R500 bleu. Je pense identique au tiens, à part la couleur bien sur, état impeccable.
Le vendeur m’a dit qu’il a pratiquement pas plus de 500 kilomètres; vu son état je pense moins. Numéro de série de 1992, il est sur le catalogue de 1993, le bleu dégradé. Il était un peu poussiéreux; j’ai fait changer les câbles légèrement oxydé, révision complète, jantes mavic vérifié.
Le vendeur en avait acheté deux à l’epoque en Allemagne: un pour lui, un pour sa compagne. J’ai donc pu acquérir le sien. En faisant des recherches donc sur mon acquisition, je suis tombé sur ton blog, un blog très intéressant.
Donc voilà, je voulais te faire part de mon acquisition car grâce à toi je sais tout sur le R500. Si tu veux, je pourrais t'envoyer des photos. Je viens de lui donner un nom, "Bugger", un hommage au fondateur de la marque.
Jean Pierre
Bonjour Jean-Pierre. Merci pour ton message ! C'est incroyable qu'un vélo de 1992 ait moins de 500 km, c'est une véritable capsule temporelle.
Pour la petite histoire, quand j'ai acheté le mien, je voulais absolument le prendre en bleu, mais le magasin n'avait plus que le modèle rouge en stock. J'aime beaucoup le bleu aussi !
C'est un bel hommage de l'avoir nommé "Bugger" en référence au tout premier produit, la célèbre remorque. On voit que tu connais parfaitement l'histoire de Cannondale !
Je serais ravi de recevoir des photos de ta machine.
Bonjour Félix, merci pour ton message. Aujourd'hui, tempête près de la frontière espagnole, donc j'attends une journée de beau soleil et je fais des photos de "Bugger" et je te les envoie.
Oui, c’est incroyable le peu de kilomètres qu’il a fait. J’ai juste changé la selle gel Vetta qui était décollée, j’ai mis une selle Cannondale. Les pneus étaient d’origine mais trop craquelés; j’ai mis des Continental Gatorskin black edition et des pédales résines en attendant de trouver des taoes clips qui sont cassés pour remettre les Shimano A550.
Voilà, je t’envoie les photos je pense demain.
Merci pour les photos ! Ton vélo est magnifique, on dirait qu'il est neuf malgré ses trois décennies.
C'est intéressant : tes cocottes de freins sont noires (les miennes étaient blanches) et ta tige de selle est noire au lieu d'argentée. Je me demande si le tien est un modèle 1993, alors que le mien était un 1992.
Merci encore pour les images. Puis-je en publier quelques-unes sur mon site ?