Conference noted::bicycle

     I really like mine too. I bought last year equipped with the
    
     Chorus set-up. I am now waiting to put Christmas gifts on it
    (C record everything!) 
    
     C-Dale has been attempting to stay competitive in the market.
    Particularly in the MTB arena. Watch their 3.0 MTB come way
    down to meet the rest of the field. 
    
     C-Dale is extremely customer conscious. Nice to see a domestic
    manufacturer take an interest in us. Last year this guy from
    Fitchburg lost his house (& C-Dale) in a fire. Gamache's had
    put the all but melted slug of aluminum on display at the shop.
    Naturally, when the C-Dale sales person stopped in he noticed
    it, got the story and gave the guy something like $275.00 toward
    a new frame for the cooked one. How many manufacturer's would
    take an interest like that? ANSWER: Not many!
    
     I'm not saying I'll stay with my C-Dale forever, but "price per
    pound" it's the best frame around!
    
     Adios,
    
             Chip

	RE: .1

	>> C-Dale is extremely customer conscious

	I would strongly disagree with you on this point. Last fall I 
	tried to buy a C_Dale Mountain bike. First, C_Dale had a special
	on their 3.0 with one of the MTN bike groups for $425. I promptly
	ordered one when they first announced the offer. The catch was 
	that they had a few for sale at this price. They would honor the 
	price on an order but they were quoting MAY 1990 for delivery.
	The dealer called around and was able to find one in a shop 
	that someone hadn't taken delivery on. It turns out that they
	didn't have rear derailures for the ones they had so they shipped 
	the bikes without them. I called them and was told that if I wanted 
	the bike I'ld just have to wait. I bought a Bridgestone.
	
	

    re .2
    
    Yes Cannondale did mess this one up.  I attempted th get one of these
    inexpensive 3.0 mountain bikes (SM400) too.  The shop (Old Town in
    Colorado Springs) has no idea when they'll get any more.  What they did
    do is give me a good deal on an 89 SM500.  A few bucks more but, it has
    better components and wheels too.
    
    Mark

re: Note 1438.2            
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>	the bike I'ld just have to wait. I bought a Bridgestone.
    
Paul,
    	I think your missing the point I was trying to make about
    C-Dale standing behind their products.  I consider myself to
    be a *consumer type recreational bicyclist* with no connections
    into the factory networks.  The points that I like about 
    Cannondale are:
    
    		o	Made in the US of A
    		o  	New technology at a reasonable price (3.0 in '89)
    		o	Industry leader in innovation
    		o	Great distribution system (a lot of stores everywhere)
    
    and the most important
    
    		o  	Both their road and Mtn. frames are very 
    			competative (i.e., They go like H*ll)
    		o	Frame trade-in/up program
    
    If you feel that your going to get all of this from another mfg.
    then go for it.  Hope you enjoy your Bridgestone, I think the 
    C-Dale would have been worth waiting for.
    
    						_Jerry
    
    BTW - I think you could have gotten an SM400 for under $400 from L.L.Bean...
    Last years model sure looks like a C-Dale.

	RE: .4

	I agree with you on all those points. That is why I went with the
	C_dale in the first place. I wanted the bike to ride through the 
	winter to save my road bike and I felt that C-Dale was pulling 
	a bait-n-switch -- You can buy this bike for $400 and get it in 
	April or you can spend another $100 and get it today.  

	Paul

    Paul,
    
    	Must be some ex-IBM Sales folks running around
    trying to sell C-Dales these days ;-)
    
    					_Jerry

    Re: .6 
    
    This may not be so far fetched. Cannondale's HQ are less than 1/2hr.
    away from Armonk and White Plains.

>>    This may not be so far fetched. Cannondale's HQ are less than 1/2hr.
>>    away from Armonk and White Plains.
    
    	So much for the humble little Connecticut Train stop
    that they use for their logo....must have forgotten their
    roots :-(
    
    						_Jerry

    I was looking over the latest edition of Bicisport (an Italian bike
    magazine) last night, when I noticed a full-page Cannondale ad.  It
    said (in Italian):
    
        "Either it's a Cannondale, or it's a COPY!
    
        "Cannondale was the first company in the world to make a bike
         with oversized aircraft aluminium tubes.  Now other companies
         have recognized the advantages, and have started offering 
         similar bikes...."
    
    Unless I'm missing something, I think the advertisement is false.
    The Cannondale frame, in fact, is practically a copy of the Klein
    frames that were around years before Cannondale got into making 
    bikes.  
    
    I believe Italy has a truth in advertising law similar to the one
    in the U.S., so Cannondale is really screwing up here.  It may be
    a case of the local advertising agency writing ad copy that Cannondale
    HQ doesn't know about, but in any case, they should not make false
    claims.
    
    
    MATT

    It's possible that there's a technicality like the phrase "aircraft aluminum"
    but I'd mail it to Gary Klein.
    
    ed

    I'm not sure of what's happening in Italy but as far
    as New Hampshire goes the trend in my club is definately
    toward Aluminum frames.  Of the six (6) people with new
    bikes at last Wednesday evenings ride five (5) of them 
    were on Cannondales or Kleins.  According to the last
    article I read Cannondale and another mfg. supposedly
    settled their suit with Gary and now they all have their
    own pattents.  
    						_Jerry