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theabortionator
April, 2025

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Greatest craigslist bike find of all time /claim

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blong131
Posts: 2193 - Karma: 59
maybe you dont think it's threadworthy, but its summer ns and im in the mood to claim.

guy posts up an ad saying hes got "2 cannondale mountain bikes, former racer, just want them gone for $250" no pics, no model#s, sizes, anything. but i had a good feeling about it for some reason

after traveling an hour by train to meet him, i ended up picking up the lightest aluminum xc bike ive ever seen, and my greatest purchase ever in my opinion.the guy couldnt have been cooler, he just knew he was done racing and wanted to hook a kid up that was gonna appreciate it.

-cannondale optimo team frame (and my size, what were the chances!), pretty sure these were only produced in limited run for racers
-titanium lefty fork
-ea70 monkeybars
-magura martas
-mavic tubeless/w s-works tires
-XT/XTR mix
-raceface hollowtech cranks
-titanium spd pedals

i couldnt be more excited. i know, i know "leftys blow, cannondales blow" I dont ride dh. i ride xc/singletrack. this bike couldnt be more perfect, and i just wanted to share my excitement. Ive gotten some crazy craigslist deals, but never this awesome.

cell pic from the train station:
Click for larger image
15 years ago
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Dan.P
Posts: 1351 - Karma: 12
you are one lucky dude
15 years ago
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Lemuel
Posts: 14544 - Karma: 11,151
That's a dope bike. Stolen maybe?
15 years ago
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blong131
Posts: 2193 - Karma: 59
originally was nervous that it was until i met him. but he was legit. he raced for some team in NY, im guessing he got the whole setup proformed or however it works in biking.

as if it couldnt be more random, he got his masters at Fordham, where I'm currently studying.
15 years ago
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skithebert
Posts: 2163 - Karma: 16
probably stolen
15 years ago
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blong131
Posts: 2193 - Karma: 59
did i not just address that right above you?
15 years ago
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Schlop
Posts: 3640 - Karma: 24
broner. hahahah but that's a great purchase
15 years ago
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SkierX
Posts: 16253 - Karma: 538
Nice find!
15 years ago
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,083
i officially hate you right now. cannondales are awesome. i work as a bike guide during summers and that other dude (fat and slow biker, but whatever) had one (he was from england) with similar specs and it was about 4-5k english pounds.
15 years ago
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Bryan*
Posts: 1818 - Karma: 115
.
15 years ago
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Big_Spence
Posts: 16177 - Karma: 4,340
flip it!
15 years ago
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Tbuns
Posts: 92 - Karma: 154
man if you want to buy good bikes just go to pinkbike.com
15 years ago
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cornholio
Posts: 3952 - Karma: 3,057
that never crossed my mind until i read this but that's what i would probably do in the same situation
15 years ago
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skiierman
Posts: 28699 - Karma: -5,563
fuck that! i'd keep it because that bike fucking slaaays.
15 years ago
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EastCoast315
Posts: 3136 - Karma: 138
never seen a "lefty" before. Looks really cool, I'd like to try something like that out. Maybe make a lefty unicycle!
Really sweet find though, props
15 years ago
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J.DUKE
Posts: 1233 - Karma: 38
my girlfriends bike just got stolen last week. today i found a craigslist ad for a bike of the exact description but no pics. emailed a response, and prolly will have to crack some heads in a few days
15 years ago
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freestyler540
Posts: 13225 - Karma: 20,328
my thoughts too
15 years ago
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smuggs
Posts: 6561 - Karma: 1,375
someone who steals cant fill your ears full of do-do? seems like the two go hand and hand con artists and theifs. but sweet score, and possesion is 9/10ths of the law I wood go to the police office and have the serial number searched and all that shit, then you are in the clear.
15 years ago
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~~~~~~~~
Posts: 2345 - Karma: 2,104
just so you know not every one is a thief and some even enjoy hooking people up who will appreciate it.
15 years ago
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skithesprings
Posts: 9086 - Karma: 1,349
For retail, that bike is far from doing any "slaying"
But at that price, you scored BIG TIME. Awesome find my friend. Now I just need to find a deal like that on a DH bike and I'll be set. My Gary fisher HiFi is a beast on single track xc, but I need a little more than 140mm in the front and 5" in the back for DH.
15 years ago
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Norred
Posts: 3520 - Karma: 13
what size frame? i'll give you 260 for it.
15 years ago
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skiierman
Posts: 28699 - Karma: -5,563
uhh... eh?
15 years ago
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skithesprings
Posts: 9086 - Karma: 1,349
i just meant that the bike is wayyyy overpriced at retail, but for 250 is an epic win. the lefty forks have some torque issues and no huge advantage over a regular fork, plus its not a full suspension, but once again, at 250, its a freaking steal.
15 years ago
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skiierman
Posts: 28699 - Karma: -5,563
cannondales are expensive for sure, but for good reason.
15 years ago
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Lemuel
Posts: 14544 - Karma: 11,151
AKA pussy shit. Hardtails are for men. My dream bike is a Surley instigator. Most hardcore hardtail ever.
15 years ago
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Arabian.
Posts: 9671 - Karma: 483
I'M SO FUCKING HARDCORE I RIDE A ROAD BIKE ON MY MOUNTAIN.

Shut up. full suspension serves its purpose. There's no reason to go around knocking it because you think your balls will drop a little more if you ride a hardtail.
15 years ago
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Lemuel
Posts: 14544 - Karma: 11,151
Give me one good reason why you need full suspension for cross country like whoever I quoted obviously prefers? Of course for down hill full suspension is a necessity. And yea, I think my balls will drop lower. Seriously? I prefer it because hardtails ride much better and you get more action out of the bike.
15 years ago
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Arabian.
Posts: 9671 - Karma: 483
I take it you've never ridden particularly long rocky trails. Here in Utah, we don't have many good difficult clean cut trails, and unless you want a black and blue taint, full suspension cross country is the way to go. Your level of manliness isn't diminished by your use of suspension, but your ability.
15 years ago
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skiierman
Posts: 28699 - Karma: -5,563
he's from the east which gets way rockier and rootier than anything here in utah. that's a fact. it's all about personal preferences.
15 years ago
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skithesprings
Posts: 9086 - Karma: 1,349
Personal prefernce is different from trying to knock someone for riding a fully over a hardtail. I have no issues with someone having a sore ass by their own choice, if they want to ride a hardtail, let em. But I'll take a rear suspension with a quality lock out for climbs so you can have the plushness on the downhills and flats and a rigid bike on the climbs, I don't see why anyone would choose otherwise, but to each his own.
15 years ago
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squibble
Posts: 4569 - Karma: 104
how much is it worth?
15 years ago
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Lemuel
Posts: 14544 - Karma: 11,151
I have ridden some rocky and rooty stuff. And I never said anything about it not being manly, I just said that it was kinda overkill for xc. And I was half joking when I said it was "pussy shit". I wasn't trying to start a debate.
15 years ago
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division.bell
Posts: 2762 - Karma: 1,906
To be honest, anyone interested in becoming a good rider should start on a hardtail. Riding a hardtail on any terrain will teach you to become much smoother, seeking proper transitions and the best lines. Anyone can ride a DH bike through a rock garden, but a skilled rider will be able to get through it clean and fast. I still prefer a hardtail regardless of what I am riding, but then again I don't race DH.

Off topic, but there was a video of some guy running a DH race on a hardtail, and doing pretty well if I remember correctly.
15 years ago
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skiierman
Posts: 28699 - Karma: -5,563
so true. and yeah there's always a nut that rides hardtail in DH. they all usually rip.
15 years ago
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,083
its like skiing. a good skier could ride in a runningshoe mounted into the bindings, while skiing only got a mainstream sport due to hard-shell boots.

as you said, we have a lot of techy trails here and with my DH bike there is hardly a problem with it (except for too narrow turns for a double crown) but you face a lot of problems with a hardtail/race fully and it makes you a better rider.

as i said, i work as a bike guide, and one time i rode with a pro (24h- world champion) for 3 weeks over two years, and he totally killed it on a 6-7 kg carbon hardtail. seriously, i borrowed a racefully from my boss that week (about 3-3,5 k), a weapon uphill and downhill (for a xc-bike). i had no chance of following him on my hometrail, which i ride pretty much every day in summer and he for his second time.


bottom line: a good rider will do equal or better stuff with worse equipment. so "bad" equipment would be a good way to gain experience, although the technical development made mountainbiking (as well as a lot of other sports) mainstream sports.
15 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,008
WORD! HARDTAILS ARE FOR GUYS WITH BIG BALLS! WOOO!

Honestly not knocking full suspension, I definitely understand the love for it, but I must say, If you know how to use your body well, and know how to make your legs into shock absorbers, and you have the right technique, then you can rip anything on a hardtail, and they will weigh 8lbs less, so you can throw them over things when you need to.

I have a Gary Fischer Hookooekoo, which is probably the lightest steel frame bike ever (it's my beater bike) and a Kona Caldera which is fucking SICK and I love it.

I love the Hookoo, because its cheap, still light, and utterly unfallable. I have fucking thrown this bike around like a bitch, and it still rolls like it did from day one. The Caldera's a beast. Nice and light, really fun to rampage on, and with the lighter components I put on it, it rules.

I sold both my Kona Stinky and my Santa Cruz Heckler over the last few years for cash. You can never go wrong with a well set up hardtail though, really. I just throw on a seatpost with a shock on it so i'm not totally killing myself if I decide to hop anything moderately sized.

I will one day buy another full suspension bike when I really declare the need for it... but like the OP, I too mostly do singletrack/xc stuff these days, and dont require the extra weight id need to toss around with the FS. Plus, I can use that whole "FS is for pussies" line which is always fun.




15 years ago
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hurrisun
Posts: 6284 - Karma: 49
how would you feel on a xc bike goin on whistler downhill or a place like that

Ive never owned a full suspension downhill bike but ive riidden a few and they are absolutey necesary if you really wanna tear up some down hill with the low seat high handle bars fat tires you get like 500 times more control

but if you are just riding street or cross country hard tail definatley the way to go
15 years ago
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skiierman
Posts: 28699 - Karma: -5,563
well... all the top racers in xc use full suspension. the only advantage you could get from a hard tail is weight and climbing/pedal power. but with all the new tech. coming in, the only advantages hard tails have had are now falling. full suspension will always have an advantage over hard tails in descents. here's an article to read up. maybe 3-4 years ago hard tails were the best choice if you were skilled enough, but not anymore. only advantange now is that they MAY be cheaper.

http://www.active.com/mountainbiking/Articles/Lightweight_full_suspension_mountain_bikes_taking_over_hardtail_turf.htm
15 years ago
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jason...
Posts: 9006 - Karma: 780
I doubt you've ever ridden anything that pretty much requires full suspension, when you do you'll realize how dumb this comment made you look.
15 years ago
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fireballin
Posts: 392 - Karma: 13
nice find. im very jealous. for those of you knocking on FS, come ride over here in the east. When 75% of  the trail is rocks the size of your head and larger you may think differently. I used to race a no suspension, SS hard tail and now im currently on a specialized fs and for one it saves my ass (literally) and 2 you dont get thrown around as much as you do on a hard tail. but make your own opinion. Im just saying ive been around the block so to speak.
15 years ago
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PDeg
Posts: 178 - Karma: 40
yes.. yes you did
15 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,008
Wellllll I'm not racing dude, so I dont give a crap. I'd rather have a ridiculously light hardtail that I can throw over giant shit that is unridable (AKA giant trees that fall all the time over trails - it happens very often here) than a heavier FS bike. that's just how I feel.


15 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,008
I dont really do much DH stuff, nor have I ever done Whistler Downhill soooo I have no idea.

But I rip around tahoe all the time, and that usually requires a lot of uphill stuff where I tend to ride. So, in that case, a lighter hardtail is nice to have.
15 years ago
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nickyp
Posts: 5673 - Karma: 215
I rode a hardtail on both the French and Swiss national DH tracks, and clocked a faster time on the Swiss national than one of my friends on a brand new 303rdh, and another who is an Intense team rider.

/claim
15 years ago
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VT_scratch
Posts: 8849 - Karma: 6,711
drive it like you stole it
15 years ago
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K-MILLAA
Posts: 29 - Karma: 31
You are very very wrong sir, the last 3 years xc world champions have ridden hardtail bikes, and the olympic champion. The course had one very gnarly descent. Even in domestic pro racing the new thing is 29er hardtails. Plus in xc your barely ever going to see anything where you can't handle a hardtail just the same as a fully.
15 years ago
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Lemuel
Posts: 14544 - Karma: 11,151
Do you lack the knowledge to read through the thread? I said I don't do downhill, where full suspension is pretty much necessary. And yes, I have take a few descents where a full suspension would be preferred.

So if you were able to read through all my posts, you would realize how dumb your comment just made yourself look.

I ride a 29er hard tail by the way, which helps surprisingly alot with tougher terrain compared to a 26.
15 years ago
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Lemuel
Posts: 14544 - Karma: 11,151
I will also sum up everything that I want to say. Yes full suspension is necessary for certain aspects of riding, and yes they are fun to ride every now and then or even all the time. But if you NEED a full suspension for xc, then you are a pussy, end of story.
15 years ago
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bitchezluv=]
Posts: 869 - Karma: 43
forgive me if the sounds retarded i dont bike that often... but why is there only  one shock ?
15 years ago
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,273
frame and fork are shitty but sick find with the components
15 years ago
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AdolfShitler
Posts: 1618 - Karma: 32
Sick find. Although leftys personally piss me the fuck off. Haha. Had to say it. Have fun yo
15 years ago
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