New frame from a previous year - good idea or not?

[westtexas]

Morning all,

Wondering what your thoughts were on this - I am looking to buy a new bike, full carbon. I test rode (45 miles) a men's Cannondale Synapse 54cm and really liked the feel of it with the more upright position and the carbon was a dream - a much better ride than my current bike. This year's colors for that bike in the WSD is sort of a dark blue and teal color, but I have been secretly wanting a black and hot pink bike (is this ridiculous or what?!). Now, my LBS contacted the Cannondale folks yesterday and they have a 2008 women's synapse frame and fork sitting in the warehouse that has never been ridden or even built into a bike and they can get me a good deal on it, and it's black and pink. I don't really care if it's a 3 year old frame since it's essentially brand new - but I was wondering if you guys thought this was a good idea? I would then purchase all the parts for it separately and built it from frame up. The LBS thinks I can do it reasonably for 2500 depending on the components (thinking of going with either 105s or ultegra) and such.

The frame looks like this:
http://images.craigslist.org/3ne3p33l75Q35Z45P4b5nb85def94e23d1fdd.jpg

Building your own bike from scratch because you want a specific color - good idea or bad? I liked the men's frame from this year and I am not sure how it compares to the women's 2008, but I don't see why there would be a huge difference. If there is, of course let me know!

What are the challenges in building your own bike? I guess I wouldn't actually be doing the building myself, just purchasing the components, but I have no experience in buying an "incomplete" bike.

And, any suggestions for reasonable wheelsets? Something less than those $1400 zipp wheels, but something worthy of a carbon frame?

Thanks in advance!! :D

[bmccasland]

If it makes you happy, and you'll ride, why not?

[Becky]

Absolutely, it's a great idea! I bought my carbon Fuji that way. It was 2009, they stopped making them in 2008, sold out of my size in the 2008, but there was a 2007 with a nearly-identical spec sitting in a warehouse. Never been unpacked, built, nothing....winner!

I prefer building my own bikes from the frame up. That way, I get to spec every single part to exactly my needs. No take-offs, upgrades, nothing....just my perfect bike. I enjoy the wrenching part too :)

If it were me, I'd go to the shop sometime when you know they won't be busy (not Saturday :eek:), and have a good chat with your favorite mechanic or mech-savvy salesperson about parts that fit your budget and riding style. Maybe even ride a few bikes with different parts just to see what you like, especially if you don't already have some strong preferences for certain components.

As for wheels, I like reliable handbuilts....no bling, but durable, light, and easy to get replacement spokes for. Proprietary spokes make me batty.

Have fun with it!!

[Biciclista]

3 years ago Cannondale was making great bikes! OLD bikes are GOOD. Enjoy!!! I hope they gave you a good deal too.

After you get it; we want PHOTOS! of course.

[indysteel]

Absolutely, it's a great idea! I bought my carbon Fuji that way. It was 2009, they stopped making them in 2008, sold out of my size in the 2008, but there was a 2007 with a nearly-identical spec sitting in a warehouse. Never been unpacked, built, nothing....winner!

I prefer building my own bikes from the frame up. That way, I get to spec every single part to exactly my needs. No take-offs, upgrades, nothing....just my perfect bike. I enjoy the wrenching part too :)

If it were me, I'd go to the shop sometime when you know they won't be busy (not Saturday :eek:), and have a good chat with your favorite mechanic or mech-savvy salesperson about parts that fit your budget and riding style. Maybe even ride a few bikes with different parts just to see what you like, especially if you don't already have some strong preferences for certain components.

As for wheels, I like reliable handbuilts....no bling, but durable, light, and easy to get replacement spokes for. Proprietary spokes make me batty.

Have fun with it!!

What Becky said. I'd also suggest getting the geometry specs for the bike just to make sure that it's comparable to what you've already ridden (the 54 men's version). I would try to get a preliminary quote on the build from the shop to make sure it's within your budget. You can tweak it later, but at least get a good ballpark figure first, as there can be a bit of sticker shock when you add it all up. I'd second the suggestion for a decent pair of handbuilts. That's what I have. Nothing too blingy; just a nice quality build.

[redrhodie]

Sounds great to me! You get exactly what you wanted, in the color you wanted, and it's a deal! The hard part will be waiting for it to be built.

[Catrin]

Sounds like the best of all possible worlds to me! I second the idea of getting a solid quote from your LBS on the parts build, these things tend to have their way of winding up more expensive than we anticipate...as I have recently been reminded... (not that I am complaining, just my original estimate was unrealistic).

[Owlie]

Sounds like a good plan to me! I'll second what everyone else said in terms of double-checking the geometry and getting a quote on the build price.

[emily_in_nc]

+1

I did this. I bought an unbuilt but 3-year old Aegis Swift carbon frame and fork on ebay from a small California bike shop for a song. It was a small frame (46cm) in a purply/raspberry color so just never sold. It was gorgeous.

I had it built into my dream bike with Campy Chorus, FSA carbon cranks, compact double (when compacts were just coming out -- this was 2004), etc etc. Even found lovely bar tape that matched the frame perfectly (now a discontinued color - Cinelli "Bordeaux").

As others have noted, it was costly. More costly than I originally anticipated and budgeted for (mostly because of the Campy Chorus, but oh, it shifted like buttah!). But I loved the bike and put many happy miles on her prior to my accident (fractured pelvis) in 2005 that curtailed my riding for quite awhile.

There's no reason, so long as the frame fits, that you shouldn't do this. It's actually a lot of fun to pick out the components for your bike to get it just the way you want it, and you end up with almost a custom bike (just minus the custom frame). Frames definitely don't go bad!

Have fun and keep us posted -- and by the way, I love the colors of the frame! :p

[Jiffer]

I have been secretly wanting a black and hot pink bike (is this ridiculous or what?!).

SO not ridiculous! I am ALL about pink!!!

Nor is it ridiculous to build your own bike. My bike started as my husband's first used bike, that he slowly changed out all the components on until it became a completely new and upgraded bike (still his at the tim), which morphed into my first bike, which he bought new frame for and put all his parts on it (he got a brand new other bike), which continued to evolve with different parts here and there, until Dh surprised me and came home with "most of my previous" parts put on a new SuperSix frame with SRAM Red components.

He built a mountain bike by ordering all the parts and building it. His friend did the same thing but for even cheaper by being extremely patient. He bid super low on anything he found on Ebay that he needed. He lost tons of bids, but stuck to his guns and won a bid here and there until eventually he got everything he needed to build his bike.

In the old days, Dh would have the LBS do the work on the bike if he had a component replaced, but his friend has taught him everything there is to know about building a bike and maintaining it (and bought him a book for anything he didn't teach him!) so he does all that stuff himself now.

So now it's just a matter of if you figure out the older frame is good enough for you in terms of whatever differences there are in the newer frames. I can't comment on that, but I tend to think you should go for the PINK bike!!! :D

[feral1]

My husband got me a Storck frame a couple years ago and we finally built it up the way I wanted. I don't think I will ever buy another mass produced bike. It was fun (frustrating at times too) finding all the parts to match my baby :p Just remember Ebay is your friend :D Have fun with it!!
Morning all,

Wondering what your thoughts were on this - I am looking to buy a new bike, full carbon. I test rode (45 miles) a men's Cannondale Synapse 54cm and really liked the feel of it with the more upright position and the carbon was a dream - a much better ride than my current bike. This year's colors for that bike in the WSD is sort of a dark blue and teal color, but I have been secretly wanting a black and hot pink bike (is this ridiculous or what?!). Now, my LBS contacted the Cannondale folks yesterday and they have a 2008 women's synapse frame and fork sitting in the warehouse that has never been ridden or even built into a bike and they can get me a good deal on it, and it's black and pink. I don't really care if it's a 3 year old frame since it's essentially brand new - but I was wondering if you guys thought this was a good idea? I would then purchase all the parts for it separately and built it from frame up. The LBS thinks I can do it reasonably for 2500 depending on the components (thinking of going with either 105s or ultegra) and such.

The frame looks like this:
http://images.craigslist.org/3ne3p33l75Q35Z45P4b5nb85def94e23d1fdd.jpg

Building your own bike from scratch because you want a specific color - good idea or bad? I liked the men's frame from this year and I am not sure how it compares to the women's 2008, but I don't see why there would be a huge difference. If there is, of course let me know!

What are the challenges in building your own bike? I guess I wouldn't actually be doing the building myself, just purchasing the components, but I have no experience in buying an "incomplete" bike.

And, any suggestions for reasonable wheelsets? Something less than those $1400 zipp wheels, but something worthy of a carbon frame?

Thanks in advance!! :D