Last of the Great Beasts
Written: Mar 29 '01 (Updated Apr 03 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cheap, strong frame, easy to upgrade, race replica was used in the Tour of France.
Cons: For those who don't have the money, upgrading will be difficult.
The Bottom Line: _
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| SnowFalcon_CU's Full Review: Cannondale R200 (1998) |
Cannondale discontinued the R200 series from its production after 1998. Since then, the company seems to be swallowing up the low-end models and buffering the high-end, "thousand series", in order to compete with other juggernauts lurking in the shadows of the great Tour of France, the most important event and only chance that a manufacturer has to advertise its flagship like the R5000 SI, a ways ahead of the humble R200. Cannondale only sponsors 1 team of 22 (first impressions are critical, even for that lonesome 1). With the R300 gone from existence last year, first-time cyclists are slowly being forced to climb higher and higher on the models list to tailor the best bike for their needs.
I purchased my 56cm R200 several years ago for $650.00, and, oddly enough, after several years of consumerism, boom/bust cycles, and changing leadership roles, the bike still stands at a strong $600.00, though I would argue that one should not pay more than $500.00 today.
Why the bike is perfect
The bike is a perfect workhorse for novice riders because it's much cheaper than the mainstream Trek and Bianchi that exceed $2000.00 for a standard model. The frame is strong, rigid, and unyielding in high stress situations like intense climbing or hair-raising 40 mph downhill turns. It's so stiff that little energy is wasted during long and arduous climbs or demanding "attacks" (when racers get off the saddle and pedal like mad).
The bike is cheap because it's laden with "heavy", generic components not fancied in today's professional cycling. This is fine because the heavy parts will make a novice rider stronger and faster, far more humble than a rich primadona with white shoes that purchases a $3000.00 Trek and the pants to match (again, we hate primadonas, but this is life). Buying a cheap, but good and highly respected, bike, with heavy parts, allows the first-time rider to realize if he/she loves the sport. The worst thing in the world to do is to buy a very costly road bike and decide several months down the road that "cycling is not for me, I like Doritos and Pepsi instead". Observing an expensive bike collecting dust interspersed with boxes in the garage is not good (a form of bike cruelty). Here in Boulder, Colorado, the capital of cycling, I have met many of these people, I know their kind, and I have dealt with them before.
Since the R200 is upgrade compliant, modifications like faster, stiffer wheels, or lighter components are an ease to do. Novice riders will benefit from riding a heavy bike, and then, if a passion for the sport emerges, a love affair will follow that parallels the passion. An intimate knowledge of the bike is forced because now the rider loves cycling and feels little reserve to buy components to make him/her faster, better, and more appreciated within the sport.
Drawbacks
I believe there are little drawbacks in "crawling before walking", because we don't like primodonas with hot bikes and pale skin (tell tail signs of new fish with a fat wallet and a nice SUV) but one drawback is, in some cases, incredible spending. Some fellow cyclists, that I've met in the past, trained on a mediocre bike (with a great frame) for a year and then, without notice, went "mad", buying profusely and attempting to, well, in a loose sense, build a rocket; swapping wheels, derailures, headsets, cranks, and forks (the costs can be enormous). These people, though I not only accept, but also even encourage it, began to converge all income into the "ultimate road bike", buying $350.00 Look forks (which cut weight down drastically), easily spending more than $1000.00 within several weeks.
So why do we swap parts? And how heavy is heavy?
Cyclists swap parts to make the bike lighter. My Cannondale R200 weighed over 24lbs, a "good" bike should weigh below 19lbs, especially if one wants to race (and begin to climb with the ranks to harder categories). I, like others before me, who wanted to "crawl before walk" to avoid the primadona title, (and also because I race for the #1NCAA cycling team in the nation) went crazy 2 years later and spent in excess of $1370.00 on parts that not only made the bike light, but made it even stronger. Was this the right move? Well, everything is relative, too much of anything can spell disaster, right? My R200 became more rigid because the only part(s) of the bike that should absorb energy is the handlebar tape, gloves, saddle, and shorts. Lighter does not always mean better because if the parts are too light, then they become too elastic, absorbing too much energy, slowing the rider down and forcing him/her to expend greater effort and committed motion in the climb or sprint. A trade-off exists
At any rate, the Cannondale R200, at $600.00, is a grab. The bike is perfect for avid cyclists who want to become healthier, stronger, or who aspire to become professionals. Besides, if a cyclist becomes a pro, he/she will be sponsored, which means that new equipment will accompany the endorsement. There's a misconception that the same equipment will be used, that rarely happens.
As my title says, this is one of the last of the Great Beasts. The geometry of the frame is streamlined and easily modified to weigh below 18lbs. I, along with hundreds of cyclists, would never encourage someone to buy a $2000.00 racing bike. I would, however, recommend the 1998 Cannodale R200 because of the long-term investment. A heavier bike will expose the rider to the realities of cycling, and not the pompous, glorifying, French-speak-women-chasing fantasy that so many believe surrounds the great sport of bike riding.
This sport shaves pounds away, allows people to escape the corporate-child-raising-bill-paying human-life for several hours at a time, permits those to see the world like hidden roads and breath-taking scenery that is not felt when traversing in a car, and forges a strong sense of control and confidence that is hardly felt in today's world. What better device can allow someone to *see* life than the Cannondale R200?
As Oscar Wilde once said, "To live is the rarest thing in the world, most people exist, that is all".
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
SnowFalcon_CU
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Location: Boulder, CO
Reviews written: 14
Trusted by: 10 members
About Me:
Si hoc signum legere potes, operis boni in rebus Latinis alacribus et fructuosis potiri potes!*
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