Should I buy it? 2009 Cannondale Six 6 - Tiagra 4500, Aluminum/Carbon

andrewmc989

Hi all,

I live in Canada, and I'm looking for a road bike to buy (currently have a Mango Point AR that I use as a gravel bike).

I have found a 2009 Cannondale Six with Tiagra 4500 componentry listed at $590 Canadian rupees (~£333). Bike is aluminum with full carbon fork and carbon seat and chainstays (never seen that before). First thought is this is way overpriced, and that it's worth closer to $350-400 CAD (~£200-235), depending on condition. Thoughts?

Second thought is, why am I even looking at a bike this old? But something is calling out to me and makes me want to offer low and see if I can nab it and make it my project.

I'd slap a 105 R7000 groupo on it (~$600 CAD), some cheap+light wheels (~$300 CAD) and have a nice light road bike for ~$1300.00 CAD (£760). This is a price that is hard to achieve here - prices are generally high, and a 105 bike new that I can get at a LBS is minimum $2500 CAD (£1500). Sales tax is also 15%.

Am I crazy? Is this a stupid idea? Is this 10 year old frame going to be so heavy that no matter what I do, this bike will never get light? I just don't know what to expect.

Kicker is, the bike is ~3 hour drive away. I live in a sparsely populated region of Canada, and there's shit all available on the used market right now.

Anyone know approximate frame weight for this bike? Is the geometry going to be outdated?

Thanks in advance.

arlowood

According to Bicycle Bluebook you should be looking at about $US250 or $CAD 350 for that model so the $CAD590 asking price is way over the top

https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/value-guide/product/17458/

Realistically then you should be offering well below the asking price.

If you want to make it a project then go ahead but don't forget that frames back in 2009 were designed when 23mm tyres were the norm so you may struggle to accommodate the larger 25 and 28mm tyres that tend to be fitted nowadays.

andrewmc989

Thanks for your reply. Ah that is a fantastic point about the tire clearance. I wish there was more information about this frameset on the web.

lesfirth

I know nothing of bike buying in Canada but if you were in the UK I would think you were both crazy and stupid.
£760 will buy you an excellent used 2/3 year old carbon framed road bike .

andrewmc989

Thanks Lesfirth, as I mentioned prices are much higher over here, and the population density far less. To put it in perspective with some numbers, my region is between 16 and 27 times less dense per square kilometre than the United Kingdom and 25 to 40 times less dense than England, with a total population of 1.8 million over an area exactly the size of England.

Sorry to be assaulting you with figures on this forum, but I think it's important for people to understand how drastic of a difference there is on consumer markets like bicycles and bike parts where economies of scale are far less lubricated. The used market in particular is completely different here, with prices well into asinine territory (2008 Giant TCR Alliance w. 105 5600 and junk wheels listed for $900CAD/£515).

I would love to order even a new Planet X carbon frame or complete bicycle, but the cost is 28% higher than the sticker price you pay due to a 15% sales tax and a 13% duty charge on said items. Oh, and a £100 shipping charge on top of that. That £999 Planet X bike becomes £1400 for me. A brand new Trek Domane SL4 with Tiagra is $3200CAD/£1825.