in 1989 or 1990 i took a cycling trip to northern italy with a group of friends. we all took our own bikes (except for one lucky guy who took delivery of his 3v from alberto at the beginning of the the trip). i took a cannondale 3.0 or 2.8 bike which i bought specifically with the idea of selling it or swapping it, for something on-topic of course, while there. i was sure there would be some interest in it. well, i ended up bringing back a 1980's all panto colnago, but i also had to bring back the cannondale. there was no interest in it at all - i mean niente, nada, none. i didn't like the cannondale and i didn't want to pay the extra baggage fees, so i really didn't want to bring it back with me - i was willing to let it go really cheap. unfortunately it really seemed like i couldn't even give it away (believe me, this is only a slight exaggeration). i remember the last shop i was at, the owner wouldn't take it even in partial trade for the colnago i brought back. the cannondale was complete, all athena, and i asked him to name his price, but the guy wouldn't even consider it. i asked him why, and he said if there was a problem with the frame he had no way of fixing it, and so nobody would want to buy it.
it was a very nice shop with a major inventory of colnagos. i wonder which american bike now carries, cannondales or treks?
ray dobbins
miami florida