# Help identify year of this Cannondale



## rlake (Dec 4, 2020)

A friend is getting rid of this mtb that has been sitting for years. Does anyone know the model year? and could you tell me if it's worth fixing up as a first full suspension bike?


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## phantoj (Jul 7, 2009)

2008 Cannondale Rush 5Z


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## phantoj (Jul 7, 2009)

Page 18 of this catalog: http://www.vintagecannondale.com/year/2008/2008.pdf


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## phantoj (Jul 7, 2009)

It looks like it's seen more MUP than gnar.

I'd ride it... but 12-year old suspension may need a service to be fully functional.


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## rlake (Dec 4, 2020)

I think it’s only been on pavement but I’ll have to ask. Thanks for your help, much appreciated 👍🏻


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

If you can get it for $250-300 or less, sure. But parts will be increasingly hard to find.

2008 Cannondale Rush 5Z - Bicycle Details - BicycleBlueBook.com


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## Givmedew (Sep 4, 2014)

I would not put any money into this venture. If the bike the is free then great take it. If the rear shock holds air then overfill it a bit so it's basically rock solid because I doubt the damping is going to function correctly. Besides if you are riding XC you will hate this bikes rear suspension. It's nothing like what is out there today. 

If you have to buy the bike then walk away it's not worth it. For it to even function you'll have to buy new tires, have the fork rebuilt and shock rebuilt by a company that rebuilds shocks NOT a bike shop!!! So you are looking probably $100 per side. 

Once the bike is usable you end up in a scenario where really... a $500 27.5 hard tail is going to as good or a lot better if we are talking XC.

Buy a new 27.5 or 29er hard tail with the cheapest suntour fork ride it around a while then pay the $300 to go through the upgrade program and get their top of the line fork which is a very very good fork. Later buy the cheapest new Shimano hydraulic brakes I think they are $50 and then later on down the road when you are ready for a full suspension bike you buy just a frameset and swap everything over. The upgraded suntour fork will run 80/100/120mm of travel so you'd buy a FS frameset designed around a 120mm front fork.

That's just my opinion...

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk


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## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

Other than the small wheels, it's an utterly fine bicycle, and is totally worth a couple, to 5/600.

Don't pay attention the the comments about the rear suspension design not being good. 

Single pivot is totally valid, and still built by many builders, even today, and it might startle you to know, that they are actually ridden, and people really don't even DIE! Heck, I service Leftys and Headshocks off folks Rush's, Super V's and Prophets, all year long, and those bikes all get ridden, a lot. 

There's Kool Aid pushers out there (and, their requisite guzzlers) who'll wax religious about "modern suspension"and try to force you to drink too. Problem is, define modern. Because it's a slippery slope that will have you buying a new bike every other year, chasing some bullsh*t metric that doesn't honestly exist once the design leaves the computer and rubber hits the dirt. 

I personally, rode Cannondales for years, all single pivot. When they ignored the 29er FS market, I jumped to Lenz Sport, who to this day, only makes SP bikes, and I happily ride this "antique" suspension with a big old grin on my face, all year round. 

It hasn't ruined my life, ride, relationships, or killed any of my pets, to date.


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

+1 more for totally rideable. That seat has to go, as well as the tires, but otherwise looks very decent. You can do the research on single pivot suspension. It has its drawbacks compared to leveraged designs like VPP and similar but nothing wrong with that bike whatsoever. You should still be able to service the fork and the rear shock if they need it.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

MendonCycleSmith said:


> There's Kool Aid pushers out there (and, their requisite guzzlers) who'll ...have you buying a new bike every other year, chasing some bullsh*t metric that doesn't honestly exist once the design leaves the computer and rubber hits the dirt.


1000x this.

Throw some knobbies on it and rip it.
If it's been lightly used, the chances of it needing suspension work are little to none, particularly the fork.
Rebuild kits for the rear shock are less than $20.
The only part that might actually be hard to replace if needed would be the fork, but it's highly unlikely you'd need to. Actually these days, it's probably easier to get old parts than new ones.

Given the choice between that thing and a $500 entry level 29er, I'd ride that all day, and I'm typically not even a fan of Cannondale.


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## shwndh (Nov 20, 2004)

rlake said:


> A friend is getting rid of this mtb that has been sitting for years. Does anyone know the model year? and could you tell me if it's worth fixing up as a first full suspension bike?
> View attachment 1913257
> View attachment 1913258


It's a decent bike. Depends on what he wants for it and if it actually fits you. I would love to have it as a project bike. New bikes don't all of a sudden make bikes from yesterday only suitable for land fills. But, you're looking at spending at least $200 in upgrades but that's with any bike.


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## rlake (Dec 4, 2020)

Well damn it! I balked at the opportunity to purchase this bike and someone else bought it. Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to wait for a another fs bike. I do appreciate everyone who chimed in on this thread, several good points were made.


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

MendonCycleSmith said:


> There's Kool Aid pushers out there (and, their requisite guzzlers) who'll wax religious about "modern suspension"and try to force you to drink too.


You say that, because maybe you are trapped in some curmudgeonly time warp, but the reality is today's FS bikes blow away anything from 2008.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

prj71 said:


> You say that, because maybe you are trapped in some curmudgeonly time warp, but the reality is today's FS bikes blow away anything from 2008.


And yet, there will always be tons of riders out there on older and simpler bikes crushing riders on fancy new expensive bikes and having a great time doing it.
Or not crushing them, but still having a great time.

Many of the people that seem to worry the most about needing to have the 'latest and greatest' don't actually ride at a level where it makes that much difference IME. 
They sure do love shopping though


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## DeoreDX (Jul 28, 2007)

prj71 said:


> You say that, because maybe you are trapped in some curmudgeonly time warp, but the reality is today's FS bikes blow away anything from 2008.


The question isn't whether a modern full suspention will blow this bike out of the water. Of course it will. The question is if he puts say $500 into this bike (cost to purchase and replace the tires and maybe service both front and rear shocks) will be be able to get a better bike for $400-500? He sure as heck isn't getting a modern FS bike for $500. Personally I'd rather ride that bike that a new $500 entry level hard tail. Some opinions may differ on that point and an argument I think could be made either way.


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

slapheadmofo said:


> And yet, there will always be tons of riders out there on older and simpler bikes crushing riders on fancy new expensive bikes and having a great time doing it.
> Or not crushing them, but still having a great time.


No doubt. I don't disagree.

I'm coming at it from the standpoint of comfort and the ability of today's suspension to soak up the bumps better and more comfortable geometry. Even my 2020 FS bike is more comfortable than my 2016 FS bike.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

prj71 said:


> Even my 2020 FS bike is more comfortable than my 2016 FS bike.


Hint hint: it's not because the newer one was made in 2020.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

prj71 said:


> No doubt. I don't disagree.
> 
> I'm coming at it from the standpoint of comfort and the ability of today's suspension to soak up the bumps better and more comfortable geometry. Even my 2020 FS bike is more comfortable than my 2016 FS bike.


OP also never mentioned the price his buddy was asking, nor do I know what you paid for your 2020 bike, but I would feel fairly safe in assuming it's likely there's a 10x difference or more.
Not everyone is down with blowing a small fortune on a toy.


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

Harold said:


> Hint hint: it's not because the newer one was made in 2020.


Correct. It's because suspension shocks and forks improved in 2020 over what was available in 2016.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

prj71 said:


> Correct. It's because suspension shocks and forks improved in 2020 over what was available in 2016.


it's not solely because of that, either, though that's one factor. it's a lot more complex. some of it can be traced to certain aspects of the equipment. and some of it can't.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

prj71 said:


> Correct. It's because suspension shocks and forks improved in 2020 over what was available in 2016.


Please quantify blanket statement above and prepare for numerous examples disproving it.


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