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Cannondale F400 - Should I upgrade parts or buy new bike?

16K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  TrailNut 
#1 ·
Hey guys, I've just gotten back into riding recently after being on hiatus for a few years. My bike is a 2004 Cannondale F400. First thing I did was replace my tires with slightly fatter ones since the OEM tires had dried up and flattened out. Now I'm thinking of changing the crank since it's bent and might as well change the cassette since I am having some issues with it.

My question is, should I bother upgrading my bike or should I just buy a new one? I like my frame but really confused about what to do. If I was to buy a bike I think my max budget is like $1500. If I am going to upgrade my bike I think have around $800 to $1000 to spend.

In case I am going to upgrade how would I know which parts fit my bike? I live in Kuwait and we don't have a decent bike shop here so whatever I buy I have to buy online from the States and ship here. Meaning no expert to help me out.

If you guys are recommending an upgrade, could you please help me out and tell me what cassette/crank/shocks/pedals/brakes/front & rear derailleurs/seat/seat post/wheels etc.. I should get? Budget say $800-1000 max.

It's like a complete makeover by mtbr :)

Here's a picture of my bike as it right now:



And here are the specs:

2004 Cannondale F400
Front Fork: Manitou Axel Elite
Shift Leavers: Shimano Deore RapidFire SL
Front Derailleur: Shimano Deore
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore LX SGS
Crankset|: TruVativ IsoFlow, 22/32/44 teeth
Pedals: Wellgo LU-955A w/clips & straps
Bottom Bracket: Shimano taper
Saddle: Selle Royale Viper
Rims: Mavic XM 117, 32-hole

thanks for your help!
 
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#3 ·
Hey well I need to replace my crank and cassette anyway, while I'm getting those swapped out I figured I might as well upgrade the derailleurs as well. My seat is also extremely uncomfortable so that needs to go, then I've got the shocks that seem to be very random which I thought I would swap out with the affordable Marzocchi 2011 44 RLO.
 
#4 ·
My seat is also extremely uncomfortable so that needs to go
Your seat is angled right up your gooch, flatten that out and you'll have a much better time riding that bike.

If the bike fits then knock yourself out. I wouldn't throw tons of money into it unless you're quite attached to it, just fix the things that need to be fixed and maybe throw some money in the bank in case you want to upgrade to a different kind of bike somewhere down the line.
 
#5 ·
i've been actually checking out some clean second hand bikes on ebay, there are a ton of pretty good deals on bikes under a 1000. I've got my eye on a 2007 Prophet 6 and a 2010 Rush 6 right now.

About the seat tilt I'll give it a shot, last time I did that I felt like I was sliding off, but that was a couple of years ago and I was 45 pounds heavier...
 
#9 ·
replace bike with disk frame.

steel or titanium frame/bikes are worth upgrading. I've added rear disk brake tab on mine.

disk brakes are sweet. get hydraulic for modulated power or cable for reliability (tho' never had any issues with Formula or Hope, only had issues with cheaper Hayes')

for hardtails, UST rim with UST tire, and sealants are like magic.
 
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