Which Cannondale BOTE??

[MiniNinjaRob]

The "show us your Cannondale" thread was revived recently and so has my yearning for a BOTE (Beast Of The East). I've always wanted one since seeing them in Castle Cycles in 1992 ish.

I've had a look through the Cannondale catalogues and see that the larger headset size started in 1992 - I assume it was 1" 1991 and beforehand. As much as I like the older ones I really want it to be easier to find forks/stems/headsets and I may be able to use stuff I already have to keep the cost down.

But which one should I go for? Are they all the same? They look similar in the catalogues but I am far from an expert. I think at 5'7" I would need an 18" frame as the TT at 22.5" seems about right.

Models I have found:

92 M800 BOTE in red or black with blue pearl
93 M800 BOTE in red or deep indigo
94 M800 BOTE in red
95 M800 BOTE in red or silver
96 M800 BOTE in red
97 BOTE in red

So which one?

 

[utahdog2003]

Later Beasts have 1.125" head tubes and no cantilevered drop outs. 1.25" stuff isn't any easier to find that 1", and in many cases it can be harder to find specific brands. If you want ease of build and option choices, look for an 1.125: frame.

 

[MiniNinjaRob]

Which ones have the 1.125" headset?

1.25 is better than 1" as at least I can buy reducer cups.

 

[elite504]

Dont forget the top-gun esque paintwork of the M600 from 92 either...