2019 Cannondale Quick CX3 vs 2020 Quick CX2
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
2019 Cannondale Quick CX3 vs 2020 Quick CX2
I've been doing some research on Cannondale Quick CX's.. I currently have a Trek Dual Sport 3, Its just too big for me and was going to replace it with another but they are out of stock everywhere locally until July when then 2021's come out... Prior to this bike i've always been a Cannondale road bike rider and have no problems switching back to them. (I bought the DS3 2nd hand, I've adapted to the size on-road, I changed the stem, but as I want to take it off-road a bit more I'm concerned with the height).
The CX's are more readily available but I think Cannondale is trying to confuse me along their model lines. My LBS has the 2019 Quick CX3 in stock, but another place close by has the 2020 CX2 in stock for $50 less. Normally, newer and cheaper is better but I would have expected that on a similar model. With Cannondale, the lower #, the higher up the line, unlike Trek which is the opposite.
In looking through the component set, the 2020 CX2 has a newer version of disc brakes; MT200 on the CX2 vs M315 on the CX3 and the bottom bracket is a Shimano MT210 vs the FSA on the CX3 - but that seems to be the only advantage. The rest of the drivetrain the 2019 seems to be equal or better:
2019 CX3:
Deore Rear Derailleur
Acera Front Derailleur
Alivio Shifters
Alivio Rear Cog
Shimano Acera, 48/36/26 Crank
2020 CX2:
Acera Rear Derailleur
Acera Front Derailleur
Acera Shifters
Sunrace Rear cog
Shimano MT210, 46/30 Crank
Form and Frame are identical.. Wheels on the 2019 are 700x38, vs 700x40 on the 2020.
I normally wouldn't pay more for an older model especially one lower on the totem pole, but in this case it seems like its the better bike - or am I missing something?
https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bik...uick-cx-2/2019
The CX's are more readily available but I think Cannondale is trying to confuse me along their model lines. My LBS has the 2019 Quick CX3 in stock, but another place close by has the 2020 CX2 in stock for $50 less. Normally, newer and cheaper is better but I would have expected that on a similar model. With Cannondale, the lower #, the higher up the line, unlike Trek which is the opposite.
In looking through the component set, the 2020 CX2 has a newer version of disc brakes; MT200 on the CX2 vs M315 on the CX3 and the bottom bracket is a Shimano MT210 vs the FSA on the CX3 - but that seems to be the only advantage. The rest of the drivetrain the 2019 seems to be equal or better:
2019 CX3:
Deore Rear Derailleur
Acera Front Derailleur
Alivio Shifters
Alivio Rear Cog
Shimano Acera, 48/36/26 Crank
2020 CX2:
Acera Rear Derailleur
Acera Front Derailleur
Acera Shifters
Sunrace Rear cog
Shimano MT210, 46/30 Crank
Form and Frame are identical.. Wheels on the 2019 are 700x38, vs 700x40 on the 2020.
I normally wouldn't pay more for an older model especially one lower on the totem pole, but in this case it seems like its the better bike - or am I missing something?
https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bik...uick-cx-2/2019
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Northern Shenandoah Valley
Posts: 4,124
Bikes: More bikes than riders
Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1438 Post(s)
Liked 749 Times
in
559 Posts
The biggest difference is the crank -- not the brand, but the style. The 2020 is a 2x and the 2019 is a 3x. I prefer 3x all day long (2x has no real-world advantage for me, and it reduces range and drivetrain flexibility). If I'm going to move down from a 3x, it might as well be to a 1x setup.
With typical gearing on these types of bikes (11-34 cassette or similar), almost all riding can be done on the 36-tooth ring -- the middle ring on a 3x setup. You can traverse the whole cassette on one ring, and you have a bail out ring if you need it, or a high speed ring if you need it, but you can pretty much ride most of the day without ever shifting the front derailleur...if you're riding at "typical" speeds on these types of hybrid bikes. That 46/30 is going to keep you either at the big end of the cassette on the 46-tooth ring or the small end of the cassette on the 30-tooth ring, with potentially some shifting back and forth between the two rings with a fairly big tooth gap. That is not an advantage to me, and I would not prefer that setup.
With typical gearing on these types of bikes (11-34 cassette or similar), almost all riding can be done on the 36-tooth ring -- the middle ring on a 3x setup. You can traverse the whole cassette on one ring, and you have a bail out ring if you need it, or a high speed ring if you need it, but you can pretty much ride most of the day without ever shifting the front derailleur...if you're riding at "typical" speeds on these types of hybrid bikes. That 46/30 is going to keep you either at the big end of the cassette on the 46-tooth ring or the small end of the cassette on the 30-tooth ring, with potentially some shifting back and forth between the two rings with a fairly big tooth gap. That is not an advantage to me, and I would not prefer that setup.
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
The biggest difference is the crank -- not the brand, but the style. The 2020 is a 2x and the 2019 is a 3x. I prefer 3x all day long (2x has no real-world advantage for me, and it reduces range and drivetrain flexibility). If I'm going to move down from a 3x, it might as well be to a 1x setup.
With typical gearing on these types of bikes (11-34 cassette or similar), almost all riding can be done on the 36-tooth ring -- the middle ring on a 3x setup. You can traverse the whole cassette on one ring, and you have a bail out ring if you need it, or a high speed ring if you need it, but you can pretty much ride most of the day without ever shifting the front derailleur...if you're riding at "typical" speeds on these types of hybrid bikes. That 46/30 is going to keep you either at the big end of the cassette on the 46-tooth ring or the small end of the cassette on the 30-tooth ring, with potentially some shifting back and forth between the two rings with a fairly big tooth gap. That is not an advantage to me, and I would not prefer that setup.
With typical gearing on these types of bikes (11-34 cassette or similar), almost all riding can be done on the 36-tooth ring -- the middle ring on a 3x setup. You can traverse the whole cassette on one ring, and you have a bail out ring if you need it, or a high speed ring if you need it, but you can pretty much ride most of the day without ever shifting the front derailleur...if you're riding at "typical" speeds on these types of hybrid bikes. That 46/30 is going to keep you either at the big end of the cassette on the 46-tooth ring or the small end of the cassette on the 30-tooth ring, with potentially some shifting back and forth between the two rings with a fairly big tooth gap. That is not an advantage to me, and I would not prefer that setup.
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I went with the 2019... I was talking to the sales rep today - (from a safe 6' apart) - she said for 2020 Cannondale went to a lower level of components to keep prices down across each line. She thought this was a better value than the 20's when you take the component set and price into account.. She felt like it was a Quick CX1.5 if it were in the 2020 line-up, which makes sense with the pricing.
#5
Newbie
I went with the 2019... I was talking to the sales rep today - (from a safe 6' apart) - she said for 2020 Cannondale went to a lower level of components to keep prices down across each line. She thought this was a better value than the 20's when you take the component set and price into account.. She felt like it was a Quick CX1.5 if it were in the 2020 line-up, which makes sense with the pricing.