FamilyMan007

Hoping there is enough support to have a separate thread for the Cannondale Quick bikes (I notice more than one such thread for the Trek bikes)!

To start things off, I have stopped working fulltime (after 49 years) late last year and decided to celebrate by treating myself to a new bike. I tested bikes from Trek, Giant, Specialised, Cannondale that met my ‘under Canadian $1,000’ price point.
I ended up buying a Quick SL-1. Although it was at a clearance price due to being a 2012 model, it was a little above my price-point (sound familiar?). Having become emotionally attached to the bike after several test rides I expect I should have done better at negotiating the bike store further down (however, I did get some accessories thrown in). Hopefully ‘what goes around comes around’ and I will get special after-sales service if/when required (Iam I the optimist, or what?)

Just loving my Cannondale Quick SL-1.

Apart from looking good (purely subjective), the gear changes are fast & consistent, and the bike rolls easily & maneuvers precisely. I suppose with its relatively light weight and components it is towards the ‘road-bike-with-flat-handlebars’ type of hybrid.

But I am finding it suits me perfectly – it enables me to keep up with my 20 year old son (the bar-ends also help in that regard), while the geometry is such that I get a nice upright stance when cruising around with my wife on her ‘comfort-style’ bike.

It should also be noted that my riding is mainly restricted to pavement – roads (which I limit to extent possible as Toronto is so crowded with motor vehicles) + cycle pathes (my closest lead me beside the Humber River, which in one direction lead to a wide paved trail beside Lake Ontario).

Anyway, here are some pictures of my bike specially cleaned for the occassion ( - oops, tried to add a picture of the tires fitted to the bike- which are not standard, being a 28' x 1.25" size, not sure why the bike had those - and I seem to have doubledup on the other pictures - sorry for any inconvenience)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]398158[/ATTACH]

nycmessenger

Very nice bike, I am deciding between a trek 7.4 disc, quick 4, or a bad boy 9. I really like the quick 4, I assume the SL-1 is a monster. Congrats.

FamilyMan007

Hi nycmessanger,

Each of the bikes you are considering has the potential to be a great bike for you. I am not wanting to come across as a "Quick fanboy' - so I will acknowledge that my son has a Trek FX 7.3 (back from five years ago when they came with a Deore rear derailleur) and it seems a really good bike.

I think the standard advice is to try them out for as long as possible (and in my case in fairly quick succession - my recollections fade fairly quickly over short time frames!). I suggest you also consider:
~ does your riding require front shocks? In my case I decided it did not - if necessary I would choose a wider tire;
~ do you need disc brakes. Personally I do not intend to cycle much in the rain and decided traditional hub brakes were more than adequate. Even if I did cycle in the rain I would want to investigate pros (stopping reliability) against cons (weight, complexity of adjustment)
~ confidence in the people you are dealing with re each bike. In my case all were local bike stores, the Cannondale was at the closest bike store (possibly marginally below the others as regards my perception of customer service - but as I commented above I became emotionally attached to the bike)

Good luck with your decision.

As for myself, weather forecast is good for tomorrow, I will try to get a ride in before we leave for a family weekend at the Stratford Shakespeare festival!

Route 66

I'm glad someone started a thread for the Quick series.

I spent a fair amount of time deciding mainly between two bikes; the Trek 7.7 and Cannondale Quick Carbon 2. As it turned out, my dealer wanted to make room for the 2015's and made me such a deal on a 2014 Quick Carbon 1 that I couldn't pass it up. I've had mine for a couple of weeks now and I just love it. I find that I spend much more time on this bike, than I did on the Cannondale H400 hybrid that I had been riding for the past 19 years.

Hopefully, this thread will see enough activity to stay alive the way the Trek hybrid threads have.

JmanEspresso

My hybrid decision was narrowed down to a handful of bikes from the local shops...

Trek FX 7.4 Disc
Trek 8.4 DS

Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc

Cannondale Quick SL2
Cannondale Quick CX3


I road all of them, in that order.

I was convinced I would be doing plenty of light off road trail riding, so I was sure I needed front suspension. Plus I wanted a plusher ride. So the Trek FX 7.4 left the list(but I also just didn't like how that bike felt under me), and the Quick SL 2 left the list.

Then it basically came down to which shop I liked better, so it was the Cannondale Quick CX3.



After owning it for a little while, I have a mixed opinion about it.

Opinion 1 is about the bike itself. Its a wonderful bike. My only real complaint, is very minor. I would have like to see the Deore RD and FR for the price.. but truthfully.. really doesn't matter. Its a nice all rounder, I dont feel like Im riding a mountain bike on the road, but I have confidence if I go into the gravel. If you want a do it all bike, this is a nice choice.

Opinion 2 is about my riding. I have discovered very quickly that I have no desire whatsoever to go offroad. I definitely bought the wrong bike for the type of riding I want to do. I either should have bought the Quick SL2, which is basically a flat bar road bike, or I should have got a road bike. Im currently in the process of doing exactly that.


But like I said in opinion 1.. the bike on its own, is really a wonderful bike. I would suggest it to anyone looking for a front suspension do it all hybrid, you would not be dissapointed in the slightest. And the Hydraulic disc brakes are BUTTERY smooth... its a really nice feature IMO. And Im not saying hybrid vs road yada yada yada.. Im actually probably keeping the CX 3 instead of returning it and making my road bike cheaper, because while my main riding is on the pavement distance rides, the Quick CX 3, with the addition of a rack and maybe some panniers, is going to make a serious all around town bike. Disc brakes for wet weather, front suspension fork for shortcuts through the trails, relaxed geometry for those longer errands, and panniers to make trips to the market or the convience store.

this bike made me really like Cannondale. Its a super awesome looking bike, and because of how much I liked it, I straight away looked to Cannondale for a road purchase. Not that I disliked the Specialized(not at all actually, I really liked it), or the Treks(if the shop was better my first choice was the Trek DS).. its just that everything lined up with the Cannondale options. My likes, plus the shops fortitude.

Again if you're looking for a hybrid with a suspension fork, Id seriously consider the Quick CX3. For what you get for the money, I think its hard to beat. 2nd choice would probably be the Trek 8.4DS, for a little more money you get some Deore parts.

fixj

Bought a SL 1 a few weeks ago . Considered Trek FX, Specialized Sirrus, Novara Express and Pinarello Treviso.
The SL 1 had the best components, fit me well, REI service and rebate, plus the brushed aluminum vs a lot of black bikes. Ended up with an XL, I am 6'1".
No regrets. Enjoy my rides.
Cannondale customer service quoted me 21.38 lbs.
Amazed at how seldom I use the small front ring.

FamilyMan007

Congratulations on your purchase (as a fellow SL-1 owner I am of course completely unbiased).

Interested in your comments re:

Small front ring: My understanding was that 2013 / 2014 models moved to a 'compact' (ie two ring) front crank. While I have not used the 'granny' ring yet either (other than to verify it works), as a Granddad myself I must confess I am pleased my 2012 model has the feature for when/if I tackle more challenging inclines.

Size: I am also 6'1". But after considerable road-testing of both the XL and Jumbo vesions (and discussion with different people), I became comfortable with the 'Jumbo' size. I do not find the bike feels too big (and indeed I use the 'bar ends' quite a lot when trying to increase speed.)

fixj

SL 1 gearing is now 2x10, Tiagra FD and shifters, 105 RD. Bar ends a nice addition for both hills and hand comfort.

Hybrid bike evolution is amazing. They just keep getting better. A lot of great choices .

Be safe.

Bbike4ever

I rode a rented Quick 4 on this years Sojourn. Nice bike. I am 6' 2" with a 34" inseam and they fitted me on an XL. I understand they are pricey but if you have the cash you likely won't be unhappy.

FamilyMan007

I should have known when you referred to 'smaller' ring (as opposed to 'smallest')!

On a technical matter, what is the guideline re the use of the large crank ring and the large rear cogs. On my three front crank set-up, I avoid the two largest rear cogs (in vague belief that this reduces stresses/strains on the drive mechanism). But some people advise me I am being unduly conservative


On a different topic, the weather was great in this part of the world last weekend and despite the family trip to Stratford I managed to get in a 32km ride on both Saturday and Monday mornings.

fixj

I avoid shifting into crossover gears per Shimano. Still getting used to this bike but surprised and pleased with the gear change efficiency. It might be the lighter bike, the 2x10 gearing or the 20 lbs I have dropped but I make less frequent gear changes.

Toronto is a great city. Was there often in the early 70's. ( I was the guy with long hair, big mustache, bell bottoms. )

Stay safe.

FamilyMan007

Hi fixj - congratulations on the weight loss. [I have managed to lose nearly 30lbs (with lots of help from my wife after a high cholesterol score) and certainly enjoying my new bike.]

Not entirely sure how to apply your advice re 'crossover' gears on my three-front-crank' set up on my 2012 model. Perhaps I am getting a little too detailed when I should be out doing a longer run than the 30 km I managed this morning, but I have tried computing the gearing ratios in table below. Currently I would not use these gear combinations - are you suggesting I should extend the 'do-not-use' combinations (eg those indicated like this 50 39 30
12 4.167 3.250 2.500
13 3.846 3.000 2.308
14 3.571 2.786 2.143
15 3.333 2.600 2.000
17 2.941 2.294 1.765
19 2.632 2.053 1.579
21 2.381 1.857 1.429
23 2.174 1.696 1.304
25 2.000 1.560 1.200
28 1.786 1.393 1.071

Not very talented on computers, finding it a challenge to get the table columns to align. Hopefully you can see that the 1st row is # teeth on the front rings, and the 1st column is # teeth on rear cogs. The cells are then intended to represent the ratio of front divided by rear.

fixj

What I meant by avoiding shifting into crossover gears was small/ small or large/ large on 2 x10 gears.

That would effectively reduce my 20 speed to 18.....and on most of my rides to date I am using half of that...

maybe I need to find more hills.....

Very impressive table with ratios.

Mindcrime

Love my Quick CX 5. Yeah, its the entry level model, Altus groupset, mediocre front fork, but I got it at a discount at about $500, put some MTB single sided SPD pedals on with Ergon GP5 bar ends, and I can hang with the 14-16 mph roadie group I go out with on Saturday, AND ride some trail on my own on Sunday morning.

Only issue I have had is spoke breakage. Im a clyde at 260, and have broken two spokes in my first 1000 miles. Third one, and the shop said they are going to replace the rear wheel.

Otherwise, great, great entry level do it all bike that looks good, rides comfy and is an all around fun bike!

BritFunk

Friends,

After a lifetime (44 years of one, anyway) riding cheap hand-me-down and Wal-Mart bikes I decided to try a "real" bike. My primary motivation? Borderline Type 2 diabetes. My physician basically offered me two choices - get my blood pumping and shed some pounds (5'10" / 220 lbs) or take pills the rest of my life.

I bicycled a LOT as a kid on an old 26" single-speed bike handed down from an older sibling, but as an adult just never got back into it. I was convinced that I didn't like riding, but as exercise goes jogging sucked WAY worse, so I stopped by a local bike shop to check out their offerings.

The shop had a used Cannondale 2013 Quick 5 - it still looked new, and had been apparently purchased by an older gentleman who rode it about a half-mile before deciding it wasn't for him. I picked it up off consignment for well below new price and the shop owner offered to pass the lifetime free adjustments/tune-ups that come with all new bike sales at his shop on to me.

The only change I made was to add a pannier that I found at the local Goodwill thrift store for $1.00 (they had no clue even what it was) and a small Cordura trunk bag.

I have probably ridden it a hundred miles of so, which I grant you isn't much in the grand scheme of things, but each time I go out my endurance is improving. I average about seven miles each trip, and seven miles just isn't a big stretch these days. I'm planning to ratchet it up to 12 - 15 in the next week or so, and hopefully be at 20 or 25 by the end of autumn, all going well.

----
Kurt

FamilyMan007

After a lifetime (44 years of one, anyway) riding cheap hand-me-down and Wal-Mart bikes I decided to try a "real" bike. My primary motivation? Borderline Type 2 diabetes. My physician basically offered me two choices - get my blood pumping and shed some pounds (5'10" / 220 lbs) or take pills the rest of my life.

I can relate: in my case it was cholesterol levels / heart, but only needed to reduce my weight by 30lbs. I found that exercise was only part of the equation - I also needed to work on eradicating the bad dietary habits I had acquired over time.


The shop had a used Cannondale 2013 Quick 5 - it still looked new, and had been apparently purchased by an older gentleman who rode it about a half-mile before deciding it wasn't for him. I picked it up off consignment for well below new price and the shop owner offered to pass the lifetime free adjustments/tune-ups that come with all new bike sales at his shop on to me.

Congratulations on your 'new' Cannondale Quick5 - sounds like you got a good deal.

If you enjoy riding your Cannondale half as much as me, I am confident that your mileage will increase over time.

jtaylor996

I just joined the Quick club last night with a new Quick 4!

Pretty soon I'll be putting some big ergon GP5 grips on it, though.

What sort of speed/cadence sensors do you guys like for this frame?

What kickstands do you like?

Jarrettsin

Cannondale Quick 4 here, I purchased it April 4th right after I retired. Changed the pedals to a pair of Shimano T420 Click R's. Clicks on one side platform on the other. Changed the saddle to a Selle Royal respire moderate and have put 725 miles on it so far. And a Sigma bike computer.

jtaylor996

What tires do you guys like? I'm not liking the tread of the stock Kenda Kwik Trak tires... I'm riding 95% on road.

Fldaves

I purchased my Quick4 on June 6(after being away from cycling for 11 years) and had the LBS replace the OEM tires with 25mm Conti gatorskins. I've added headset spacers(tall upper torso), a Padrone computer, a red Serfas speed bag and Ultegra pedals.

n0thing

Greetings all. First post!

I just picked up a 2014 Cannondale Quick 4. I made the change from a 2012 Trek 9th District Livestrong to this bike (I traded that bike in). I loved a lot about the Trek, but no matter the changes made the bike just absolutely killed my wrists. It was also slightly too tall for me which made stopping fun. Overall it was nice, but it just wasn't the right bike for me.

I went in dead set on buying another Trek. My wife has a 7.3 FX and absolutely loves it. I cross-shopped the Cannondale with the FX 7.3 and FX 7.4. I took all three on bike rides around the area and, to be honest, I couldn't really tell a difference between any of them. I rode them again, same thing. I liked the looks of the Treks more, but when the LBS came back with a price on the Cannondale that was hundreds cheaper I knew which way I'd go. I took it on a short ride over the weekend and absolutely loved it.

Plans for now are just to get back into riding and not worry about changing anything about the bike. Once my wife said she was pregnant and once we had our first child I completely stopped doing it so it's been a while and I'm clearly out of shape. Things are more stable around the house now so I want to jump back in and get going! Future plans will likely be new pedals and probably different tires. My Trek had much skinnier tires on it and I really liked how it rode with them more. It seemed easier to get going and hold speed.


(The new hotness.)


(My old bike.)

jtaylor996

I replaced the stock Kenda tires with the schwalbe marathon supremes in the same 32 width. They ride much faster, but still have all the advantages of the stock 32 width tires, and are also bullet proof. I put them on backwards, which I know doesn't matter, but my OCD is likely to have be swap them around so the "shooshes point the right way" sometime this week.

I just put ultegra clipless pedals on this weekend. The best upgrade for me so far has been the ergon grips. Much better on my wrists than the stock ones.

n0thing

Which Ergons did you go with? I have a set of either GP3s or GP4s (I can't remember off the top of my head which they are) sitting in the garage that I took off of my Trek before trading it in. I couldn't get them dialed in on my last bike so that they were comfy, but I think that had a lot to do with the bike.

I'll have to read up on the Gatorskins and the Marathon Supremes.

jtaylor996

I have the biokork GP5s on mine. The main grip was an enormous help to me, and the the "horns" only a little bit helpful, compared to the main grips themselves. I angle the main grips to where my wrists are straight. I'm still having some issues with my ulnar nerve, though.

Mvcrash

I picked up a Quick CX 4 during the winter. It has a lightweight Raceface Crankset with external bottom bracket, ten speed Shimano Cassette with an SLX rear derailleur and chain. Carbon Handlebar and Ergon Grips. Grabbed it for $450 with about 500 miles on it. Like it so far but I've really not put many miles on it yet.