Originally Posted by
cyclingd
Didn't read the Cannondale marketing promo. But being ignorant of the brand, from what I've read on this thread is they sell a super stiff aluminium frame at a elevated price. Does each successive CAAD series get lighter and stiffer?
Are their mtn bikes also super stiff?
I don't that you, and others, understand what it means for a bike to be stiff.
Stiff doesn't mean that the bike rides like a bone shaker. Stiff means that when you stand up and hammer on it, you don't feel like you have a noodle under you. Many bikes fit this description.
The caad9 is a good, nay great, all around bike, but the reason many flock to it is that it's an incredibly awesome race bike for the cost. The frames are light, without sacrificing much in the name of durability. The seatstays afford a comfortable bike that's a great 60 minute crit bike or a 6 hour century bike. The power transfer is awesome.
I've ridden for hours and hours on my 9 without feeling beat up. I've also sprinted at 1350W on it with the utmost confidence. I get a bit of road feedback through the bars, but I really like that because I hate a bike to feel 'dead'.
That said, if you're looking for a super cushy comfy bike, look elsewhere. It's really not designed for that purpose though it might work out alright for you if you buy it for that. This is not the early 'blackbird' era caad bike. Anything from the CAAD7 up is a great all around bike.
There are racers I know who moved from zoot carbon frames to caad9 team bikes and have absolutely no complaints. The reason we love these bikes is because the price is right, and because if we break one in crash while training or racing, then it's like 400 bucks to replace the frame under crash replacement. That's a great deal!
I should also mention that a few nicks/dings here and there don't destroy the frame. I had one on my first caad9, and the shops I went to said it was fine. Months later the paint around it didn't show any signs of peeling as would happen if the frame was cracked. I moved to a second caad9 as a 56 fit me better than the 54.
Those complaining about aches and pains from the frame probably aren't fit correctly. I had a ton of issues with the 54 frame. Moving to a 56 completely got rid of them for me. It's about fit and components. Different bars and saddles transmit the 'road feel' differently. Now if you're planning on riding fire roads on a bike that can barely fit 25mm tires, you've got some thinking to do. That said, I loved riding mine on dirt tracks every now and then. I was also between 142-150 when racing the CAAD9. I'm up to 155-160 now, and it's still as comfortable.
Sorry for the long post...