Tizz

Hello everyone,
I'm hoping for a little unbiased advice.

I put money down on a great Black Friday deal last week. Found a 2010 Fuji ACR 3.0 on sale for $999 with a 20% coupon being honored. ($800 out the door).

Today I walk into another lbs and find a 2007 Cannondale Caad9 Optimo 3 brand new never ridden. The guy in the shop says he will sell it to me for $900.

Im a grad school student so money is tight but I want the best overall deal I can find and I want to have this bike for a long time. I will be riding this bike a ton starting in the spring.

Ill post links of each bike so you can tell me what you think. Points that stand out for me is that the Fuji has carbon stays and bb30 (tiagra and 105 mix) whereas the Caad9 has better components (105/ultegra mix) and it seems like it's lighter.

I know that feel is very important, but Im looking for the better all around bike as in:

Would you sacrifice the bb30 and carbon stays with a tiagra/105 mix(fuji) for upgraded components(ultegra/105 mix) and wheels etc on the caad9?

I guess I am asking, If you could only see these bikes online, on which one would you take your chances?


Side bar: Any concerns on quality/longevity with carbon stays molded to aluminum?

Caad9(Click on the word Specs):
https://www.cannondale.com/usa/usaeng...CAAD9-Optimo-3

Fuji:
https://www.touringcyclist.com/bikes/model_20013.html

What would you do?!

Tizz

I may have made a mistake in thinking the 2007 Caad9 does NOT have bb30. Am I wrong?

topflightpro

You are correct, 2007 Caad 9 does not have BB30.

Some people say BB30 is great, others not so much. I have raced on BB30 Hollogram SI and regular Dura Ace Cranks and could not really tell a difference.

The wheels are basically a wash. Those are low level OEM Shimanos on the Caad 9, compared to similar quality wheels on the Fuji.

Having the 10 speed shifters/derailleurs is nice, because it would be easier to upgrade / replace parts in the future - unless you want to stay with Tiagra and 9-speed. There are still lots of used 9-speed parts on eBay.

You just have to decide if it is worth the hassle of returning the one bike and paying $100 more.

And as for carbon stays, some people have gone thousands of miles with no issue. Others question whether they provide any real benefit.

yamura

The CAAD9 looks to be the better equipped bike and it has a great rep. I agree with topflightpro re the wheels; they're durable but might be the 1st thing you'll replace if you want to upgrade later. I have that exact same year & model (and upgraded it).

I'd expect the Fuji to be a little smoother riding, a nice bike and worth upgrading but you'd have to spend more $$ to get it up to where the CAAD9 already is.

I have not heard of any issues with carbon stays.

M_FactorX19

I bought a Fuji ACR 3.0 earlier this year for just under what u had it priced at (great deal that's why I bought it) and have been very pleased with the bike. It handles great, feels lively, and is very stiff when sprinting and climbing. Honestly the 9sp won't hold you back and its easy to switch to 10sp later if you want. I was also very surprised at how well the bike shifted since I had never owned or ridden anything lower than 105. All that being said I bought the bike knowing I would upgrade later on and move the components over to an older bike even though they perform exceptionally well. Most people on BF are die hard Caad fans and will tell you to get the Caad but my vote is for the Fuji. Both are great bikes for the money I just like the looks and feel of the Fuji more. Plus you would save enough for a set of pedals etc so....
Good luck with your decision!

M_FactorX19

Another point worth making is 9sp are cheaper to keep running (chains cassettes etc) than 10sp. Since you said you have limited funds just thought I would mention it and you can still get parts every where (minus new 9sp shifters other than Tiagra)