bikerjp

Okay, plenty of posts around on this topic, but I had a chance yesterday to finally see what a caad can do (and yes, I'm sure most other bikes can do too). Climbing up a small 2-3% grade I jumped to pass someone and was impressed how quickly I got going. Later I checked my ride data and at the time I jumped I was traveling 18.3 mph and within 21 secs was going 28.9 mph. Not going to impress anyone, but for me that's pretty good. Obviously it's more the engine than the bike, but the bike responded REALLY well. It felt like it just took off and my only point of reference was the guy I just dropped. Of course, had he decided it was a race who knows. I complained a while back how my new caad was feeling sluggish. I take it all back. Nothing wrong with the bike at all and the engine seems to be getting better as well.

korean

sweet! i've test ridden several of them and have grown to love them. mine is being shipped so hopefully i can say the same about mine

fishymamba

I love mine. I love how responsive it is. Turning is crisp and predictable and accelerates on a dime.

bikerjp

You will. I did change out the stock wheels. They aren't bad but nothing special either. I used them about 5-6 months and then decided I wanting something more... fun?

I'm afraid I'm going to fall on my ass someday. The bike begs to be ridden hard and one of these days I'm going to torque the bars enough to one side to send me over the top. Not looking forward to that. On the other hand, Cav looks about ready to crash every time he sprints so maybe I'll be okay (yes, comparing myself to Cav - don't tell him).

fishymamba

I'm deciding what wheels to get right now, the stock ones are too flexy and the hubs are horrible.

Shuagster

I also love my Caad. Need to get more miles though, feels like I'm not treating her well, I feel her stare at me sometimes telling me: "RIDE ME!"

jeepseahawk

I love mine, one month and 500 miles, she is abused. She is sexy red but I would have preferred her to be incoginito black.

cooleric1234

I love my CAAD9-1 frame. The FSA crank and 7900 Dura-Ace, on the other hand, have been finicky and generally not the level of shifting I would expect. I know, I know, get a better mechanic. Still, whereas I could usually tune these things myself those components have been a pain to get working just right. If it weren't for the wheels I would have preferred to go with the Ultegra or Rival version.

korean

i have a pair of ea90 slx's leaning on my desk, waiting for their new home

Humongous

The CAAD9 is an awesome piece of machinery, indeed. Easily most bang for your buck.

blastississimo

I'm in love with my Caad10. No question I recently upgraded my bars to the 3T Ergonova Teams and my goodness, it makes riding even more enjoyable! My brother, after he saw me getting into it, snagged a deal on a 2010 Caad9. He hasn't used it once. I think I might nab it, put my 105's on there... and upgrade my components to Sram Force!

bikerjp

I got the 9-4 with Rival and love it. Shifts wonderfully. Sram ftw. My thinking is wheels are easier to change than components and I couldn't afford the higher end ones anyway. Got a good deal on the 9-4 and bought custom wheels.

bikerjp

^^when it was new^^

roadwarrior

The stock cables are pretty bad. If you go to a better cable and housing, it improves a ton.

roadwarrior

I have one with Rival. It was one of the very last USA, Bedford PA made frames.

shrinkboy

i started racing again this year after a 25 year lay-off. i was on a steel frame Kona Kapu that would be a completely fine sport/fast training bike. i found a great deal on BBQ CAAD9-1 full Dura-Ace (inc. crankset), and i got my first top 10 crit finish of the year the night after i picked it up. i'd only ridden it in the parking lot at the LBS before that

for race wheels, i've been using the Mavic K10's, a 1460g set that i think are the bomb....

on the path

I just picked up a 2011 105 in red on a "somewhat researched impulse buy". I had been looking at a lot of road bikes online, but was really only wishing and dreaming.

Last week I had gone to a LBS looking for chain lube. I poked around looking at the new bikes and there it was - in my size too. It pretty much met my wish list. I was looking for aluminum with at least 105 components, and I wanted 2 rings, not 3. Also, they were offering a couple hundred off as an end of season incentive. I went home and read, and 2 more visits to the shop and I was taking her home with me.

So far I'm rather thrilled with the bike. It's unlike anything I have or anything I've ever had. I love the stiffness of the frame, and the response it makes for. The ride quality is surprisingly good. The handling is precise and predictable. The fit is very good. I'm very comfortable riding as is, but I'm going to adjust the bars incrementally to try for a lower position. I've already dropped them by 1 spacer.

Right now I've only got about 60 miles on it. I love being on the bike, and when I'm not on it I'm looking forward to the next ride.

Question: I not sure what the range of my cassette is. I have the 53/39 crank but am having difficulty finding info on the cassette. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks.

And oh, here she is:

moralleper

Be aware Cannondale will not honor the warranty on the fork if you put spacers above the stem. They claim it increases the chance of the steer tube cracking. FYI.

on the path

Not at all disputing what you've said. Seems to me that having the stem clamped lower on the steering tube could be structurally stronger, and if so would decrease the chance of the tube cracking. Btw, I was very careful not to over-tighten.

I guess if and when the time comes I should have an "authorized Cannondale repair shop" cut the tube. Thx for the info.

cooleric1234

You can look up what the standard configuration is on the Cannondale website. Even better you can count the teeth on your cog yourself. It takes some searching but they also usually stamp in the number of teeth on each sprocket.

bikerjp

When my lbs did my bike fit they dropped the bars down one spacer and put that spacer on top of the stem. The only other option is to cut the tube. If I ended up wanting to put the spacer back underneath I wouldn't be able to. So according to Cannondale logic, If I want to try a different position I have to cut the steer tube, making it a permanent choice, and cutting it will have less structural impact than putting a spacer on top which in both cases results in the stem being in the same location on the tube. That makes no sense.

EvenKeel

I think one spacer on the top probably doesn't make a difference. I believe what Cdale is trying to do is to ensure that the stem clamps the steerer tube in an area that is supported by the compression plug that holds the headset together. The more spacers you add on top, the higher the compression plug location relative to the stem clamping location. On the other hand, if you cut the steerer you are, in fact, moving the compression plug lower and closer to the stem clamp. So, there is actually a difference.

on the path

Well...I couldn't. I did try though. Couldn't seem to find it.

Guess I'm gonna have to get the magnifier glasses out...

bikerjp

Ah, didn't think about that. Makes sense, but maybe there should be clear about a spacer or two not being a problem or up to a certain amount of spacers being okay. Personally, I think the one on top is a good idea so you are not clamping right at the top. If you needed to/wanted to, couldn't you use a longer bolt and move the compression plug lower? I'm asking because I don't know. Just wondering.

Humongous

I love how the Cannondale shills are claiming how superior the non-US bikes are, so their sales don't take a major hit. "OMG, the CAAD10 puts $10k Madones to shame! So much better than the crappy ones made in the USA! Please keep buying our bikes!" I mean, I'm not saying the CAAD10 isn't a great bike, but to resort to touting it as a CAAD9 killer because of component upgrades, has nothing to do with where the frame was made.