shmy333

Greetings!

I’m looking for a new training/race bike to replace my old aluminum road bike.
Now I must make a choice between Cannondale CAAD12 2018 (Ultegra) and Scott Addict 30 2016 (105). Scott Addict 30 is a bit expensive and offers only Shimano 105 with R11 wheels. CAAD12 is cheaper. It's a legend with Ultegra, but has an Alu frame.

Need your advice. Does Addict carbon frame worth its money? Should I go for high specs on CAAD12 or invest in the good frame?

whitemax

memebag

Ride and decide. I rode a bunch of carbon bikes and liked the CAAD12 better than any of them. Which one feels better to you? If you prefer the Scott then it's worth the money. If you prefer the Cannondale then it isn't.

rubiksoval

Id take the caad12. Components are better to such an extent that it'd cover the differences in the frames.
My 105 stuff just straight wore out in 2 years or so.

shmy333

I wish could do so.
I rode a Scott Addict and I liked it. It felt like a rocket after my old Alu road bike. But there are no chances to ride CAAD12 for me right now

memebag

So you're trying to decide if you should buy a CAAD12 without riding it first? I wouldn't buy any bike without riding it first. I mean, maybe if I was building a super cheap Chinese carbon bike just for giggles, but not for my main bike purchase.

memebag

I've read that 105 tends to last longer than Ultegra.

whitemax

rms13

Does the Scott have full 105? Most of the 2016 Addict 30 I see for sale online have non series brakes and cranks. CAAD has full Ultegra 8000 except the Hollowgram cranks which you can argue are an upgrade over the Ultegra cranks. Has better wheels then then Scott. The CAAD 12 build is also nearly a 1 lb lighter then the Scott.

https://www.bikeradar.com/us/road/ge...-review-51917/

https://www.bikeradar.com/us/road/ge...-review-51520/


I owned a CAAD9 and CAAD10 and have ridden the 12 and it would be a no brainer for me. Also, the CAAD isn't a good frame, it's a great frame

raria

But it is!

rubiksoval

My 105 derailleurs and shifters were both done inside 20,000 miles.

Ultegra going strong well past that.

whitemax

rms13

Component life has a lot of variables like riding conditions and maintenance. In general I think people claim 105 is the sweet spot of Shimano life span because it's pretty much same quality as Ultegra or DA but being all aluminum parts have theoretical longer lifespan then the lighter weight parts used in higher end stuff.

rubiksoval

The springs seem to be crap. My right 105 shifter doesn't spring back. It just floats around. Generally takes a few tries at the beginning of the ride to get it to engage as well.

I've never heard that. Ultegra has always been the go-to for practical racing and training. I can count on one hand the number of 105 equipped bikes I've seen in my races, my bike excluded.

rms13

Not surprised about lack of 105 in races. Where I live, I don't know anyone that races with anything less then Ultegra even if only because of weight and perceptions that 105 are not top level race components. Personally I've had 5700, 5800, 6700 and 6800 on various bikes and put thousands of miles on each without issues. Granted I don't think I've put 20k on any one of those groups because I used to have a bike problem so I always had multiple bikes and alternated which ones I road. I have friends that ride 10k/year but they generally get a new bike every season or two just because they have the money to so maybe your experience is about right