Buddy of KS

Hello, I'm shopping for a new road bike and 2 bikes that are on my short list are the Cannondale CAAD13 and the Trek Emonda ALR5.

I know how the specs & geometry compare, but does anyone have actual riding familiarity of both? If so, can you please share your thoughts on how they compare.

Thanks

Frank72

I have the Emonda AL4. I upgraded it with lighter wheels (1500 grams), all Ultegra 11 speed, carbon fiber handle bars and seat post. I think they use the same the same frame for AL4 and the AL5 (?). I really like it. It may not be carbon fiber but I feel it climbs pretty well. Its light under 20 lbs. Its very stable on long descents.

I have a 60 cm frame. I'm 189 cm tall and the bike just fits me. I bought mine on clearance at the end of 2018.

I have not ridden the Cad 13.

jaxgtr

I've had both a CAAD, although it was the Caad9, and I have the Emonda ALR. I enjoyed the CAAD9 very much, but after 5 yrs or so, I sold it as I wanted to give a carbon frame a try. I bought the Emonda ALR a few later as I was looking at the Emonda SL\SLR and found that the ALR was a such a nice ride, I decided to skip the cost of the carbon and go with the ALR. I put on a carbon post and carbon bars and there was no looking back. I have put almost 10K on this bike so far and even though I bought a Domane SLR last year, this bike is still ridden often and I feel it is just that damn good. I will not be getting rid of this bike. I recently put some Aeolus Pro 5 TLR's on it.




As far as a comparison, I thought the CAAD was a little more harsh , prior to me adding carbon bars and seat post, I thought the ALR had a far more luxurious ride than the CAAD.

Buddy of KS

This is all great feedback so far, please keep the reviews coming. Thanks so much...

Buddy of KS

Hello, I now have 4 bikes that are on my final short list to purchase (Emonda ALR5, CAAD13 105 Disc, Emonda SL5 & Orbea Orca M30). I am leaning toward the CAAD13 but would still love to hear from anyone who has familiarity with the CAAD13 or any of the other bikes I have mentioned.

Thank you in advance for your input...

bruce19

I have no experience with either bike but I do have a CAAD 12. It came with 105 and I upgraded with Mavic USTs. Ready to ride it weighs under 18 lbs. I think it's comfortable, nimble and just a joy to ride.

Technium92

I bought a CAAD13 back in late Feb. of this year. It’s a 56, disc, with a near-full105 (drivetrain front end is cannondale but looks good, a sort of modern looking update to what the old Shimano 600 chainrings looked like). The ‘near’ is a drawback to some but I don’t mind. I was hung up on it for five seconds and then said, “wait, I can just lose a pound and come out ahead. Oh. And, umm… I don’t race. I just want a dope bike.” Anyhow, I was upgrading from a vintage Raleigh, and the bike feels amazing, which I expected. But I have to say it feels like it exceeded even my wildest dreams. I swapped the saddle to my preferred and upgraded the wheels and tires on a reasonable budget. I could not be happier. With 28s on it, I still get a touch of road feedback, but it feels smooth, it holds speed, it’s very responsive, it looks rad, it didn’t break the bank, and it’s a little racy but not aggressive (I’m a hair under 6’ 1” and it puts me in a good lean but nothing crazy). I haven’t ridden the Trek you’re referencing but I have ridden their full carbon slr (I think 6) with di2 ultegra. A $6k bike and it felt hard as a rock to me in terms of harshness and road feedback, and this was only in a pretty decent parking lot. After several rides now including a 70 miler, I’m really happy with the decision to get the CAAD13. Again, I haven’t ridden the Trek. However, I also think that Trek frames look like minivans. I went with preference and budget. Ultimately, I decided I would love a bike that felt good, looked good, and that I could upgrade without my wife committing murder. The CAAD13 checks those boxes for me, and I love it so far.