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Cannondale Capo

Old 04-20-09, 03:45 PM
  #1  
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Cannondale Capo

I couldn't find a thread on the Capo so I'm starting one. I know the Capo has it's detractors so I'm perfectly prepared to get flamed.

I just bought one for $400 in pristine condition. It's the black and white one, totally stock. I'm iffy on the "look" and hate the marketing around this bike, but the ride is NICE and the bike, even stock, is LIGHT.

Anyway, I'm posting because everyone acknowledges the build on this bike is not worthy of the frame.
specs here https://www.cannondale.com/bikes/09/cusa/model-8PR1.html

I'd love to hear opinions on what replace the stock stuff with. I've only ridden it for a couple of short rides so far and the bars and saddle are going to be the first to go. Some reviewers complain about the wheels but they didn't stand out to me as particularly bad...thoughts? The crank-set is widely panned and that will be the next upgrade but I'm not sure what to put on there.

Other than that I'm trying to tone down the "aggro" look of the bike and change a lot of the white to all black (tape, saddle, cranks). I'm not made of money, but I want to make this bike sing...

Let me have it!
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Old 04-20-09, 03:55 PM
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I don't know why anyone doesn't like Capos. I think they are great frames. Seem like a really good track frame to ride on the road. What do you mean by the marketing? What was cannondales marketing technique?The white crankset is cheesy looking, and I hate the bars, but other than that it looks good. Put a black crank on like you said, and I would personally rock a CF fork on that.
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Old 04-20-09, 04:03 PM
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From C'dale website:

"The Capo is the vanguard of urban style. With the grit and mettle for counterculture acceptance, the Capo lives, breathes and bleeds the fixed-gear lifestyle. And when it's time to take it easy, just flip the hub for freewheel bliss.
URBAN GRIT
The Capo is stripped to the core. It is the bare essence of a bicycle - lean, mean, and ready for the unpredictability of gritty urban streets. So whether you're running errands or delivering packages, the visceral nature of the Capo is ready for duty."


I'm looking for a strong, fast ss commuter, not "counterculture acceptance."
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Old 04-20-09, 04:05 PM
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Then don't upgrade ****.

Upgrading parts before you've had a chance to evaluate which parts do or do not work well for you is stupid. Ride the bike for a few months, see what you don't like, buy new stuff.
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Old 04-20-09, 04:14 PM
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I'd swap out the stem/saddle/bars to get my cockpit where i wanted it. Get some aero brake levers, cause i like having hoods. Then i'd just ride it until i needed to replace parts, even that 4 bolt crank.

Good find. $400!!!!
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Old 04-20-09, 04:14 PM
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i've changed out every single part on my capo, including fork and seatpost collar (only because the stock one broke ). i have an '08 though, and i think they changed the stock rims for '09, but the '08 stock rims were wide and heavy. i also really dislike the look of the '09 stock crankset. i would change that out immediately. and the pedals as well. everything else is serviceable IMO.
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Old 04-20-09, 04:18 PM
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Originally Posted by commutr4life
From C'dale website:

"The Capo is the vanguard of urban style. With the grit and mettle for counterculture acceptance, the Capo lives, breathes and bleeds the fixed-gear lifestyle. And when it's time to take it easy, just flip the hub for freewheel bliss.
URBAN GRIT
The Capo is stripped to the core. It is the bare essence of a bicycle - lean, mean, and ready for the unpredictability of gritty urban streets. So whether you're running errands or delivering packages, the visceral nature of the Capo is ready for duty."


I'm looking for a strong, fast ss commuter, not "counterculture acceptance."
According to Cannondale colored chains are necessary to handle the unpredictability of gritty urban streets.
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Old 04-20-09, 04:19 PM
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There's a logic to that to not changing anything. But there's also a logic to matching the caliber of all of the elements to get the best ride. I'm sure the best crank set will improve the ride of a cheap frame but you won't get the most those cranks can offer. I don't want to ride crap cranks only to find I was missing out once I do replace them with something equal to the frame.

It's like when you move out of an apartment and clean really well to get your deposit back only to say, dang, this place cleans up nice, I should've had it like this all along...

Last edited by commutr4life; 04-20-09 at 04:23 PM.
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Old 04-20-09, 04:24 PM
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They're great bikes. I rode one that had DA track cranks and wheels at Burnaby velodrome, and it was nice. However, I agree with other posters that for street riding you could do fine just riding the stock components until they break.
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Old 04-20-09, 04:32 PM
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Originally Posted by commutr4life
There's a logic to that to not changing anything. But there's also a logic to matching the caliber of all of the elements to get the best ride. I'm sure the best crank set will improve the ride of a cheap frame but you won't get the most those cranks can offer. I don't want to ride crap cranks only to find I was missing out once I do replace them with something equal to the frame.

It's like when you move out of an apartment and clean really well to get your deposit back only to say, dang, this place cleans up nice, I should've had it like this all along...
If you really want to improve ride quality without spending too much, get some good tires and a clipless system.

If you're going to ride in street shoes w/ clips and straps, you probably won't be able to tell the difference between Omniums and the cheap 4 bolt cranks that came on it.

Last edited by lukewall; 04-20-09 at 04:35 PM.
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Old 04-20-09, 05:44 PM
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the capo is really solid. i kind of regret selling mine when i had it but it was a little too big for me Stock stuff isn't the greatest, but you'd be best to ride it out before changing anything to get an idea of what you want


Here were my two setups
Road training


My style
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Old 04-20-09, 05:46 PM
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ha, that bottom picture is most viewed on flickr when you search "cannondale capo".
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Old 04-20-09, 06:52 PM
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Did you ever use the aerospocks for ss roadie training rides. Durable and heavy as ****, seems like they would make good training wheels.
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Old 04-20-09, 07:01 PM
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Only thing stock about this is the frame+fork.
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Old 04-20-09, 07:11 PM
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Originally Posted by lukewall
Did you ever use the aerospocks for ss roadie training rides. Durable and heavy as ****, seems like they would make good training wheels.
Naw, at the time I didn't since I was group riding in the hills. Makes me miss them a lot though Now I'm feeling the pangs of wanting to buy them again
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Old 04-20-09, 07:16 PM
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Originally Posted by commutr4life
I'm sure the best crank set will improve the ride of a cheap frame but you won't get the most those cranks can offer. I don't want to ride crap cranks only to find I was missing out once I do replace them with something equal to the frame.
what do you expect from an upgraded crankset?
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Old 04-20-09, 09:26 PM
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I bought my Capo used as a frame, fork, and headset, so I can't speak to the stock components. However, I think the best thing is to wear the parts until you need to replace. I love my outboard bearing Omniums on the frame with CB Quattro pedals.
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Old 04-21-09, 08:41 AM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by dookie
what do you expect from an upgraded crankset?
An excellent question. I guess I don't know, which is part of why I'm posting. You're talking to a guy who is new the to whole quality, well-maintained bikes world. I commuted for years on a mountain bike, then an old Schwinn Tempo, which is a great bike, but I basically rode it into the ground and didn't realize that the BB was almost siezed until I took it apart.

Anyway, when I hopped on the Capo I was like WWWWOOOOOOOOOOOW. So quick and responsive. Other reviewers have complained about the cranks, so I guess I'm asking...what would one expect from upgraded cranks?

It sounds like I'll probably ride these parts out before replacing. But on that note, you don't really wear out cranks, right? I would just replace them when the bb and/or chainring wear, right?

Other potentially relevant info, I ride ss, and with clips, mostly city, some paths.
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Old 04-21-09, 08:46 AM
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Originally Posted by commutr4life
An excellent question. I guess I don't know, which is part of why I'm posting. You're talking to a guy who is new the to whole quality, well-maintained bikes world. I commuted for years on a mountain bike, then an old Schwinn Tempo, which is a great bike, but I basically rode it into the ground and didn't realize that the BB was almost siezed until I took it apart.

Anyway, when I hopped on the Capo I was like WWWWOOOOOOOOOOOW. So quick and responsive. Other reviewers have complained about the cranks, so I guess I'm asking...what would one expect from upgraded cranks?

It sounds like I'll probably ride these parts out before replacing. But on that note, you don't really wear out cranks, right? I would just replace them when the bb and/or chainring wear, right?

Other potentially relevant info, I ride ss, and with clips, mostly city, some paths.
Yes cranks DO wear out. When they wear out, either you've worn out the taper (if it is square) as you've been riding with it loose. Or the crank will physcially break, most of the times near the pedal threads.
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Old 04-21-09, 09:27 AM
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Originally Posted by commutr4life
An excellent question. I guess I don't know, which is part of why I'm posting. You're talking to a guy who is new the to whole quality, well-maintained bikes world. I commuted for years on a mountain bike, then an old Schwinn Tempo, which is a great bike, but I basically rode it into the ground and didn't realize that the BB was almost siezed until I took it apart.

Anyway, when I hopped on the Capo I was like WWWWOOOOOOOOOOOW. So quick and responsive. Other reviewers have complained about the cranks, so I guess I'm asking...what would one expect from upgraded cranks?

It sounds like I'll probably ride these parts out before replacing. But on that note, you don't really wear out cranks, right? I would just replace them when the bb and/or chainring wear, right?

Other potentially relevant info, I ride ss, and with clips, mostly city, some paths.
As operator mentioned, eventually the crank arms can snap but that's after several years of hard use really. A dedicated roadie who trains constantly will "wear out" cranks and have them break, your average fixed gear commuter probably won't run into that.

What you'd expect from better cranks would be better looks, tighter Q factor (also called tread) and increased stiffness. If you're riding in sneakers with straps, you'll probably never notice a difference in stiffness between crank sets.

Which is to say, those cranks are probably fine for you in all regards except street cred.
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Old 04-21-09, 09:37 AM
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n00b here with a Capo. it looks a little like Gyeswho's, but with much more of the stock kit.

like commutr4life, I just bought mine used. I was psyched to find a practically new silver '07 for $500. but an '09 for $400? that's a crazy deal!

the original owner of mine was a nice guy, and threw in the Selle Italia SLR saddle, Salsa stem, and Shimano clipless pedals he was using with it.

regarding upgrades: when I took it to my local bike shop, I found out that one of the employees has the exact same bike as mine, same year, same color, same size. he's been using it as his all-weather commuter since '07, and besides the pedals and tires, he said the only thing he's replaced were the wheels, which he said failed earlier this year. oh, and he installed fenders to keep the Chicago sludge off of him in the winter.
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Old 04-21-09, 09:50 AM
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Thanks for all the great information. I'll probably ride the current setup (after I make the cockpit suitable) for a while then. Then, based on info in this thread and this one (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=532441) I'll eventually look at the Omniums.

As for the freewheel, I do ride in the rain quite a bit and I haven't been terribly impressed with how the shimano freewheels hold up after a few months in the weather. Is there a better option without jumping all the way up to the Eno?
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Old 04-21-09, 10:05 AM
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Originally Posted by commutr4life
Thanks for all the great information. I'll probably ride the current setup (after I make the cockpit suitable) for a while then. Then, based on info in this thread and this one (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=532441) I'll eventually look at the Omniums.

As for the freewheel, I do ride in the rain quite a bit and I haven't been terribly impressed with how the shimano freewheels hold up after a few months in the weather. Is there a better option without jumping all the way up to the Eno?
What don't you like about the shimano freewheel? Are the pawls not engaging properly? If that's the case, maybe it's a defective freewheel. I've been using shimano freewheels for years on nasty/wet weather ss rides and for year round commuting through dirty nyc streets. It's been fine for me. Your probably not going to find a better freewheel for around $20.
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Old 04-21-09, 10:08 AM
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Originally Posted by commutr4life
Thanks for all the great information. I'll probably ride the current setup (after I make the cockpit suitable) for a while then. Then, based on info in this thread and this one (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=532441) I'll eventually look at the Omniums.

As for the freewheel, I do ride in the rain quite a bit and I haven't been terribly impressed with how the shimano freewheels hold up after a few months in the weather. Is there a better option without jumping all the way up to the Eno?
Ugh, external BB cranksets. Just another fad that's going to hopefully go away with BB30. And yeah, one step up in terms of freewheel is eno from shimano.
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Old 04-21-09, 10:19 AM
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Originally Posted by lukewall
What don't you like about the shimano freewheel? Are the pawls not engaging properly? If that's the case, maybe it's a defective freewheel. I've been using shimano freewheels for years on nasty/wet weather ss rides and for year round commuting through dirty nyc streets. It's been fine for me. Your probably not going to find a better freewheel for around $20.
I basing this on the Shimano freewheel I've been riding on my Lemond Fillmore for the past 6 months. It's noisy and makes an uneven sound kind of like if you had a slight brake rub, but it's only when I pedal. But the wheel is on straight, I made sure. I kept thinking I was putting the wheel on unevenly but I got the rear brake tightened to a couple of mms and it's still making the noise to make sure. Maybe that one's defective...

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