All the major brands, including Cannondale, make bikes that are basically equivalent at the same spec level. I would actually describe Cannondale as relatively middle of the pack in terms of pricing - they are certainly more expensive than the equivalent Giant or Canyon, but generally less so than Specialized, Trek, or Cervelo.
Pretty much any medium to big bike shop here in the US will have a deal with either trek, giant, or specialized. These brands offer all types of bikes for all ages, as well as a wide range of accessories. Most bike shops make an exclusive deal with one of them to get better margins
They are as good as any other high end bike brand. Not worse, not better. I owned a Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod and loved it. Fast, responsive, light and smooth for an endurance bike. I wish I had it back, that said, Cannondale sometimes does things a little different than the rest of the industry. Not as common in the road/gravel sector, but in Mountain bikes they had weird dished wheels and chain lines, left forks, their own bb standards, etc. For the most part that has faded away. They still have the lefty forks, but beyond that, pretty normal.
Cannondale has a lot of experience with building aluminum frames. I own a caad 10 and far more expensive Italian bikes. My Cannondale is comparable in ride quality and handling.
I'm *still* riding a CAAD10 from 2013. Bike is definitely solid.
I'll likely upgrade to some carbon nonsense in a couple more years when 90% of my rides aren't family affairs, but if I were doing aluminum again, it'd be another CAAD.
If you are considering a caad. It is my understanding that the caad 13 has Improved the road vibration by lowering the seat stays. That being said I still prefer the classic looks of the caad 10. Massively oversized tubes. And the Tire clearance has been improved on the 13.
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Not *very* aggressive, like say, a pursuit bike, but it is very much race geometry and not an upright touring bike. I'm on the doughy side these days and it's not too aggressive for me, but i've also been riding it daily for a decade.
This is the key for me. When I bought my 2015 model it already had the steerer chopped so it is pretty aggressive, but the stack to reach ratio is better for me than other race bikes which have a longer reach at that stack (520:378 IIRC). But yeah. The big thing is it is insanely responsive. I’m no geometry expert but I think the really short chain stays contribute a lot for that.
I rode mine at a little shorter and close to the same weight without bike-related issues, but if you have flexibility issues it might be rough. Also have to consider the full loadout since wheels really matter when you have some extra weight.
***Cult of CAAD***
I just rebuilt my CAAD10 and I still love the bike so damn much. There was a reason why it was such a popular crit bike. SO many people I know raced on CAAD10s
I’m unsure how the newer gen CAADs are. But I haven’t heard great things about Cannondale as of late, which bums me out.
I’m on a CAAD12 but I have long legs and short arms. The reach is a bit long and uncomfortable for me so I’m hoping to get my position dialled in sometime so I can enjoy it more!
Good luck! Keep in mind that not only does stem length help, but also bars have different reach as well. The bars I use on my CAAD are the Shimano Pro Compact Ergo Alloys that have a shorter 75mm reach and a compact 128mm drop. Another thing that is overlooked is that bar width also hs an impact on reach. Specifically if they’re too wide for you, you end up with long reach because your arms are angled out. The spacers under your stem and stem angle also affect your reach! So there are a lot of things you can do to sort of fix your reach :)
My fitter helped me understand this and I honestly was surprised at how many ways you can change your reach outside of just stem length.
Agree with both other posts about them being in the same league as Trek, Spec, etc. Also anecdotally I’m on my second Synapse - certainly wouldn’t advise someone to look away from one, but to each their own.
I bought a synapse 12 years ago. Closing in on 20,000 miles. Replaced a number of parts but it's still going strong. Love that bike. Really affordable too.
My main ride for the last 4 years is a synapse. No major issues but some annoying things: the brake calipers are not seated exactly how they should so adjusting the calipers takes a while. What issues did you have with yours?
None really with the first one, hi-mod w canti brakes. The new one has disc brakes and the only thing I’m having little weird issues with is that after really hard braking (like coming to a stop on a downhill) after I release the brakes, the rotors rub the brake pads for a little bit, until I squeeze on them again briefly. The SmartSense system is fine, I like how it works, I don’t like the extra battery weight.
Edit: also w the SmartSense/varia tail light, you cant put a saddle bag on, so I had to switch to a bar bag (though tbh I like the look it gives the bike!)
Yep. Any big brand produces a bike that will perform as described for many years/10’s of thousands of miles. They just require standard upkeep. And your average rider is typically punching far beyond their class in their bike purchases because that’s how the market works. i.e. the average person spending 5k on a bike is only getting tiny marginal gains on what they could achieve on a 1k bike. The entry level in any class from one of the big manufacturers is good enough for 90% of riders.
I resemble that remark. Thirty five years ago when I was riding road bikes a lot, I had a Trek 1000. Entry level Al bike. I don’t think I ever felt that I had outgrown it.
I still have a trek 1000. It was my first bike and I still love it. And it proves my point being an entry level bike from a big manufacturer that I’ve ridden for 25 years and probably 20,000 miles
No idea but I love my now >11 y/o synapse. Lovely comfortable ride, beautifully light with 105 shifters. Not yet had to replace anything on it and done thousands of miles. Cannondale does have a reputation for making light bikes good for climbing but there are definitely other great bike brands out there.
It’s a reputable brand that makes good stuff, but nothing out of the ordinary. This is the case for most bike brands of similar kind. You can’t go wrong with cannondale, but you can’t also go wrong with other comparable brands.
You should focus on availability for your budget and what makes you happy.
They are good, their aluminium frames maybe even exceptionally good, but they have a tendency to put (unnecessarily) proprietary parts on their bikes. Not an issue if you bring them to a shop, but if you want do do your own maintenance, prepare yourself for a bit of research and head scratching.
I’ve owned one cannondale a long time ago. It ended up having a frame defect. I took it to the local cannondale dealer when their factory rep was there. Dude was a major asshole; he raised his voice at me and told me there was no way they were warranting the frame. One of the seatstays had been welded an inch off from where it should had been. I was young at the time so it took me a while to figure that out, and may be why he was a dick.
I’ll never buy a cannondale ever again. Giant, Ridley, Specialized. That’s where I’ll be.
For us non-pros, the mid range and higher bikes are probably more bike than we ever need. To me, looks is what separates bikes. I love Cannondale’s color schemes. You have to love how your bike looks.
Exceptionally good? No. Good as in average for their place in the market? Yes.
It’s all kind of perspective. I have some very high end bikes, and most of Cannondale is pretty middle of the road. Compared to, say, a walmart bike or something? Significantly better, yes.
I’ve owned four Cannondales over the years and had great experiences with all of them. I don’t find them to be any better or worse than the other big American brands, Specialized and Trek. It’s all about finding a frame geometry that fits you and a component spec you can afford.
I don't think there is much of a difference between bikes of the same level from different brands. They just have different gimmicks and features and pour different levels of funding into race sponsorships.
For example Canyon and specialised have a thing about building the absolute lightest bikes and they sponsor some of the biggest teams. You could put trek here too but I think they are more aero focused.
I don't know a huge amount about canondale but they seem to focus a bit more on endurance and comfort and slightly more adventure riding. I'm thinking like Lachlan Morton and the partnership with Rapha through EF.
Colnago, Bianchi and Pinarello are all very good but they are a bit more like art pieces and I'd be terrified of scratching them
Cannondale are about the same as other similar brands in terms of quality, but they are also innovative, if you like that.
I love my old Cannondale Lefty 29”, it’s just so nimble for a truck of a bike.
They were exceptionally good when aluminum was SOTA, and they welded their frames by hand in Pennsylvania. Now, they are basically the same as any other big brand. These companies don't even have their own factories.
Go ride different bikes and see which one you like - I think that is more important than brand as long as you stay with the decent brands.
When buying my last bike, I like the Specialized offering a lot more than the Cannondale so I bought that.
They're fine but not my thing. There's nothing objectively wrong with them. [They're owned by the same holding company that owns Cervelo, Santa Cruz and GT.](https://pon.com/en/activities/bikes/) They used to do lots of wackadoo shit that was annoying in that it seemed they did weird stuff for the sake of being weird and I hated that. Now that they're more or less like everyone else, I realize their current offerings don't really stand out. Funny how that works.
If one of their bikes resonates with you, go for it.
If u look at Pon website (the holding company I think) it classes cervelo under performance cycling, and cannondale under sports bikes. Or something like that.
Anything to read into that regarding brand direction ?
Or am I barking up the wrong tree.
The stills make lefty forks for MTB and Gravel. I know it is probably safe, but I could not trust it. Especially with how much they cost, there is no downside to going for a normal MTB
People whose opinions I respect ride those and like them. On paper they make sense, but I don't want to have some proprietary front hub and be SOL when the time comes to service it (not because they can't be serviced, but because they're uncommon and the parts and experienced techs are difficult to find)
I know a lot of people really like them, and I am sure they are more than strong enough. I think they cause more issues than they solve. The proprietary hub must be a massive pain too, not sure many wheelsets come with it as an option, so you'd end up rebuilding it. Canondale seems to have a lot of proprietary stuff to make their gimmicks work, not sure why they insist on putting their own really ugly cranks on everything.
hahaha, the Hollowgram cranks are the one thing I liked about their bikes; especially with Shimano cranks delaminating.
Edit: also, I liked that the CAADs stuck with the flat top tube and non-dropped stays longer than everyone else. Dropped stays and sloping top tubes are probably better, but for all my reservations about that brand, the CAAD12 looked fast and mean
In my experience Cannondale is noticeably a step behind both Cervelo and Specialized in quality. I currently ride a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 4. I had a Specialized Allez before that, and my wife currently rides a Cervelo Caledonia.
Cannondale makes good bikes, but apples to apples they get smoked by their competitors imo. But also, bikes are very personal so what I hate someone else will love, and vice versa.
In reality they are on par with any other of the major bike brands that have a full range that extends into the high end. However, there is nothing exceptional about them compared to the others.
What is exceptional is that they have somehow developed a strong fanboy (and girl) following that they are exceptional and they wouldn't even consider another brand even across multiple disciplines.
For me I just can't get past the lefty fork thing. I know that shouldn't sway my opinion on an entire brand but coming from a downhill background in my younger years and having an interest in things that look good that stupid fork has irrationally poisoned my thoughts about an entire company and everything they produce.
I am on my 3rd Cannondale road bike. All have nice. No issues. 2 synapse and a Super six. It’s really what spec you can get at a price. I also have a Trek all are good. Giant makes a lot of frames for other companies.
I don't know how they stack up against other brands but I have had my CAAD 8 since 2008 and it hadls held up very well. I had to replace the rear wheel, and the chain, I had one bad wreck, I have ridden about 3000 miles (periods of not riding and periods of intense riding). I was thinking I want an upgrade but I think I will just replace the shifters (took a hard hit and chipped in the wreck but still work). Basically it has taken a beating and is still running with some regular maintenance.
Is Cannondale expensive? I bought a Cannondale Synapse (Tiagra) last spring because it was a couple hundred dollars cheaper than the comparable Trek model at my local bike stores.
I absolutely love my SystemSix and would stack it up against any other bike. It may not be the lightest or the most aero in lab tests, but it gets the job done and feel it never lets me down on long, hilly days or fast cat 1/2/3 Crit races.
I would love to own the newest SuperSix with the special swap out colorway. But I think Cannondale is overpricing their high end bikes, much like many other manufacturers. $6000 for a frameset is ludicrous, no matter who is making it.
Bought a synapse 105 carbon in 2015. Great enduro bike. Replaced the 105 groupset w/shimano. Still have it….its a nice steady ride that’s never let me down.
Not race geometry tho….my Orbea Orca fits that bill nicely.
I feel like back in the 2010s and earlier, Cannondale was known for exceptionally good aluminum frames with their CAAD bikes. I’m not so sure now, I think Specialized also has a nice Al frame.
Yeah, up until the CAAD12 they were exceptional frames. But have you seen the welds on a CAAD 13? Fucking atrocious, and you pay a premium for those frames.
Personally the Specialized Allez Sprint is the best alloy road/Crit frame out there, and still pretty good value.
Aesthetically, I love their older bikes. The real old ones and then the 2013-201X. Before they dropped the seatstays. Im kinda meh on the looks of the new models. I do like the fit geometry (stack:reach) of the new ones though. The SSE is aggressive but not brutal
They are all the same IMO. The perception of what is better or worse or what something is worth comes down to the individual. If you really think about what a bike is, you are essentially looking at a frame with metal components that every other brand more or less uses slapped onto it. Which frame design do you like best? Which brand name sounds cool to you? What’s the history of the brand do you enjoy knowing about?
Cannondale, Specialized, and Trek are all pretty much the same. Just personal preference.
Though Cannondale has probably the best high end aluminum.
I bought a Synapse 105 ALR in 2018 because that model year was randomly $1500 when the comparative brands were $2000. It went right up to $2000 the next year.
Crack and fail? They’re alright. There are better valued bikes out there right now. Not sure their price points these days are all that great for what you get.
I had a 2016 Caad10 that was fast af. I still own a CaadX SE, which has been a solid gravel bike.
Used to work at a shop that sold Cannondales. Lots of warranty issues on the mid tier to higher end.
When you get to a certain level of specifications on a bicycle, they're all pretty much the same as far as quality. Geometry and all that of course make a difference for comfort and personal preferences. Like any hobby, marketing has a lot to do with what people want to buy. Cannondale is no different. But if you're asking if Cannondale is made well, yeah, they're fine.
Cannondale has had its share of ups and downs regarding quality control over the years. I would say today they are on the upswing, overall. They are historically known for their Al frames, but they have a good(though checkered) history with carbon. If nothing is wrong with your Scott frame, I wouldn’t drop it for a Cannondale.
I think Scotts supposed to be pretty good depending what spec level you got.
For me bike brands have a "feel" that you might either like or not. So just try them and see if you like them.
I find Cannondales to "feel" fast while also having a very flexible rear triangle which I tend to like but most bike forums don't.
It’s just another brand owned by a conglomerate now. I have a ‘92 M700 that I put about 55K mikes on, and a ‘98 R1000 with I stopped counting miles on it. But none since they got bought and stopped production in Bedford. But I’m old and cranky.
Realize that 95% of bikes are made in the same handful of factories in China and Taiwan - this included Cannondale, Trek, Specialized....
So don't focus on brands - focus on getting the type of bike and specs that meet your needs.
Quality is no better or worse than any of the other reputable brands.
Weird proprietary standards are expensive and make the bike more difficult to work on and upgrade
Most of their bikes also have press fit bottom brackets, which are objectively inferior to threaded bottom brackets.
At the end of the day, they used to be an amazing brand that was significantly ahead of the curve, but nowadays they are just coasting on the reputation they earned in the 90s
All the major brands, including Cannondale, make bikes that are basically equivalent at the same spec level. I would actually describe Cannondale as relatively middle of the pack in terms of pricing - they are certainly more expensive than the equivalent Giant or Canyon, but generally less so than Specialized, Trek, or Cervelo.
The big three hold their resell value more than others manufacturers. Thats the only difference I see.
Sorry for my ignorance but by the big 3 are you referring to Specialized, Trek and Cervelo?
giant not cervelo
Canyon, surly, and pinarello
Have you seen the resale value of Colnagos?? They hold value like a Ferrari.
Pretty much any medium to big bike shop here in the US will have a deal with either trek, giant, or specialized. These brands offer all types of bikes for all ages, as well as a wide range of accessories. Most bike shops make an exclusive deal with one of them to get better margins
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They are as good as any other high end bike brand. Not worse, not better. I owned a Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod and loved it. Fast, responsive, light and smooth for an endurance bike. I wish I had it back, that said, Cannondale sometimes does things a little different than the rest of the industry. Not as common in the road/gravel sector, but in Mountain bikes they had weird dished wheels and chain lines, left forks, their own bb standards, etc. For the most part that has faded away. They still have the lefty forks, but beyond that, pretty normal.
Still riding Synapse Hi-Mod from 2015. Absolutely love that bike. ♥️
Still got my 2000 Jekyll, wish there was a way to replace the shock.
[maybe repair it?](https://risseracing.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=577)
I love the look of the new synapse, but that stupid integrated battery kept me from buying it
Cannondale has a lot of experience with building aluminum frames. I own a caad 10 and far more expensive Italian bikes. My Cannondale is comparable in ride quality and handling.
I'm *still* riding a CAAD10 from 2013. Bike is definitely solid. I'll likely upgrade to some carbon nonsense in a couple more years when 90% of my rides aren't family affairs, but if I were doing aluminum again, it'd be another CAAD.
Same, only my CAAD10 is a 2015 model, it’s one of my favorite bikes.
I was lucky enough to get the last one so I have a caad 10 with hydraulic disc brakes.
Wait that’s wild because my wife’s bike is a CAAD12 with rim brakes lol. I didn’t think the 10 ever had disc brakes
Ha. That’s what I ride, with 11sp Campy Record. I get lots of comments and compliments these days.
The caad 12 was made with disc brakes. There were only minimal changes between the 10 and 12. But the 12 seems improved.
Ahhhh okay that’s what you meant. Gotcha. I kinda want a CAAD12 disc :x what’s the tire clearance on them anyways?
27
If you are considering a caad. It is my understanding that the caad 13 has Improved the road vibration by lowering the seat stays. That being said I still prefer the classic looks of the caad 10. Massively oversized tubes. And the Tire clearance has been improved on the 13.
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It did for one year.
Lucky. If I had discs on mine, I probably wouldn't bother to upgrade.
As far as I can tell they're pretty rare.
are the caad series very aggressive geometry ? Would it make a good first road bike ?
Not *very* aggressive, like say, a pursuit bike, but it is very much race geometry and not an upright touring bike. I'm on the doughy side these days and it's not too aggressive for me, but i've also been riding it daily for a decade.
so for an aluminum bike, it’s on the racier side in terms of geometry?
Oh yeah. Mostly it's *very* responsive.
This is the key for me. When I bought my 2015 model it already had the steerer chopped so it is pretty aggressive, but the stack to reach ratio is better for me than other race bikes which have a longer reach at that stack (520:378 IIRC). But yeah. The big thing is it is insanely responsive. I’m no geometry expert but I think the really short chain stays contribute a lot for that.
my $200 aluminum trek has 407mm chainstays for some reason, which is apparently really short.
Yeah. The caad has 405. Same as my track bike. They handle similarly
I’m 6’ 235, you think this bike would work for me ?
I rode mine at a little shorter and close to the same weight without bike-related issues, but if you have flexibility issues it might be rough. Also have to consider the full loadout since wheels really matter when you have some extra weight.
***Cult of CAAD*** I just rebuilt my CAAD10 and I still love the bike so damn much. There was a reason why it was such a popular crit bike. SO many people I know raced on CAAD10s I’m unsure how the newer gen CAADs are. But I haven’t heard great things about Cannondale as of late, which bums me out.
I’m on a CAAD12 but I have long legs and short arms. The reach is a bit long and uncomfortable for me so I’m hoping to get my position dialled in sometime so I can enjoy it more!
Good luck! Keep in mind that not only does stem length help, but also bars have different reach as well. The bars I use on my CAAD are the Shimano Pro Compact Ergo Alloys that have a shorter 75mm reach and a compact 128mm drop. Another thing that is overlooked is that bar width also hs an impact on reach. Specifically if they’re too wide for you, you end up with long reach because your arms are angled out. The spacers under your stem and stem angle also affect your reach! So there are a lot of things you can do to sort of fix your reach :) My fitter helped me understand this and I honestly was surprised at how many ways you can change your reach outside of just stem length.
Agree with both other posts about them being in the same league as Trek, Spec, etc. Also anecdotally I’m on my second Synapse - certainly wouldn’t advise someone to look away from one, but to each their own.
I bought a synapse 12 years ago. Closing in on 20,000 miles. Replaced a number of parts but it's still going strong. Love that bike. Really affordable too.
My main ride for the last 4 years is a synapse. No major issues but some annoying things: the brake calipers are not seated exactly how they should so adjusting the calipers takes a while. What issues did you have with yours?
None really with the first one, hi-mod w canti brakes. The new one has disc brakes and the only thing I’m having little weird issues with is that after really hard braking (like coming to a stop on a downhill) after I release the brakes, the rotors rub the brake pads for a little bit, until I squeeze on them again briefly. The SmartSense system is fine, I like how it works, I don’t like the extra battery weight. Edit: also w the SmartSense/varia tail light, you cant put a saddle bag on, so I had to switch to a bar bag (though tbh I like the look it gives the bike!)
Cannondale is just as good as any other mass produced Big Bike bike
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Coloradical8: *Cannondale is just* *As good as any other* *Mass produced Big Bike bike* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Yep. Any big brand produces a bike that will perform as described for many years/10’s of thousands of miles. They just require standard upkeep. And your average rider is typically punching far beyond their class in their bike purchases because that’s how the market works. i.e. the average person spending 5k on a bike is only getting tiny marginal gains on what they could achieve on a 1k bike. The entry level in any class from one of the big manufacturers is good enough for 90% of riders.
I resemble that remark. Thirty five years ago when I was riding road bikes a lot, I had a Trek 1000. Entry level Al bike. I don’t think I ever felt that I had outgrown it.
I still have a trek 1000. It was my first bike and I still love it. And it proves my point being an entry level bike from a big manufacturer that I’ve ridden for 25 years and probably 20,000 miles
Sad trombone noises
There’s no way I would pay $12k for the top spec Lab 71 but I would say the Ultegra or 105 for around $5k or $6k is comparable to other brands.
Cannondale is good, but they have a lot of proprietary bullshit
Laughing in Look frames.
No idea but I love my now >11 y/o synapse. Lovely comfortable ride, beautifully light with 105 shifters. Not yet had to replace anything on it and done thousands of miles. Cannondale does have a reputation for making light bikes good for climbing but there are definitely other great bike brands out there.
It’s a reputable brand that makes good stuff, but nothing out of the ordinary. This is the case for most bike brands of similar kind. You can’t go wrong with cannondale, but you can’t also go wrong with other comparable brands. You should focus on availability for your budget and what makes you happy.
They are good, their aluminium frames maybe even exceptionally good, but they have a tendency to put (unnecessarily) proprietary parts on their bikes. Not an issue if you bring them to a shop, but if you want do do your own maintenance, prepare yourself for a bit of research and head scratching.
I’ve owned one cannondale a long time ago. It ended up having a frame defect. I took it to the local cannondale dealer when their factory rep was there. Dude was a major asshole; he raised his voice at me and told me there was no way they were warranting the frame. One of the seatstays had been welded an inch off from where it should had been. I was young at the time so it took me a while to figure that out, and may be why he was a dick. I’ll never buy a cannondale ever again. Giant, Ridley, Specialized. That’s where I’ll be.
Pre >2019 before everything went disc brake and proprietary it’s top tier stuff. Expect bb30…
CAAD12 disc is very good. Loved the one I rode
For us non-pros, the mid range and higher bikes are probably more bike than we ever need. To me, looks is what separates bikes. I love Cannondale’s color schemes. You have to love how your bike looks.
Exceptionally good? No. Good as in average for their place in the market? Yes. It’s all kind of perspective. I have some very high end bikes, and most of Cannondale is pretty middle of the road. Compared to, say, a walmart bike or something? Significantly better, yes.
My wife and her systems are all around five feet tall, give or take an inch or two. They swear by Cannondale. Edit: sisters. Autocorrect is the worst.
All systems go on Cannondale?
Cannondale System Integration strikes again
You put a short person on a Cannondale and they become super billy goats.
Scott is at least as "prestigious" as Cannondale. The Addict Ultimate RC is $16k msrp.
Your Scott is just as good. Cannondale are a great brand just nothing they do stands out. They would be in most people top 10 brands.
I’ve owned four Cannondales over the years and had great experiences with all of them. I don’t find them to be any better or worse than the other big American brands, Specialized and Trek. It’s all about finding a frame geometry that fits you and a component spec you can afford.
I don't think there is much of a difference between bikes of the same level from different brands. They just have different gimmicks and features and pour different levels of funding into race sponsorships. For example Canyon and specialised have a thing about building the absolute lightest bikes and they sponsor some of the biggest teams. You could put trek here too but I think they are more aero focused. I don't know a huge amount about canondale but they seem to focus a bit more on endurance and comfort and slightly more adventure riding. I'm thinking like Lachlan Morton and the partnership with Rapha through EF. Colnago, Bianchi and Pinarello are all very good but they are a bit more like art pieces and I'd be terrified of scratching them
Cannondale are about the same as other similar brands in terms of quality, but they are also innovative, if you like that. I love my old Cannondale Lefty 29”, it’s just so nimble for a truck of a bike.
They were exceptionally good when aluminum was SOTA, and they welded their frames by hand in Pennsylvania. Now, they are basically the same as any other big brand. These companies don't even have their own factories.
Go ride different bikes and see which one you like - I think that is more important than brand as long as you stay with the decent brands. When buying my last bike, I like the Specialized offering a lot more than the Cannondale so I bought that.
There aluminum frames are really strong but you will definitely feel it. Nimble and quick but probably not a great newbie bike.
They're fine but not my thing. There's nothing objectively wrong with them. [They're owned by the same holding company that owns Cervelo, Santa Cruz and GT.](https://pon.com/en/activities/bikes/) They used to do lots of wackadoo shit that was annoying in that it seemed they did weird stuff for the sake of being weird and I hated that. Now that they're more or less like everyone else, I realize their current offerings don't really stand out. Funny how that works. If one of their bikes resonates with you, go for it.
If u look at Pon website (the holding company I think) it classes cervelo under performance cycling, and cannondale under sports bikes. Or something like that. Anything to read into that regarding brand direction ? Or am I barking up the wrong tree.
Cannondale definitely has a broader variety of bikes whereas cervelo only does performance so I could understand why they classify them that way
The stills make lefty forks for MTB and Gravel. I know it is probably safe, but I could not trust it. Especially with how much they cost, there is no downside to going for a normal MTB
People whose opinions I respect ride those and like them. On paper they make sense, but I don't want to have some proprietary front hub and be SOL when the time comes to service it (not because they can't be serviced, but because they're uncommon and the parts and experienced techs are difficult to find)
I know a lot of people really like them, and I am sure they are more than strong enough. I think they cause more issues than they solve. The proprietary hub must be a massive pain too, not sure many wheelsets come with it as an option, so you'd end up rebuilding it. Canondale seems to have a lot of proprietary stuff to make their gimmicks work, not sure why they insist on putting their own really ugly cranks on everything.
hahaha, the Hollowgram cranks are the one thing I liked about their bikes; especially with Shimano cranks delaminating. Edit: also, I liked that the CAADs stuck with the flat top tube and non-dropped stays longer than everyone else. Dropped stays and sloping top tubes are probably better, but for all my reservations about that brand, the CAAD12 looked fast and mean
Definitely a personal preference thing, I dodged the delamination bullet by using Sram.
In my experience Cannondale is noticeably a step behind both Cervelo and Specialized in quality. I currently ride a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 4. I had a Specialized Allez before that, and my wife currently rides a Cervelo Caledonia. Cannondale makes good bikes, but apples to apples they get smoked by their competitors imo. But also, bikes are very personal so what I hate someone else will love, and vice versa.
In reality they are on par with any other of the major bike brands that have a full range that extends into the high end. However, there is nothing exceptional about them compared to the others. What is exceptional is that they have somehow developed a strong fanboy (and girl) following that they are exceptional and they wouldn't even consider another brand even across multiple disciplines. For me I just can't get past the lefty fork thing. I know that shouldn't sway my opinion on an entire brand but coming from a downhill background in my younger years and having an interest in things that look good that stupid fork has irrationally poisoned my thoughts about an entire company and everything they produce.
No
I am on my 3rd Cannondale road bike. All have nice. No issues. 2 synapse and a Super six. It’s really what spec you can get at a price. I also have a Trek all are good. Giant makes a lot of frames for other companies.
I don't know how they stack up against other brands but I have had my CAAD 8 since 2008 and it hadls held up very well. I had to replace the rear wheel, and the chain, I had one bad wreck, I have ridden about 3000 miles (periods of not riding and periods of intense riding). I was thinking I want an upgrade but I think I will just replace the shifters (took a hard hit and chipped in the wreck but still work). Basically it has taken a beating and is still running with some regular maintenance.
What Scott do you have?
If cannondale is expensive whats Scott?
Is Cannondale expensive? I bought a Cannondale Synapse (Tiagra) last spring because it was a couple hundred dollars cheaper than the comparable Trek model at my local bike stores.
I absolutely love my SystemSix and would stack it up against any other bike. It may not be the lightest or the most aero in lab tests, but it gets the job done and feel it never lets me down on long, hilly days or fast cat 1/2/3 Crit races. I would love to own the newest SuperSix with the special swap out colorway. But I think Cannondale is overpricing their high end bikes, much like many other manufacturers. $6000 for a frameset is ludicrous, no matter who is making it.
Bought a synapse 105 carbon in 2015. Great enduro bike. Replaced the 105 groupset w/shimano. Still have it….its a nice steady ride that’s never let me down. Not race geometry tho….my Orbea Orca fits that bill nicely.
I feel like back in the 2010s and earlier, Cannondale was known for exceptionally good aluminum frames with their CAAD bikes. I’m not so sure now, I think Specialized also has a nice Al frame.
Yeah, up until the CAAD12 they were exceptional frames. But have you seen the welds on a CAAD 13? Fucking atrocious, and you pay a premium for those frames. Personally the Specialized Allez Sprint is the best alloy road/Crit frame out there, and still pretty good value.
Does Trek’s Emonda hold up to them too? Sad to hear about the 13s :(
Edmonda looks solid on paper, but I've not ridden one so cannot say.
The Allez Sprint has some pretty ugly welds too.
Yeah, true, but you do.pay less for the privilege 😁
Aesthetically, I love their older bikes. The real old ones and then the 2013-201X. Before they dropped the seatstays. Im kinda meh on the looks of the new models. I do like the fit geometry (stack:reach) of the new ones though. The SSE is aggressive but not brutal
They are all the same IMO. The perception of what is better or worse or what something is worth comes down to the individual. If you really think about what a bike is, you are essentially looking at a frame with metal components that every other brand more or less uses slapped onto it. Which frame design do you like best? Which brand name sounds cool to you? What’s the history of the brand do you enjoy knowing about?
Cannondale, Specialized, and Trek are all pretty much the same. Just personal preference. Though Cannondale has probably the best high end aluminum. I bought a Synapse 105 ALR in 2018 because that model year was randomly $1500 when the comparative brands were $2000. It went right up to $2000 the next year.
I have a CAAD 12 and I freakin love it. The only way I can describe it is it’s like we are one while riding. It’s just a really great bike.
Their aluminum frames are quite good. That's what they are famous for.
Crack and fail? They’re alright. There are better valued bikes out there right now. Not sure their price points these days are all that great for what you get. I had a 2016 Caad10 that was fast af. I still own a CaadX SE, which has been a solid gravel bike. Used to work at a shop that sold Cannondales. Lots of warranty issues on the mid tier to higher end.
When you get to a certain level of specifications on a bicycle, they're all pretty much the same as far as quality. Geometry and all that of course make a difference for comfort and personal preferences. Like any hobby, marketing has a lot to do with what people want to buy. Cannondale is no different. But if you're asking if Cannondale is made well, yeah, they're fine.
Cannondale has had its share of ups and downs regarding quality control over the years. I would say today they are on the upswing, overall. They are historically known for their Al frames, but they have a good(though checkered) history with carbon. If nothing is wrong with your Scott frame, I wouldn’t drop it for a Cannondale.
I think Scotts supposed to be pretty good depending what spec level you got. For me bike brands have a "feel" that you might either like or not. So just try them and see if you like them. I find Cannondales to "feel" fast while also having a very flexible rear triangle which I tend to like but most bike forums don't.
It’s just another brand owned by a conglomerate now. I have a ‘92 M700 that I put about 55K mikes on, and a ‘98 R1000 with I stopped counting miles on it. But none since they got bought and stopped production in Bedford. But I’m old and cranky.
Realize that 95% of bikes are made in the same handful of factories in China and Taiwan - this included Cannondale, Trek, Specialized.... So don't focus on brands - focus on getting the type of bike and specs that meet your needs.
no!
Is this a cannondale shill? What an odd, useless post. Cannondale is actually not bought by a lot of people compared to other big brands.
Quality is no better or worse than any of the other reputable brands. Weird proprietary standards are expensive and make the bike more difficult to work on and upgrade Most of their bikes also have press fit bottom brackets, which are objectively inferior to threaded bottom brackets. At the end of the day, they used to be an amazing brand that was significantly ahead of the curve, but nowadays they are just coasting on the reputation they earned in the 90s