Bicycle Tech/Gear Discussion Thread

Dec 31, 2012 at 05:20 PM

Can someone who goes to/lives near Ride Brooklyn do me a favour?

I was wondering if you could ask the shop what the deal is with a couple of bike frames? How much do they sell the Super Six Evo (the top-of-the-line Cannondale frame, not the 'Super Six') frame for. Not a complete bike, but frame, fork, headset and seatpost if included. Also, what is the deal with warranty/crash replacement? If they also sell Specialized (don't know if the do?), same question regarding the S-Works Tarmac SL4.

Thanks in advance.

Much obliged.

Hugs and kisses.

mattie davitt

Dec 31, 2012 at 06:16 PM

They have framset pricing for the evo under the sponsorship PDF. We get the extra good deal on c'dale, the spesh would just be the baseline shop discount. You crash it, c'dale has a crash replacement approximately 1/2 of retail.

Adam

Dec 31, 2012 at 06:20 PM

Thanks Mattie.

mperlberg

Dec 31, 2012 at 06:29 PM

Does Cannondale have a track frame or complete track bikes?

mperlberg

Dec 31, 2012 at 06:32 PM

@ Adam:

just buy this:

http://www.cannondale.com/2013/bikes/road/elite-road/supersix-evo/super-six-evo-dura-ace-di2-double-crankset

Adam

Dec 31, 2012 at 06:56 PM

@mperlberg

I would, but I don't like the tyres you get with that one.

mattie davitt

Dec 31, 2012 at 08:59 PM

mperlberg said:

Does Cannondale have a track frame or complete track bikes?

sadly, no. the rep hinted maybe for next season an all dancing all singing true track bike. not like what the capo had become near the end.

JoshuaC

Dec 31, 2012 at 10:35 PM

mattie davitt said:

mperlberg said:

Does Cannondale have a track frame or complete track bikes?

sadly, no. the rep hinted maybe for next season an all dancing all singing true track bike. not like what the capo had become near the end.

Thats too bad - the timing would have been perfect with the sponsorship deal + track interest that was bubbling up over the summer.

I looked to see if Orbea or Raleigh or Surly (other brands RB carries) have track stuff and found :

* the Raleigh Singulus ...ooops, a TT road bike, named for Singlets and not Single Speeds ...oops

and

* the Surly Steamroller - fixed (yes) - track geometry (nope , more road styled)

http://surlybikes.com/bikes/steamroller

* didn't see anything from Orbea

oh well

mattie davitt

Jan 01, 2013 at 12:38 AM

Raleigh does the Rush Hour pro

and the Macaframa

Marc Bertucco

Jan 01, 2013 at 03:16 AM

I'm stuck in DuBois, but guess what yo? I've got a bitchin' Miyata track bike with Superbe Pro stuffed into a trunk. Track, crits, cross. Look out...Bertucco just may be back for reals next year.

P.S. Question for Mattie who I'm feeling like is the team Cannondale expert:

Which road bike should I get? Pound for Pound, watts/kg, bang for my buck? The kid still young, the wife is still supportive. I may just have one last shot at this.

Jeff Owens

Jan 01, 2013 at 03:32 AM

Are you a pro? No? Then CAAD 10 is the best deal with our discount. Other bikes are great too, but at our level you can't beat the 10. And it's gonna be way more durable than the super six or whatever.

eragot

Jan 01, 2013 at 04:48 AM

Caad 10. Carbon is for dentists spend extra money on wheels.

Adam

Jan 01, 2013 at 04:54 PM

No, Marc. Spend the bucks, treat yourself. Carbon with SRAM Red/Dura Ace. Yes, you'll never lose race because of your aluminum 105 bike but this is the best it's going to get. When 16, on your beater, did you really think that 20+ years later your zenith would be aluminum with SRAM Rival? Life is short! Vanity in small doses is fine, and no, you will not be obliged to shave your messy beard on your new pimpin wheels.

Super Six Evo

Jules

Jan 01, 2013 at 09:12 PM

Adam said:

No, Marc. Spend the bucks, treat yourself. Carbon with SRAM Red/Dura Ace. Yes, you'll never lose race because of your aluminum 105 bike but this is the best it's going to get. When 16, on your beater, did you really think that 20+ years later your zenith would be aluminum with SRAM Rival? Life is short! Vanity in small doses is fine, and no, you will not be obliged to shave your messy beard on your new pimpin wheels. Super Six Evo

This

mperlberg

Jan 01, 2013 at 09:35 PM

Adam said:

No, Marc. Spend the bucks, treat yourself. Carbon with SRAM Red/Dura Ace. Yes, you'll never lose race because of your aluminum 105 bike but this is the best it's going to get. When 16, on your beater, did you really think that 20+ years later your zenith would be aluminum with SRAM Rival? Life is short! Vanity in small doses is fine, and no, you will not be obliged to shave your messy beard on your new pimpin wheels. Super Six Evo

I do see the appeal of this. And not to get all serious on an otherwise carefree topic, but the question I ask myself when I make an investment like this is, could I replace a supersix evo without financial hardship when I crash it during the frist spring series pile-up? For me, the answer is no. So I won't buy it. I haven't seen Marc's bank account but with a new baby who will need his own bikes soon, I think the caad 10 is the best decision. You can bling the caad10 up a bit and get electronic shifting without having to worry about crash replacement. I crashed twice last year racing, and my caad9 survived unscathed. It takes a lot to mess these frames up.

Yacks - can you please post some of those broken carbon pics???

Jules

Jan 01, 2013 at 09:39 PM

Yes, it is true; try not to buy things you can't replace.... but do buy things that will inspire you to ride. Like mom jeans. Just hang 'em above you bike as a warning

twoyacks

Jan 01, 2013 at 09:41 PM

Do these pics inspire you?????

busted dale 1.jpg

busted specialized.jpg

busted trek.jpg

Jules

Jan 01, 2013 at 09:59 PM

^

WilliamDC

Jan 02, 2013 at 01:35 AM

lulz

WilliamDC

Jan 02, 2013 at 01:35 AM

caad's have always been superbikes.

caad10 is insane.

super six is beyond insane . . . and who wants to go there?

Marc Bertucco

Jan 02, 2013 at 01:43 AM

Loving the opinions...everyone so far is making sense to me on some level. Keep 'em coming. Mattie, JP? You guys out there?

In related news, I'm spending some time on the Cannondale website trying to figure out what the heck a "black" edition is (other than an obvious color scheme) and it turns out that the 'dale website is not anywhere near as helpful as you might expect. Hopefully JP has gotten or will get the call from Cannondale to add a little more beef to their product copy.

Not that I'm even remotely in the market for a $14,000 bike (although at $8,400...almost sounds like a bargain), but I googled the bike and apparently Chris Peck's Nanotubes are fused to Peter Sagan's thighs create a resin to make a bike that weighs 11lbs.

mugwump

Jan 02, 2013 at 01:59 AM

CaaD 10. Save the cash for fast wheels. If you've got money left over and are hankering to spend, then drop bucks for a power meter.

From the letter: SuperSix EVO hi-mod $3499. CaaD10 $999. Retail.

The SSE weighs 695g. The CaaD10 1150g. (Cannondale's claims)

That's a 455g difference. A pound.

The SSE is a pound lighter and $2500 more.

For $2500, you can spend $1,000 on wheels and still have $1500 for a power meter. Or vice versa.

If you want to talk about how much each gram costs you, a gram of the SSE is $5. A gram of the CaaD10 is $.86.

twoyacks

Jan 02, 2013 at 02:03 AM

http://www.stagescycling.com

I have been planning to Ebay some things to finance one of these

Craig Zolan

Jan 02, 2013 at 02:37 AM

May as well chime in since I have a Super Six (not Evo). I love it. It's the SS4 which means Rival. My '11 came with a Force crank. I rode a CAAD 8 immediately beforehand. The road feel is definitely different between the carbon and aluminum. I enjoy the carbon feel more. Aluminum has a harsher ride and trasmits more of the road buzz. Admittedly, when I purchased it in April of last year I was offered a '12 CAAD 10 and '11 SS both with Rival at the same price. I took the carbon.

The stock wheels on mine and the new model are different but equally crappy. I don't know what the weight of the frame but expect it is some where in between the SSE and CAAD10 - likely a bit closer to the CAAD10. With our discount a new, complete SS4 is $1674. That's pretty sweet for a completely race ready bike (with your pre-owned wheels). For the same amount you can get the CAAD10 with Force. As JP pointed out before Rival and Force shift the same, the only difference is a few grams which you make up for with the lighter frame. And the added benefit (to me) is the more enjoyable ride feel. The downside is the potential for loss in a crash. I bought a set of race wheels and at this point the only thing I'm missing is the power meter.

mugwump

Jan 02, 2013 at 02:53 AM

FWIW, the CaaD 8 wasn't as stiff as the CaaD 9. I'd say the 10 is probably a bit more comfy and equally stiff.

Until our skinny jeans are too loose, most of us won't exactly realize the 1lb difference between the carbon-fiber frame and the aluminum.

Jeff Owens

Jan 02, 2013 at 03:30 AM

Totally. I've ridden for years what many would consider the best bike in the world, Cervelo R3. Indeed, it's an amazing bike and a step above the CAAD 10. It's 1 lb lighter and a bit springier/more responsive. But is it 4x better for the price? No.

And at our level, well 99% of us, you also have to consider the durability. Sure, if you're rich and te super 6 and dealing with warranty issues isn't a problem, go for it. But having had 3 carbon frames warrantied (yeah it was free but still a time consuming pain), it's really frustrating.

twoyacks

Jan 02, 2013 at 03:58 AM

did someone say "skinny jeans" ????

Jules

Jan 02, 2013 at 04:23 PM

Speedplay X1 vs Speedplay Zero

What's the difference? I've been riding Zeros forever, and as I regreased them today I started a wondering...

Craig Zolan

Jan 02, 2013 at 05:27 PM

@mugwump - my point was that I ultimately chose the SS for the comfort, not the weight savings. I've ridden the CAAD10 for only a short ride so I could be convinced otherwise.

Mark Clifford

Jan 02, 2013 at 06:29 PM

A question regarding Rudy helmets: do people have a particularly strong preference for one model over another? I mean, I know people are pretty passionate about their color -- as evidenced elsewhere, but I am just interested in the model for now. It seems as though the Sterling best fits the bill.