When I started writing this blog I was jotting down notes and thoughts, and then as most things do, it changed into a comparison to another bike I have had some pretty good experience on. The 2014 Super Six EVO High Mod with Dura Ace 9000 11 speed.
See the Evo High Mod Blog -- HERE_______________________________________________________
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A few thoughts on the 2014 Cannondale
CAAD 10 Racing Edition.
-Cannondale's Si Crank is amazingly light and stiff while the one piece upgraded spider ring further helps weight savings and stiffness.
-Feels like the front is shorter than
the ’14 EVO HM. My toes hit the front wheel, with the EVO I never had a problem.
Much stiffer and less suspended
feeling than the EVO.
Steers faster, tracks straighter than the
EVO, the evo has less feedback from the fork. (evo has high mod carbon fork which is lighter by close to
50g, and feels much softer.
The Mavic Ksyrium Equipe S wheels that come with the bike could be slightly better.
I swapped to climbing wheels, the Novatec Sprint.
-Tech Note-
-Shimano RS81 wheelset would also be perfect. These come stock on the EVO Dura-Ace equipped bike. (Tubeless, Softer
feel, and Carbon looks. Braking surface is very good, as well its stiffness
side to side, out of the saddle the wheels don’t have the slug flex feeling
under the big sprint)
With traditional spoked wheels (not
stiff aero carbon or composite high tension spoke ie… spinergy Xaero lite style) the
ride is pretty smooth yet still supply road feel. Tires play a huge part in the
the overall feel as well.
I swapped to a Ritchey Streem II bar,
and threw on some black velvet bar tape. The Bar is considered an aero bar, but
I consider it built with a palm rest for larger hands on the bar top. Very nice
to have. I opted for a 42mm vs a 44mm and I am liking the advantages of it with
climbing feel (out of the saddle) and overall pull on the bar/ levers when
climbing (in the saddle.)
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~Componentry~
There is a slight edge of mechanical
finesse with the Ultegra vs the Dura-Ace 9000. The D-Ace just plain works as quickly
as possible, while ultegra seems to have that buttery smooth feel.
Ultegra 6800 is very quiet as a brand new zero miles group.
The preceding Ultegra group, the 10 speed Ultegra 6700 as well as the newest Dura-Ace 9000 needed a bit of a wear-in period to smooth out the edges and quiet down the drivetrain.
I cant wait to see how this group smooths out and functions after initial break in.
The levers have a much better feel as far as the hood shape and lever action. One finger shifts are possible for the rear, as well as less of a need to shift at the bottom of the lever. I can shift one finger at the top of the lever as well thanks to the ease of shifting these levers provide.
This Ultegra 7800 11 Speed is a win
for this frame spec. 16 lbs bike weight is not bad. Diet for a week to make up
the weight difference of the Dura-Ace 9000 in body weight instead of lightening the
wallet.
The CAAD10 is a real climber.
The power transfer is very positive
and whole, the Super Six EVO High Mod gives a lighter feel but not as solid of a response back from the
pavement. However, the EVO does feel more planted in the sense that it absorbs more of
the roads imperfections as well as less rear wheel chatter from hard uphill accelerations on rough
road. Simply, the EVO Carbon frame is more forgiving.
The Caad 10 is like having track tuned suspension on your Corvette vs the stock suspension setup, not as forgiving in the rough, but very responsive.
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Here is a bit of truth.
Speaking of the rough. Chopped
pavement sometimes encountered in the back country requires something larger than a 23c tire. Run a 25c.
It will be
fine, your KOM’s will not be compromised. They might actually be faster with
this frame. Some faux 25c tires, (Spec Turbo 23/25) & (Michelin pro 4, 25c)
might be the best of both worlds. Supple tire and less contact patch/ Peaky profile=Canyon descending shredder.
Catch my drift?
This bike is built to perform, why
put tires on a bike that hurt performance and feel.
----- Overall setup----
Here is something that is highly
subjective between individuals.
(feel free to comment following this babble of
impression and critique)
- 54cm Frame
- 120 stem
- 42mm bars (Ritchey Streem II) Specialized Velvet bar tape
- 172.5 Cannondale Compact Si Crank, Si forged double chain ring.
Currently,
at time of writing this, stem is 15mm above the top of head tube (slightly
aggressive for tuning the bike feel) shortly, setup will be adjusted 0-5mm
above head tube.
Future seat swap
to Fizik Arione r5.
Stock prologo nago profile hurts my backside and
Stock prologo nago profile hurts my backside and
I dislike white
seats.
- Speedplay Zero stainless Pedals are run as well.
- Novatec Sprint wheel. These are light and very snappy. With the correct tire these wheels are a force on this frame.The Serfas tires are cheap and reliable. Thats about it. Overall feel is spongy and soft.
The
largest compliment to this bike (out of the box) and the main difference in
price between the standard Ultegra Caad 10 and the Race model is the crank
arms, which have the (done here) option to upgrade to the Si chainring.
That is where the most weight is saved. Not sure what Cannondale was thinking when the bars were chosen, but as mentioned before there are still appropriate times for use. Many would either want the C2 ergo bar or something else. But for those wanting to race this CAAD 10 Ultegra, Racing Edition, utilizing the drops and shifting less this may be the hot ticket along with a carbon aero wheelset.
In three adjectives,
how would I describe this bike as a whole?
1.
Fast
2.
Positive
3.
Responsive
and...
...Di2 Ready.
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2014 CAAD 10 Ultegra, Racing Edition
MSRP: $2800
( CAAD 10 Ultegra Compact-- MSRP: $2270)
MSRP: $2800
( CAAD 10 Ultegra Compact-- MSRP: $2270)
2014 SuperSix EVO Hi-MOD 2 Dura Ace
MSRP: $5420
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Please see Cannondale.com for product specs and pricing.
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