Any Cannondale enthusiasts here?

Felt_Rider

......I think Felt bikes are a great value and the F65 will be a good choice for the price range that you are seeking.

kopride

As I said, the newer 'dales might be a different animal. The old '92 2.8 frame I have been riding was rumored to be one of the stifffest frames ever made and had very tight geometry. I loved it until I started heading closer to my 40s. My 88 'dale with the old 3.0 frame and a carbon fork is much more forgiving, but still mighty stiff.

My initial point was that the 'dale historically gives a tremendous value for the buck for the club rider on a budget, and for tri and du athletes. The frames will never hold you back and the spec'd components usually always work fine. I always thought they were great climbing bikes as well. But even you most diehard 'dale fans have to admit that they are no comfort bikes. And yes, I rode many a century on my two 'dales and many long Sunday group rides, (but I also had no choice). Plus, if the 'dale geometry is a good fit, it will beat a poorly fitted titanium, steel, or carbon bike, for you. Good fit is always the true issue. And, putting aside the weight and assuming proper fit, steel is still pretty hard to beat from a comfort perspective. There is just something so sweet about humming along on an old steel frame. And the old farts I have ridden with on long sunday rides (guys in their 60's and 70's) are not riding fat tube aluminum, they are riding steel or titanium.

Lonnie Utah

Haven ridden both, I think you'll find the geometry of the Felts and the Cannondale to be fairly similar.

One more thing to consider, if your looking for a "climbing" bike, think about the F55 and have the LBS switch out the rear casette to a 12x25 instead of the stock 11x23.

L

__________________
Cheap, Strong and Light.
Pick any Two.

kopride

Doesn't that depend upon how compact he goes with his large chain rings. If he drops down to a 50, I would tend to agree with you, you want a 25 in the back. If he is going to drop down to a 46 large chainring, then he may want the 11 x 23, unless he rides like Bill Cosby used to walk to school (uphill both ways). Big climbs usually mean big descents.

kopride

Sorry, looks like most road configurations only allow a 50/34, and you may have to start looking at Cyclocross setups to get a 46. In that case, the 12/25 probably makes way more sense if you really need a gear that low. I have heard that a 48 is readily available but I don't know who makes it