Are there big differences between all the Cannondale Six13 models?

[jsull14]

I have been reading some good reviews on the six13 and I want to get one or at least test ride one. But when I go to the Cannondale site I see twelve six13 models. It makes the decision even harder for an amateur such as myself.

I was wondering why all the different models.
Is it just componentry that is different? Is it geometry? Is it just the color? Can I not go wrong with any of them?

Thanks for any input on this bike.

 

[Lawguy661]

There are a number of different Six13 models. I ride a Six13 Team 2. It is the model with the carbon top tube and carbon down tube, the carbon fork, and the mix of Dura Ace and Ultegra components. There is the regular Six13 (non team model) which only has a carbon down tube. It is quite a bit cheaper. I road both and quite preferred the Team model (more comfortable).

Hope this helps.

 

[Jaguar27]

I haven't been to the Cannondale site for ages, so this was a good opportunity...

To answer your question, the models vary by their components, they all share the same Frame, the only difference is color...

Yes, it's very easy to make an expensive mistake with any higher end Bike if you don't make an educated buying descision, you have to realize that once you take a bike home and ride it a couple of times it will be "used" and lose a good chunk of it's value, so be very carefull...

First of all, are you riding a Road Bike at the moment? Are you thinking of changing up or will this be your first Bike?
What kind of riding will you be doing? Is there any particular reason why you fancy the Six13?

Sure, there are some great reviews out there on the Six13, I absolutely love mine...but then again, it's the right Bike for me and the kind of riding I do...everyone is different....

Cannondale also makes the Synapse, I've ridden one and they're also great, they have a more relaxed geometry than the six13 but they're more of a "Comfortable Touring" Bike...great for Centuries...long rides etc...

I don't mean to come across as an expert or anything, I'm not, but if you could answer some of the questions above, give a little background etc it would help everyone give you better advice rather than let you waste your hard earned...

Cheers then...

I have been reading some good reviews on the six13 and I want to get one or at least test ride one. But when I go to the Cannondale site I see twelve six13 models. It makes the decision even harder for an amateur such as myself.

I was wondering why all the different models.
Is it just componentry that is different? Is it geometry? Is it just the color? Can I not go wrong with any of them?

Thanks for any input on this bike.

 

[jsull14]

I haven't been to the Cannondale site for ages, so this was a good opportunity...

To answer your question, the models vary by their components, they all share the same Frame, the only difference is color...

Yes, it's very easy to make an expensive mistake with any higher end Bike if you don't make an educated buying descision, you have to realize that once you take a bike home and ride it a couple of times it will be "used" and lose a good chunk of it's value, so be very carefull...

First of all, are you riding a Road Bike at the moment? Are you thinking of changing up or will this be your first Bike?
What kind of riding will you be doing? Is there any particular reason why you fancy the Six13?

Sure, there are some great reviews out there on the Six13, I absolutely love mine...but then again, it's the right Bike for me and the kind of riding I do...everyone is different....

Cannondale also makes the Synapse, I've ridden one and they're also great, they have a more relaxed geometry than the six13 but they're more of a "Comfortable Touring" Bike...great for Centuries...long rides etc...

I don't mean to come across as an expert or anything, I'm not, but if you could answer some of the questions above, give a little background etc it would help everyone give you better advice rather than let you waste your hard earned...

Cheers then...

Thanks, Jag

I have been riding for only about 6 months and I'm obsessed. I bought a new road bike for $500 when I started and it's decent but I am in the mood to upgrade. My bike has some good carbon components and an aluminum frame, but it's a bit heavy still.

I'm not rich, but I'm willing to spend some $$$ on a good bike so that I have the best chance of making it up some of these climbs here in the SF Bay Area. I also like to do longer flatter rides. Are you saying this bike is not good for longer rides? Does it get uncomfortable?

I wasn't even thinking of C'dale until I read a review for the 6-13 in the latest Cycling Magazine. The look of the bike is awesome. The fact that it is super light is appealing as well. It seems like a good all around bike that is very light and efficient.

To be honest, I need to go ride a few high-end bikes to really understand what's going on. I'm trying to educate myself on the various brands and technical details. There are so many high end makers out there (Bianchi, Cervelo, Trek, Colnago, etc.) that it has made my head spin a bit.

 

[Jaguar27]

You're welcome...

I'm glad you've been riding for a few months so at least now you'll have an idea of what you're going to use a Bike for...If you haven't ridden before I was going to suggest you buy a cheaper bike and see where you go..so now you can go to step 2...

The Six13 (in my opinon) is a multi Purpose Bike,a Swiss Army Knife, light and responsve for climbing , although it's the engine that really makes a difference..it's smooth and very comfortable, in fact, if you get it set up correctly by getting a good Bike fit, you'll almost forget you have a bike under you...

I wasn't saying the six13 isn't comfy, it really is, but the Synapse is more comfortable...the six13 sounds the better choice for you...

Living in SF you obviously have a lot of climbs, so you could either consider the Compact version, this means smaller chainrings not compact frame or Cranks btw...or, a 13/29 Cassette...I have the latter on my Bike because it's very hilly around here and a 13/29 allows me to keep my Cadence higher in climbs, it makes a huge difference...

Then you need to decide whether you like Shimano or Campy, that's personal preference...

True, there are many great Bike Manufacturers out there it's very hard to choose one of them and the problem is, when you test ride some you'll find most don't really fit and aren't set up correctly for you so it's hard to get a real feel of the bike...
One thing to do is to ask the bike shops to set the tire pressures with a Gauge to say, 110 psi or whatever and keep to your prefered pressure constant because this can have a huge difference in the initial feel of the Bike, so if all bikes are set at the same pressure you should be comparing apples to apples...

Also, if you go back to the Six13 web site you'll beable to sought through all the different components on each Model and ask opinions on them...even the least expensive Six13 comes with great components...

The more Bikes you ride the more confused you'll get...

If my Six13 got stolen or wrecked I'd deffinately go out and buy another one...I love mine but like I said it's my personal preference...

If you have any more questions just let me know....

Thanks, Jag

I have been riding for only about 6 months and I'm obsessed. I bought a new road bike for $500 when I started and it's decent but I am in the mood to upgrade. My bike has some good carbon components and an aluminum frame, but it's a bit heavy still.

I'm not rich, but I'm willing to spend some $$$ on a good bike so that I have the best chance of making it up some of these climbs here in the SF Bay Area. I also like to do longer flatter rides. Are you saying this bike is not good for longer rides? Does it get uncomfortable?

I wasn't even thinking of C'dale until I read a review for the 6-13 in the latest Cycling Magazine. The look of the bike is awesome. The fact that it is super light is appealing as well. It seems like a good all around bike that is very light and efficient.

To be honest, I need to go ride a few high-end bikes to really understand what's going on. I'm trying to educate myself on the various brands and technical details. There are so many high end makers out there (Bianchi, Cervelo, Trek, Colnago, etc.) that it has made my head spin a bit.

 

[rek]

If you are one that likes long rides and doesn't intend on racing the thing, I can very heartily recommend a Cannondale Synapse. (Not that you can't race it, it'd be fine to race, but that's more a six13's job)

It's so amazingly comfortable, not in a "feels like suspension" sense, but more a "hey I've been riding this thing for 5 hours and it only feels like 1" way. (At least the carbon ones are like that, I haven't ridden an Alu Synapse to compare.) I thought I had my old CAAD5 (an older-but-still-recent Cannondale aluminium frame) bike dialed in comfort wise, I took a test ride of a Synapse prototype that wasn't even in my size and was blown away by how comfortable it was. The one I bought (ordered about 30 seconds after returning to the bike shop no less) is actually fit to me, and even better The frameset is also very light, I think it's pretty much on par with the six13 weight-wise.

Climbing/sprinting wise the initial acceleration doesn't feel quite as instant as the CAAD5, but it's in no way flexy power transmission wise. It's probably just as good, but feels a bit muted because of the way the frame is designed.

To add to what Jaguar says re: keeping tyre pressures constant to eliminate other factors, also ride bikes using the same wheelset if you can -- stiff wheelsets can make the ride feel more jarring.

Compact cranks make good sense. If you think gearing may be an issue (or if you like the idea of having some easy gears in case you're on the tail end of a long ride and just don't want to work hard to get home) I'd lean more towards getting a compact crank from the start, rather than putting on a wide-ratio cassette; that way your gearing is still quite tightly spaced and you still have low gears.

And just to fool you into thinking I'm not a raving ultra-biased Cannondale fan (hehe): if the comfort-factor sounds appealing, you might also want to check out the Specialized Roubaix. It's another bike designed for that "performance century rider" type of riding. I've also heard LOOK frames are very nice comfort-performance wise.

 

[Lawguy661]

I just want to add one thing to this thread. I recently bought a Six13, and in doing so I learned that there is a difference in the frames. The Six13 Team model has a carbon top tube and a carbon down tube. The regular Six13 only has a carbon down tube. Now, the Team model comes in different configurations: wheels, components, etc., burt the from and fork are the same on all Team models. After riding both the Team model, and the regular model, I choose the Team (although it is a bit more money). I felt the team offered a more comfortable ride.

Hope this helps.

Oh. I also tried the Synapse, which was very nice. I ended up with the Six13 Team, because I felt the stiffness in the bottom bracket transferred my energy to the road more efficiently.

 

[padawan]

I highly recommend going to a LBS and trying out a few models from different bike manufacturers. Most major bike manufacturers (you named a few) will have a model that will suit your needs and budget.

Nothing against C'dale, they make a good bike but that doesn't mean it's right for you. I happen to like Cervelos bikes but they "fit" me well. I put fit in quotes on purpose, this should be a big factor in your decision. A good LBS will be able to fit you to a bike and let you do a trial ride on it.

Also, I second the motion on getting a set of compact chain rings (i.e. 34-50) if you're going to be doing a lot of climbing! You'll find it easier to pick a gear ratio that will give you the right cadence than if you have a big spread (13-29) in your cassette. For e.g. a 34 x 25 will give you almost the same ratio as a 39 x 29.

My $0.02

 

[Jaguar27]

I agree...the problem is though, I bought the Team model which has the C'Dale integrated BB, Cranks and Chainrings, it wasn't available in Compact..is it now? I don't know, I bought my Six13 just over a year ago...

BUT my LBS put a 38 Chainring on for me (Aftermarket) it's only 1 tooth less and it did make a difference...then I swapped out the 12/25 for a 13/29 and for me personaly it is much better, I live in an area of long climbs, most aren't too steep, however, some are VERY steep it's just the sheer length of them and I like to keep my cadence above 85 if poss...plus I'm at an age that I need to start looking after my knees...I'm 50 in two weeks (I can't BELIEVE it) and I need to do what I have to do to stay in the Saddle for another 25 years...

I have a fave climb that I use mid-ride for an interval, on my 12/25 I could just break 6mph at the top, the Day after I got my 13/29 I broke 8.1 mph, OK I know it doesn't SOUND much but my Knees didn't feel quite so creaky when I reached the top...

I also agree about trying different Brands... like I didn't...I just never had the time plus I liked my previous Cannondale so much I thought it must be an improvement, I never even RODE a Six13 and just went out and bought one..same size as my old "Dale...
But I wouldn't advise anyone be so bold as I was, all in, my Six13 came in just shy of $7k with Tax and everything I wanted on it...but luckily I've never regreted it for a second....

I highly recommend going to a LBS and trying out a few models from different bike manufacturers. Most major bike manufacturers (you named a few) will have a model that will suit your needs and budget.

Nothing against C'dale, they make a good bike but that doesn't mean it's right for you. I happen to like Cervelos bikes but they "fit" me well. I put fit in quotes on purpose, this should be a big factor in your decision. A good LBS will be able to fit you to a bike and let you do a trial ride on it.

Also, I second the motion on getting a set of compact chain rings (i.e. 34-50) if you're going to be doing a lot of climbing! You'll find it easier to pick a gear ratio that will give you the right cadence than if you have a big spread (13-29) in your cassette. For e.g. a 34 x 25 will give you almost the same ratio as a 39 x 29.

My $0.02

 

[dhk]

Agree test riding is important to build your knowledge and help cut through all the ad hype and saleman talk. Plus, it's a lot of fun. In this price range, their are plenty of great bikes; it just gets down to what you like the best, and what is best suited to your weight, riding style, roads and use. Just remember when test riding that how you feel on any given day, as well as what the salesman tells you to expect about the bike, can make a big difference.

Consider durability in addition to just looking at the lightest equipment you can afford. After all, there are good reasons that steel frames and 32 spoke wheels are still popular. Unless you're racing, you'll really never notice a difference of a pound or less...after all, a full water bottle weighs 1.5 lbs, and lots of us carry two of them. When comparing weights, remember your total weight on the road includes your body, which could easily the weight of the bike by a factor of ten or more.

 

[Jaguar27]

I absolutely agree mate...I'd been riding my Six13 for quite a few months then I test rode a Synapse, what a wonderfull ride!! I'm doing a Century next month and I wish I had one, in fact, ideally it would be great to have a Synapse and a Six13 then you'd have pretty much the total spectrum covered from performance to comfort depending on the ride you're doing that particular Day, of course they'd overlap in the middle, one takes over where the other leaves off....
Cannondale have done a great job with both Bikes.IMHO...

I haven't ridden an Alu one either...

If you are one that likes long rides and doesn't intend on racing the thing, I can very heartily recommend a Cannondale Synapse. (Not that you can't race it, it'd be fine to race, but that's more a six13's job)

It's so amazingly comfortable, not in a "feels like suspension" sense, but more a "hey I've been riding this thing for 5 hours and it only feels like 1" way. (At least the carbon ones are like that, I haven't ridden an Alu Synapse to compare.) I thought I had my old CAAD5 (an older-but-still-recent Cannondale aluminium frame) bike dialed in comfort wise, I took a test ride of a Synapse prototype that wasn't even in my size and was blown away by how comfortable it was. The one I bought (ordered about 30 seconds after returning to the bike shop no less) is actually fit to me, and even better The frameset is also very light, I think it's pretty much on par with the six13 weight-wise.

Climbing/sprinting wise the initial acceleration doesn't feel quite as instant as the CAAD5, but it's in no way flexy power transmission wise. It's probably just as good, but feels a bit muted because of the way the frame is designed.

To add to what Jaguar says re: keeping tyre pressures constant to eliminate other factors, also ride bikes using the same wheelset if you can -- stiff wheelsets can make the ride feel more jarring.

Compact cranks make good sense. If you think gearing may be an issue (or if you like the idea of having some easy gears in case you're on the tail end of a long ride and just don't want to work hard to get home) I'd lean more towards getting a compact crank from the start, rather than putting on a wide-ratio cassette; that way your gearing is still quite tightly spaced and you still have low gears.

And just to fool you into thinking I'm not a raving ultra-biased Cannondale fan (hehe): if the comfort-factor sounds appealing, you might also want to check out the Specialized Roubaix. It's another bike designed for that "performance century rider" type of riding. I've also heard LOOK frames are very nice comfort-performance wise.

 

[vascdoc]

I agree with most of the posts already made. I bought my bike from a LBS. It is the 2006 model. I tried a lot of frames and they also let me take some home for 3-4 day trials. I bought the 6-13 durace based on the quality of the ride and fit. In fact after I bought the bike I had a dynamic fitting by a local coach and he only had to move my seat back about an inch. It is certainly a personal issue regarding the fit and style of ride.

Concerning the quality of the six-thirteen for century rides, I rode three 100 mile rides and it was the most comfortable ride I ever have experience. If you buy another bike I would recommend trying the k-wing handle bars.

 

[max63]

wow , you folks are getting me really excited
i just ordered my six13 team 1 , this will be the 1st bike , that i have had fitted....
i've been riding a cdale caad5 and love it , so after reading all the post here , i really feel i've made the right choice ....
almost purchased a different brand , but had a gut feeling i would be happier with the six13
cannot wait

 

[Jaguar27]

Congratulations Max....if you like your CAAD5 you'll love the 13...my previous Bike was a CAAD 4...

One thing I didn't mention was the first few rides on my Six13 I kept looking down to see whether my Tires were under-inflated and of course they weren't..the bike was just so smooth compared to my previous one.....

Let us know how you like your new Bike....

wow , you folks are getting me really excited
i just ordered my six13 team 1 , this will be the 1st bike , that i have had fitted....
i've been riding a cdale caad5 and love it , so after reading all the post here , i really feel i've made the right choice ....
almost purchased a different brand , but had a gut feeling i would be happier with the six13
cannot wait

 

[max63]

well , i now have my new six13 and all i can say is "awesome"
what a diference between my old Caad5
here is a breif list of parts:
frame: cdale carbon/alumn
forks: cdale carbon premium +
seat post: cdale carbon wino
seat: Fizik arione carbon
bars: cdale fire(changing out to Easton carbon wing)
wheels: Ksyrium SL
crank: cdale SI hollowgram
group: Campy Record
peds: Look keo car/ti

thats about it , i'm really excited and completely blown away with the performance of this bike , so if i left out anything just ask

whats really cool the bike weighs in at 16.5 pounds , and is smooth as silk
"cheers max"

 

[Jaguar27]

well , i now have my new six13 and all i can say is "awesome"
what a diference between my old Caad5
here is a breif list of parts:
frame: cdale carbon/alumn
forks: cdale carbon premium +
seat post: cdale carbon wino
seat: Fizik arione carbon
bars: cdale fire(changing out to Easton carbon wing)
wheels: Ksyrium SL
crank: cdale SI hollowgram
group: Campy Record
peds: Look keo car/ti

thats about it , i'm really excited and completely blown away with the performance of this bike , so if i left out anything just ask

whats really cool the bike weighs in at 16.5 pounds , and is smooth as silk
"cheers max"

Congratulations, they're a great Bike aren't they? I did another Century on mine yesterday, it certainly helps when you've got a good Bike...I put on a Pair of Michelin Megmium 2 Tires and it made a smooth bike even smoother, great Tires for a Century though they do add a little bit of weight, but well worth it for the extra comfort and puncture resistance...

The Cannondale Rep that I know was at the Ride with their Display Truck, he leant my Wife a 48cm Six13 to ride for the Day, now she wants one...now I have to buy another...oh well.....

I'm not familiar with the Cdale Fire Bars? what are they? Mine came with the K-Wings...

Anyway, have fun and let us know how things go.....

 

[max63]

hey Jaguar , yeah i had my LBS build this bike , so i ordered things that i liked , i'm a little old fashioned and never used the winged bars , so i wasn't sure if i would like em , the cdale fire bar is a standard T6061 alum bar that they build along with their fire brand stem(the cdale "fire stem" is something u should check out , very lite weight)....
i have a riding buddy that uses the easton EC70 winged bar , we swapped bikes for a few miles , and i couldn't believe how nice the winged bar was , it sold me needless say , so thats the only thing i'm gonna change..
i'll try the tires u suggested , i'm using the Hutchinson team tires at the moment , no comments on em yet...

cheers max

 

[Jaguar27]

Oh, I see, like I said, I'm not familiar with the Fire stems and Bars etc...I have FSA Aluminum/CF Stem and K-Wing Bars...The wings aren't for everyone but I really like them....

I normally ride the Hutchinson's but just threw the Magmium 2's on for the Century, I must have seen at least 20 or more poor Riders at the side of the road yesterday with Flats on the Century I was on...so maybe it was luck or the Magmium's are really Puncture resistant?? But I would highly recommend them for comfort, like I said, the extra weight is a trade-off like everything else....

Anyway, have fun and ride safe...is there anything you DON'T like about your six13??

hey Jaguar , yeah i had my LBS build this bike , so i ordered things that i liked , i'm a little old fashioned and never used the winged bars , so i wasn't sure if i would like em , the cdale fire bar is a standard T6061 alum bar that they build along with their fire brand stem(the cdale "fire stem" is something u should check out , very lite weight)....
i have a riding buddy that uses the easton EC70 winged bar , we swapped bikes for a few miles , and i couldn't believe how nice the winged bar was , it sold me needless say , so thats the only thing i'm gonna change..
i'll try the tires u suggested , i'm using the Hutchinson team tires at the moment , no comments on em yet...

cheers max