Caad5 vs caad10



Woodlandleo19

New Member
Sep 16, 2012
15
0
0
Hey all Happy Holidays. Here is my dilema. I have a 2001 cannondale caad5 full ultegra r2000si road bike with mavic kysrium ssc wheel set. The bike is in good condition and run well. I was wondering if It is worth ugrading to a caad10 road bike with rival or 105 groupset. How much more performance can I expect from the caad10. Also how much better is the latest rival and 105 components to old school ultegra. How does my old ssc wheelset compare to modern day entry level wheels.
 
I also have a 01 CADD5 with Ultegra and the SSC wheelset. You will most likely not see much improvement. The cadd10 will most likely have a fsa compact crankset with a bb30 bottom bracket. This will allow you to upgrade to more modern cranks. The cadd10 frame will be a tad bit more stiffer and lighter. Not sure what stem/bar and seat post you have on your cadd5. The cadd10 may have Cannondale oem parts for these. The fork on the cadd10 will be better than the original cadd5 fork. The mavic ssc wheelset in my opinion is much better than the stock cadd10 set. The new 105 group is about the same as the old ultegra group. Rival is not up to par with the old ultegra IMHO. FYI: I own 5 cannondale road bikes, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2011. Also, I worked as a wrench for 2 years at a Cannondale dealer shop. Hope this helps.
Rick in Tennessee
 
Originally Posted by cycledogg1 .

You will most likely not see much improvement.
I agree. But that is no reason not to ugrade /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif

IMO, If you did want to see some minor increase in performance, dropping the $1600 on a set of aero CF wheels from a reputable manufacturer would be your best bet. The actual improvement on a new set of wheels would likely only be realized in a TT, and then porobably only on paper. I.e. it may not even "feel" faster. Personally I'd still go for the CAAD10. A new bike is, well, a new bike! And a CAAD10 is a sweet new bike. YMMV.
 
Yeah I know the caad10 is a very goog rig. It got very good reviews. Some say even better than most entry level cf frames. However if the benefits over my caad5 is minimal then I rather spend my money on something else. Like Mavic Ksyrium elite wheels to replace the shimano rs10 on my new super six road bike.
 
Originally Posted by Woodlandleo19 .

Yeah I know the caad10 is a very goog rig. It got very good reviews. Some say even better than most entry level cf frames. However if the benefits over my caad5 is minimal then I rather spend my money on something else. Like Mavic Ksyrium elite wheels to replace the shimano rs10 on my new super six road bike.
Despite all the poo-pooing mavic wheels get, imo the Ksyrium Elites are a really good value. The ones with the milling between the spokes (post 2010) are stiff for a low spoke count wheel (just my opinion but they are very noticeably stiffer than my Zipp101's - in fact despite windtunned test which clearler show the 101's to "be" faster, the Elites felt more responsive and like they accelerated quicker... they "felt" faster. the Zipps felt like wet spaghetti off the line), pretty light (1550grms), and strong enough for a low spoke count wheel (never needed truing once in 5000k miles and on some horrendous roads (unlike the Zipps which needed constant attention). At 165-170 I'm no featherweight, but certainly no clydesdale either. Sure the front skewer needs greasing after riding in the wet or else they creak as bad as an old man on a cold morning, and the quality of the internals could be a bit better but isn't that always the case.

IMO they a way better value than the Mavic Ksyrium SL's which are only 100 grams lighter but several hundred dollars more.

However there are many good wheels out there, both factory and custom (which btw $600-700 would get you the cream of the crop - I'm now on a set of HED C2's laced on 32H Campy Record hubs for $650 which are some of the finest wheels I have ever ridden) so don't go with the Mavics just because, even if those SSC's were some great wheels for the time.
 
You now mention a super6? Hands down you will see a big improvement in ride and performance between the cadd5 and super6. Just put the Mavic SSC wheels on the super6 and save $$ for a better wheelset in the future. I still say the SSC is a better wheel than the elite. The best way to help solve this dilemma, is to go ride the bikes. It never hurts to own more than one bike anyhow. ;)

Rick in Tennessee
(Proud Cannondale owner)
 
cycledogg1 said:
You now mention a super6? Hands down you will see a big improvement in ride and performance between the cadd5 and super6. Just put the Mavic SSC wheels on the super6 and save $$ for a better wheelset in the future. I still say the SSC is a better wheel than the elite. The best way to help solve this dilemma, is to go ride the bikes. It never hurts to own more than one bike anyhow. ;) Rick in Tennessee (Proud Cannondale owner)
What a load of BS. Exactly where do you fantasize these magical, monstrous improvements in performance will be on the Super6? Wait let me guess:
  • It'll climb like a mountain goat.
  • It'll accelerate so hard that it will go uphill by itself.
  • It'll absorb bumps so well you'll feel like you're riding 7 inches above the pavement.
  • 100% of the power you put into it is transformed into acceleration!
Feel free to insert whichever exaggeration is your personal favorite.
 
I have a CAAD5 in my stable as well, with Dura-Ace 7800 and Ksyrium ES. This setup is decent as is. But I recently picked up a Dura-Ace C24 wheelset. This one change totally upped the ante. The C24's are smoother, more comfortable, accelerates faster and feels more nimble on climbs than the Ksyrium ES's. I'd keep the current CAAD5, get a great wheelset and give your bike a new life. But a new ride is always a good thing, whether you really need it or not.

Also, it may be slightly biased, but I prefer the CAAD5 over the newer CAAD series, because the new ones uses thinner tubing (hence the lighter weight) but are too fragile. I've seen too many dented CAAD7/8/9's. The CAAD5's are "handmade in USA" with smoother finishes compared to the unfinishes welds on later CAADs (after Cannondale moved their production to the far east). Probably no difference in quality with either finishes, just an asthetic preference on my part. I also like touches like the Campagnolo Record Hiddenset headset and Campy seatclamps on earlier CAADs.
 
No need to throw mud around here. (BS in your case) Most any carbon frame will have performance improvement over aluminum if the carbon material is of good quality and the manufacturing process is done properly. Which is both true with Cannondale. Have you rode both these bikes? I have, plus many other carbon and aluminum frames. And there are those who prefer one over the other based on the fact on how they feel to them. Personally, I do not care for carbon frames. I have rode several high end carbon frames such as Cervelo, Specialized, Trek, {Cannondale}, Scott, etc... Carbon does feel softer and it is lighter and can be stiffer and accelerate quicker. If you don't care for my analysis, that's fine. No one is forcing you to, just don't get your shorts up in a bundle over it and go ride.
Rick in Tennessee
 
Ok guys lets calmn it down a little. I appreciate everyone's opinions. This is my opinion on both my bikes. The caad5 is fast in short fast rides. The geometry lets me get maximum power when sprinting. Super six smoother . Very comfortable on longer rides. I ride through rough surfaces seated where instinctively I would raise off the seat on the caad5. The purpose of this thread was to get a good feedback on a decission to upgrade or not. From your feedback I think I will hold on to my caad5.
 
cycledogg1 said:
No need to throw mud around here. (BS in your case) Most any carbon frame will have performance improvement over aluminum if the carbon material is of good quality and the manufacturing process is done properly. Which is both true with Cannondale. Have you rode both these bikes? I have, plus many other carbon and aluminum frames. And there are those who prefer one over the other based on the fact on how they feel to them. Personally, I do not care for carbon frames. I have rode several high end carbon frames such as Cervelo, Specialized, Trek, {Cannondale}, Scott, etc... Carbon does feel softer and it is lighter and can be stiffer and accelerate quicker. If you don't care for my analysis, that's fine. No one is forcing you to, just don't get your shorts up in a bundle over it and go ride. Rick in Tennessee  
Please specify the improvements you're talking about that read about in an advertisement.
 
What I've read is that upper end aluminium frames are close in performance to that of lower end cf frames. Sometimes better. I know guys who would only race on aluminium frames in crits. I think they do this because an upper end aluminium frame probably has certain characteristics of a high end cf frame. I would say stiffness. Then again I never really asked them so I don't know for sure.
 
Originally Posted by Woodlandleo19 .

What I've read is that upper end aluminium frames are close in performance to that of lower end cf frames. Sometimes better. I know guys who would only race on aluminium frames in crits. I think they do this because an upper end aluminium frame probably has certain characteristics of a high end cf frame. I would say stiffness. Then again I never really asked them so I don't know for sure.
There was zero palpable performance difference between my CF SL3 and my alu Cinelli on race day throughout the 2011 season when I raced both of them, sometimes on alternating weekends. The Tarmac was a little more comfy over the rough but as alu frames go the Cinelli is not the harsh ride many folks who stopped riding alu remember. And once the 23mm C2's went on it was a moot point. 2lbs is what separated the bikes, nothing that's going to keep you off the podium if ya got the legs. I actually got the Cinelli as a bike that I wouldn't worry about dumping in a sprint at the line but in the end she turned out to be "the one".

I've never actually ridden a bike that wasn't stiff enough to race, not even my noodly ti Merlin back in the 90's. I have ridden bikes however that were simply too expensive to replace on my pay grade. Since we are talking Cannondale, some guys who really know how to build alu frames, I'm gonna speculate Sagan would have done exactly the same job on a CAAD9, and CAAD10, or a SuperSix were the bikes equipped with a similar wheelset. But that's just my opinion.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dhk2
I think u are right. I've dropped guys on their new madones and TT kestrels with my old caad5. A good bike can help u get faster but in the end it's up to the abilities of the rider. Sagan can dust me on a 50lbs BMX.
 
Originally Posted by Woodlandleo19 .

I think u are right. I've dropped guys on their new madones and TT kestrels with my old caad5. A good bike can help u get faster but in the end it's up to the abilities of the rider. Sagan can dust me on a 50lbs BMX.
Lol! I am excited to see what finish line salutations he comes up with next season. Two of my all time favs are Cavendish's bunny hop (about the only thing cooler would be sliding down a dinosuar tail), and Sagan's Hulk, which watching in retrospect was very apropo nipping the Greipel monster at the line./img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif