under $1000 road bike - cannondale or specialized?



jakalapa

New Member
Jun 4, 2010
6
0
0
Help me out here peeps - just test rode allez sport and cadd 8. The Specialized felt a bit more comfy to me - maybe better fit. I like the fact the Cannondale is made in USA. Can you guys help me sort out the component maze. I'm a newbie to road bikes. I ride about 100 miles a week on a trek 7.2 fx. I'm looking for some faster/farther riding. Thanks in advance!
 
The CAAD8 (and CAAD9) have a geometry that is a bit more race-oriented than the Allez, but not too much different. (If you think you'd like an even more upright position than even the Allez, Specialized also makes the Secteur line. You can somewhat view the Allez as the aluminum version of a Tarmac, whereas the Sectuer is the aluminum version of a Roubaix.

(Cannondale's more relaxed geometry is the Synapse line).

You might find that with comparable component equipages the Cannondale bikes are slightly less money than the Specialized bikes, but generally speaking the equipages will be very similar across brands, at comparable price points.

In addition to the CAAD being somewhat racier than the Allez, I think you will find that it is a bit lighter, also. But in the end, the bike that feels better will be a better choice.

It's also true that for a test ride you are only going to get a couple of adjustments made to "fit" the bike to you, even if they have the right frame size (i.e., probably just setting the seat height roughly right), whereas a real fitting on a purchased bike will also look at saddle fore-aft position, saddle tilt, possible stem adjustments, etc. So you might not want to reject a bike just because the fit isn't quite right during the test ride.

As for components, I am guessing that both are Shimano 105/Tiagra blends? Probably both are using "other brand" brakes. Not to tell you things that you already know, but the Shimano "pecking order" from cheapest to best is:

2200, Sora, Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, Dura-Ace.

So more 105 and less Tiagra (and less Sora) is good. Something to keep in mind is that the 105 line is just recently (now) being redesigned a bit - but I don't know how long it will be until new bikes using 105 start using the new version (the old 105 has part numbers beginning with 56, whereas the new 105 will have part numbers beginning with 57).

I don't think the differences will be that much, but it's at least something to be aware of.

I THINK the biggest area of difference is in the brake/shift levers (the new 105 will have "hidden" derailleur cables)- but at your price range you may be talking Tiagra levers anyway.
 
Previous poster sorted this out pretty well.

Simply put: you can't go wrong with either choice as they're both great bikes. If at all possible, work a deal for 105 shifters instead Shimano's lower choices - you'll be happier in the long run.
 
jakalapa said:
Help me out here peeps - just test rode allez sport and cadd 8. The Specialized felt a bit more comfy to me - maybe better fit. I like the fact the Cannondale is made in USA. Can you guys help me sort out the component maze. I'm a newbie to road bikes. I ride about 100 miles a week on a trek 7.2 fx. I'm looking for some faster/farther riding. Thanks in advance!

Simply put, the CAAD 8 frame is a better frame than Simoni won the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) on in 2003 - a CAAD7. It has actual pro level racing pedigree. You could upgrade the components on it and you'd have a pro quality bike.

I doubt the CAAD 8 bike will have the Cannondale Si chainset on it... but if it does then buy that bad boy in an instant.

As a side note, most Cannondale CAAD frames from the last couple of years are BB30 compatable so you can either upgrade to the really nice stuff if you wanted. Double check on that one if you semi-plan on making this a 'keeper'.

The Allez is a nice bike but it's neither as refined or as good as the Cannondale, IMHO.

I bet you figured already what make of bike I ride. ;)

It'd be just my luck to be ran into a ditch by an errant dog and end up with carbon shards in my a$s, so I should be picking up a CAAD frame for the training bike soon. :D
 
jakalapa said:
Help me out here peeps - just test rode allez sport and cadd 8. The Specialized felt a bit more comfy to me - maybe better fit. I like the fact the Cannondale is made in USA. Can you guys help me sort out the component maze. I'm a newbie to road bikes. I ride about 100 miles a week on a trek 7.2 fx. I'm looking for some faster/farther riding.
Good points, so far ... but, have you considered any other bikes?

BTW. While the BB30 seems to have outlasted the M.O.st BB which Pinarello was using on many of their bike frames (the M.O.st BB seems to be absent from Pinarello's current bikes ... OR, are some new Pinarello frames still being spec'd with it & I am just unaware?), it strikes me that the BB30 is a potential orphan, so the advantages of the BB30 may be elusive for the non-sponsored rider ...
 
Cannondale is moving its entire frame production to Taiwan after 2010.

I would go with the bike that you thought felt more comfortable, because comfort will help you to stay on it for longer periods of time and for years to come.
 
Froze said:
Cannondale is moving its entire frame production to Taiwan after 2010.

I would go with the bike that you thought felt more comfortable, because comfort will help you to stay on it for longer periods of time and for years to come.

LOL!! The implication is what??? Anyone happen to know where Cervelos are produced? BMC? Bianchi? etc, etc, etc...

Where was my bike made? - The Bike Pedlar, Nashville, TN

For your edification...free of charge...
 
Thanks everyone for the great info / feedback. In fact, it seems the Allez Sport and the CAAD 8 offer a Sora/Tiagra mix of components. Based on feedback here and discussions with various bike shop dudes, I might raise my budget a bit so I can focus on all Tiagra models. I test rode a Trek 1.5 that felt nice. I'd like to ride a Pilot (by Trek) 2.0. Also, how is Felt selling the Z85 at about the same price point (MSRP $1100-ish) with all 105 components? I also really want to make a decision soon so I can stop obsessing and start riding! Thanks all!
 
Just got home from bike shop with brand new '09 Allez Elite Compact (MSRP $1399) with all 105 components - best part = marked down to $1099! Test ride felt amazing - I'll report back after first real ride - thanks everybody!
 
tonyzackery said:
LOL!! The implication is what??? Anyone happen to know where Cervelos are produced? BMC? Bianchi? etc, etc, etc...

Where was my bike made? - The Bike Pedlar, Nashville, TN

For your edification...free of charge...

Implication was that if he was considering the Cannondale because it was made in the USA and that's important to him then he needed to buy a 2010 model and not wait till 2011.
 
Froze said:
Implication was that if he was considering the Cannondale because it was made in the USA and that's important to him then he needed to buy a 2010 model and not wait till 2011.

Mia culpa. I mistook your comment as an affront on bicycles manufactured in Taiwan/China.

As reported, the OP bought the Asian made Trek anyway...not a poor choice at all...
 
LOL! Oops! LOL! And to think my first road bike 4 years ago was a Specialized Allez too...:D

Mia culpa part deux...
 
tonyzackery said:
Mia culpa. I mistook your comment as an affront on bicycles manufactured in Taiwan/China.

As reported, the OP bought the Asian made Trek anyway...not a poor choice at all...

Actually I do have a affront of anything made in China, but that's a discussion I'm afraid most are too blind to understand, but someday soon your eyes will be opened to the harsh reality of it. Granted there are some things that only China makes and thus you don't have a choice if you need those items.