Cannondale is set to launch a new version of its alloy road race bike, featuring a frame built to a classic silhouette and internal routing, if pics of a yet-to-be-released CAAD 14 that have appeared online are genuine. You’ll find leaked images in various places, but we’ve picked up on this from Bikeradar. 

As with all leaked information, this comes with one huge asterisk: it might not be true. It all looks genuine enough, but Cannondale has released precisely nowt so far, so who knows?

Cannondale launched the existing CAAD 13 (pictured below) – CAAD stands for Cannondale Advanced Aluminium Design, by the way – back in July 2019 as part of its 2020 model lineup.

The big news then was that Cannondale had added aero features, improved comfort, and practicality.

We reviewed that bike here on road.cc and called it: “An aero-tuned aluminium road bike that proves carbon isn’t the only option for a smooth ride”.

Cannondale CAAD13 Disc 105
Cannondale CAAD13 Disc 105 (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

We said, “The CAAD 13 isn’t so much a revision of the CAAD12 as a complete overhaul with new tube shapes and a frame silhouette that bears no resemblance whatsoever to those of the early Cannondale CAAD bikes Cipollini rode back in the day. Bleary-eyed traditionalists might lament that, but one of the results is a bike that feels more comfortable and chatter-free than ever before over poorly surfaced roads.”

> Read our review of the Cannondale CAAD 13 Disc 105 

The CAAD 13 had dropped seatstays, but it looks like Cannondale is moving back to a more traditional silhouette with the CAAD 14. The seatstays meet the seat tube up by the top tube/seat tube junction. That’s pretty unusual these days; most brands say that lowering the junction allows them to build in a little more compliance/comfort.

> What are dropped seatstays good for? Should you get a bike with them?

2026 Cannondale CAAD 14 leak 2
2026 Cannondale CAAD 14 leak 2 (Image Credit: Cannondale)

While we’re talking about the frame layout, the CAAD 14’s top tube looks to be perfectly horizontal. The CAAD 13’s top tube was nearly – but not quite – horizontal. It’s hard to judge from the pictures, but it seems like Cannondale is harking back to early CAAD designs here… and why not? This is a model line with a legacy; you might as well emphasise it.

Something that is new on the CAAD 14 is the fully internal routing, whereas brake hoses and gear cables (where used) are external between the handlebar and the top of the down tube/fork on the CAAD 13.

Elsewhere in its range, Cannondale uses specially designed one-piece cockpits or compatible separate components (like their SystemBar) that route cables/hoses through the bar, into the stem, and then down through their its Delta Steerer tube (a pizza-slice shape) into the frame. Whether the CAAD 14 uses the same system is impossible to judge from the leaked photos. All we can say for certain is that there are no brake hoses to be seen in these pics. You wouldn’t expect to see any gear cables on the SRAM AXS-equipped model, of course (it’s a wireless electronic system), but the only exposed section of gear cable on the Shimano 105 (mechanical) model is between the chainstay and the rear derailleur. Previously, Cannondale ran the rear derailleur cable through the down tube, but then externally onthe underside of the chainstay.

What else can we glean? It looks like Cannondale has added an extra cage mount to the seat tube, so you get the choice of upper and lower bottle positions, as you do on the down tube. It also looks like the thru axle thread for the fork is fully enclosed on the driveside, which is the direction a lot of brands have been moving over recent years.

2026 Cannondale CAAD 14 geometry
2026 Cannondale CAAD 14 geometry (Image Credit: Cannondale)

It looks like Cannondale will be offering the CAAD 14 in six sizes from 48cm up to 61cm, whereas the CAAD 13 comes in eight sizes from 44cm to 62cm.

If we take the 56cm model as an example, the reach has increased from 389mm on the CAAD 13 to 392mm on the CAAD 14, and the stack has reduced from 575mm to 560mm.

The seat tube that was 540mm is now 580mm, but that could be just down to the fact that the top tube no longer slopes.

Chainstay length is up from 408mm to 415mm, and that helps to allow for slightly larger tyres – a maximum width of 32mm, whereas it was 30mm previously.

The geometry table also lists the CAAD 14 bottom bracket standard as BSA – threaded – whereas the CAAD 13 takes a press-fit BB. Like several other major brands, Cannondale has been moving towards threaded BBs over the past few years for simplicity and creak-free performance.

As mentioned up top, all of this could be a load of nonsense. All of this looks genuine, but that’s no guarantee. It would be really unusual if this “leaked” information was bogus but we’ve no way of knowing for sure. As usual, we’ll await official confirmation from Cannondale. They’ll tell us when they’re good and ready. A potential launch date? Your guess is as good as ours. You’ll know as soon as we do.