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forum
New bike day (Caad12)!
I’ve been pondering new bikes for a while and I can’t find the thread I thought I started when I was considering 3 different bikes (Caad12 / Boardman Pro Carbon Disc / Cube Agree c62 Disc).
I went with the Caad 12 (which was my least favourite option at one point due to being Aluminium) - I’ve got a soft spot for Cannondale having owned a Caad9 in the past, and lusting over their mtbs when I was a youth and couldn’t afford one!
I just happened to pop into one of my lbs (mud Dock) when I was still mulling over the options and hey had one in they right size on sale for £1100. Bargain. I paid a little more as I was using a C2W voucher but it was still cheaper than virtually anywhere else I could find at the time.
I did a part ex with the shop for the standard wheels against some MasonxHunt 4 season wheels to save about 500grams - so glad I did- they look lovely and the bike seems to accelerate really well.
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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Latest Comments
- chrisonabike 2 sec ago
Fair pedantry, though as HP said there may be a slight difference - my point was not the relative merits of ICE / EV braking and tyre wear...
- David9694 26 min 59 sec ago
I like how drivers make the case for making monitoring covert, not overt.
- andystow 39 min 13 sec ago
She seemed a bit upset about a minor misjudgement that could have killed someone and is going to cause months of stress and inconvenience.
- Backladder 44 min 53 sec ago
No we don't agree, personally I would take primary, even if only for a short period although I can understand why some riders might not want to...
- brooksby 1 hour 6 min ago
And which looks very like the bag produced by indy bag manufacturer Wizard Works…...
- HoarseMann 1 hour 17 min ago
If it was a 'no vehicles' sign (all white circle centre), it would mean cyclists could ride in the hours that HGVs and disabled drivers are allowed...
- stonojnr 2 hours 47 min ago
The bit at the start and end looks like a cycle lane, but the bit they drive on looks just like a patched filter lane for traffic lights.
- JOHN5880 2 hours 47 min ago
Hey, you 4 execs helped run a company into the ground and have no jobs anymore... Come work for us because you have great experience in the...
- Oakhambike 3 hours 32 min ago
£11.5k for a bike weighing over 8kg that's 2 fingers to customers let alone UCI
- Dnnnnnn 3 hours 48 min ago
I'm going to show my bike a picture of this shed and tell it, "If you don't behave..."
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18 comments
That’s my experience so far. The front shifting is fine - really light and easy, but the rear shifting is vague. Sometimes it seems to shift and other times maybe not - or maybe it has but its so vague it’s not that obvious.
The shifting on my new bike with 105 Hydro is dogs**t. My 9 speed tiagra Circa 2011 on the old bike was better IMO. Hoping it will settle and improve with a service after a few months but not impressed so far.
One review I found suggested the hydro 105 is about the same quality shifting as the latest Sora which is encouraging. The Rival was really snappy in comparison. I have to admit both of my mtbs are running Sram GX and I prefer the feel to Shimano anyway.
I have 10 speed cable / rim on my cannondale summer bike and 11 speed hydro disc on my winter, found the 11 speed even better than the 10 - though in fairness this is me working my way up the brackets...
I’m underwhelmed by it - apparently the 105 with cable brakes is a lot better.
I love my 105 shifting...
I sat on a size 56 caad12 and it was far too big - the 54 definitely isn’t too small. I haven’t touched the bar setup - it came with all the spacers underneath it and I’m happy with that. I’ve had a few bulged discs in my back a few years ago so I’m happy with a high front end. As said, the seat is significantly lower than in that first photo!
I’m finding the 105 shifting - particularly at the back - very vague. I wonder if the setup needs tweaking, but I haven’t had time to put it on the stand and have a play with it. With the Rival you were never in any doubt you’d changed gear and it just felt so positive and quick. I think it maybe a combination of setup and the fact that Vivid shifting is meant to be extremely light. Perhaps I just prefer the more mechanical feel of Rival. I’m sure I’ll get used to it - it’s just different after 7 years.
Mud Dock has so many nice bikes in it JGV - I think I bought one of the cheapest bikes they sell! You could do some serious damage to your wallet in there....
Carmic - both bikes feel quite similar to me so far. Obviously the Caad12 stops a million times better - I’ve never pulled an endo or a stoppie on a racer before but I have now. Feel a lot more confident in the brakes in the wet.
The gear shifts were better on 2010 Sram Rival than 2017 105 though which is a bit of a shocker.
I think the Caad is livelier in terms of handling and it sprints pretty well with the lighter wheels. I still haven’t been up a meaningful hill yet though to compare how it climbs.
I have been down quite a bumpy cycle track and I think it might be more comfortable / less harsh than the Boardman which is a nice surprise.
That's how I'd describe my recent 105 experiences!
Nice looking bike the CAAD12. Gets great reviews. The Boardman isn't bad either. Happy riding.
Lovely bike. I must drop into the Mud Dock at some point (or maybe my credit card would prefer I didn't).
Nice looking bike. Great choice.
That was how the saddle came - it’s now about 4 inches lower than that. Couldn’t even reach the peddles with it that high - unless the shop can upgrade my legs by extending them a few inches
My old bike is a 53cm and the new one is a 54cm. I wouldn’t want anymore of a stretch to the bars from the saddle than the Cannondale has.
The 56cm would definitely have been too big - I sat on one in the shop and it was a bit silly.
So you bought a frame at least one size too small, why?
Snarky git
You said what I didn’t like to say!
I asked a genuine question given the OP has bought a "new bike", the seatpost and bars are high up and the bars have a fairly longish reach too. If you buy a new bike and then take a photo with the seatpost and bars in that position to me it looks like in that set up that the users should have at least a frame size bigger.
So the OP then says they've lowered it, but the set up as was still says the frame is one size too small.
grow up ffs!
Old Bike:
New bike: