Cannondale r800 - upgrade or replace?

andy_nD

I'm looking to splash some cash on upgrading my ride (2004 Cannondale r800 - CAAD7 Optimo frame), and wondering how best to go about using my budget.. With about £2k to spend I've been looking so far at mid-range carbon bikes - Cannondale Carbon Synapse, Ribble Sportive, Spesh Roubaix and the like, but I'm wondering if I might be confusing 'newer' with 'better'..

Is a brand new £2k ride likely to deliver significant benefits over the Cannondale if I spend some money upgrading wheelset/groupset? I was thinking £1200 on a better wheelset/groupset would bring it up to (or probably beyond) the spec of the new bikes I'm looking at, so wondering if frame technology has come along sufficiently during the last 5 years to justify a totally new ride...

Also, does anyone have any other suggestions for bikes in that kind of price range to be looking at? The temptation is to let the budget creep up as I'd really like to get something that'll do me for at least the next 5 years again.

Thanks!

Gazzaputt

CAAD8 is an awesome frame and imo I'd go with upgrading it.

Think you be hard pushed at a 2k budget to beat it when spending £1200 on upgrades.

SRAM Force and new set of wheels?

I regret selling my CAAD9 for a carbon bike (Focus). Yes the Focus is lovely but I to spent 2k and if I had spent 1k on my Cannondale it would have been far better.

ex-pat scot

SRAM Red groupset - £875 from Planet X
THat leaves a fair bit for a new pair of shiny wheels.

If your bike fits, and the other bits are OK, then stick with it.

rake

find a skip and throw it in.

Dazza2280

If it was my money, I'd be down to Wiggle just now, they had a Focus Izalco Team Replica with a Sram Force groupset and DT Swiss 1900 wheels for that. Or a Felt F4 with full Ultegra set.

andy_nD

Thanks for the feedback, guys - it's helped me warm to the idea that a new carbon machine might not necessarily give me much over bringing the r800 up to spec.

Going to take some test rides on some £2k carbon steeds and see if anything takes my fancy, otherwise I'm thinking the change from a new groupset and wheels would probably be equally well spent on a Cycle Fit session and some flashy finishing kit..

Gazzaputt

rake wrote:

find a skip and throw it in.

And let me know the location of the skip please.