CAAD9 - what is the upgrade limit?

snowboard07

I've got a 2009/2010 Cannondale CAAD9 with Tiagra groupset and Shimano WHR500 wheels.

I'd like to upgrade/improve my bike and would like advice on what is a maximum budget limit to spend on this bike.
I do like the frame and wonder if over the years, it would be worth investing in

1. in the next few months, firstly, a Dura Ace C24 wheelset
2. in the next year or 2, secondly, a Dura-ace groupset (the new 11 speed sounds good!!!)

I was thinking of Ksyrium elites initially but it seems dura ace C24s have had lots of good reviews.

Advice please.

cougie

Wheels - yes.
Group set - no.

Youd not really notice the difference and it's usually cheaper to buy a groupset as part of a bike.
Upgrade if bits stop working - but if not - save for a new bike.

winton

Wheels - yes.

Groupset - get Ultegra. It's not that far away from DA and a sight cheaper.

snowboard07

Thank you both.

For the wheels:

Dura-ace 7900 c24 or Ksyrium elites....or other.
Budget of £500-600

winton

I run Ksyrium Elites on my CAAD9 and they are completely bombproof, great do anything wheels. They rarely need trueing and parts for them are ten-a-penny at any decent LBS.

However, I have never heard anything but good things about the DA C24s. I also have some C35 tubs and the DA hubs are streets ahead of the Mavic ones. The C24s also look great as well.

You can't really go wrong with either.

verycreativeusername

custom wheels? BWW do the blackset race 11 for $600 USD, much better than the ksyrium elites and at least on par with the c24s

porker33

I occasionally run my caad10-105 on my DA7900-24 wheels, the wheels and decent tyres transform it!. The point being the wheels bring out the best in the frame, which is less apparent on lesser rims.

mattmaximus

Be careful with shimano wheels - it looks like they will be incompatible with the new 11 speed DA 9000 group which will be out when you're looking.

You may be better off going with a wheel which was designed to take a bigger hub, maybe fulcrum racing 1? Or, if you went for the c24, you could look at getting the new SRAM red (10 speed) group in a year's time.

Don't own a caad myself but I don't see why you shouldn't upgrade it to the hilt. Beautiful bike.

napoleond

I used to have the DA24s but now have Ksyrium Elites. I'm happier with the elites. They are a fair bit stiffer for a start...

If you can afford new DA 11spd and like it then go for it!

unixnerd

I run a CAAD5 which recently became my second bike due to the purchase of a new Specialized Roubaix. It started out with 9 speed 105 and stock 1900g wheels. I put on some 1500g Pro-Lite Braccianos (I wanted Ksyriums but didn't have the cash) and it transformed the bike.

I gradually built up a Dura-Ace 7800 groupo second hand from ebay and installed it, going to 10 speed in the process. It shifts a little better and looks nicer but it hasn't made me faster :-)

Evil Laugh

Winton wrote:

I run Ksyrium Elites on my CAAD9 and they are completely bombproof, great do anything wheels. They rarely need trueing and parts for them are ten-a-penny at any decent LBS.

However, I have never heard anything but good things about the DA C24s. I also have some C35 tubs and the DA hubs are streets ahead of the Mavic ones. The C24s also look great as well.

You can't really go wrong with either.

Definitely agree with the above. I have had c24s, currently own c35 tubs and ksyrium SLRs which I recently bought second hand but "as new".

The hubs on the DA wheels feel so much nicer and engage far quicker. The ksyriums feel a bit like hard work, i don't know if it's the aerodynamics or what but the Dura Ace wheels feel like skating on ice compared to the mavics that feel like skiing on wet snow. They are also affected more by crosswinds than the deeper c35s.

I do however really like the braking on the Mavic SLRs. It's 90% as good in the wet as in dry and this is likely the reason I'll keep the wheels. Otherwise I'd sell them and buy the superior (IMO) c24s.

The Mavics are insanely overpriced and the black coating on the rims is far from durable.

snowboard07

Thanks for everyone's input again.

Looks like it's Dura ace wheels then.

Should I wait for the 9000 series to be released or will I be able to purchase the 7900 wheels now and change the rear hub if I want the 11spd DA cassette in future?

styxd

Wheels, Id get hand builts since they'll last you longer. Stans Alpha rims on some decent hubs are probably lighter than the Dura Ace and the Mavics.

I wouldnt bother with 11 speed, it probably wont be worth buying for quite a few years.

porker33

snowboard07 wrote:

Thanks for everyone's input again.

Looks like it's Dura ace wheels then.

Should I wait for the 9000 series to be released or will I be able to purchase the 7900 wheels now and change the rear hub if I want the 11spd DA cassette in future?

Quite honestly the DA wheels are a slight indulgence, they have the same rim as the RS80, only the hub is improved, where as the RS80 are the equivalent of Ultegra.
You can pick up the RS80 for around £300 and the DA7900 are £500 or more.....I only bought the DA as I knew I would have wished I got them, had if I bought the RS80, as yet I haven't thought I should have bought the cheaper wheel....RS80 don't ride that differently at all....it would be hard to tell,,,far more "in the mind" etc...

snowboard07

porker33 wrote:

Quite honestly the DA wheels are a slight indulgence, they have the same rim as the RS80, only the hub is improved, where as the RS80 are the equivalent of Ultegra.
You can pick up the RS80 for around £300 and the DA7900 are £500 or more.....I only bought the DA as I knew I would have wished I got them, had if I bought the RS80, as yet I haven't thought I should have bought the cheaper wheel....RS80 don't ride that differently at all....it would be hard to tell,,,far more "in the mind" etc...

porker 33- I guess if I got the RS80, I would always be wondering if I should have bought the DA.

As some people have said in other posts, ultimately...it's my own 2 legs that will make me go faster, not the kit.
But it's psychologically advantageous!!

ShutUpLegs

While putting some super stiff wheels on you may want to consider a carbon seatpost and bars to take away some of the 'road buzz'

porker33

Just following from above...the shimano carbon/ali rims take out the road buzz with the standard seat post, from experience..logical thought though..

Snowboard07, That is exactly why I bought the Da-C24's, they may be >£200 over the RS80's, but at least I don't lie awake at night worrying how fast my average speed might have been with the silky smooth free running DA hubs!

bobones

I bought the DA C24s a couple of months ago and they've been great. Plenty stiff enough for me at 170lbs. The hubs and rims look superb, if not as quite as blingy as the Ksyrium Elites. The RS80s might have the same rims, but the words "Dura Ace" are worth at least another 0.1mph :-)

snowboard07

snowboard07 wrote:

Should I wait for the 9000 series to be released or will I be able to purchase the 7900 wheels now and change the rear hub if I want the 11spd DA cassette in future?

I asked this question earlier....

Will I be able to buy a DA 7900 wheel now and 'upgrade' the rear hub in future (when financially able) to fit a 11spd DA cassette?

magoo289

For what it's worth I have RS80s on my CAAD9 tiagra. And ave decided to put money away for a better bike after several months of thinking of upgrading my groupset.

snowboard07

snowboard07 wrote:

I asked this question earlier....

Will I be able to buy a DA 7900 wheel now and 'upgrade' the rear hub in future (when financially able) to fit a 11spd DA cassette?

Found my own answer from bike radar's review on the Dura ace 9000


Wheels

To go with the new Dura-Ace, Shimano have a new range of 11-speed road wheels. These use a 1.85mm wider freehub than the company's 10-speed offerings in order to fit the new 11-speed cassettes. Shimano say their 11-speed cassettes can only be used with 11-speed wheels but their 11-speed wheels can be used with smaller cassettes if you fit a spacer. There are six new 11-speed wheels: C24, C35, C50 and C75 Dura-Ace models, plus two mid-range options, RS61 and RS21.

Evil Laugh

I don't think the current wheels will be upgradeable to 11 speed. It will def work the other way around, ie 9000 Dura Ace wheels with a spacer will go on 10 speed. Maybe just wait and get the new wheels. The 7900 are sold out now with Madison anyway I think.

The new 9000 c24s I think are a bit lighter too.

FWIW I had some RS80 c24s and they just didn't feel as smooth a ride as the DA version. Maybe the spokes are different but they were a harsher wheel.

itsnotarace

The upgrade limit is really how deep your wallet is. There are plenty of CAAD builds in this thread for you to get some inspiration

http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum ... 10&t=99457

snowboard07

itsnotarace wrote:

The upgrade limit is really how deep your wallet is. There are plenty of CAAD builds in this thread for you to get some inspiration

http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum ... 10&t=99457

This weightweenies page is amazing! It shows that the possibilities are endless......if you have the dosh that is.

snowboard07

I've just looked at when I posted this. To date, I still haven't made up my mind what to do as the new dura ace wheels nor the Mavic 2013 wheels are out yet.
Still can't fully decide on leaving the CAAD 9 Tiagra as it is and save up ( may take years ) to buy a decent carbon bike with good components or upgrade the CAAD9's wheels and group set .
My indecisiveness was not helped when a distant relative showed me his Dogma2 with Mavic R-Sys wheels! Drool....