Rose vs Cannondale - What would you choose ?

Tjgoodhew

Just curious to see which of these two bikes you would go for ?

I have been eyeing up a Rose for a while and have finally scraped together the cash to pay for it. But now the money is in the bank I am looking around to see what else i could get and have come across last years Super Six Evo Red for the same money reduced from 3.5k to 2.1k !!!

So the specs :

Rose - XEON CRS - Full Ultegra 6800 11 speed and will be Speccing a set of Cosmic Carbones. Finishing kit will include Ritchey bars, stem and post with a fizik saddle - PRICE - £2068

Cannondale - Super Six Evo Red 2013 - SRAM Red 10 speed with some lower spec components including crank. Mavic Kysrium Equipe and Cannondales own finishing kit - Price £2099 reduced from £3500. I know the Red 22 gets great reviews but would I really be missing out sticking with their older model ? Am i really going to miss one extra gear ???

The spec of the Rose seems like such a good deal i would surely be mad to consider anything else. But I ride a Caad8 and love it so I know the fit and feel for the Super Six will work and reading reviews on it everywhere says the bike is amazing. But if i get the Caad i will probably be wanting to upgrade the wheels so in reality it will probably costs me closer to £2.5k over the long run

I have a week to think about it whilst riding the roads of Majorca but what would you do ??

My head says the Rose but i now cant stop thinking the Cannondale !!!

string78

Hi Tom,

I see from some Strava leader boards you're local to me. If you haven't seen a Xeon CRS in the flesh you're more than welcome to have a look at mine if it helps you're decision making.

Drop me a PM if you want...

rickeverett

Rose IMO.

Bike builder means you can do a lot more customisation which is important if your ordering online. Service seems to be better - quicker dispatch and things like free returns on stems etc incase your size is wrong.
Bikes seem to be better builds for the £ - lighter with the same if not better specs. Review wise they seem to be as good as Canyons.

rnarito

I own the Cannondale you speak of and cannot say enough good things about it! It is an absolute blast to ride and excels at hill climbing and hard accelerations. Super light too. I have not ridden the Rose, but it looks pretty cool 8)

gabriel959

Can you try the Cannondale? I have got a non evo SuperSix and it is a seriously good bike, a fantastic frame with lifetime warranty and a fantastic ride. The Rose is good value but I am not sure the frame will be as good as the Dale, that is my opinion.

norvernrob

Cannondale, and I nearly did before I ended up spending more, haven't ridden one but purely from the reviews I doubt you'd go wrong. Plus it's £1700 cheaper than the 2014 model - which makes it a bargain and you can tell your Mrs that

ratsbeyfus

As a Cannondale owner just be a little bit careful about their 'lifetime' warranty. My cannondale has cracked at a weld after 4 years, and I'm currently waiting for Cannondale to let me know if they'll honour the warrenty. 'Lifetime' apparently means 'lifetime of the frame'... this is like having a lifetime warraenty for a hamster which expires the moment the creature snuffs it.

Don't let this put you off, just be aware that they don't have a great reputation for honouring warrenties (unlike Specialized, etc)... I'll update this thread when Cannondale finally let me know what's happening...

drlodge

"Damage resulting from normal wear and tear, including the results of fatigue, is not covered. Fatigue damage is a symptom of the frame being worn out through normal use. It is one kind of normal wear and tear, and it is the owner's responsibility to inspect his/her bicycle."

WFT does that mean? Looks like a get out clause to me.

Sir, you've had your frame for a few years, the crack is just normal wear and tear, frames aren't supposed to last forever. You'll need to buy a new one :roll:

ratsbeyfus

Yep - it's a load of sh!te. God knows how Cannondale get away with it! Don't know if anyone has ever taken it up with trading standards...

gabriel959

ratsbeyfus, don't really know about your problem and I have never had a problem with mine but from looking at people that have had problems in the past they have always been excellent. I hope you get an answer soon.

antsmithmk

I had your dilemma and don't regret my choice

ratsbeyfus

gabriel959 wrote:

ratsbeyfus, don't really know about your problem and I have never had a problem with mine but from looking at people that have had problems in the past they have always been excellent. I hope you get an answer soon.

Thanks Gabriel. I loved my CAAD9, and if in the OP's position would almost certainly go for the Cannondale. Just wanted to point out limitations of 'lifetime' warranty.

gabriel959

ratsbeyfus wrote:

gabriel959 wrote:

ratsbeyfus, don't really know about your problem and I have never had a problem with mine but from looking at people that have had problems in the past they have always been excellent. I hope you get an answer soon.

Thanks Gabriel. I loved my CAAD9, and if in the OP's position would almost certainly go for the Cannondale. Just wanted to point out limitations of 'lifetime' warranty.

FWIW I know someone with a 10 year old CAAD 4 frame got it replaced with a CAAD 10 not long ago although it took a while to get the replacement frame.

dilatory

I just picked the new CAAD10 Ultegra over a Rose. Waiting excitedly for it to arrive.

gethinceri

You'll love it.........almost as much as I love my Rose!

dilatory

Haha. There was very little to decide between in the end. Picked the CAAD10 because I think it looked nicer. I don't think a person could go wrong with either.

Miles253

dilatory wrote:

Haha. There was very little to decide between in the end. Picked the CAAD10 because I think it looked nicer. I don't think a person could go wrong with either.

I prefer the Cannondales too actually, I think Rose needs to work on their graphics.

How Far is too Far

I have got a 2010 Supersix HM and a 2014 Canyon CF SL.

I find the Supersix to be the quicker bike, but the Canyon more comfy.

Rich...

del1971

I was in the exact same boat recently. After 3 years on an alloy entry level Felt decided it was time to go for something nicer, budget up to £2K. I rode some of the Cannondales out in Club La Santa in Lanzarote and loved them. Also had a test ride on a £3K Cervelo R3 Ultegra (was actually interested in the R3 105 which is £2K but they didn't have one in stock). Seriously considered a bargain priced 2013 Supersix from Paul's Cycles. But in the end I couldn't see past the Rose and the ability to customise just about anything. I actually ordered a CSL 3000 Ultegra 6800 and specced the DT Swiss R23 wheels, Conti GP4000S 25cs and Fizik Arione.

It arrived Thursday, had my maiden ride last night and I know I made the right choice. To me it feels very like the Cervelo R3, and I think the frames look pretty similar but its just over half the R3 Ultegra price for a better spec! A stunning bike at a fantastic price. Mines weighs 7.6kg with pedals / cage which makes climbs a bit easier, but the revelation to me is how it inspires confidence in windy downhills and how it glides over crappy sections of road that would normally have me grimacing on the alloy Felt (although I'm not yet sure how much of the improved ride is down to the 25c Contis run at 80 / 90psi, as I've always ran 23cs at 90/100psi.

And I think it looks awesome!

Essex Rouleur

Go for the Rose.

I know a few people who have Cannondales and they initially all raved about them, but 3 out of the 4 people i know who have them, have all had frame problems, mainly cracking, after two years, so it cant be a coincidence. They also had the same problems that some others have had abput "lifetime warranty" in that Cannondale said it was natural wear and tear.

I remember two of my mates giving it the large one when they got their Dales, about having this lifetime warranty, when i bought my bike, but my bike is going strong with no problems and theirs have broken and cant get a replacement.
Personally, i think Cannondales are a bit overrated, especially the lifetime warranty lark that people always spout when trying to sell the brand.

jimmythecuckoo

rickeverett wrote:

Rose IMO.

Bike builder means you can do a lot more customisation which is important if your ordering online. Service seems to be better - quicker dispatch and things like free returns on stems etc incase your size is wrong.
Bikes seem to be better builds for the £ - lighter with the same if not better specs. Review wise they seem to be as good as Canyons.

cant argue with that. Rose service is amazing and the bikes look really cool.

No compaints performance wise from me..

gabriel959

I think the service for Cannondales depends on how good the shop you bought it from is. I bought mine from Westbrook Cycles who are a great shop.

I can see from the comments here that some people have had some problems with the warranty for Cannondale's. I have never had to use it but from the few people I know that have had to use theirs, they been fab. One of the best, as you usually get an upgrade too.

gabriel959

del1971 wrote:

I was in the exact same boat recently. After 3 years on an alloy entry level Felt decided it was time to go for something nicer, budget up to £2K. I rode some of the Cannondales out in Club La Santa in Lanzarote and loved them. Also had a test ride on a £3K Cervelo R3 Ultegra (was actually interested in the R3 105 which is £2K but they didn't have one in stock). Seriously considered a bargain priced 2013 Supersix from Paul's Cycles. But in the end I couldn't see past the Rose and the ability to customise just about anything. I actually ordered a CSL 3000 Ultegra 6800 and specced the DT Swiss R23 wheels, Conti GP4000S 25cs and Fizik Arione.

It arrived Thursday, had my maiden ride last night and I know I made the right choice. To me it feels very like the Cervelo R3, and I think the frames look pretty similar but its just over half the R3 Ultegra price for a better spec! A stunning bike at a fantastic price. Mines weighs 7.6kg with pedals / cage which makes climbs a bit easier, but the revelation to me is how it inspires confidence in windy downhills and how it glides over crappy sections of road that would normally have me grimacing on the alloy Felt (although I'm not yet sure how much of the improved ride is down to the 25c Contis run at 80 / 90psi, as I've always ran 23cs at 90/100psi.

And I think it looks awesome!

For reference my SuperSix - non evo, and a 60cm frame its 7.6kg with cages and pedals.

I think the Evo frame will be lighter than the Rose.

MisterMuncher

I was going to say just that: Warranty with any brand is as much a function of shop and rep as the firm involved. Rose don't have the issues because they have neither. A good LBS that sells Cannondale will be every bit as good.

For once, the fact there's only two Cannondale dealers in Ireland is a good thing.

ratsbeyfus

OK - thought I'd add my update on this thread about my experience with cannondale and their 'lifetime warranty'. Have been told today by Cannondale that the crack at the weld joint on the rear brake bridge in aluminium CAAD9 was caused by 'excessive use on a turbo trainer', so the warranty is invalid. I am almost allergic to the turbo trainer and have use one for a total of approx 10 hours in the three years I have owned the bike. Cannondale base their assertion that other frames that they have received which have had the same cracks have all been damaged due to excessive turbo use! So it's my word (and my strava files) against theirs, but they hold all the aces!

Buy the Rose!