Caad8 Sora vs Felt F75

Pilot90

Hi all! I'm looking to get my first road bike after a few years of mountain biking. I'd decided on getting the caad8 sora (£675 from epic cycles, I gather everyone hated the old sora, but the new one is apparently rebadged tiagra, plus epic cycles upgrade the apparently crap stock wheels to shimano R500) but then I saw that Merlin cycles are selling massively discounted Felts; I'm now wondering if the Felt F75 (£699) would be a better option?

I gather that the general consensus is that caad frames are some of the best you can buy, and offer future proof upgrade potential. But then again, the felt has a full carbon fiber fork and seatpost, and shimano 105.

I will be riding in East and West Sussex, and I like the idea of a bike that will last me as long as possible, I'm not into changing bikes every few years (not enough money!) so upgrade potential is important. As it's my first road bike I'd like a n inbetweener ride, not too low down, racy and twitchy, but nothing massively upright.

Here are the specs:

Felt F75:

Frame:
Felt Race Road Superlite Custom Butted aluminium, Dynaform TIG-welded construction, threaded BB, replaceable rear derailleur hanger
Fork:
Felt Race Road UHC Advanced carbon fiber monocoque construction, ControlTaper 1.125inch – 1.5inch carbon fiber steerer tube w/ integrated crown race, crown, blades and dropouts
Front Derailleur:
Shimano 105 clamp-on, 34.9mm
Rear Derailleur:
Shimano 105 short cage
Number of Gears:
20
Shifters:
Shimano 105 STI
Chainset:
Shimano R656, 48cm = 165mm, 51cm = 170mm, 54 – 56cm = 172.5mm, 58 – 61cm = 175mm
Chainrings:
Shimano 50/34T
Bottom Bracket:
Shimano HollowTech II
Cassette:
Shimano,11-25T
Chain:
Shimano 10-speed
Pedals:
Not Included
Brakeset:
Shimano dual pivot calliper
Brake Levers:
Shimano 105 STI
Handlebars:
Felt Road Variable Shape, 75mm reach, 120mm drop, 31.8mm
Stem:
Felt Superlite, +/-7 degrees rise, 31.8mm, 48cm = 80mm, 51cm = 90mm, 54 – 56cm = 100mm, 58cm = 110mm, 61cm = 120mm
Headset:
FSA NO.42 integrated, 1.125inch – 1.5inch sealed cartridge bearing w/ aluminium 15mm cone spacer, 2 × 10mm + 1 × 5mm PC headset, spacers, Felt compression device, top cap and aluminium bolt
Grips:
Felt Super Gel Tape
Rims:
MAVIC CXP-22
Front Hub:
Felt R3, sealed bearing, 24H
Rear Hub:
Felt R3, sealed bearing, 28H, 10-speed (11-speed compatible)
Spokes:
2.0mm stainless steel w/ aluminium nipples
Rear Tyre:
Vittoria Rubino Pro Tech, 700 × 23c
Saddle:
Felt Superlite Road
Seatpost:
Felt Race Road UHC Performance carbon fiber, 27.2mm, 300mm length
Seat Binder:
Felt single bolt, 31.8mm
Accessories:
Carbon assembly paste, touch-up paint


Caad8 sora:

Frame:
CAAD8, Optimized 6061 Alloy, SAVE, BB30
Fork:
Cannondale Ultra, Carbon blades, 1-1/8"
Front Derailleur:
Shimano Sora 3500, 31.8 clamp
Rear Derailleur:
Shimano Sora 3505
Number of Gears:
18
Shifters:
Shimano Sora 3500
Chainset:
FSA Vero
Chainrings:
50/34T
Bottom Bracket:
FSA Cartridge
Cassette:
SRAM PG-950, 12-26, 9-speed
Chain:
KMC Z99, 9-speed
Pedals:
Wellgo w/ Clip and Strap
Brakeset:
Cannondale C4, dual pivot, cartridge pad
Brake Levers:
Shimano Sora 3500
Handlebars:
Cannondale C4 Compact
Stem:
Cannondale C4, 31.8, 6 deg
Headset:
Tange Seiki Integrated, 25mm top cap
Grips:
Cannondale Bar Tape w/Gel, 2.5mm
Wheels: Shimano R500
Front Tyre:
Schwalbe Lugano, 700×23c
Rear Tyre:
Schwalbe Lugano, 700×23c
Saddle:
Cannondale Stage Ergo w/ Steel Rails
Seatpost:
Cannondale C4, Alloy, 27.2mmx300mm

Thanks!

Pilot90

Oh and another thing, I gather the caad8 sora does NOT have the bb30? BB30 sounds like a bit of a nightmare, I'd rather not have it.

Serious Cat

An important part of the buying equation for me is when I buy a new bike it should be an easy sell on if I decide to upgrade to a newer bike. With this in mind and the choices you have listed here for me its a no brainer in favour of the cannondale . Tiagra and upwards have the bb30 and I think its a wise move to avoid it, Hollowtech II just works and is as pain free as they come.

Pilot90

Cheers for the reply! My heart was telling me caad, seems like a great launchpad to the world of road bikes

TerryCTR

Excuse my ignorance but what's bb30 and why is the 105 group set so popular (I tried googling but didn't get far)

birdie23

TerryCTR wrote:

Excuse my ignorance buts bb30 and why is the 105 group set so popular (I tried googling but didn't get far)

105 is popular because it is arguably the best value Shimano groupset. It has a lot of the features of Ultegra and Dura-Ace that have trickled down and is at a good price.

lawrences

BB30 isn't that bad to be honest. I would say it's worth it for that extra gear and carbon fork.

At the end of the day though both are good choices and shouldn't leave you disappointed.