CAAD12 owners opinions

rando

Has anyone that rides a CAAD12 (non disc ) and gone from a carbon frame bike regret the decision ?
I am looking at a CAAD12 frameset built up with SRAM Etap but am just slightly bothered about the CAAD12 over 100 mile rides on the comfort factor. I have read all the reviews and they all state it is a very smooth ride for a aluminium bike but how does this compare to a carbon? Currently have a domane so know it won't be as smooth but willing to take some small sacrifices.
I know i need a test ride but will struggle to find a shop that will let me have it for a day so just canvassing owners of CAAD12 opinions.
I assume that the frame is worthy of a top end groupset as you can buy one with dura ace but i fancy electronic on my next bike.
Any comments welcome & thanks.

banditvic

I have a CAAD 12 also have other Carbon bikes.
Lot of hype about comfort about, I'm running Pacenti SL23 rims with 25mm tyres running about 80lbs pressure very comfy blow them up to 110 lbs not so comfy (you get the picture tyres and pressure will probably make more difference than anything else)
Great bike though great handling and light, bit more comfortable than other Aluminium bikes I have ridden similar to a carbon framed bike (EVO) haven't ridden a Domane so can't compare. I also think some people find some bikes harsh when others would say the same bike is OK, did have a very early Cannondale road bike when they first came out, now that was harsh. Don't think you will be disappointed with it, I'm running Sram force on it and just purchased a carbon seatpost off of eBay, Hylix I think. Standard seatpost is very heavy, haven't ridden yet so cant comment on that either.

rando

banditvic wrote:

I have a CAAD 12 also have other Carbon bikes.
Lot of hype about comfort about, I'm running Pacenti SL23 rims with 25mm tyres running about 80lbs pressure very comfy blow them up to 110 lbs not so comfy (you get the picture tyres and pressure will probably make more difference than anything else)
Great bike though great handling and light, bit more comfortable than other Aluminium bikes I have ridden similar to a carbon framed bike (EVO) haven't ridden a Domane so can't compare. I also think some people find some bikes harsh when others would say the same bike is OK, did have a very early Cannondale road bike when they first came out, now that was harsh. Don't think you will be disappointed with it, I'm running Sram force on it and just purchased a carbon seatpost off of eBay, Hylix I think. Standard seatpost is very heavy, haven't ridden yet so cant comment on that either.

Thanks banditvic - i am going to try one for size and at least have a test ride on one. Realise its a totally different bike to a Domane with a much more aggressive geometry so will see how it fits me first. i have specced a carbon seatpost on my enquiry for a build which will help with the comfort and will certainly run 25mm tyres.

banditvic

wouldn't call it aggressive, if you leave fork uncut its pretty relaxed. I'm no spring chicken and have lobbed a fair bit off.
Running standard stem at the moment and that is very light.

gaffer_slow

^ yeah, but the Domane is VERY relaxed.

Domane -> CAAD 12 is a big jump in Geo.

rando

gaffer_slow wrote:

^ yeah, but the Domane is VERY relaxed.

Domane -> CAAD 12 is a big jump in Geo.

Indeed so I will see what a caad12 fits like . Might need to find something in the middle of caad and domane . I know fit is everything on a bike but the cost of the caad12 frame is so cheap compared to say trek emonda sl frame ( caad is half the price in frame set ) and reading all the reviews caad12 gets very high praise and scooped bike of the year hence why I am considering one built up with SRAM etap .

gaffer_slow

what size is your Domane?

what size and angle is the stem (length, -ve or +ve and degree angle)

what is the size of the top cap of headset (conical spacer in mm), and how much spacers below stem (spacer in mm).

rando

gaffer_slow wrote:

what size is your Domane?

what size and angle is the stem (length, -ve or +ve and degree angle)

what is the size of the top cap of headset (conical spacer in mm), and how much spacers below stem (spacer in mm).

Domane is a 60cm frame
stem is 90mm
head angle 72.1
30mm spacers

don't know the rest !

gaffer_slow

rando wrote:

gaffer_slow wrote:

what size is your Domane?

what size and angle is the stem (length, -ve or +ve and degree angle)

what is the size of the top cap of headset (conical spacer in mm), and how much spacers below stem (spacer in mm).

Domane is a 60cm frame
stem is 90mm
head angle 72.1
30mm spacers

don't know the rest !

the following is based on a couple of assumptions.

- your 30mm spacer INCLUDES the topcap/conical spacer
- you have a bontrager stem, which are often 7 degrees
(2 degrees on a 100mm stem is ~4mm difference)
- cannondale CAADs topcap spacer i think is 25mm and come with an additional 30mm or 40mm of spacers.
20mm of that is half of the width of your stem(0.5xStem Stack), so assuming your 30mm of spacers INCLUDES to conical topcap the DOMANE column for (spacers+headset+0.5xStem Stack) = 50mm

If you are using 30mm spacers and X mm for the conical top cap let me know the size of the trek topcap and i will recalculate.

For the CAAD conical(25mm) + 25mm spacers + (0.5xStem Stack) = 70mm total.
(although 25mm Conical spacer + 25mm spacers is quite a lot)

with this set up, the CAAD12 is about 10mm longer and almost 20mm lower than Domane.

Perhaps you could have shorter reach bars (depending on the reach of your current bars), but the stack/height is an issue unless you flip the stem over to face up - which will give you ~20mm more stack, but 25mm topcap+25mm spacers+flipped stem suggests that perhaps the fit of the bike is too aggressive.




spacers+headset+0.5xStem Stack is this measurement

rando

thanks gaffer_slow for the detailed reply. I will come back with the information later as at work at moment. It was always inmy mind the caad12 might be too agressive but we can see.

bmxboy10

rando wrote:

thanks gaffer_slow for the detailed reply. I will come back with the information later as at work at moment. It was always inmy mind the caad12 might be too agressive but we can see.

Not the same I know but I have always leaned towards relaxed geo bikes. My "nice" bike is currently a Condor Fratello but also have a CAAD10. I have managed to get both bikes set up more or less the same from a fit point of view and ride the Caad with 25 or 28mm tyres. Don't be too worried about the aggressive geo as in my experience you can make it as aggressive or relaxed as you like and by fitting bigger tyres im sure it wont feel harsh at all.

bsharp77

OP - just to put a cat among the pigeons regarding geometry - heres my new discovery!

viewtopic.php?f=40011&t=13064384

Ive been riding a Domane for 2 years and finally I may be able to think about a more aggressive frame again....

rando

bsharp77 wrote:

OP - just to put a cat among the pigeons regarding geometry - heres my new discovery!

viewtopic.php?f=40011&t=13064384

Ive been riding a Domane for 2 years and finally I may be able to think about a more aggressive frame again....

I don't have issues at all with my current position and no aches or pains but I have only ridden Trek Domanes (have a winter & summer ) so no idea if a more agressive position on another bike would suit me or not . I could take some spacers out of my Domane to make the bars lower too try . I still fancy a new bike though !

banditvic

If you ride a 60cm frame would probably go for Evo Hi Mod from Pauls Cycles at £750.

singleton

I have just replaced my Supersix Evo di2 with a CAAD12 Utegra and I love it.
I may be unusualy in that I prefer to 'feel' the road and so I find that I feel more connected when riding the new one.

rando

Singleton wrote:

I have just replaced my Supersix Evo di2 with a CAAD12 Utegra and I love it.
I may be unusualy in that I prefer to 'feel' the road and so I find that I feel more connected when riding the new one.

So your CAAD12 is preferred to the supersix even on long rides (100 miles ? if you do such rides).
Unfortunately I am not one of those people that really recognises this 'feel' of the road. I just dont like feeling i am being beaten up on our crappy UK roads - so is this the 'feel' you talk about ?
Probably good bikes are wasted on me !

singleton

rando wrote:

So your CAAD12 is preferred to the supersix even on long rides (100 miles ? if you do such rides).
Unfortunately I am not one of those people that really recognises this 'feel' of the road. I just dont like feeling i am being beaten up on our crappy UK roads - so is this the 'feel' you talk about ?
Probably good bikes are wasted on me !

I don't do a lot of 100 miles rides - mostly it's 30k - 70k at a time with an occiasional long one. To me the CAAD just feels more alive and eager than the Evo did but no less comfy - I've moved the saddle over and set it up similarly and it's about as comfy as the Evo was.

I've got some new wheels coming soon and I think that wheels/tyres/pressure have the biggest impact on comfort once you've got the position and saddle sorted. If you put 25 or 28mm comfy tyres - such as tubeless with lower pressures - then they will have a big impact on comfort.

secretsqizz

'feel the road' ??? somehow get the feeling this bloke has never had the dubious pleasure of riding a sh it bike back and to from sh it work on sh it urban roads.... he could get a job with Fat Mamil Sportive Monthly, Bike of the day section.

nicklong

I've got a CAAD10 and definitely buy the "feel of the road" argument, my other bike has a carbon aero frame (Felt AR) and the CAAD is the more responsive and in a strange way more predictable, which equates to comfort somehow.

I've always used my CAAD as my mountain sportive bike, served me well in the Alps and Pyrenees for 90-100 miles without issue.

singleton

secretsqizz wrote:

'feel the road' ??? somehow get the feeling this bloke has never had the dubious pleasure of riding a sh it bike back and to from sh it work on sh it urban roads.... he could get a job with Fat Mamil Sportive Monthly, Bike of the day section.

You're right about one thing at least - I don't ride to work.

knightlore21

Have only had mine 3 days (CAAD 12 Ultegra) and it is awesome ! So quick to accelerate and soaks up the shocking Birmingham roads - was a bit worried about moving from a 50/34 to a 52/36 but that has not been a problem so far (if anything has made me ride more correctly in the middle of the cassette) - was worried about spending so much on a bike (£900 on a Defy 1 being the previous most I have paid) but so far I feel the bike is well worth the outlay.