CAAD12 or Super6

billylale

i see both are very popular bikes, from what i can see, the main difference is the carbon frame v the alu one. what are the pros and cons of each bike and why do people go one way or the other?
i currently have a allez elite, but looking for a summer bike for weekends and keep my allez for my commute

bendertherobot

I bought my 6 because, at that moment, it was the financially better choice. I'd be happy on a CAAD12.

That said, I am very happy on a 6. Very happy indeed.

jdee84

try both out if you can! There should be some reasonable deals going for both with a 105 groupset now. I d doubt you be unhappy with either so long as it fits you well

singleton

I still have my 2011 CAAD 10 105 10 speed, now fitted out for winter use
I had a 2014 Supersix 10 speed di2 ultegra - which I have now sold in order to get....
I now have a 2016 CAAD 12 11 speed mechanical ultegra.

The Supersix is a good bike, a very good bike, so why did I change it? Mostly it was something that is hard to quantify, something "emotional" probably, and it's perhaps even hard to explain. When I had the supersix it felt a bit too clinical, too sterile to me somehow but I never felt that when I was riding the CAAD 10. Why do people prefer one thing over another - you can try to explain it, but often it's just simply that you prefer A over B or vice versa.

The aluminium frame on the CAAD 12 weighs maybe 100g more than the carbon one, but I prefer riding it. Maybe I just refer the "old school" alu frame and mechanical groupset.

Oh, and everybody knows that carbon bikes melt if you get them wet ;-)

mamil314

billylale wrote:

i have an allez

So, we meet.

dwanes

I also prefer aluminium over (lower end) carbon. To me they just feel stiffer, more direct and lively.
I think most people have a desire to have a carbon bike (as i did) and that desire never seems to go away till you get one, but its not necesarily the better option.
I now have a CAAD12 ultegra and loving it.

singleton

dwanes wrote:

I also prefer aluminium over (lower end) carbon.

To be fair, I wouldn't describe the Super6 as lower end carbon - it's a pretty well respected carbon frame.
But, I do agree that most people want carbon because they assume it's better- and that's not always the case.

sloppyschleckonds

I had a CAAD 10 with Dura Ace, there wasn't much different in performance to the Cervelo R3 SL I had at the time.

And it would be better than an entry level carbon frame.

HTH

dwanes

Singleton wrote:

dwanes wrote:

I also prefer aluminium over (lower end) carbon.

To be fair, I wouldn't describe the Super6 as lower end carbon - it's a pretty well respected carbon frame.
But, I do agree that most people want carbon because they assume it's better- and that's not always the case.

Can you tell me if Cannondale have a race bike with a lower grade carbon than the Super6?

germcevoy

dwanes wrote:

Singleton wrote:

dwanes wrote:

I also prefer aluminium over (lower end) carbon.

To be fair, I wouldn't describe the Super6 as lower end carbon - it's a pretty well respected carbon frame.
But, I do agree that most people want carbon because they assume it's better- and that's not always the case.

Can you tell me if Cannondale have a race bike with a lower grade carbon than the Super6?

Lowest grade of the range doesn't necessarily mean low grade in general.