The Cannondale CAAD10 has now been available for a while and we have had the opportunity to log some miles on them. Overall we have been very impressed with the bike and its ride.
I (Isaac Neff) have now ridden about 1500 miles on my CAAD10 including a number of races. The bike I am reviewing is a CAAD10 1 with some key part swaps. I've listed the specs of my bike bellow.
The frameCannondale has done an amazing job with the CAAD10 frame. The CAAD10 has a highly manipulated aluminum tube-set which results in a surprisingly stiff, yet smooth ride. I have found the CAAD10 to be one of the stiffest and most responsive bikes I have ridden. Although, I am very happy with how responsive the bike is I am also impressed by how smooth it is over rough roads. I spent a week riding the CAAD10 in southern Indiana this spring which is both very hilly and has some pretty rough and dirt roads which we didn't shy away from. The CAAD10 handled everything I threw at it admirably.
On top of being stiff and responsive the CAAD10 is nearly 200 grams lighter than the old generation CAAD9. The weight reduction is very impressive considering the increased stiffness of the CAAD10 over the CAAD9.
The CAAD10 uses a tapered steerer tube, tapering from 1 1/8 to 1 1/4.
Cannondale calls their shaped chain and seat stays "SAVE". Whatever they're called, they work!
The CAAD10 geometry is nearly identical to what Cannondale has been using on their race oriented bikes for a few years. For 2011 the Supersix and CAAD10 share geometry.
Overall the geometry is spot on for the size (mine is a 58cm). One note is Cannondale uses a 57.5cm top tube on a size 58cm bike. Which, when comparing to other companies size 58 bikes is slightly shorter. Thats said, I like the shorter top tube as it allows me to run a slightly longer stem which I feel helps the handling of the bike.
The BuildStock the CAAD10 1 comes with a mix of Shimano 6700 Ultegra and 7900 Dura-Ace parts with BB30 FSA cranks. The bike comes with Shimano's excellent RS80 wheelset.
I changed a few parts to both better fit me and drop a little weight.
Dura-Ace 7900 shifters.
I changed the cranks to a pair of Cannondale SI SL cranks which are both lighter and feel stiffer than the stock FSA SL-K cranks. Plus they look awesome!
I swapped the bar and stem to Shimano Pro parts which offer a really nice bend that works well with the 7900 shifter.
I've ridden my CAAD10 with several different wheelsets now. Most of my miles have been logged with the stock RS80 wheelset which I have found to be very smooth. They also have held-up very well to my abuse which has included the aforementioned dirt roads. My only (small) complaint is the weight of the RS80's. At over 1500g they are not super light and it seems that a lot of the extra weight (extra being relative) is in the rims.
I have also ridden my CAAD10 with Zipp 202s as well as a couple of traditional laced 32 spoke wheels.
The 202 wheelset really livens up the ride due to the low weight and the Challenge Strada tubulars ride incredibly smooth and stick to the road like glue!
The complete package. As shown 15.4lbs.
Complete Specs:Frame: CAAD10 1
Shifters: Dura-Ace 7900
Rear Der: Dura-Ace 7900
Front Der: Dura-Ace 7800
Crank: Cannondale Si SL
Cassette: Dura-Ace 7800
Chain: Dura-Ace 7801
Brakes: Ultegra 6700
Stem: PRO PLT
Bar: PRO Vibe 7s
Seat Post: Fizik
Saddle: Fizik Arione Carbon
Wheelset: Zipp 202 built with DT 240 hubs
Tires: Challenge Strada Tubulars 24mm
Extras: King ti water cages, Cat Eye computer, Shimano SPD-SL pedals
Overall the CAAD10 is a fantastic bike that out-performs many carbon bikes in both weight and ride quality. If you are looking for a fast, responsive and light bike thats heart is in racing, look no farther than the CAAD10!
I will continue to ride and race my CAAD10 this summer and will give an up-date after I get more miles on it.
If you have any questions about the CAAD10 or any of the bikes we stock feel free to stop either of our stores or give us a call!
West: 608-255-5292
East: 608-244-2453
Indy Fab Crown Jewel, build up with Shimano Dura-Ace 7900
Beautiful Moots RSL went out last week.
A mix of Record and Super Record parts
Another Moots build we did last week. A Vamoots with Campy Chorus 11. Very nice ride!
Surly Cross Check Commuter!
Shimano 5700 105 parts are a solid choice for a bike that is going to be abused!
Dynamo front hub will generate a front light.
DT hubs are super nice and very reliable.
Mavic has been on top of the rim game for a long time. They still make some of the nicest rims out there. The A719s are perfect for a bike that is going to be ridden all year long in all kinds of conditions.
