2006 Cannondale Ironman 2, do i buy?? Any Reviews?

[zaicew]

Hi,
I compete in 3 or 4 Half Tri's a year, i ride 4 days a week but that is my tri training, i dont pack ride, only ride with 3 or 4 people at times, i am currently looking at getting the new Cannondale Ironman 2 bike as first preference, does anyone ride one or have any info on this?

I am tossing up between that or a Cervelo P2K or a Giant TCR C1 road bike kitted out with aero seat post and drop bars removed and Profie T2 Wing bar and Carbon Stryke aero bars.

All bikes are full ultegra, Mavic Elite wheels, Cervelo has Easton Vista, and all with San Marco tri gel seats, Giant and Cannondale will have the Profile bars, Cervelo has vision bars, i dont like them. Giant is Carbon frame and light as, but it's a road specific frame!
I am used to a road specific frame but want to move to the next level!

Not sure your advice please, im stuck!!

[cjbruin]

C'dale are great bikes...you can't go wrong so long as it is a good fit. One of my best friends was part of the investment group that bought them a few years ago and he hired the new management team after being the acting CEO for a while. The people I have met are awesome and they are passionate about the bikes they build.

There are a lot of Cervelo owners/lovers in this forum (including me...2006 P2 SL) so you will probably get a lot of positive posts about them.

I'm don't know much about Giants anymore...I do have an old roadie that I bought in 1989 and rode across Europe. I rode it to the grocery store the other day...wow how bikes have changed.

Make sure you let us know what you bought!
-CJ

[jennings780]

I'm partial to cannondales.
Here's a link to a review of the 2003 Cannondale Ironman 2000 which is substantially the same to the '06 Ironman 2:

http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/reviews/cannondaleim03.shtml

[MHR]

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/06/cusa/cats/road_er_ironman.html
the link in the previous post is not the same frame - it is the older design. You can tell by looking at the down tube....as the new design has the rear wheel cutout. The bike is now leaps and bounds far above the older design.
YOU WILL LOVE THE CANNONDALE
I own a Cannondale Ironman 5000 which was their top of the line bike in 2004 which came with Dura Ace, Zipp 404's (clincher), SI cranks (the stiffest cranks out there). This bike IM1 and 2 (and the one I own) share the same Kona Hawaii Ironman proven frame - which has been one of the fastest bikes out here and I believe holds the current bike course record.

The bike is excellent handling, stiff and at 17.x ibs out of the box it is lite in weight very very fast - this bike is my go to bike for Olympic Distance and some 1/2 Ironman races. I only say that because I also have a Trek-TT which is more set up as my long course bike. The quality of the bike overall is just awesome and I particularly just love the paint job on mine which is better than that of my Project One painted Trek-TT bike (sorry Trek). Cannondale took a huge step forward when this frame came out. If you can and it is available make sure you get the Aluminum SI cranks (not the carbon ones - thats just marketing...the Alum is better...have you LBS call and insist!!!) if you can...the bottom bracket size is desiged to match special to the frame..something like that is not upgradeable later. The IM2 comes with Ultrega which is more than fine and if you want you can upgrade later to some Dura Ace components if you like - my first choice would be wheels however - Zipp 404's or better yet 606's. IMHO this bike is better that anything Cervelo has. A friend of mine owns a LBS and Cervelo (a brand he sells) gave him a bike to race in his TT's and tris a year ago and he sold it. He perfers the Cannondale IM6000 which was last years bike which came with Campy components. He says the Cannondale tracks much better, is stiffer, faster and better quality. He is also one of the fastest TT guys in Colorado. Another friend of mine who has 13 IM behind him (and is a 9:30 Kona finisher) told me not to long ago - that he whats to order Cannondale IM1 bike pretty bad and hopes to be on it for Kona this year.

[jrennie]

I currently ride a Roo, but if you are going to get it, go big c'dale ironman 1. You have to love a bike that comes stock with 404's

[jennings780]

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/06/cusa/cats/road_er_ironman.html
the link in the previous post is not the same frame - it is the older design. You can tell by looking at the down tube....as the new design has the rear wheel cutout. The bike inow s leaps and bounds far above the older design.
YOU WILL LOVE THE CANNONDALE

You are right. I didn't look close enough at the downtube.
I just got an '04 Ironman 2000 (but brand new). Did a few upgrades - went with Ksyrium SLs, dura ace derailleurs, FSA gossamer cranks. Fun.

[zaicew]

G'day guys,
I just brought the Cannondale Ironman 2, im fully setup on this now, it is totally unreal, i absolutly fly!
By the way it's full Dura Ace too!! I got the tangerine colour, looks fantastic!! the bike is light, stiff as and very comfy!! thanks..