Cannondale Quick Appreciation Thread
 

Hi Everybody,

I am new to the forum. I came across this forum because I was trying to do research on the Cannondale Quick 2 a week ago, and there really isn't a lot on the internet about this bike.

I ended up trying the Trek 7.5, the GF Mendota, and the Cannondale Quick 3. The Quick 3 was my first bike that I tested, and I was really pleased with it. I then tried the Trek 7.5 and the GF Mendota in another store a few days later (so I didn't have a chance to really do a perfect comparison) but neither the GF or the Trek had any better ride than the Cannondale. All of them felt comfortable for my 6 ft, 32" inseam, 210 lb body.

In the end, I chose the Cannondale Quick 2 (ordered through the Ski Rack in Burlington, VT) because the of the awesome Cannondale frame, the color (matte black) and the components (FSA crank, and Shimano 105 rear drlr). And yes, call me a sucker, but I have always been a fan of carbon. I would rather have carbon seatstays than the little plastic "spacer" in the seat stay that the Trek 7.6 and above have. The fact that all of these bikes had carbon forks was great. However, I was not a huge fan of the way the fork looked on the GF (note, I am a HUGE GF fan, and still have a killer 1999 Big Sur in Acid Green that is in perfect condition that I love to this day).

Also, on the Treks, I really didn't like the prevalence of welds - even where the seatstay converges has a 3-4 inch weld. I am not sure what that is even necessary? Cosmetically, the only thing I didn't like about the Cannondale Quick series is I think the word "quick" should be on the top tube, and the perfunctory "CANNONDALE" on the down tube. But this was a minor detail compared to the overall value / look / feel of the bike.

Pics of the new Quick 2 will be posted next weekend as I am out of country and will be picking the bike up next weekend.

Any other Quick owners out there? Please share photos, experiences good and bad. Thanks!

Finally took my new bike on a ride yesterday - 23 miles mostly flat terrain, combination asphlat / ground stone bike path in Burlington, VT. The Quick 2 really delivered. Braking, shifting was very smooth.

The black matte finish on the frame is really cool looking - makes the entire bike look like it is carbon (of course most of it is aluminum). The bike is very understated at first glance, and should last many years while the new colors come and go out of fashion.

Pics coming soon of the Cannondale Quick 2.

OK, where's the pics? Please post them in the picture thread.... for posterity

Lots of pics coming soon - just picked the bike up on Sat, and took pictures, but I have no USB wire to upload to my PC.

Went on another ride today, approx 18 miles - VERY hilly terrain. Total elevation gain of 1800 feet. 1500 calories, max speed 31.6 mph. I am up to 47 miles on the bike in two days.

I did have a little issue with the front drlr - the chain came off one of the cogs at one point, had to stop, and manually put it back on the right cog. Not really a Cannondale issue, but I have always never had the right touch for front drlrs. Also, this trip was basically uphill 10-20 degrees, and then downhill, and then up, and then down, so I was using the gears a LOT. Back drlr was flawless (Shimano 105).

Also, Terry Liberator Y seat was reasonably comfortable - just getting into the bike thing, so I am a little sore after almost 50 days of riding in two days, but I am reasonably happy.

What a fantastic bike, congrats.

I've just got a Cannondale 3. Was initially looking at getting a hybrid for £300, when I looked at the quality and realising that I wanted a bike that was going to last, I upped that to around £500. I looked at both the Quick 4 but decided I was going to stretch my budget to £800 and get the Quick 3, which essentially means this year I will not be going away on vacation as my vacation money has now been spent. As far as I am concerned, I can vacation at home, going on bike rides :thumb:

I have the Quick 4. I would have stretched my budget to go up a notch or two, but I had to drive a zillion miles just to find a Quick in my size, the extra small with 26 inch wheel. An order for a higher grade Quick would have taken quite a while and would require another long trip. I did not want to lose the summer of riding. I am very happy with it so far, but only 54 miles on it. The only issue is that the derailleurs need adjusting already.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Z...4/s720/006.JPG

Quick 6; quite happy with mine; mostly local utility riding. Handles 230lb me, and 50 lbs of groceries or whatever without complaint; and yet, unloaded, fairly fast able to hold 15-19 mph without overly stressing the rider.

http://bojne.homelinux.net/quick6.jpg

Interesting oddities.. added garage door opener single push button, R-A-M mount for GPS/phone. The paniers are unfancy REI stuff, but quite durable. Front paniers, I inserted small plastic trash cans that provide water proof carriage for wet stuff (fished fish, bought meat, dairy, etc).

This bike replaced a Jamis hybrid that I'd completely worn out the wheels and freewheel, but used components that couldn't reasonably be replaced (and didn't have rear quick release anyway; so nice upgrade).

It's interesting you say that because I supposedly ordered an XS Cannondale Quick 3. Do you mind me asking how tall you are? I am 5 foot 1 inch and a bit. The reason I say this was because when I ordered mine, I was expecting it to come with the 26" wheels also but it has the 700 x 32 tyres on it, which means that I am wondering if I have a small, rather than an extra small. However, I am not complaining because the bike is the perfect size for me and I would have preferred the 700 wheels regardless. It's interesting to see your picture because of the panniers you have fitted. I was told in the bike shop (a chain called Evans in the UK - ordered from them because it was the only shop I could find a Cannondale of my size) told me that a rack couldn't be fitted but clearly it can. I've had the bike just over a week now and I have probably done 30 miles, but my derailleurs are fine.

I will take it into a proper LBS for a tune up in a few weeks, rather than the free one offered by the chain of shops so that they can fit a rack and some panniers for me as well.

I've been riding a 2009 Q5 hard for two years now. Of course there are better bikes out there, lighter, perhaps sexier with higher end components.....but......this bike has been absolutely bullet proof and all the mixed components have performed wonderfully for me. I ride it hard, hae dumped it on asphalt twice with no problems other than a scrape on the pedals etc and I've learned how to adjust the derailleurs and brakes. I credit the learning curve to the fact that I only spent $450 on the bike new from my LBS, had them behind me to fix things that I messed up and the price encouraged me to ride hard and fix it myself.

I consider this to be an entry level bike and in several years I will be in the market for another....which will probably hitting a price point of $1200 - $2000. At that point why spend any more on a hybrid? I might build the next one myself for that matter because as I fix and adjust things I understand the difference between high end components and those that aren't. Partially because of our wonderful biking communities and a lot of good LBS's, there is enough information to make informed decisions about what does what well.

Right now I actually feel that the mid level plus components are wonderful because they aren't as susceptible to damage than higher priced ones are and they can take a licking and keep on ticking. Bottom line is that this bike has been perfect for me and I may not need another bike unless I want to add a suspension front end or disc brakes....both upgrades being things that for my purposes would be nice to have but not necessary.

The higher end bikes are wonderful and if one has the cash to get one then by all means, knock yourself out, but for a newbie rider or someone who isn't going to ride a lot, a $500 hybrid is fine and dandy and the Cannondale lines of Quick and Adventurer are great bikes for most multiuse trail/town purposes.

love my new quick

Mine does have 26 inch wheels. There sizing goes from xs, to petite to small. So maybe you got the petite. The petite is pretty little but has the larger wheels. I got the extra small because I am extra small at 4'11".

When I was shopping I said I only could buy the bike if a rear rack could be fit on it. They had no problems. I use the bags to carry a pretty large scope and tripod and camera equipment. Works just fine.

My only complaint is it has been a ***** getting the derrailleurs adjusted properly.

I want a Quick. I'm sad I can't put my Cannondale on here.

I just bought a Quick 2 this weekend. Got a 2010 at what seemed like a good price, in the matte gray color (which I liked). Only took it for a short ride, but so far really like it. I rode a bunch of different bikes, and for me it clearly came down to the 2011 Trek FX7.5 and the 2010 Cannondale Quick 2. To be honest, it was hard to really tell a huge difference in the ride (though I did not ride them back-to-back, which I probably should have done), but the Cannondale was a bit cheaper, had carbon front and rear fork (Trek was front only), and seemed to have the higher level components. So, I pulled the trigger on the Cannondale.

Do you mean the rear stays are carbon? Wow I didn't know that. The quicks must be a dream to ride on the road with the absorbtion.

Yes, I meant the seat stays are carbon, as well as the front fork. I haven't ridden the bike a ton yet, but so far I really like it. Huge difference over my 19 year old Performance mountain bike. More than adequate for my six mile round trip to and from work, and the occassional weekend ride.