LeonL

Hi. I am looking to buy a bike in the near future and ive found the Cannondale CAAD 9 intriguing. I was wondering if anyone could share their knowlege and opinions on this bike. I was also curious about how much it weighs.

Thank You

rpc180

Intriguing in what way?

CAAD designs are top notch in aluminum construction. They are consistently put up against more exotic material bikes by cycling magazines and still come out very competitive. In terms of value you'll be hard pressed to find a better deal - sounds like a sales pitch huh?

But honestly, you can't go wrong with a Cannondale, a search on the forums will bring up plenty of discussions on the CAAD9 design and the newer models since they're all virtually brand new for 2007. I have two Cannondales, a CAAD5 and a CAAD8. In terms of weight, the 9's are lighter than the CAAD8 they replace and stiffer. A whole bike depending on group set and wheels will easily be <18lbs.

rivalV

Not too much cycling experience here, so take this with a grain of salt, but I did test ride one the other day. The most remarkable thing to me about the ride was that it felt very laterally stiff and stable, like it would out-corner about anything else out there. All the other attributes usually associated with a nice frame like comfort/responsiveness were there, but not anymore overwhelmingly than other bikes in this price range. Frame is 3.03 lbs. (1377g) according to a review on the Cervelo site; price is $1000 for the frameset. No idea on the fork weight; I believe you get the Slice Ultra (not Premium) if you order the frameset.

CrimsonKarter21

I've got the CAAD 8, and it's an awesome frame, it's better than the Giant TCR carbon, Specialized Roubaix and Bianchi's Veloce and the one Reparto Corsa aluminum frame they have. It's handling is awesome, the only aluminum frame that can handle better that I can think of is a track frame. My R1000 is at 17lbs with Ultegra, Ritchey WCS bars, post and stem and the low-end Mavic Ksyrium Equipes.

roadwarrior

It depends on the size of the frame. Or the model of bike.

In a nutshell, the 9 is tortionally stiffer than the 8. They increased the diameter of the tubing and did away with the "power triangle" but did this without an increase in weight.

Frame info.

Weight questions...

oilman_15106

NOt too much cycling experience here, but you can know the difference of a laterally stiff frame, WTF.

C-dale is reviewed ont eh Cervelo site? Total bs.

rivalV

Scroll down and bite me, oilman.
https://www.cervelo.com/reviews/Flexi...%20Muscles.pdf

munkyv22

Haha! Oilman got served. Also he said "felt stiffer" not "was statistically stiffer".

Who pissed in your Cheerios?

fishmel

Fedex just dropped off my "new to me" CAAD 9 frame. It is a nice looking frame, the down tube going into the b.b. and top tube going into the head tube are huge. I should have the DA 10 stripped off the Legend and on to the C-Dale in a week or so. Looking forward to putting the CAAD 9 to whatever stresses my little chicken legs can dish out. The Serotta will probably get some new Campy.

rpc180

To be fair, that was a scan of a velonews article, not a review by Cervelo - nevertheless, its still on the Cervelo site (but that is what rivalV said originally ). But it just shows that cannondales are frequently put up against other frame materials and perform very well in comparisons!

El Diablo Rojo

As a CAAD8 owner I have nothing but positive things to say about my frame and the Slice Premium + fork. If they are able to stiffen an already very stiff frame and keep the same ride quality then the CAAD9 is going to be a huge hit.

velocity

Really lets see the pictures dude. I did not hear that you had a newby lately.
Velocity

fishmel

Will post pics after the build, Just got the frame a few hours ago.

velocity

Sweet have fun
Velocity

Grimmreaper

Well I can only compare it against my 2002 Trek 1000. It is pretty much stock with the exception of Mavic CXP-30 wheels.

The first thing I notice is that if I am riding slow (around 10mph) I can feel almost every little bump on the road, but when I get up to my normal cruising speed (18 to 20 mph) all the road vibrations go away and it is very smooth.

The three biggest things I noticed when comparing it against my Trek 1000, is that it out-acclererates and it will turn a tighter corner than I could ever do in my Trek 1000 and the biggest thing I found is that it is very smooth while pedaling, I am not sure how I can describe it other than the Trek felt like it surged and the Cannondale would be rock steady. I do not believe the bike makes me any faster but it does feel a lot more responsive and a little more comfortable for me.

I am very happy with my CAAD-9 bike and I hope I can eventually beat the pants off the riders in my weekend rides.

I hope this helps

roadwarrior

The CAAD9 is a professional quality frame. It was designed to withstand the rigors of high level racing. It was engineered to be efficient, yet be comfortable enough for a professional to ride for 40 hours+ a week...see photo below.

The Trek 1000, a very nice bike, has the most basic frame that Trek makes for a road bike. It has little engineering for comfort, as it was not designed for any of the things for which the CAAD9 was designed.

One of the huge advantages that Cannondale has in the marketplace is that they offer a pro frame for a little over a grand to start (CAAD8)...you can get a high performance frame on a budget. Few companies offer that. Cunego won the '04 Giro on a CAAD8.

The difference between the 8 and the 9 is stiffness. They were able to make the tubing larger at the head tube and bb without adding weight.