sleepy

I'm bored.
I'm not getting one, but I think they look cool. I used to have the CAAD10, and really liked how it rode. Does it have a similar ride? Put pics please.

Broctoon

Don't know about their modern ones, but yesterday I learned something interesting on a related topic.

I was at a shop that had a few Heavy Pedal frames in stock. I always thought their Zephyr seemed like kind of an oddball: oversized aluminum main tubes and a 1" threaded fork with flat crown lug. I asked the guy at the shop, "What's up with that frameset?" He said it's sort of a homage to Cannondale's track frames from the 1990s. That explains it. Cool for what it is, I guess, but I liked the Axiom better...

When I got home, I asked the internet about the Axiom and learned it's just a rebranded Leader Renovatio. Still a cool frame, but nothing special.

seau grateau

Also the Zephyr is a repainted Colossi. Still a nice frame.

On topic, Nagrom has/had a newer-ish Cannondale but usually sells his bikes after like a month, so who knows if he still has it: 2007 Cannondale Optimo Track - Pedal Room

Carcosa

This woman seems to have one for every day of the week.

https://www.instagram.com/adangerpdx/

Enjoy.

scoho

This question led me to check out the Cannondale site for the first time in a very, very long while. I should have stayed gone.

sleepy

Elaborate. I'm not into the whole disc brake thing myself, and it seem's like going to CAAD12 seems redundant, but I'm not really riding these days so whatever.

johnnytheboy

cannondale has taken a major nosedive in the last ~5yrs.

scoho

I'll let pictures do the talking.

Then:



Now:



And it's not just the Track. The whole line seems to have morphed from its beautiful minimalist/muscular origins into a hideous fitness-inspired brand, complete with that disgusting neon-puke green that has infested so many of the bikes and even the website itself.

Others on this site will know far more than I about the origins of the downfall, but based on the awful populist-fitness aesthetic and the fact that they currently offer no fewer than 55 (55!) distinct models, not counting kids' bikes, I'm guessing that corporate ownership had a lot to do with it.

ninjamunky

I don't know about their road bikes, but their Beast of the East mountain bike is awesome imo. Definitely on my short list of bikes I'm looking at when I upgrade from the cheap Mongoose 27.5+ bike I'm riding now.

scoho

Oh, I have no basis for opinion about their current quality; I just hate their current aesthetics. And I've always hated the Lefty fork.

ninjamunky

I think the lefty fork looks really cool. Though from videos I've seen they do look quite strange from the rider's pov. Probably would take some time to get used to.

Someone posted pics here a while back of a ss bike that had a one sided fork and rear triangle. It was definitely different.

Scrodzilla

Except Amy doesn't own a single modern Cannondale.

johnnytheboy

i was a lefty owner for exactly 70 miles. would never even consider one again.

Broctoon

I don't think their current lineup looks that bad. It sounds like your objections are based mainly on color choices. And this is just me, but you also come across as some kind of pompous cycling elitist. Were you a pro track racer in the 90s who saw his Cannondale sponsorship canceled due to shifts in the corporate culture? (I'm being rhetorical; I know you weren't... but someone in that situation is the only one I feel would be qualified to bemoan the "populist-fitness aesthetic.") You could have just said you hate the neon green, you think compact bars are stupid, and SRAM Omnium cranks have become cliche.

Now, if you want to slam on Specialized... I'm with you all the way!

motrheadsroadie

nothing screams "minimal origins" like those huge oversized downtubes.

Carcosa

Suppose I should read titles first.

REDMASTA

Seems like a nice bike but it's kind of ugly, not sure what they were going for with all the odd shaped tubes. I have a 2010 Cannondale F3 with a lefty fork and have really enjoyed it over the years.

scoho

Lol

Sure, I'm all for finding common ground, and I'm no fan of Specialized either. Fire away.

sleepy

Dang.
I actually like the look of the modern CAAD'S to the old one. If they're like their road cousins, it probably rides nice and stiff. I also like the way it's shaped, doesn't look cookie cutter like the Bianchi/Aventon/Throne/Specialized.
It seems like they're not very popular, wonder if it's going to end up rebranded on Nashbar.com.
I do think their BB30 angle is stupid though.
And those Zephyr's are super sexy style.

scoho

Haha, well, that's how it goes. I mean, you're totally wrong about this, but I'm sure you've got other good qualities.

Leukybear 

The most recent *true successor* to the cannondale track would be the optimo/ caad5 track in my book.
My heart is still with the OG '91/'92 3.0 track nevertheless.

The CAAD10 track was a lazy attempt to fill "small" market demand. "Just tweak the road geo a bit and slap some cool duds on it, people will pay for it."
FWIW, I have yet to have seen one in the wild and only seen one in at a dealer which still has yet to sell after a year.

scoho

I think this is getting at the essence of what bothers me about the current lineup. The whole thing strikes me as a soulless, focus-grouped attempt to fill a perceived market space, rather than as a genuine, passion-driven attempt to create something nice for people. That might sound pompous or elitist to some, but I would prefer to live in a world where people are genuinely interested in doing good, high-quality work for others as opposed to one where other people are cynically seen as nothing more than potential units of value that should be harvested with the least possible effort. So, yeah, I'm putting way too fine a point on this, but there it is.

nightfly

The old track frames were pretty although I owned a Cannondale road bike in the early 90s and it rode like ****. Super harsh aluminum, but it was stiff as hell. I assume with track geometry that would be magnified. But no denying how pretty they were.

I would loose the ugly chain ring on the old one and it would be perfect.

sleepy

That makes sense. Fixed Gears aren't really the thing these days, so why not just slap-on some Track drops to a crit frame?
If no one's buying them... Will they end up on the bargain bin? Or disappear and become a cult item? I mean, no one's ridden one, and the CAAD's ride excellently.
I still think they look nice.

TimothyH

Thank you for this.


-Tim-