Hoping there is enough support to have a separate thread for the Cannondale Quick bikes (I notice more than one such thread for the Trek bikes)!
To start things off, I have stopped working fulltime (after 49 years) late last year and decided to celebrate by treating myself to a new bike. I tested bikes from Trek, Giant, Specialised, Cannondale that met my ‘under Canadian $1,000’ price point.
I ended up buying a Quick SL-1. Although it was at a clearance price due to being a 2012 model, it was a little above my price-point (sound familiar?). Having become emotionally attached to the bike after several test rides I expect I should have done better at negotiating the bike store further down (however, I did get some accessories thrown in). Hopefully ‘what goes around comes around’ and I will get special after-sales service if/when required (Iam I the optimist, or what?)
Just loving my Cannondale Quick SL-1. 
Apart from looking good (purely subjective), the gear changes are fast & consistent, and the bike rolls easily & maneuvers precisely. I suppose with its relatively light weight and components it is towards the ‘road-bike-with-flat-handlebars’ type of hybrid.
But I am finding it suits me perfectly – it enables me to keep up with my 20 year old son (the bar-ends also help in that regard), while the geometry is such that I get a nice upright stance when cruising around with my wife on her ‘comfort-style’ bike.
It should also be noted that my riding is mainly restricted to pavement – roads (which I limit to extent possible as Toronto is so crowded with motor vehicles) + cycle pathes (my closest lead me beside the Humber River, which in one direction lead to a wide paved trail beside Lake Ontario).
Anyway, here are some pictures of my bike specially cleaned for the occassion (
- oops, tried to add a picture of the tires fitted to the bike- which are not standard, being a 28' x 1.25" size, not sure why the bike had those - and I seem to have doubledup on the other pictures - sorry for any inconvenience)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]398158[
/ATTACH]