Originally Posted by
Kedosto
In my limited experience I've always felt Cannondale bikes to be overly rigid with an annoying buzzy feel -- the kind of harshness that can't be remedied with fatter tires.
I think what you've experienced is a combination of frame material, geometry and fit. Each contributes to the entire ride experience, and you simply enjoyed the blend.
But what do I know? I'm a steel framed, 72 degree head tube kinda guy. Twitchy handling, buzzy aluminum bikes have never appealed to me. Welcome to the comfortable side of cycling.
-Kedosto
Yes! That's the word I was looking for to describe the Cannondale -- it's "buzzy". I've ridden it a lot the last few weeks and kept notes on it and on other test rides I've done. The steel bikes I've ridden are all much more relaxed (by design), and they don't buzz.
Interesting that one of the things that REALLY gets on my nerves with my CAADX is the incredibly loud back hub. It's only an issue when I'm slowing to a stop, which is less than 1% of my riding, but it's really surprising how much that makes a different bike more appealing to me. One of my ideas is to swap out my handlebars for Salsa Cowchppers, get a better saddle, and swap that rear hub for a quieter one . . . that might get my bike close to what I want. But I don't know that making changes like those will make my cyclocross bike comfortable on 2 hour rides.