Super stiff affordable sprinter bike wanted - CAAD9?
 

If I'm looking for a stiff bike for a big guy(I'm 200lbs) for sprinting, do I even need to look farther than the CAAD9? Weight is not a big concern, but stiffness and affordability are. The Caad9 frame is just $999 - are there other bikes I should be looking at?

I have an 04 Giant TCR, and while I'm not the most experienced rider, I noticed a huge difference when riding other teammates bikes in terms of stiffness.

CAAD 9 will suit you fine.

I'm running a 2003 CAAD 7 frame at 225 lbs and it is plenty stiff...you should be able to get one on E-bay in the $300 range...save $700 and buy some wheels

Yeah, if I was buying a stiff bike, that's what it would be.

Buy a Huffy and fill it with concrete. That's plenty stiff, and plenty affordable.

any caad frame will do you fine. find one at your price point with a stiff set of wheels and you'll be set.

The price/stiffness/compliance nexus is reached with near perfection in a CAAD 8 or 9. Possibly the best race frame for the price on the market.

i'm 6'4", usually about 193 and i rock the caad9. do it.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/198/4...aa1b6b35_b.jpg

what is the difference between the 8 and the 9..

Not to hijack the thread, but what do the CAAD8's and 9's weigh and cost? Damn uniformative website...

9's are allegedly both stiffer and lighter than 8's.

when i worked at a shop our c'dale rep quoted me 20% stiffer from 8 to 9. he rode the 9, 'natch..

It's not just the stiffness - It's the geometry!

Caad 8/9's aren't just stiff sprinter bikes. They are unbelievable crit bikes. The turn in and handling are what get's me. My Caad 8 allows me to lock onto a line in a tight turn and not change the line as I stand up and hammer coming out of the turn. This really gives that extra bit of confidence you need when your duking it out shoulder to shoulder.

I bought my Caad 8 used as a back up/rainy day bike to a full Carbon Fuji Team Issue that I've spent a lot of money on. I've only ridden the Fuji twice in the 6 months since. I'm actually shopping for a Six13 frame to replace the Fuji with.

-Stephen

[shill time] Hehe, what size CAAD you looking at?

Hey, I saw that yesterday! No advertising!

By the way, 175 cranks on a 54 frame???

Nice bike, Great pic, and I gotta score on of those beer bottle bike stands

Specialized E5 S Works is another option.

I'm a sprinter and love this frame, super quick and stiff and amazingly stable.

http://bicyclesportshop.com/images/l...red_l_06_m.jpg

My undestanding is that Cannondale does not print weight info as it'll vary according to frame size. Go figure.

I think the Six13 has the CAAD 8 rear triangle with the carbon top and down tubes so you might want to look into that, too.

Comparatively long femurs...

My CAAD8 is on ebay (frame/fork/headset/sp). search caad8, its blue.

I need a 63cm, hard to find any used bikes in my size...

Have any of you guys had any clearcoat problems on the new bikes? A guy on another local team says his "caustic sweat" is causing problems. He said he read elsewhere on the internet of people having similar problems.

I've seen it on a six13, but never paint issues on a CAAD8 or 9

it was indeed on a six13...okay *whew*

FWIW, this is exactly how I feel on my 62cm steel Ritchey. The last thing I would change about the bike is cornering and general handling. Losing that feel is one of my great fears if I ever replace the frame. I'll certainly have a lot of test riding to do when the time comes. "You mind if I race this for a few weeks?"

Yep,

I know what you're saying. I feel like there's no way to know if you'll like a bike until you race it. I rode one of the new Madone's yesterday at the Bicycle Sport Shop on 183. That thing was extremely stiff but there's no way to know if you'd like it without racing it first.

-s