Hmmm.....just curious, but you ever ride one? When I first got my 5200, I was actually put off a bit by it....it "felt weird", and the whole feels-like-wood thing came to mind. But, I quickly realized that it was mainly due to the lack of the high-pitched frequencies that ferrous bikes give off (those little "pings" you hear when you go over bumps and such). After about 5-6 rides, I started liking it more and more, and the comfort was pretty unparalleled compared to anything else I've ridden. To boot, it is also a fairly stiff bike, so it's the best of both worlds really. Spending 5-6 hours in the saddle isn't bad really.....but my buddy who has a CAAD8 says they are a bit harsh for longer distance riding.

I did test ride an old Cannondale SR800 back in the day (early 90's) that I was going to buy.....that was probably the stiffest (and also the harshest) bike I've ever ridden. I know you get discounts on the Cannondale stuff, but I would try to test ride as much as possible. You never know what you may or may not like.