Had an issue with my fork on my Ironman. So i
swapped the 600 group over to a Cannondale frame I had
hanging in my shop. I forgot how much fun these are to ride.
Crazy fast bikes.

Yep, looks like a blast, enjoy!

Great looking color on that rocket!

If it were red, it would go even faster.

I cannot seem to go slow on my bike. No, really, I have tried. I say to myself, let's just go for a nice slow ride today. Then, as soon as I get on, it's like starting an engine. It just GOES!

I remember lusting over the Kleins and Cannondales when they first came out but I never really needed one, so I kept my money in my pocket.

By the way, what is the length of the arms on that crank set?

Oooh it's nice sloar.

I have been lucky enough to own one rocket. A Quintanna Roo that I have bought three times, given away two times and lost once. I DO NOT like the bike but it is one of the fastest, if not the fastest, that I have ever owned. I still have it - again - and can't decide to strip and pitch or paint and restore...

Looks great. I have an R900, but it’s as slow as all my other bikes. Perhaps the motor needs an overhaul.

I sold mine and replaced it with a twenty one year newer Cannondale Six. It turns out the old bike was a few seconds faster on short steep climbs and sprints, despite weighing two pounds more than my new bike. You're right, those bikes are stupid fast.

172.5

They are that. My R500 had the stock alu fork and I found it to be a jarring ride. Shoulda tried swapping in a Kinesis before giving it away to a friend.

OK, I'll bite. What makes a bike faster besides the motor?

In my book, fit is faster, weight is faster, and component choice can be faster, gearing design and ratio can be faster. Is this the sort of thing that we are talking about?

Believe it or not, I can recall getting and thinking that the Quintanna Roo was too big for me and that I would never be able to push a 55 tooth big ring, especially considering the tight cog set...


But I was surprised. Was it the 650c wheels that made the difference or was it the 175 cranks or both? The bike is very light, when compared to anything else in my stable, now or in days gone bye.

Anyway, I should start a thread about what makes a bike faster. The one thing I do know for sure that it ain't me:-(

Good question Randy, and I certainly do not know the answer. But I have noticed some bikes just take less effort in going faster. Maybe some bikes just make you want to ride harder. I had the exact setup on my Ironman and the Cannondales average speed is faster.

I have a 600 crank that’s 175 in the bin, wonder if I can get a bit more speed.

Last week I did the season's personel best on my R600.

Top

I have always assumed that the quickness everyone talks about must come from stiffness. Nowhere else for power to go but forward. But that’s coming from someone who has never ridden a Cannondale, so it’s worth what you paid for it.

Bad assumption.

If you feel like trolling the 41, start a thread asking for evidence that stiffer=faster.

+1 Either stiffness, (as more efficient power transmission) or an unrecognized aero factor change. That's after accounting for the red shift, of course. Nope, never had a Cannondale either, opinion worth, same, I guess.

That would totally depend on your physiology. I've always had limited knee bend and rather short and muscular femurs. Zero setback seat posts and 165 cranks were my jam.

I think it's cool as is. What don't you like about it ? Strip and sell the frame to me

What's the evidence that this bike is faster than the other one? It feels faster? Strava records? Races won?

We all know that not all bikes peoduce the same speed from the same effort- for all of the reasons mentioned above.

I'd say that roughly a half dozen of the bikes in my collection are 'fast': The Mooney, Merckx Century, Schwinn Prologue, Cinelli Mens Sana, Miyata 1200, the Canton, and of course the Cannondale SR500. Similar gearing (usually from about 32 to 100 gear inches) but different groups on them (105 6,7 and 11 speed, Dura Ace, Shimano 6208 and 6402). Some are freewheel, others freehub. Tire brand & size are pretty much all the same. But I have other bikes with the same or similar gearing/tire setups that are not as fast.

A fast bike surprises me when I look at the cycle computer and see that I'm traveling at a rate a mile or two faster than usual or expected. My fast bikes consistently turn 32 mile O Loop times - a ride I do three or more times per week- in the 1:55 range, while similar, slower bikes may be as slow as 2:05. Lots of hills on that training loop, but have the same experience on the 42 mile W&OD trail which is faster (fast = 2:30 or less) but much flatter.

Nope, I can't explain it. Some are just faster than others.

I’ll take the R900 when I do speed drills this week. Maybe I’ll be faster.

My speedo with average speed mode, same course, same wheels and tires, same rider. And my non expert opinion.

Okay, that makes this interesting!

Let's just stipulate that weather conditions, rider's breakfast, etc, had nothing to do with the difference.

So then the question is, what makes the one bike more efficient than the other?
It could be energy transfer (because one frame flexes more than the other, one frame transfers more power to the wheels than the other... but which?), or it could be ergonomics (rider's position on one bike allows for more efficient pedaling) or aerodynamics...

Dunno, myself! But it is interesting....

It’s got to be the short chainstays.