I <3 Robots

I have a CAAD10 sitting next to me. The welding does look alot more crude compared to the 9, but...thats on Cannondale...not because its made in Taiwan.

Sherblock

But does anyone know why the 2012 10's jumped up from the 2011 10's? With the price increase the reasons for getting a CAAD are getting smaller and smaller.

X-LinkedRider

Cost increases account for advertising, customs, import duties, make up some of the R&D lost during the evo, taxes for both domesticated and overseas (Importation) businesses increased quite a bit this year, and did I mention advertising?

giantcfr1

But but but, most of the Cannondales here in Japan (that sell) are sadly close to half the price before the Dorel move.

gavtatu

thought i'd throw my cannondale into the mix....or at least the BB !

2ndGen

(Thanks Crash. I needed a hearty laugh this morning.)

For the record, CAAD10's are "Cult Approved".

2ndGen

I said it before, I'll say it again. CAAD10's were shipped overseas for production as a cost saving measure and I knew Dorel wouldn't pass that savings on to the customer and I knew that they would raise the price and offer less value. That's not a judgement call, but an objective fact.

Sherblock

How'd they offer less value?

X-LinkedRider

Value equals price/use*quality

The more you use something the more valuable it becomes. However, the higher the price without adding any quality decreases the value. It's simple math really. In order for them NOT to have dropped the value of the bike, the cost increase would have to make up for a significant quality INCREASE, which there is none.

I <3 Robots

How is there none?

The the CAAD10 is lighter, smoother, stiffer than the CAAD9...how is there not a quality increase? The 10 was redesigned from the ground up. Its not like they moved production to overseas and used some existing random jig to make a frame.

I really don't get the romanticism with the made in USA thing? If you really want an American made frame...there are quite a few that are available. Compare that to the CAAD10...and then tell me about "value".

2ndGen

Entry-level price for top-of-the-line CAADs was $800. (I picked up mine for $750./new).

With the new owners, in one year, that jumped almost 100% to $1,500. w/BB30 & 105.
That's been carried through with the CAAD10. So if someone wantsto get a CAAD10 frame,
they can't get it for less than $1,500. MSRP (unless of course, they get one on sale).
There are no Tiagra/Sora equipped CAAD10's. Framesets are about $800.-1,000. now.

2ndGen

They significantly raised the price and dropped any hope for a sub-$1,000. CAAD10.
It is a premium aluminum product and new/economically challenged cyclists have had
it moved away from them more now. The CAAD9 was a great quality frame that could
be had for a great price (relatively speaking of course). That's not the case anymore.

Now, Dorel's top bike is priced "reasonably" where before, it was priced extremely
"competitively". Right now, you can get a great quality full carbon bike with a similar
spec to a CAAD10 5 for $1,500.

Crash716

my idea of quality and your idea must be different.

I <3 Robots

But would you want that "entry" carbon bike for 1500? You'd get something from Performance at that price point. Then there is resale also...what resale is there in the baseline carbon frame? Most CAAD frames are desirable no matter how old they are. How desirable is that 1500 dollar carbon Fuji or GT from Performance after 3 or 4 seasons? If you look at "value" from the time you buy the bike...to the time you sell the bike...I think the value of the CAAD10 is starting to look real high.

2ndGen

Performance and quality can be different. For example, one can get a Dodge Neon to perform
better than a stock Honda Accord, but the Accord would still be a better quality vehicle.

CAAD9s aren't only loved here, they are loved in the U.K. as well. No one denies that they were well made frames and that the quality of the product was top notch.

CAAD10 production isn't as nice (from what I've personally seen) as the CAAD9's was. I'm not saying that they are bad bikes or that they don't perform measurably better than CAAD9's. But, some people who like CAADs don't like CAAD10 production quality.

As for myself, as far as I'm concerned, it's a different bike. They went with a far less expensive manufacturing process (hydroforming) following Trek with their 1.X series' tapered tubing designs in contrast to the more classic styling of the 9's. The 10's are costing them a lot less in labor to produce and require less handcraftsmanship. They can put out more product in less time at a lesser cost and minimize the potential for labor accidents as they decrease metalworking. Meanwhile, while dropping their production costs, they've increased the price their top CAADs.

Besides all that, there is nothing wrong (IMO) with loving a well made bike that was made well "because" it was made in The U.S.A.. To automatically assume that it's "just because' it was made in the U.S.A. and to ignore the fact that they were so well constructed and designed is kind of insulting to those who prefer them to CAAD10s. I personally don't think it's an "either/or" situation (that one has to love one and hate the other or vice/versa). One can be completely indifferent to either while appreciating the other.

I love CAAD9's. For me, it was a poor man's Parlee. I love their styling.

I see the CAAD10 as an aluminum version of Cannondale's EVO (my dream carbon bike).
I've thought about getting a CAAD10 and building one up. I love the 2010 Dura Ace version.

2ndGen

With carbon, I believe that Cannondale, Litespeed & Kestrel are making nice rides.
Their owners seem to really like them. I've seen SuperSixes as low as $1,500.,
but they average at a few hundreds more regularly.

A CAAD10 VS a SuperSix frameset at $300. apart?
To each his/her own, but for me, that would be an easy choice.
SuSi hands down.




Try Competitive Cyclist when they have one of their sales.

https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=SPECIALS

https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...ODUCT.ID=10254

Don't get me wrong. If you prefer an entry level aluminum bike to an entry level carbon
bike of these examples I just posted, more power to you. Again, to each his/her own.


I don't think anybody ever said they were inferior as a general statement.
There have just been issues with production "quality" (welds not as nice as CAAD9's).

In this case, Cannondale moved production overseas, lowered their cost and still charged
the "same" price that they were charging for CAAD9-5s (also a 105 equipped bike).

We saw no benefit from them lowering their costs significantly.
Besides, hydroforming metal is a more cost effective manner of shaping tubes.
Man-hours would go down (though something tells me that if we judge Dorel
by what they did with the Entry Level CAAD10 5's, they wouldn't lower their
price and pass that savings on to the consumer anyway).

Which (IMO) is perfectly acceptable.
Dorel is a company that is in business to make money.
Nothing wrong with that.



An $850. CAAD10 with Sora/Tiagra (like the CAAD9 I personally purchased)
would've been far more "affordable" than the lowest priced CAAD10 they offer now.



Do you think the CAAD10 frame is "better" than either of the two examples I posted in those links? And if so, better "how"? At "what"?

(Cheapest I've seen CAAD10-5's going for was $1,100., but again, I saw a SuperSix 105
going for $1500., another great frame. Is the CAAD10 better than the SuperSix?)

I <3 Robots

I'm just going to leave it at this. There's really no convincing you otherwise. Yes...production is cheaper overseas...but that does not mean its inferior to the CAAD9 in quality. I've been to alot of crits this year...and with each race...I see more and more 10's show up. For what you get out of that frame...I don't think any baseline carbon frame can compete with that. Yes...the welds do not get grinded down...but that was cosmetic...and has nothing to do with the integrity of the frame. If the frame was still produced in the US...I bet the 105 CAAD10 would cost alot more than 1500.

Moving production overseas makes cycling affordable for guys like you and me.

The links you posted from CC are sale items. I've seen CAAD10's go for under 1000 "on sale".

2ndGen

(Oh, back on topic.)
Here's the latest iteration of my Cannondale:

eminefes

Here's my 2011 Supersix 4

2ndGen

Nice! I like Black.

ruskko

are those akisum's?

eminefes

yep

The bike is completely stock.

ruskko

looks good man!

dwellman

Cellphone quality and fading light.

My 2.8 R800 as it currently sits:



I haven't fixed the seat angle, yet. It's on the @TODO list.

I have a 1986 I WAS going to put this Rival group on, but the R800 stole it. So I'm going to put Apex on it. The Tiragra/2300 group I have . . Just. Doesn't. Go. It deserves better. It will be as black as I can get it.

wants185s

Is that a threadless fork/headset or is it an adapter to use threadless stems with the threaded fork that I think came with the 2.8?