Thanks for this forum I had the pleasure on shopping for the RIGHT bike for me and went on a '12 CAAD10 BBQ size 54! It still has platforms but LBS suggested I ride it out for a month to get used to her and then swap to clipless (so don't flame!)

Fizik wrap and Bontrager 4 are the only additions...for now! Thanks again everyone who have helped me thus far.

You did real good...have fun.

Yep.

Nice!!

That's a really nice bike!

About the pedals, you may want to reconsider waiting to go clipless... I know they seem intimidating, but take it from another newb, they are really so incredibly easy.

I just bought my first road bike 2 months ago, and jumped right in with Speedplay Zeros (the best IMHO) - and am sooooo glad I did it right away.

I practiced clipping in & out in one of my bedroom doorways - I had the technique down in about 30 minutes. By my 2nd ride, I didn't even think about it anymore.

Just sayin' and YMMV.

And CONGRATS on the great bike!!!

Oh and BTW, flip it & slam it! lol.

Might want to level your saddle. Your hands will thank you.

Thanks! I'm ordering those same exact pedals. The LBS guy basically just wants me to see how the bike rides and to get a bit used to it before going clipless.

damn that's a nice bike.. good job

now flip it

Lol, I just noticed it was leveled till I uploaded the pic

What chu mean? lol

Nice ride. I waited a few months before I went clipless, mainly because I wasn't aware of the wonder that is clipless pedals. If you can ride without training wheels you can ride well enough to go clipless. I learned in about 10 minutes and didn't fall until a year later when I unclipped left, but leaned right.

+1 This really works.

My bike came with a slight nose down angle as well. During my first few rides, my hands were killing me. Then I adjusted my saddle so that it was parallel to the ground and the pain went away.

Loads of fun congratz!

flip the stem (the piece that connects the handlebars to the fork steerer tube). it's angled up now, you can't be a roadie until you flip it upside down so it's level (or near level) with the top tube

And slam it.

yeah, that too

Nice bike! Speedplays will be a nice addition.

Even if it means that you can't ride in the drops.

Well done Chu and welcome to The Clan!

Cult of the CAAD worthy

did the shop spend any time fitting you to the bike? The stem and saddle are all wrong for the type of bike. While I agree to flip the stem and level the saddle, do what is comfortable for you or you won't ride it. Clipless asap! Now go put some miles behind you!

Those are the stock bits, they come on all the bikes.

OP great looking bike, I agree with the others here, get the clipless pedals, and enjoy it

He's saying that the set-up of the parts is wrong, not the parts themselves.

to quote (more or less) one of the guys by whom i've been fitted: "you don't get prostate problems in your hands." so yes, while OP's saddle may be angled down too much, you don't want to go too far in the other direction either.

and i agree with the other guys that clipless right away would be just as good, but waiting certainly won't hurt, so it's totally up to you and your LBS. i would just go for it, but getting used to the bike first isn't a bad idea.

And you don't get ulnar nerve damage in your prostate.

Different problems need different solutions. If a rider can't avoid prostate damage with a level saddle, then the saddle is wrong for the rider. Sacrificing the hands isn't the answer.