I’ve come to the conclusion that I won’t go crazy trying to shed some weight from my BombTrack but rather look at an off the peg complete build.
The CAAD13 looks (to me) a good balance of cost/spec/weight etc.
If you own one what are your thoughts?
I don't have a CAAD13 (I wanted one, but they were sold out) but I have a 2021 Cannondale Supersix Evo which is essentially the same bike but carbon which I bought instead in a crazy sale for the same price 😀
The only issues I have with it, which are nothing major but worth being aware of are shared with the CAAD13 I believe:
Seatpost is Cannondale-specific and D-shaped which isn't necessarily an issue except that it's a ~30mm setback so if you want an inline post (which I do) then it's Cannondale only, if you can find one. Mine is also carbon which means if I want to replace like for like it's well north of £100.
BB30a Pressfit Bottom Bracket which is...you guessed it: Cannondale specific, again not necessarily an issue but one to be aware of as it might limit changes down the line.
Handlebars were a bit wide for me and quite uncomfortable being alloy and a basic round bar (I like flat tops, for comfort rather than aero purposes) so I did swap those out but a minor/cheap gripe that one.
Other than that it's fantastic, it's my first proper road bike (rather than the slick tyred heavy gravel bikes I used to ride for a bit and then get annoyed with/turn back into gravel bikes!) and the way it rides just feels really natural. I run tubeless 32mm tyres on mine but that's not 100% necessary, it just lets me batter down country lanes without worrying and it's very comfy & fast.
In a previous life working in a Cannondale dealer we had demo bikes of both the Super Six and the Caad13. I was amazed how well the alloy bike rode. It compared very favourable with its plastic companion. Light, quick and smooth. What's not to like? One might argue that greater tyre clearance would be nice to have, but it's not an all road bike anyway.
Thanks folks.
I was aware of the seatpost limitation but thought I read somewhere that the BB had a 24mm sleeve … perhaps I’m wrong there though.
I think out the box it uses a 30mm spindle that the crankarms then both bolt onto. But there are plenty of aftermarket options now that have a BB30 outer/24mm axle sleeve by the look of it to allow you to run more crank options so it's not a big issue really.
I still enjoy my old CAAD4!
The only thing that would put me off getting a 13 is it's ~6 years old now and looks it next to Treks and Specialized with their integrated cable routing, even bigger tyres and aero frames. We can't be far of a 14?
Even as a committed aluminium Cannondale fan I'd be torn between A Trek Emonda ALR5 as a direct competitor to a CAAD13, or a Supersix Evo in the sales.
I was aware of the seatpost limitation but thought I read somewhere that the BB had a 24mm sleeve … perhaps I’m wrong there though.
They seem to come with 105 cranks now so presumably they've figured out compatibility. Older BB30/BB30a frames had a lip that prevented adapters being pressed in.
