cannondale caad8 105 5 2015 good bike ? or better alternative ?
- Thread starter daddyb06
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
smokeysmoo
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bolton, not very far from Nob End
to CC.CAAD frames are regarded as just about the very best alu frames money can buy.
As a CAAD10 owner I should admit to a bit of bias, but never the less there's no denying that Cannondale do produce fantastic products.
105 is an excellent option as well.
Try one out and if it suits you buy one, you won't regret it.
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
^^^^^ +1It's advertised as the 5800 105, but comes with cheapy Tektro brakes and FSA chainset and BB. Not the best Alu? Always thought 7005 was the better stiffer stuff? One of the cheapest tyres going with serviceable but very bog standard wheels. Cheap headset. Does not seem much bike for a grand to be honest.
Just had a browse and there are some better Giant 2015 bikes for around the same price but with much better specs.
Just had a browse and there are some better Giant 2015 bikes for around the same price but with much better specs.
smokeysmoo
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bolton, not very far from Nob End
The best advice I was ever given was to buy the best frame your budget will allow, everything else is easy to change as and when required.
All bikes are built to a budget and as such all manufacturers save money on wheels, finishing kit and very often things like calipers as well.
My CAAD10 was rrp £2500 but the stock wheels didn't reflect that, go figure.
Tektro brakes a functional enough, stick some decent pads in, (same goes for Shimano brakes with stock pads as they're $hite anyway), set them up correctly and they'll be fine.
Nothing wrong with 7005 alu at all. I've had two Ribble Audax/Winter frames in the past and I really like how they ride, but they aren't up there with CAAD's IMO.
All bikes are built to a budget and as such all manufacturers save money on wheels, finishing kit and very often things like calipers as well.
My CAAD10 was rrp £2500 but the stock wheels didn't reflect that, go figure.
Tektro brakes a functional enough, stick some decent pads in, (same goes for Shimano brakes with stock pads as they're $hite anyway), set them up correctly and they'll be fine.
You live and learn
Nothing wrong with 7005 alu at all. I've had two Ribble Audax/Winter frames in the past and I really like how they ride, but they aren't up there with CAAD's IMO.
Last edited:
Well, for that price point, the Cube Peloton Race is a good option. It has a full 105, including brakes I believe, and also comes with one of the nicest paint jobs I have seen, if you can get the red/white/blue one. Although maybe the geometry is a little more relaxed than the CAAD? Not too sure, but if it is it's probably not for you. The Cube is the only road bike I've owned, so it's the only one I can reccomend. Has good reviews, and apparently the Mavic wheels it comes with are generally found on higher priced bikes.
7005 is the very basic aluminium used in bike manufacturing.
Only tends to be on lower end stuff now
6061 enables manufacturers to make lighter and more formed frames. Now the biggest chunk of quality frames.
6066 can be made lighter and more highly formed again.
The Cannondale has a 6061 frame and very little sign of forming. There isn't a tapered head tube.
As a comparison the Merida Scultura 904 - triple butted 6066 hydro formed aluminium frame with tapered head tube and full carbon fork. Same frame used from Sora to 105 level.
Only tends to be on lower end stuff now
6061 enables manufacturers to make lighter and more formed frames. Now the biggest chunk of quality frames.
6066 can be made lighter and more highly formed again.
The Cannondale has a 6061 frame and very little sign of forming. There isn't a tapered head tube.
As a comparison the Merida Scultura 904 - triple butted 6066 hydro formed aluminium frame with tapered head tube and full carbon fork. Same frame used from Sora to 105 level.
migrantwing
Veteran
+1
Cannondale make great Alu frames, quite possibly the best, but the Merida Scultura 904 is a lovely bike. I'd get one in an instant if I had the money. Merida frames are renowned for being of great quality and a lot of other top branded bikes actually use Merida frames, especially the 6061 grade. I personally wouldn't go for the Cannondale CAAD8, I'd either save up for the CAAD10 like @smokeysmoo has or maybe you could get a deal on a previous years model. (I got a 2011 model Ghost Race 5000 at the beginning of 2012 when the 2012 models came out and saved £400 on the RRP of £1200.) For me, I'd go with the Merida Scultura 904. Beautiful bike for the money and you'd have something a little more exclusive compared to the likes of Specialized, Trek, Giant etc.
As @Scooby03 mentions, a lot of manufacturers are hydro-forming their frames over the last few years. The latest incarnation of my bike uses hydro-forming. It gives the bike a more streamlined look and usually makes welds undetectable.
Cannondale make great Alu frames, quite possibly the best, but the Merida Scultura 904 is a lovely bike. I'd get one in an instant if I had the money. Merida frames are renowned for being of great quality and a lot of other top branded bikes actually use Merida frames, especially the 6061 grade. I personally wouldn't go for the Cannondale CAAD8, I'd either save up for the CAAD10 like @smokeysmoo has or maybe you could get a deal on a previous years model. (I got a 2011 model Ghost Race 5000 at the beginning of 2012 when the 2012 models came out and saved £400 on the RRP of £1200.) For me, I'd go with the Merida Scultura 904. Beautiful bike for the money and you'd have something a little more exclusive compared to the likes of Specialized, Trek, Giant etc.
As @Scooby03 mentions, a lot of manufacturers are hydro-forming their frames over the last few years. The latest incarnation of my bike uses hydro-forming. It gives the bike a more streamlined look and usually makes welds undetectable.
Last edited:
Looked into it a bit, as seems there's loads of mis information. 7005 is the more expensive raw material than the 6061. It's a stronger material than 6061. But, you can create nicer, sleeker looking frames with the 6061 because you can machine it and all sorts, and then heat treat it and it will be at it's original strength. Whereas with the 7005 you cannot get it back to its original strength, hence why generally 7005 frames tend not to look as nice because the costs involved to make a fancy 7005 frames are very high compared to doing it with 6061.
So I think I can say a good top end 7005 frame will always be better than a 6061 one. But not necessarily worth doing, buying specifically or caring about.
Think I can say components like seat posts and stems are better in 7005, I think I have noticed that the 6061 components are cheaper.
So I think I can say a good top end 7005 frame will always be better than a 6061 one. But not necessarily worth doing, buying specifically or caring about.
Think I can say components like seat posts and stems are better in 7005, I think I have noticed that the 6061 components are cheaper.
