Cannondale, Yea or Nea?

djtwigster

On the lookout for a new bike and had narrowed it down to a Cannondale Synapse 105 carbon or a Cannondale CAAD 12. Both nice bikes but went to a local bike shop and they told me to steer clear of the Cannondale because of the bottom bracket bearing problems. He suggested i try a Trek Emonda ALR which on viewing is another sound choice. Any advice lads, i cycle about 5000kms per year mainly for fitness with the odd charity cycle thrown in and the option of interclub league racing next year. Currently on a cheap B'TWIN which is grand but really need something lighter for the hills.

pedro_colnago

Hmmmmm so the guy giving the advice was a trek dealer and not a Cannondale? Cannondales are great bikes, the bottom bracket issue isn't really an issue it uses a specific type of crank, u can also get an adapter to use other non bb30 cranks if u want.
Synapses and caad10, caad12 super six and caadx are all superb bikes and the two u mention got bike of the year awards from cycling monthly or one of those magazines.

halvis

I have the CAAD 10 and have ridden a Synapse for about a week.

The CAAD 10 is a great bike to ride, it really makes you want to push on, very stiff, light and more comfortable that you would think on a century. This video describes how I feel about the bike too - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTCs_-OQlBU

Tbh, I found the Synapse (2012 model) a little boring. Didn't do anything bad, but was pretty forgettable. A Super Six would probably be a good compromise between the two. Same geo as the CAAD but with the compliance that carbon gives you.

There have been reports of BB cranks giving creaking noises, but so do other cranks too. Cannondale are generally great bikes and have a good reputation for good reason.

Go and ride them, its the only way.

djtwigster

The shop sells both brands amongst others, and yeah the Cannondales are class bikes especially the Caad12, really like the look of it. The Alr is also a nice looking machine but the guy was adamant the bb30 was junk compared to whatever bb is on the Trek.

pedro_colnago

djtwigster wrote: »

The shop sells both brands amongst others, and yeah the Cannondales are class bikes especially the Caad12, really like the look of it. The Alr is also a nice looking machine but the guy was adamant the bb30 was junk compared to whatever bb is on the Trek.

He's talking thru his arse, bb30 are fine and as I said if u want to put a standard Shimano crank instead of the Cannondale SI crank there's an adapter from praxis for 20 quid.

Alanbt

I have Synapse disc with BB30a and no problems. Use a C Bear bottom bracket to fit Shimano cranks.
No issues with the BB/bearings. Cannondale make good bikes. Slightly annoying with the differing bb shells, seatpost diameter but quality is undoubted

Lumen

Press-fit bottom brackets are stupid.

Both the Cannondale Synapse and the Trek Émonda use them, BB30 and BB90 respectively.

My Synapse has done about 18 months of daily service without a single bottom bracket creak. Cannondale invented BB30 and have a reputation for being able to produce frames with the high tolerances required to make the system work well.

However, I have read of other Cannondale owners having issues (a quick Google search will confirm), but if you look you can find similar reports for Trek.

I would trust the opinion of a mechanic who has worked on a decent sample of both brands.

There are some variations even within BB30, e.g. BB30a used with Cannondale SI cranks. This site seems to give a decent overview of BB standards:

http://wheelsmfg.com/bottom-brackets.html

If all else fails you can get a conversion kit to a non-creaky BB type, so maybe check whether such a kit exists for the BB of whichever bike before you buy it.

I love my Cannondale, ugly and heavy though it is. It's by far the most comfortable bike I've owned.

magicbastarder

I've been told the geometry on the CAADs is quite racy and aggressive. Doesn't sound like that might suit the riding you do?

aimnburn

I have a Synapse Ultegra carbon 2015 model. Love it. Bottom bracket failed after 2000k of mainly fine weather cycling and the bike was always washed after every 2 rides or so. A fact that may have contributed to the early BB failure.

Was it an issue? No. I just dropped it into LBS for a new BB. Would it put me off buying another Cannondale? No way. Still love it.

Seweryn

I have been riding my CAAD 10 for few years and I have replaced the bearings more than a dozen times.

There are two problems with the BB30 in a Cannondale:

- The quality of bearings originally installed in the bike and sold as a replacement set in bike shops is super inferior. They simply are junk. So, once you install a proper set of bearings the problem almost goes away.

- The second problem is the water ingress into the frame damaging the bearings. There is an easy solution to this - just ride your bike on fine days only, or move to Atacama Desert.

fat bloke

There are great deals on line on both caad12's and supersixes at the moment. I was within a gnat's hair of buying one last week but... I dunno. Despite all the great reviews I couldn't warm to the styling and the colour schemes, and the sizing is odd as well...

Mind you I'm not a big fan of the emonda primary colours either!

So.... Maybe ask someone else

rodneyTrotter.

I've a cannondale caad 12 and rate it highly compared to other road bikes I had .
Regarding the sizing, the 52cm I ride looks and feels more like a 54cm . The top tube isn't sloping like most road bikes so they tend to look bigger than their size suggests . They are very responsive and stiff.
The colour scheme is more stealth looking on mine . Looks great actually . No issues with the BB , but it is low miles .

Not sure what size the op is but welcome to take a look / spin around the block if you're in Dublin

pikefisher

i can tell you treks bb90 is nothing to write home about ,

youtheman

I have a bike with BB30 bearings and they have to be replaced one or twice a year. I fit them myself, so not too much inconvenience (they are quite cheap). But if I had to hand the bike into a mechanic every time they needed repalcing then I'd be a bit pissed off.

lissard

I have the Cannondale Synapse 105 carbon and it is a really enjoyable bike to ride. Very comfortable and seems to smooth out the road buzz on some of the crappier surfaces in Co. Wicklow. Did find the BB30A started clicking a bit after some particularly wet weather earlier this year, but Cycle Superstore re-greased it for me at no cost. Since then, it's running as smooth as can be. Other than that no problems worth talking about. If you intend racing, the CAAD12 might be the better option as the Synapse geometry is primarily a leisure one. Mind you it is used in races such as Paris Roubaix. For me as a non-racer it was a no-brainer. To be honest whatever you pick will be a major upgrade on your present one. I'm sure the Trek is a good bike, but for me the brand is synonymous with a cheating Texan and I would never be seen dead on one.

terrydel

djtwigster wrote: »

On the lookout for a new bike and had narrowed it down to a Cannondale Synapse 105 carbon or a Cannondale CAAD 12. Both nice bikes but went to a local bike shop and they told me to steer clear of the Cannondale because of the bottom bracket bearing problems. He suggested i try a Trek Emonda ALR which on viewing is another sound choice. Any advice lads, i cycle about 5000kms per year mainly for fitness with the odd charity cycle thrown in and the option of interclub league racing next year. Currently on a cheap B'TWIN which is grand but really need something lighter for the hills.

I was in Girona for a few days recently, rented a Synapse 105 and absolutely loved it. Super comfortable, light, high quality, nice looking bike. I'd happily own one.

aimnburn

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057662179

Worth a look