Caad 10 105 vs Specialized Dolce Elite 105

[hjakeway]

Thank you... I would love to try the alum Synapse I am having a very hard time finding bikes my size to demo. My husband is also searching and when we go to a shop... he gets to demo 3-4 and I am lucky if they havce 1 for me. But I will try to locate one to try.

[Owlie]

Thank you... I would love to try the alum Synapse I am having a very hard time finding bikes my size to demo. My husband is also searching and when we go to a shop... he gets to demo 3-4 and I am lucky if they havce 1 for me. But I will try to locate one to try.

I completely understand. In my case, it's a matter of being too tall for most of the WSD bikes they have on the floor, and not tall enough (or built correctly!) for the unisex. Trying to find a bike to try can be a nightmare! DBF, on the other hand, can go into a bike shop and everything fits him.

Consider going with the CAAD10 if your roads aren't good, assuming it fits and you want to stick with aluminum for budget reasons. It's supposed to ride nicely for being aluminum--shop guy says about as nicely as the SuperSix for a lot less. That assumes, though, that you want a more aggressive bike.

[hjakeway]

I took your advice and looked at the Caad 10 and it looks really nice. I may have changed my search lol

Also I need to correct the Specialized... it is the Dolce Comp Compact with 105's. I rode an '11 I can get a deal on so it would be about the same price as a '12 Caad 10. so the REAL question for me is ... whcih is the better bike. I think I want a "less agressive" bike but I know some of that can be changed by changing the stem (to a certain extent).

Getting so confused now!

[zoom-zoom]

I took your advice and looked at the Caad 10 and it looks really nice. I may have changed my search lol

Also I need to correct the Specialized... it is the Dolce Comp Compact with 105's. I rode an '11 I can get a deal on so it would be about the same price as a '12 Caad 10. so the REAL question for me is ... whcih is the better bike. I think I want a "less agressive" bike but I know some of that can be changed by changing the stem (to a certain extent).

Getting so confused now!

If you want a less aggressive bike, then the CAAD is probably not the bike you want. Yeah, you can put a shorter, more angled stem on it, but you'd be better off having a bike with less aggressive geometry in the first place (like the Synapse). The CAAD is not going to be as comfortable for longer rides as it would be for more performance-oriented riding.

[zoom-zoom]

BTW, I have never ridden ANY of my bikes before purchasing, because shops don't frequently have smaller frames in-stock. If you liked the carbon Synapse, then I see no reason why you wouldn't also like the same bike in aluminum. The geometry and components are the same.

Yes, it's ideal to test-ride a bike before buying, but it's not always practical. I trust my LBS friend to know what's going to work for me based upon my measurements, flexibility, and riding style. So far, so good!

[kmhurchla]

This is my first post. I just rode my first 150+ mile ride in 2 days and felt my trusty used Caad 3 is ready to become my commuter bike. I'm looking forward to getting something that fits my body and my riding just right. I came today looking for some honest female input on just these bikes, and this post has confirmed what I suspected that I think I'm a candidate for a Synapse. I generally ride 40-65 miles once or twice a week with shorter rides and commutes in between. The longer rides are a mix of road and paved trail but mostly trail (Schuykill Trail in Philly to be precise). I do like to pass the boys and hope to do more of that, but by no means am I going semi-pro, so the idea of a constantly more aggressive stance might not suit (yet)?. Kirsten, I gather you'd agree from your feedback here, but if you have any more input I'd much appreciate it. How were you riding when you first felt you were into the more aggressive position?

My husband is pushing the carbon, but I hear you and others say the new Cannondale aluminum frames are as good, so what's the real determining factor, other than the sticker shock on carbon? Is it handling, or shock absorption differences?

[zoom-zoom]

I knew I wanted a more aggressive frame when we kept swapping out spacers and flipping my stem to get me lower...and I still felt cramped and too upright. We had considered trying a longer stem, at that point, but I already felt like the steering on my Synapse was sorta numb, so I was afraid that a longer stem would only increase the lack of responsiveness.

Plus I found the aluminum on the Synapse to be very buzzy on our rough roads. What is interesting is that I have talked to people who have ridden the alum CAADs and the Synapse and also found the Synapse to be a rougher ride. This kind of surprises me, since I would have thought that more relaxed and flexible geometry would have dampened vibration more, not less.

I must say that I am very fond of my carbon SuperSix, though. It really smoothes out some roads that I had avoided after they were freshly chip-sealed last Summer. For me it's just as comfortable on long rides as it is on shorter, faster ones. I think a lot of this comfort depends upon a person's flexibility and physique, though. I have a long torso relative to my legs, so I like the longer reach. With my Synapse I was on the right size for my leg length, but had a really difficult time in the drops, since the cockpit was shorter than on the SuperSix.