CAAD10 5 105 vs. Synapse 5 105 alloy

[nuliajuk]

If you have the chance to try a Look 566, do so. I just bought one and LOVE it! The roads are garbage here in Saskatoon, but this bike just floats - and it goes when I need it to, and corners on a dime. It wasn't WSD, but I only needed a shorter stem to make the 53cm fit perfectly. I'm 5'-8", mostly legs, small hands.
Another thing that drew me to this bike - it's all 105. No cheaper substitute parts to bring the price down.

[Jiffer]

I am lusting after the Super Six but I just can't afford it.

One way to get eventually get a SuperSix, or any bike of your dreams, is to build it slowly. After you get your CAAD10 (or whatever you choose), you can start watching for deals on the components you would love to have and the frame you would love to have and buy things as you find good deals and/or can afford them. Then take the components to your LBS and have them replace the old with the new. You can have them replaced as you get them or all at once if you want to wait.

That's how my husband got his first really nice bike, which became my 1st bike, only with a new CAAD9 frame to replace the CAAD8 he had. And then slowly my components have been swapped out since then to either make it more custom to me and my goals . . . or simply because I "had to have it"!

A friend of my husband's built his own high end mountain bike by watching ebay and only bidding on the super low priced stuff. He was patient and eventually he got all the components he wanted and built the bike for a steal.

My 2009 SuperSix frame was bought in 2010 with some sort of blemish on it, which I can't even find and told my husband not to show me! But because of the blemish it was a great deal and it was a brand new, never used frame.

I am lucky to have a husband who is knowledgable about this stuff, and he has also learned (from that friend I mentioned) how to do all the bike maintenance himself, as well as taking one apart and rebuilding it (replacing components, etc.). He used to pay to have the LBS to do that stuff, but can do it himself now.

If you don't have a guy like mine, maybe you know someone in your cycling community who can help you choose the right components for you. Even if you have to pay to have them put on the bike. Sometimes choices are made based on what your goals. I suck at climbing and wanted the best possible advantage, so my husband changed my cassette to give me the best advantage climbing. He gave me certain wheels for the same purpose, while his are more designed to help him go faster on the flat.

When you stop thinking of the bike as a whole (already built and comes the way it comes) and start thinking of how you can customize the various components, you eventually come up with a bike that is best suited for you. And you can do it a little at a time and look for deals to save money.

Good luck with whatever you do!

[Owlie]

Interesting...so maybe it's more about geometry than material. I wish I could have compared a CAAD to my SuperSix or even my Synapse--would have saved me some money. Though they weren't as pretty.

I've only ridden 2 carbon bikes--the Roubaix and the Synapse. The Synapse was a pretty harsh ride for carbon--just about as buzzy as my bike--and the Roubaix felt dead. I think it was a size too big, but still. The CAAD felt much better in comparison--smooth, responsive, and I could still "feel" my way around corners. It would be interesting to compare the CAAD and the SuperSix, though!

[basakadakara]

One way to get eventually get a SuperSix, or any bike of your dreams, is to build it slowly. After you get your CAAD10 (or whatever you choose), you can start watching for deals on the components you would love to have and the frame you would love to have and buy things as you find good deals and/or can afford them. Then take the components to your LBS and have them replace the old with the new. You can have them replaced as you get them or all at once if you want to wait.

That's how my husband got his first really nice bike, which became my 1st bike, only with a new CAAD9 frame to replace the CAAD8 he had. And then slowly my components have been swapped out since then to either make it more custom to me and my goals . . . or simply because I "had to have it"!

A friend of my husband's built his own high end mountain bike by watching ebay and only bidding on the super low priced stuff. He was patient and eventually he got all the components he wanted and built the bike for a steal.

My 2009 SuperSix frame was bought in 2010 with some sort of blemish on it, which I can't even find and told my husband not to show me! But because of the blemish it was a great deal and it was a brand new, never used frame.

I am lucky to have a husband who is knowledgable about this stuff, and he has also learned (from that friend I mentioned) how to do all the bike maintenance himself, as well as taking one apart and rebuilding it (replacing components, etc.). He used to pay to have the LBS to do that stuff, but can do it himself now.

If you don't have a guy like mine, maybe you know someone in your cycling community who can help you choose the right components for you. Even if you have to pay to have them put on the bike. Sometimes choices are made based on what your goals. I suck at climbing and wanted the best possible advantage, so my husband changed my cassette to give me the best advantage climbing. He gave me certain wheels for the same purpose, while his are more designed to help him go faster on the flat.

When you stop thinking of the bike as a whole (already built and comes the way it comes) and start thinking of how you can customize the various components, you eventually come up with a bike that is best suited for you. And you can do it a little at a time and look for deals to save money.

Good luck with whatever you do!

That's incredibly helpful advice. Thank you! I talked to a mechanic at my LBS and he told me to buy the best bike I could afford and customize to my liking. I know it is a bit pricy to buy components on their own but it seems like the best option for me at the moment.