Cannondale R400 Triple

Price Paid:  $340.00 at Private Party

Favorite Ride:
PCH

Bike Setup:
Dura-Ace front/ rear deraileur, Felt carbon saddle, Dura-ACe STI shifters, Dura-Ace cassette, FSA Team Carbon double cranks

Summary:
So far I love the bike. I did however upgrade all the drive train to all Dura-Ace (front/rear deraileur, shifters, chain, rear cassette). I switched the triple cranks to double (FSA Team Carbon). The frame hold up well for me. I'm 6'3" and 220lbs. I dont feel much flex when cranking up hills. The stock brakes actually turned out to be lighter than the Shimano upgrade I bought, so I left them on. I did not like the SORA shifters. But if you are getting this bike as your first, it's great. Room for upgrades. SOLID platform to work on

Strengths:
Frame, Mavic wheels, brakes

Weaknesses:
SORA/ Tiagra components

Price Paid:  $575.00 at private treaty

Favorite Ride:
Albuquerque to Coralles

Summary:
Bought this to upgrade from an 80's era steel frame w/clunky components. Now I have a new frame w/clunky components. At least the frame is worth upgrading as soon as the $$ are there.
The R400 frame has a nuisance rattle in it that I can't pinpoint.

Strengths:
Good, sound frame.

Weaknesses:
Components. I plan to change to carbon fork and upgrade front and rear derailleurs.

Similar Products Used:
None

Price Paid:  $599.00 at Northwest Cyclery

Favorite Ride:
Sandia Crest

Bike Setup:
Upgraded to SPD road pedals. Upgraded triple cranks, bottom bracket, and derailer to Shimano 105's. Upgraded steel fork to a Eastman EC30 carbon threaded fork. All told I dropped nearly 3 lbs from the bike with these simple upgrades. But added a bit of weight back with thorn resistant tubes and slime. I also changed the saddle to a Specialized gel seat.

Summary:
Just a disclaimer, I've mostly been a bike commuter that used a MTB and also rode a recumbent bike. I had a ancient Schwinn roadbike in the garage gathering dust which I rarely rode. I decided to make an impulse buy of this bike just because it looked pretty and the LBS knocked $200 off and through in a few extras. So I really don't have a deep background on roadbikes. But I can say this, this is lightyears ahead of my old Schwinn roadbike and much much faster.

Having rode on this bike for nearly two years now, I have to say this was one of the best impulse buys I ever made. This bike is fast, climbs mountains like a goat, and looks great. I did have trouble with the front derailer/cranks. The shifting was terrible. After letting the LBS screw with it a few times, and it wasn't getting better, I went ahead and upgraded everything to Shimano 105 grade and installed it myself. That was like getting a new bike again, everything worked better. I haven't had a single thing to complain about since upgrading the cranks & derailer. I also didn't fit the saddle well, I would get numb in some places during rides over an hour long. A new saddle fixed this issue.

Strengths:
Great frame and great price for a Cannondale. The frame itself was worth the entire cost IMHO. The frame makes the bike definately worth upgrading.

Weaknesses:
Stock SORA derailers and cranks did not shift smoothly. Even the LBS was not able to get the front derailer/cranks to dependibly shift for very long. The steel fork, bottom bracket and triple cranks add a lot of weight. Strap and toeclip system is dated.

Similar Products Used:
A 20 something year-old Schwinn 12-speed road bike I junked it after buying this). Also ride a Raleigh MTB and a RANS recumbent.

Price Paid:  $650.00 at Helen's Cycles

Favorite Ride:
The Strand

Bike Setup:
Stock plus Shimano M250 pedals

Summary:
My first ever road bike, bought it on a whim and now I'm hooked and want to race soon. I was sold mostly on Cannondale's reputation for great frames and didn't even try any other brands. After a couple months of daily riding I'm starting to hate the derailleurs and wishing for better handlebar geometry. Gotta wait for another couple paychecks to upgrade components. Otherwise I'm pleased with how fast it goes and the smooth handling at speed. A pretty good value (marked down from $800) but I'll end up spending more than the difference getting better parts.

Strengths:
The frame & the name; good value for entry level road bike. Stable handling at high speeds.

Weaknesses:
Low quality components, especially the derailleurs.

Similar Products Used:
Fuji & Bianchi hybrids

Price Paid:  $699.00 at Great Lakes Cycle -

Favorite Ride:
Hines Drive

Bike Setup:
56 cm frame. dark blue with yellow stickers.
Profile handlebar
Sora brake/shift pods.
Coda stem.

Summary:
The R400 is priced, spec'd, and sold as an entry-level, recreational road bike. For that task, the bike excels. I am a mountain-bike crossover rider. I didn't want to spend $1500 on a road bike just to "noodle around." However, I love this bike so much that I already consider myself well past the "noodle around" point.

It does well in both sprints and endurance. I can take it out and push hard for a 15-20 mile ride. The chasis converts every pedal stroke to energy very efficiently. Each mash of the cranks can be felt going directly into speed and acceleration. On longer rides, the bike balances long ride comfort with that aggressive, brisk aluminum feel.

I have since changed a few things - Easton EC70 carbon fork ($129 Nashbar), Mavic wheels (Ultegra hubs laced to Mavic Open Pro Wheels, $199 Supergo), and a Selle Italia Marco Pantini signature saddle ($40 Nashbar). I also swapped the Sora triple crank for a Shimano 105 double and switched to Continental 3000 tires.

This bike has converted me to a road riding junkie. I am quite confident that it will withstand all the abuse I intend to give it. I expected the Sora shifters to suck - but they've performed wonderfully. The Tiagra rear deraullier has not missed a shift yet. I expect I'll have 3-4 summers of 800-1000 miles each with this ride.

It's an outstanding value in its class. The Cannondale brakes and fork are better than the no-name parts you'll find on Specialized and others in this price range. Therefore, five stars for value.

I already wish for a more ergonomic handle bar and better shifters (that let me shift in the drops) so only four stars for overall rating.

Strengths:
Agressive and sporty aluminum frame.
Tiagra rear shifter.
Coda (Cannondale) brakes and fork.
Cool stem with nifty "Coda" logo.

Weaknesses:
Plain old boring handlebar.
Heavy wheels and fork.
Heavy and useless Sora triple. (You don't need that granny gear!)
Shifters that can't be shifted in the drops.