Cannondale R600 Triple

Price Paid:  $1150.00 at bikeseller.com, Litt

Favorite Ride:
The one I'm on at the moment

Bike Setup:
stock, added Cateye computer

Summary:
I started riding again after a 20 year lay-off. I wanted a nice bike without breaking the bank. I was shopping for a Trek 1500 but none were available when I was ready to buy. Craig at Bikeseller.com steered me to the R600. It's a great bike for the money. The ride is a bit harsh on some of the less-than-smooth road surfaces in Louisiana. I find it to be a little bit twitchy at speed. The wheels require truing often and cable stretch seems a little more than normal. The frame is gorgeous and light. Overall the bike is very comfortable and fast! It accelerates like a rabbit! Great bike for the buck.

Strengths:
frame - great welds & wishbone seat stays, components for the money

Weaknesses:
wheel set, tiagra front derailleur

Similar Products Used:
tested Trek 1200, Giant OCR 2, Felt, Specialized (??)

Price Paid:  $1300.00 at Bicycle Garage Indy

Favorite Ride:
any smooth piece of asphalt

Bike Setup:
Basically stock except for the saddle; I added Look clipless pedals, a VDO cycle computer, and I use a Profile Aerobar frequently because I like the riding position it provides.

Summary:
I was ready to upgrade after 2 seasons with an old Raleigh Technium from the early 80's I bought used, just to get back into cycling. I looked at everything Trek had because I knew the name and knew it was an American bike. I had done plenty of research and intended to buy a Trek 2000, but the more I talked to the sales staff and looked at the R600, the better value it seemed. I have to say I've enjoyed the season I've had with it, covering over 4000 miles in four different states. It was difficult to find a comfortable combination of seat and handlebar height at first, and the awful saddle that came with it went bye-bye right off the bat. I still sometimes think the old Raleigh was a more comfortable bike, but I gradually got used to the R600 over the months as I rode it more. I like the fantastic acceleration and climbing capabilities it has. It looks great, too...mine is the triple black version...and those Gipiemme wheels are very sexy and racy! It has some quirks, like the bottom bracket noise that I'm finding out seems to be standard equipment on the R600. And, the Tiagra front derailleur is basically junk, very frustrating to deal with. I'm going to replace it this winter with Ultegra. I also had the front skewer lever break off in my hand...very odd, but BGI was great about it and they pulled one right out of another R600 on the sales floor for me. All in all, for the money, it's a great bike. I do wish I'd have spent more money and bought a Trek 5200, though...my next bike will be carbon and will be all-Ultegra!

Strengths:
Value for the money...durability...wheelset...frame (CAAD 5)...looks...standard tires (got 3000+ miles out of them)

Weaknesses:
Bottom bracket...standard saddle (ouch!)...front derailleur

Similar Products Used:
Raleigh Technium; Schwinn LeTour (as a teenager)

Price Paid:  $1050.00 at Bike Pro Shop

Favorite Ride:
5am before traffic gets hairy

Bike Setup:
Swapped all my 105 stuff for Ultegra, swapped the wheelset out for ksyrium's (oh what a difference)

added syntace C2's

(nothing really special to this setup)

Summary:
Please keep in mind this is my first road bike so I'll try and keep the review as quantitative as possible. On that note, I really like the feel of this bike aside from the lame wheelset. The 105 groupo is nice but they sneak in a tiagra front derailleur and rear cassette which is highly unnecessary. The frame was the selling point for me, all other aspects can be upgraded. The CAAD5 alum feels much sturdier (on test rides), than the trek 1500, fuji roubiax, and giant OCR1.

Strengths:
Good solid frame and fork

Nice light seatpost/seat

Weaknesses:
wheelset

front derailleur and rear cassette (these can be changed out though for under $60 so they arent a huge weakness)

Similar Products Used:
Trek 1500

Fuji Roubiax

Giant OCR1

Price Paid:  $1199.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
Key Biscayne, FL

Bike Setup:
Stock.

Summary:
During the Tour, I decided to get back into road biking after about a 10 year hiatus. Unsure that I would really take to riding again, I started looking to buy an entry level racing bike that would allow me to do some semi-serious riding, while not setting me back too much financially. I decided on the R600 because the frame appeared to be better constructed and more comfortable than the comparably priced Trek model, and the componentry seemed good enough for someone at my level. The bike has not disappointed. In fact, I am riding much more frequently and longer than I anticipated.

Strengths:
Well made. Smooth ride. Fast (almost raceable). Reasoably priced.

Weaknesses:
Front derailleur is of lesser quality than the rest of the component group.

Similar Products Used:
Paramount Series 5.

Price Paid:  $1200.00 at Bikers' Edge

Favorite Ride:
farmington hills

Bike Setup:
stock for now, planning on mavic wheelset

Summary:
This is one sweet ride. What is lacking in component quality is definitely made up for in the CAAD 5 frame. The feel of the bike is excellent. It's extremely smooth at speed (maybe due to the Slice Fork) and it seems extremely well put-together. I'll have good use out of it throughout my college years.

Strengths:
CAAD 5, smoothness, climbing

Weaknesses:
stock BB, Shimano 105 components

Similar Products Used:
none