Price Paid:
$1400.00
at REI (College Park, M Favorite Ride:
Washington DC area Bike Setup:
Stock but with ultegra brakes and a cateye cordless computer. Summary:
This is my first true road bike experience after using my mountain bike retro-fitted for commuting.
I got interested in a new bike upon the influence of friends doing triathalons and also got caught up in Lance and The Tour. I've long wanted to buy a "nice bike" though and had an epiphany earlier this year that I shouldn't wait to indulge myself any longer! Life is short, so go fast!
I did a lot of research and way too much shopping around to determine the best bike in the $1000-1500 range. My inclination was to buy a Trek 1500 and I even considered a pricier 2200. They have good reputations and I like the way they look (a nice conservative dark blue color). But I really felt that they rode sluggishly (relative to my expectations, at least). I expected something really "zippy" and responsive and found these to be disappointing. I also was turned off by the mixture of componentry (i.e. mixing ultegra, 105, and tiagra) and Trek's use of its own Bontrager parts. They just seemed like a mish-mash of a bike put together to eek out profit and fool you into thinking that Trek is such a great name solely because of Lance.
It was at REI that I struck up a conversation with the bike technician (not the salesperson) about what he thought was a well engineered bike for the money. He recommended the Cannondale R1000 without a pause and at that time REI was selling all its bikes for 20% off. He said that the amount of engineering research and design that has gone into this bike is extremely high (such as the design of the rear triangle, the frame stiffness at such a low weight, and its proven durability) at this price point but that when you add in the Ksyrium Elite wheels, you have an incredible bike that can compete with almost anything. I bought the bike sight-unseen!
I am so thankful to that mechanic for steering me in the right direction as it's been a thrill to ride this bike with confidence in local rides and races. I'll never forget the feeling of picking up the bike for the first time at the store; it weighs less than 18 lbs! (Which makes it really easy to lift/carry and assemble/disasemble, by the way.)
I was worried about the warranty's disclaimer that racing this bike over two years would probably wear out the frame. I didn't spend $1400 just to have to do so again in two years. I called Cannondale and (without promising) explained to me that since I'm not that kind of rider (i.e. races every weekend), there shouldn't be a problem for a very very long time. You just have to be very careful with the bike as parts of the frame are very thin and can dent easily. Have your LBS inspect the frame periodically for cracks.
While it's not the most comfortable ride (all aluminum frame except for the carbon fork), it's something that you get used to. You sacrifice some comfort in order to gain a lot of speed and that's what I was looking for most. This bike really feels a lot zippier than anything else I tried in this price range.
I received the bike in a full-Ultegra configuration (which was probably REI's mistake) so I really lucked out on finding this bike at 20% off. (The only downside is that I've spent easily another $500 on must have accessories, starting with shoes and pedals.) Strengths:
Ultegra components throughout, (you could do better but why?), excellent Optimo frame that is stiff/responsive and incredibly light. I really notice the difference climbing and descending. I would estimate at least a 2-3 mph increase in speed over my prior 30 lb. bike! Weaknesses:
A bit of a harsh ride. Better for pure racing than commuting (which is more of what I do but I still like to go fast).
You cannot use this bike for anything other than riding fast. There are no braze-ons for pannier racks, for example. That's fine by me, but just know that you aren't buying a versatile bike here! Similar Products Used:
One of the problems I encountered was finding a bike in my size (50-52cm; I am about 5'7" at 170 lbs). It was rare to find a built bike in that size! Over time, though I was able to test ride: Specialized Allez, Klein Aura V, Bianchi Eros, Fuji Team, Marin Verona, Novara (REI brand) Trionfo/Strada, and Giant OCR/TCR (I liked the TCR a lot actually but it only comes in a double chainring and was concerned that I'd need that triple sometimes). Each of these bikes offer slight differences in ride among all these bikes in terms of components, frame materials, geometry, etc. The Klein was "pretty" with its internal cables but I thought a major rip off with inferior components at a higher price. The steel bikes (Bianchi, Marin) were smooth but heavy.
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