2014 Evo Hi Mod vs 2017 Tarmac (non-S-Works)

[beta_hat]

Currently ride a 2017 tarmac expert (SL5), but today I learned my mechanical has a 2014 CD EVO hi Mod frameset that he’s looking to part ways with. Since it’s not built up, can’t test ride it and kinda traveling for work to try to build it up and test it.

I’m wondering if these two share ride qualities or one is better in terms of compliance and stiffness?

Does anyone have experience on both to share their thoughts? Ugh, kind of hate running into a good deal when I really don’t need this but curious to see if I’d appreciate the ride of the 2014 Evo hi mod over my Tarmac.

[kramnnim]

Should be around 200g lighter?

I didn't like mine enough to keep it, but I've never ridden an SL5...

[zmalwo]

Currently ride a 2017 tarmac expert (SL5), but today I learned my mechanical has a 2014 CD EVO hi Mod frameset that he’s looking to part ways with. Since it’s not built up, can’t test ride it and kinda traveling for work to try to build it up and test it.

I’m wondering if these two share ride qualities or one is better in terms of compliance and stiffness?

Does anyone have experience on both to share their thoughts? Ugh, kind of hate running into a good deal when I really don’t need this but curious to see if I’d appreciate the ride of the 2014 Evo hi mod over my Tarmac.

I will never get Crackadale personally. Nor will I ever get anything with a threadless BB. You are just asking for trouble. Non threaded BB last a few years at max since BB shell wear out unless it's made out of alloy, which most lightweight frames isn't. Imagine a hard stainless steel bearing race grinding against a carbon surface. yeah.

[Clydesdale]

I'm on a 2014 HiMod and I have loved it for the most part (see below). It's light, super comfortable, and handles great. I have not been on the specialized but it would be hard to improve much about the ride of the evo in my opinion. I have done two big climbing rides with it and two 200 mile one day rides and it has been comfortable and stable.

Having said that - there are significant drawbacks imo. The rear clearance is very tight. I ride the GP4000 and can only fit a 23. I can go 25 in a couple of tires but there is not much room back there. I don't think a modern wide rim would work?

Secondly - the bottom bracket is a mess. The bb30 is a terrible design and if you put much power to it, it will creak at some point and it will need regular tune ups. There are solutions but it's a pain in the butt in my experience.

I would gladly own another hiMod, but I don't think you would find the 2014 as an upgrade over a late model specialized? It's good, but it's dated and it has some drawbacks.

[kramnnim]

I will never get Crackadale personally. Nor will I ever get anything with a threadless BB. You are just asking for trouble. Non threaded BB last a few years at max since BB shell wear out unless it's made out of alloy, which most lightweight frames isn't. Imagine a hard stainless steel bearing race grinding against a carbon surface. yeah.

What?

Your statements apply to Trek's BB90 and...the FRD Felts?

PF30 and BB86 both use a plastic or alloy cup between the bearing and the frame.

[93KgBike]

I will never get Crackadale personally. Nor will I ever get anything with a threadless BB. You are just asking for trouble. Non threaded BB last a few years at max since BB shell wear out unless it's made out of alloy, which most lightweight frames isn't. Imagine a hard stainless steel bearing race grinding against a carbon surface. yeah.

Complete nonsense. The bearing does not rest against the BB shell in BB30.

You have an opinion, but why respond if you've not owned either bike?

__________

It's a subjective comparison. Both are high-end. I really enjoy my Hi-mod, but like many in PL enjoy my CSi's just as much.

Build it up and ride it, before you decide. Weight and stiffness/weight go to the Hi-mod. Neither is aero. Both are good looking.

[R3awak3n]

Complete nonsense. The bearing does not rest against the BB shell in BB30.

You have an opinion, but why respond if you've not owned either bike?

__________

It's a subjective comparison. Both are high-end. I really enjoy my Hi-mod, but like many in PL enjoy my CSi's just as much.

Build it up and ride it, before you decide. Weight and stiffness/weight go to the Hi-mod. Neither is aero. Both are good looking.

yep, everything he wrote is complete nonsense.

I too prefer threaded BBs but press fit BBs are fine and work fine (they can be annoying at times). But its funny I just had a bunch f creaking in my bike and blamed the BB.... it was the damn thru axle that was very dry.

[zmalwo]

Complete nonsense. The bearing does not rest against the BB shell in BB30.

You have an opinion, but why respond if you've not owned either bike?

__________

It's a subjective comparison. Both are high-end. I really enjoy my Hi-mod, but like many in PL enjoy my CSi's just as much.

Build it up and ride it, before you decide. Weight and stiffness/weight go to the Hi-mod. Neither is aero. Both are good looking.

The bearing does not rest against the BB shell in BB30? why don't you get your facts straight before you talk random stuff, and what makes you think I didn't own either? I had both supersix hi-mod and a tarmac. BB30 bearings are pressed directly into the carbon BB shell on Cannondale Supersix Evos and the BB shell wears out over time. I'm not talking about BBright PF30 BB86, I'm talking about the Cannondale BB30s and Specialized OS BB. specialized osbb bearings do have plastic inserts between the bearing and the shell but still wears out the shell overtime, but just much slower than cannondale's BB30 on supersix evo. And no I still won't get anything that circles around with the joint not threaded but relies on friction to hold it in place, it's just a flawed design no matter what they do.

[zmalwo]

What?

Your statements apply to Trek's BB90 and...the FRD Felts?

PF30 and BB86 both use a plastic or alloy cup between the bearing and the frame.

Unfortunately supersix evos don't use neither of them, they use BB30.

[Mark McM]

Complete nonsense. The bearing does not rest against the BB shell in BB30.

I think you're confusing BB30 with PF30. In a BB30 bottom bracket, the bearings (and circlips) are installed directly into the BB shell - there are no separate cups, sleeves or adapters between the bearings and frame. In the PF30 system, the bearing are seated into cups, and the cups are pressed into the shell. Trek's BB90/BB95 is another system in which the bearings are pressed directly into the frame.

There have been many complaints about creaking with these types of BBs, including BB shells wearing and the bearings loosening. That's why companies like BBInfinite (https://www.bbinfinite.com/) exist - to come up with fixes for these problems.

[jtbadge]

Unfortunately supersix evos don't use neither of them, they use BB30.

actually PF30, tho

And they all work fine and quietly with native cranks or a high quality aftermarket BB solution - Praxis, Wheels MFG, etc.

The Cannondale looks better, is lighter, and isn't from Specialized - what's not to like?

[zmalwo]

actually PF30, tho

And they all work fine and quietly with native cranks or a high quality aftermarket BB solution - Praxis, Wheels MFG, etc.

The Cannondale looks better, is lighter, and isn't from Specialized - what's not to like?

He's asking 2014 evo vs 2017 tarmac, back when Cannondale had BB30 on supersix evos. They ditched BB30 in 2017 because it was such a trash design. I'm not saying PF30 is any better either. All non-threaded BBs are complete trash. They are only good for showing that their frames are 50g lighter than Pinarellos and Colnagos on their spec sheet. Cannondales are called Crackadales for a reason. Yes they are light but their manufacturing quality is so low that you get different wall thickness through carbon folds, resin pooling, voids, Resin dry/rich. When you hit a manufacturing defects jackpot even the slightest bump will crack that spot, just like how a slight bump onto my bike trainer cracked my 2013 cannondale supersix hi-mod's chainstay. Lightweight and bad manufacturing quality doesn't go togather very well.

[rheosibal]

Actually...JT is right, Cannondale Evos have had PF30 since 2012.

BB30 existed in the SuperSix (prior to the Evo) and in the CAAD lines.

[rheosibal]

I've ridden both, and have always preferred the Evo.

I am biased though, the Liquigas Evo was one of my favorite bikes of all time.

FWIW, I can agree the two share similar qualities with compliance, but I felt like the Evo was much more comfortable and handled better than the SL5.

Considering how affordable a second hand Evo is, why not just buy it and try it out for awhile? It would be easier to re-sell (especially hi-mod), compared to your SL5 if you don't like it.

[zmalwo]

Actually...JT is right, Cannondale Evos have had PF30 since 2012.

BB30 existed in the SuperSix (prior to the Evo) and in the CAAD lines.

From what I read Supersix line only switched to PF30A since Supersix Evo 2017 (which means made in 2016) before that Cannondale used BB30A on Supersix. As far as I can remember my 2013 Supersix Hi-mod still had BB30A but 2013 means it was made in 2012 so the article might be wrong.

[GregL]

From what I read Supersix line only switched to PF30A since Supersix Evo 2017 (which means made in 2016) before that Cannondale used BB30A on Supersix. As far as I can remember my 2013 Supersix Hi-mod still had BB30A but 2013 means it was made in 2012 so the article might be wrong.
I just checked the catalog archive at cannondale.com and Ride Cycling Review, volume 4, 2011. Both show that the SuperSix Evo has been Pressfit 30 since its introduction.

Greg

[kramnnim]

BB30 existed in the SuperSix (prior to the Evo) and in the CAAD lines.

Did the BB30 Supersixes have alloy sleeves for the bearings?

I had a 2014 Evo and it definitely had PF30. Only BB30 frames I have heard of where the bearing sits directly in a carbon shell (like Trek's BB90) are the Felt F FRD and AR FRD.

[kramnnim]

From what I read Supersix line only switched to PF30A since Supersix Evo 2017 (which means made in 2016) before that Cannondale used BB30A on Supersix. As far as I can remember my 2013 Supersix Hi-mod still had BB30A but 2013 means it was made in 2012 so the article might be wrong.

PF30A/BB30A started in 2015. The Evos with 25.4mm seatposts have it, earlier ones do not.

https://www.kogel.cc/blogs/kbba/cannondale-bb30a-and-pf30a-explained

[93KgBike]

I think you're confusing BB30 with PF30. In a BB30 bottom bracket, the bearings (and circlips) are installed directly into the BB shell - there are no separate cups, sleeves or adapters between the bearings and frame.

The aluminum sleeve was bonded into bb shell on SSEVOhi-mod BB30. Carbon and alloy sleeves followed as the BB shell width was tinkered with (BB30 <-> BB30A<->PF30).

[Heisenberg]

This is the most banal argument I've seen on the PL, and I've seen a lot.

Not a Specialized fan, but the 2017 Tarmac is a superior bike in almost every aspect but about 200g of weight.

I've ridden both a bunch.

[blantonator]

My hi mod of that era has a carbon PF30 shell. I put a threaded Praxxis BB on it and its never been in an issue in 4+ years. Mine also easily clears a 26mm tire. Its the best bike i've ever ridden by far.