so many things to say: (I've owned 13 alu bikes - CDales, Orbeas, Niners, Cinellis, Lemond, 7 different CAAD's amongst others).
- -I would never pay the premium charged for an alu Peg. Never. Steel? Maybe. Alu. Never.
- -CAAD's were never designed to be budget race bikes until perhaps the 12. They almost always used time-built forks that were at the time (until the 8) the best carbon forks available. Cannondale's forks were very high quality.
- -older alu was less refined, but if you're having a medical need from a bike, it's not the frame material, it's your setup or you.
- -the differences between the highest end carbon (Look) the highest end steel (Genius/Spirirt etc.) and high end Alu (CAAD's) is noticeable, but it is subtle.
- -I've ridden over 3000km in 15 days on a full carbon saddle, on a CAAD, no issues. And a whole lot of grand Tours in the late 90's early 00's were ridden o alu with no riders experiencing blood loss, only blood doping.
Don't forget, Cannondale was pumping huge dollars into Aluminum construction and development for decades. HUGE dollars. And they made very advanced frames. Talk to or read Damon Rinard. Aluminum is a great frame material. It's not steel. It's not carbon, but it's great too. But a Pegoretti in Alu? Why?