Opinions on Cannondale CAAD10 or BMC StreetRacer

[nathanong87]

i have only great things to say about the caad10.

back when i had both a caad10 and sl3 sworks. i told my self in hindsight that if i were to have bought the caad10 prior to the specialized , i wouldn't have bought the specialized. I think the caad10 is one of the best bang for buck raceable, trainable frames out there with the right wheels and components. I wouldn't call anything disposable, but surely it's less disheartening if ever replacing a caad10.

this above has nothing to do with bmc though. just my opinion on a caad10 vs something else.

[Unpredictable]

^^^^^^^^^^
Couldn't agree with you more Nathan...I just love my CAAD10. one of the best well rounded bikes I have owned. I am constantly letting other riders my size try it out for a ride. Probably, the best valued frame on the market today

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by gunder

Thinking about getting a 2013 CAAD10 5 105. Seems like a real bargain for the price and performance. Is the bike comfortable enough to do 60-75 mile rides or would it be better to get something a little more forgiving?

Also, I understand the CAAD10 frames use pretty thin aluminum. I'm a bit of a clydesdale at 235 lbs., is the frame too fragile for me? I'm pretty easy on my equipment, but don't want to worry every time I hit a pothole or something unexpected.

My budget is about $1,500, anything else I should be looking at in this price range?

EDIT: Looking around the web I found a BMC Streetracer 105 in my price range. Any opinions on this bike? I know BMC's carbon bikes are well regarded but not sure about their aluminum bikes.

At 235, I would see if they could put a more appropriate wheelset on it for you. Same for BMC.

[carpediemracing]

Okay I got some feedback on the BMC/CAAD10 thing. Unfortunately my teammate got carbon BMCs. He rides about a 60-63 cm frame, is maybe 180 lbs, so tall, pretty strong, lanky. More of a rouleur than sprinter although he's beaten me in a sprint up a short hill.

He rates comfort as CAAD9/10 (stiffest), BMC SL01, Synapse. He had a BMC SLT but didn't rate it per se but he said the SLT was the most flexible of the bunch.

The CAAD9 was the stiffest/best frame he had. THe CAAD10 had one issue - one cable stop was not aligned so his shifting was off - and he said for some reason it was really flexible out back. This is the frame he just wrecked and I think he's had it for a while, maybe one of the first CAAD10s.

He got the SL01 because of the CC sale. Not sure what he'd have gotten otherwise.

So not really an answer. Sorry.

[gunder]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

At 235, I would see if they could put a more appropriate wheelset on it for you. Same for BMC.

OK, test rode a CAAD10 5 105 with the stock wheels (RS10) and the ride was a little stiff. Then the bike shop put on the 32 spoke wheels from a CAAD8 (RS 3.0) and what a difference it made. The ride was quite smooth, almost CF like. I think the CAAD10 with some nice 32 spoke wheels is a winner!

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by gunder

OK, test rode a CAAD10 5 105 with the stock wheels (RS10) and the ride was a little stiff. Then the bike shop put on the 32 spoke wheels from a CAAD8 (RS 3.0) and what a difference it made. The ride was quite smooth, almost CF like. I think the CAAD10 with some nice 32 spoke wheels is a winner!

Think a 36h rear would be more appropriate for you unless the 32h wheel was a fairly substantial rim, built well, or a least checked if the bike came outta a box.

[Ti_on_Steel]

My only complaint with the CAAD 10 is the geometry. It's built as a racers bike, and the head tube shows it. If you are slightly out of shape, or lack a racers flexibility, you might find it a hard bike to get comfortable on.

That being said, if I could keep my serotta for longer days, the CAAD 10 would be an awesome crit bike.