What is the greatest of the CAAD road frames?

[ridethecliche]

That caad10 and saeco are awesome. So business looking!

[Dino Suegiù]

This thread has given me an entirely new appreciation of Cannondale/CAAD.
There is some really fantastic expert knowledge being posted here, along with some very beautiful frames. Thank you!

[kppolich]

Still miss that thing

[CAAD]

CAAD9 was an excellent bike. Lightweight, comfortable, snappy. Can do it all. Plus it was the last of the made in USA Cdales.

[primov8]

Even to this day, I truly regret selling my Caad10-Gulf. I built it up, a couple rides with maybe less than 3-400 miles total. Someone made an offer I couldn't refuse and I let it go. At the time, I already had a Ridley Noah and was putting the finishing touches on a De Rosa Merak Evo but I wished i would've put more time in riding that build.

[b33]

11 years ago - this was a crit machine and it cost next to nothing. Chorus 11 speed group was $500(ish), frame was sponsored and wheels at a bro price. I was a II and this thing worked. Loved it long time.

All my modern-era bikes have very little utility over this bike. And it was made in the US.

[oliver1850]

Originally Posted by chrispino

Oh man how did I miss this thread!

Recently picked up a Saeco CAAD (threaded BB) that I have been LOVING. Ride sooo good for a 16 year old aluminum frame.

I'm still looking for some more info on this one. I may have glossed over it somewhere in this thread. This is technically a CAAD7 right? Did the team edition ones have the BB30? Which model is this one?

Your paint looks almost exactly like the Team Replica in the 2004 catalog. Only the placement of the fork decals is a bit different (yours are more visible from the side view). There are no other Saeco models in the 2004 catalog, so your frame with threaded BB is yet another example of a Cannondale model that doesn't appear in the catalogs. They pop up with regularity on the Vintage Cannondale site, especially from Europe.

I'm guessing that your frame is one of the Optimos that were later called CAAD8. See texbike's description a few posts down. I still need to look at mine. Check the date code on the bar code sticker on your frame. P= 2004, Q=2005, etc.

[shoota]

Originally Posted by kppolich

Still miss that thing

What tire width could these CAAD 9s handle?

[rain dogs]

Originally Posted by oliver1850

I'm guessing that your frame is one of the Optimos that were later called CAAD8. See texbike's description a few posts down. I still need to look at mine. Check the date code on the bar code sticker on your frame. P= 2004, Q=2005, etc.

If it doesn't have aero seatstays (the flattened, bladed seatstays) it's not a CAAD8.

It appears to me that the seatstays are round. I'm very certain that is a CAAD7. However, I've been wrong before.

I pretty sure that no CAAD 8's of that era were made without the aero stays. Only the new CAAD 8's were, but those aren't MUSA. The CAAD 9's had the stays more outboard at the seattube cluster (done even further with the 10), and the beginnings of the hydroformed top tube at the headtube junction. CAAD7's were made with almost entirely with 'round' or predominantly round tubes.... although the downtube did get larger toward the BB, the top tube was tapared and the seatstays of course were wishbone, but they were all what most would call 'round'. The 7's were the last before major shaping/flattening/hydroforming of the tubes started.

[chrispino]

Originally Posted by rain dogs

If it doesn't have aero seatstays (the flattened, bladed seatstays) it's not a CAAD8.

It appears to me that the seatstays are round. I'm very certain that is a CAAD7. However, I've been wrong before.

I pretty sure that no CAAD 8's of that era were made without the aero stays. Only the new CAAD 8's were, but those aren't MUSA. The CAAD 9's had the stays more outboard at the seattube cluster (done even further with the 10), and the beginnings of the hydroformed top tube at the headtube junction. CAAD7's were made with almost entirely with 'round' or predominantly round tubes.... although the downtube did get larger toward the BB, the top tube was tapared and the seatstays of course were wishbone, but they were all what most would call 'round'. The 7's were the last before major shaping/flattening/hydroforming of the tubes started.

I'm fairly confident this is a CAAD7 or at least that era frame. Stays are definitely round. I've yet to come across a Saeco CAAD in this color with a threaded BB before.

A buddy thinks it could've been a one-off frame for a team at the time still wanting a threaded BB. Who knows!

[kppolich]

Originally Posted by shoota

What tire width could these CAAD 9s handle?

28's depending on brake caliper and brake bridge.

[mtechnica]

Originally Posted by primov8

Even to this day, I truly regret selling my Caad10-Gulf. I built it up, a couple rides with maybe less than 3-400 miles total. Someone made an offer I couldn't refuse and I let it go. At the time, I already had a Ridley Noah and was putting the finishing touches on a De Rosa Merak Evo but I wished i would've put more time in riding that build.

Oof! I forgot about that color scheme. Big time want.

[sw3759]

Originally Posted by mtechnica

Oof! I forgot about that color scheme. Big time want.

man,no kidding! that is by far the best caad10 paint scheme out there imo.
i ended up with the the half back half polished with the giant "10" decal on the top tube..got a great deal on the new frame and thought it looked good but over time it just looks sorta "ok" like some sorta bo derek edition,lol

[hoj]

Someone kindly posted a photo of my CAAD10 earlier in the thread, but I figured after reading the comments here for the last few weeks I better chime in with my own vote for the CAAD10 (with a few pics of it's current build!). Such a solid, no-nonsense bike --- it just does everything well and the raw alu finish is a personal favorite of mine. Here is the link to my thread over in the production bikes section in case anyone wants to see more pics:
https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=251400

[pasadena]

perfection