Some might say the Caad10 Force is a criterium bike in a box, ready to go straight from assembly to the race course. This bike compiles all the features a new racer is looking for to get started in the criterium racing world. I want to go through many key points that make this bike a great starting race bike.
Its durable, this is an aluminum frame but rides as nice as most carbon frames. The Caad10 is definitely an exception to the rule of top shelf bikes being only carbon fiber. Being aluminum this bike can take some abuse, most all new racers and lower category racers know crashes are inevitable. New racers are almost guaranteed to see a crash or two and most amateurs don’t like the idea of having to race on a bike they are afraid to wreck on. This bike has the durability any new racer would want.
Its light, this aluminum frame set is almost as light as most top end carbon frames. The bike will be able to keep up with a competitor on a higher end bike the only limitation is your legs. This stock setup in a size 54 weighs only 16lb 13oz, very impressive for a stock aluminum bike. This is no ordinary aluminum road bike; this bike was built for performance not for price point.
Its stiff, this frame is ridged. The Caad10 is very stiff in all the right places. Many aluminum frames are built around a certain price point they want to offer to the customer so the frames come out either heavy, or flexible like a noodle. The Caad10 is a marvel of engineering and takes aluminum to the next level. The Caad10 rivals its big brother the Supersix Evo in stiffness.
It has the gear; this bike comes wrapped with Sram Force components on it. It has Sram Force Shifters, front and rear derailleurs, cassette and even brakes. The Crank set is a Sram S900 which is one of their higher end carbon crank sets (about force level). This setup is not the nicest group set that Sram makes but it has everything a racer needs as far as weight, durability, and performance.
It has the gearing; most manufacturers spec their bikes for the true beginner meaning they come with a compact crank set (50/34) and a larger cassette (12-25). Any racer will tell you that the first thing you need on a bike in order to race on the road competitively is a full size crank set, 53/39. This is an easy thing to switch out on any bike but the price of an upgrade like this isn’t always easy to swallow. As you may know the cranks on a road bike are one of the more expensive parts of the bicycle, and a new racing crank set can run anywhere from $250-$600+ depending on the quality of it. This bike has taken care of this cost for you. It comes with a 53/39 full sized crank set, exactly what a new racer needs. Cannondale also is known for being one of the only manufacturers that offer their road bikes with an option of crank sizes depending on customer’s preference so if you wanted you could get this bike with a compact crank set.
It has the price; a bike setup to race typically should not be a budget bike. A racer, even a beginner racer is going to need a little more in a bike then the average weekend warrior will need in a bike. Because of the demands of racing this bike is going to come at a little higher price point then what you might see from some other products. But what a racer will find is that this package is the whole package and contains everything the rider will need in a bike to get out and race. Because of how this bike is setup it costs $2,790. In my opinion that is very reasonable for a bike that is ready to race from the time of purchase, not to mention you get a heck of a lot for that money.
AWESOME!!!
[...] Aluminum is everywhere. Its the best way to make an affordable bike for the general rider that is light weight and good quality. Aluminum has become a more price point driven material but it does have some exceptions, especially Cannondale who puts about as much research and design into their aluminum racing bikes as their carbon fiber frames and the resulting bikes are pretty darn impressive. [...]