First off...I love this race. It's on a closed course with smooth pavement, no traffic and no more than 35 or so racers on a 1.9 mile course at any given time.
The first race went well, but the wind conditions were tough with a headwind on the main (open) straight away and a tail wind on the backside (guarded by trees). I had a good time that day with a similar time to what I ran last year.
Between the first race here this season and this race I made some changes to my TT fit that included: 1.5cm longer stem, 5mm more drop in the bars, 170mm cranks (down from 172.5) and a different seat post that allowed me to level out the seat post.
I made these changes before the Raven ITT #2 and set a PR on the course by 38 seconds, but that was a hilly course, so I was excited to see if the difference helped on a flat course like PIR.
The weather conditions were good with temps in the low 60's, a small tailwind on the front straight and a good turnout of racers.
Overall, I felt OK but my legs were still a little sore from a hard ride on Saturday. During warm up on my trainer my legs were a little dead, but by the 3rd interval they started to feel a little better. Lining up for the start they felt OK, but could have been better.
The race it's self went well...I was able to keep my HR in the low 160's which was a few beats lower than the last race at PIR, but right in the range of where I'd like it. With the change in wind direction I felt like I was able to take the corners a little faster than last time which led to a smoother race overall.
In the end...the position changes made a big difference. I was able to shave off 40 seconds from my PR that I set last year running a 24:34 over 11.5 miles for my first individual time trial that I averaged over 28 mph (28.07 mph average). I had to wait for the results to be posted but I ended up 1st in the 40+ category for my 2nd win of the year and had the 6th fastest time on the day (5th fastest rider as one in front of me raced twice).
It was a good day and I feel both my position on my bike and form are starting to come together for the first time of the year.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
OBRA RR Championship Day 1
First off, this race was tougher than the profile looked.
With that said, I felt OK heading into the race, had an easy week on the bike with two rest days near the the end of the week (Wednesday and Friday) and warming up my legs felt OK (not great but OK).
The combined 4 fields into one for this race: CAT 3, CAT 3 40+, CAT 3 50+ and CAT 3 60+. It looks like there were a little over 60 people in the field and with fairly narrow roads it made it hard to move around in the pack. For the most part the only place to move safely was during the main climb, but since I'm not a climber, it was difficult for me to position myself well enough for each climb.
At the start of the race I was in a short break-away attempt. About 7 of us were off the front for about 4 miles before we hit the first real climb, but it fizzled out shortly after that as the peloton picked up the pace and chased us down as we slowed on the climb.
From there on I kept trying to stay with the pack on the two main climbs...the second of which was much harder than expected. Normally on climbs like these I don't struggle as I can sit in the draft and get help up the climb...this time however, I didn't have a problem up the climb the first two times but struggled the 3rd time up.
Coming in to the finish on the 3rd lap the field was neutralized, actually stopped on the road by race officials. They wanted to notify the field that we were not supposed to cross the yellow line on a corner after a long, fast downhill that went into a near 270 degree turn. The problem here is at the start, they told us we had both lanes for that turn.
Once under way again, I knew I was tired...but stayed with the field until we hit the first climb again, where my legs told me they were done for the day. I couldn't hold pace and the field rode away at that point. My last lap ended up being a full 10 minutes longer than my fastest (2nd) lap of the day.
While on the course I was talking with another rider who was in a break with me earlier this year and we both agreed that the field was too large for the roads we were racing on, which made for some sketchy riding. The only time they opened up was on the last lap when 1/2 the field was dropped and strung out because of the heavy attacks taking place.
Regardless...at the pace we were riding at I wasn't going to hold on for 4 laps anyway. I've found that my overall limit with road races is about 2.5 hours...after that my legs tend to blow out on me. Up to that point, I'm pretty strong...My legs went at about the 2.5 hour mark, which is about normal...The race was just under 64 miles and took me just over 3 hours to finish (69 miles with warm-up).
Overall...not a great day on the bike, but no crashes and a completed race without any major obstructions. On the day I ended up 17th, which is OK, but not where I would have liked to have been. Next month they have the 40+ open race and I may go race it, but given the length and how I felt during this race I may or may not race it. I'll make that decision as it gets closer.
Next race up will be the PIR TT #2...of which I'm interested to see how the changes to my position effect my flat land speed, since this race is nearly pan-flat. It should be a good test of my legs and bike.
With that said, I felt OK heading into the race, had an easy week on the bike with two rest days near the the end of the week (Wednesday and Friday) and warming up my legs felt OK (not great but OK).
The combined 4 fields into one for this race: CAT 3, CAT 3 40+, CAT 3 50+ and CAT 3 60+. It looks like there were a little over 60 people in the field and with fairly narrow roads it made it hard to move around in the pack. For the most part the only place to move safely was during the main climb, but since I'm not a climber, it was difficult for me to position myself well enough for each climb.
From there on I kept trying to stay with the pack on the two main climbs...the second of which was much harder than expected. Normally on climbs like these I don't struggle as I can sit in the draft and get help up the climb...this time however, I didn't have a problem up the climb the first two times but struggled the 3rd time up.
Coming in to the finish on the 3rd lap the field was neutralized, actually stopped on the road by race officials. They wanted to notify the field that we were not supposed to cross the yellow line on a corner after a long, fast downhill that went into a near 270 degree turn. The problem here is at the start, they told us we had both lanes for that turn.
Once under way again, I knew I was tired...but stayed with the field until we hit the first climb again, where my legs told me they were done for the day. I couldn't hold pace and the field rode away at that point. My last lap ended up being a full 10 minutes longer than my fastest (2nd) lap of the day.
While on the course I was talking with another rider who was in a break with me earlier this year and we both agreed that the field was too large for the roads we were racing on, which made for some sketchy riding. The only time they opened up was on the last lap when 1/2 the field was dropped and strung out because of the heavy attacks taking place.Regardless...at the pace we were riding at I wasn't going to hold on for 4 laps anyway. I've found that my overall limit with road races is about 2.5 hours...after that my legs tend to blow out on me. Up to that point, I'm pretty strong...My legs went at about the 2.5 hour mark, which is about normal...The race was just under 64 miles and took me just over 3 hours to finish (69 miles with warm-up).
Next race up will be the PIR TT #2...of which I'm interested to see how the changes to my position effect my flat land speed, since this race is nearly pan-flat. It should be a good test of my legs and bike.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Montinore Road Race
So, I decided to do this race because it's basically in my back yard and have done these roads a lot. For the most part, the course (really a circuit race) fit my abilities. I knew the climb would be tough, but if I could pack slide...I'd be fine.
The race started off well enough and I was able to hold position through the first lap to the climb, which was good given the narrow roads.
When we hit the climb I was able to hold my own and actually make up some ground near the top. Over the top with the full road open I was able to move up to the front of the pack, where I wanted to be.
At this point, I was able to cover attacks, do some pulling and be in great shape for the next time up the climb...or so I thought.
Heading into the sharp left hand turn I was on the far left (inside) of the turn, which should have been good position for the climb. The just ahead and to my right a couple riders rubbed wheels which caused chaos in the field. Everybody moved to the left, which was toward me. The next thing I know riders are cascading toward me and one completely cuts me off causing me to come to a complete stop.
During this stop other riders were able to get around the outside of the road and continue up the hill.
By the time I got moving I had lost approximately 20 seconds and not being a climber...wasn't going to make up any ground. Over the top, the main group hit it pretty hard and by the time I got to the top I was a good 40-50 seconds back.
Given that I know the roads well...I went into TT chase mode and hammered trying to catch back on. I could see I was slowly gaining ground on the pack and caught back up to them with a little over a mile to go before we hit the climb for the 3rd time. The chase took about 11 minutes and I averaged 350 watts to latch back on (averaging 22.8 mph).
When we hit the hill, I thought I was OK, but could tell my legs were starting to tie up and since I was already in the back, I couldn't pack slide. I ended up losing the pack with about 300 meters to go before the top of the climb and ended up dropping about 30 seconds behind.
I kept chasing the pack hoping to latch on again...but just couldn't quite pull them in on the 4th lap and lost them once they hit the climb. This chase I averaged right at 310 watts (averaging 21.6 mph).
At this point, I just wanted to finish the race and hopefully pick off other riders that were dropped off the main field during the race. Over time, I did pick off a few riders and worked together with another on lap #7 (of 8), which helped finish the race a little quicker.
In the end, I got in a lot more TT work and aside from the stoppage on the climb had a good race. I ended up 29th out of 35 I think, so not all was lost.
This weekend is the first of two State Championship Road Races (they have a category race and an age bracketed race). I'll be competing in the CAT 3 40+ category and the course looks to suit my abilities well...so we will see if I can finally pick up some luck in a road race and get a good race/finish in.
The race started off well enough and I was able to hold position through the first lap to the climb, which was good given the narrow roads.
When we hit the climb I was able to hold my own and actually make up some ground near the top. Over the top with the full road open I was able to move up to the front of the pack, where I wanted to be.
At this point, I was able to cover attacks, do some pulling and be in great shape for the next time up the climb...or so I thought.
Heading into the sharp left hand turn I was on the far left (inside) of the turn, which should have been good position for the climb. The just ahead and to my right a couple riders rubbed wheels which caused chaos in the field. Everybody moved to the left, which was toward me. The next thing I know riders are cascading toward me and one completely cuts me off causing me to come to a complete stop.
During this stop other riders were able to get around the outside of the road and continue up the hill.
By the time I got moving I had lost approximately 20 seconds and not being a climber...wasn't going to make up any ground. Over the top, the main group hit it pretty hard and by the time I got to the top I was a good 40-50 seconds back.
Given that I know the roads well...I went into TT chase mode and hammered trying to catch back on. I could see I was slowly gaining ground on the pack and caught back up to them with a little over a mile to go before we hit the climb for the 3rd time. The chase took about 11 minutes and I averaged 350 watts to latch back on (averaging 22.8 mph).
When we hit the hill, I thought I was OK, but could tell my legs were starting to tie up and since I was already in the back, I couldn't pack slide. I ended up losing the pack with about 300 meters to go before the top of the climb and ended up dropping about 30 seconds behind.
I kept chasing the pack hoping to latch on again...but just couldn't quite pull them in on the 4th lap and lost them once they hit the climb. This chase I averaged right at 310 watts (averaging 21.6 mph).
At this point, I just wanted to finish the race and hopefully pick off other riders that were dropped off the main field during the race. Over time, I did pick off a few riders and worked together with another on lap #7 (of 8), which helped finish the race a little quicker.
In the end, I got in a lot more TT work and aside from the stoppage on the climb had a good race. I ended up 29th out of 35 I think, so not all was lost.
This weekend is the first of two State Championship Road Races (they have a category race and an age bracketed race). I'll be competing in the CAT 3 40+ category and the course looks to suit my abilities well...so we will see if I can finally pick up some luck in a road race and get a good race/finish in.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Raven TT #2
Between last weeks race and this weeks race I was able to pick up a new seat post (cheap Performance Brand) and swap out cranks, going from 172.5mm to 170mm cranks to make the final needed changes to my TT set up.
My old seat post was a reversed Ritchey, but didn't quite have enough room to get the saddle level which made the front of the saddle raise up a few degrees, which was uncomfortable on longer rides/races. The new saddle...though originally did the same thing...lets me have full range of motion regardless of which way it's placed in the seat post (I had to file down a nub on each side to do this).
This gives my bike an effective seat tube angle of 78 degrees. The stock STA on my Fuji is 76 degrees and using the reversed seat post gives me 2cm of extra forward saddle placement...thus giving me an approximate 2 degrees extra of STA.
As for the cranks...most people tend to go longer with their cranks on TT bikes...so it's a bit counter-intuitive going to shorter cranks. The reasoning for shorter cranks is this:
When I made the changes to the bike and took it for it's initial spin around the block...it finally, just felt "Right". This was a good sign. I then took it out for 2.5 hours on Wednesday to make sure saddle height, fore/aft positioning, etc. were correct and did a trip up Pumpkin Ridge to see how it felt under power for an extended period of time. As it turns out with my saddle a little low I set my fastest time (on my TT bike) up Pumpkin Ridge by about 1.5 minutes.
So...The Raven TT #2 was it's first real test under full, race conditions.
The conditions were a bit trickier than last week with more wind that seemed to be a head wind on the way out with a cross wind on the way back. Most people were turning in times similar to last week, so it couldn't have made too much of a difference overall.
The end result was I ran a 28:14 which was a PR by 28 seconds on this course and 36 seconds faster than last week. The bike also felt really good, especially on the flats where I was able to push a bigger gear and was more comfortable.
Looking at the results again, it appears they changed...I moved up into 1st place by 2 seconds for my first win of the season.
It should be interesting to see if I'm any faster at the PIR TT that takes place on Memorial Day this year.
Overall...I still took 2nd in the Masters 40+ class and had the 9th (?) fastest time on the day (though one was a tandem and an other was by the same guy racing two classes). But I feel good about the effort because my fit feels pretty dialed in, I think I could have gone a good 10 seconds faster and I set a PR on the course by a large margin.
My old seat post was a reversed Ritchey, but didn't quite have enough room to get the saddle level which made the front of the saddle raise up a few degrees, which was uncomfortable on longer rides/races. The new saddle...though originally did the same thing...lets me have full range of motion regardless of which way it's placed in the seat post (I had to file down a nub on each side to do this).
This gives my bike an effective seat tube angle of 78 degrees. The stock STA on my Fuji is 76 degrees and using the reversed seat post gives me 2cm of extra forward saddle placement...thus giving me an approximate 2 degrees extra of STA.
As for the cranks...most people tend to go longer with their cranks on TT bikes...so it's a bit counter-intuitive going to shorter cranks. The reasoning for shorter cranks is this:
- I have short femurs and shorter cranks work better for me
- Shorter cranks reduce the amount of flex in the knee, thus keeping your power stroke better (more bend = less power).
- Shorter cranks allow me to raise my saddle just a little which helps with hip angle
When I made the changes to the bike and took it for it's initial spin around the block...it finally, just felt "Right". This was a good sign. I then took it out for 2.5 hours on Wednesday to make sure saddle height, fore/aft positioning, etc. were correct and did a trip up Pumpkin Ridge to see how it felt under power for an extended period of time. As it turns out with my saddle a little low I set my fastest time (on my TT bike) up Pumpkin Ridge by about 1.5 minutes.
So...The Raven TT #2 was it's first real test under full, race conditions.
The conditions were a bit trickier than last week with more wind that seemed to be a head wind on the way out with a cross wind on the way back. Most people were turning in times similar to last week, so it couldn't have made too much of a difference overall.
The end result was I ran a 28:14 which was a PR by 28 seconds on this course and 36 seconds faster than last week. The bike also felt really good, especially on the flats where I was able to push a bigger gear and was more comfortable.
Looking at the results again, it appears they changed...I moved up into 1st place by 2 seconds for my first win of the season.
It should be interesting to see if I'm any faster at the PIR TT that takes place on Memorial Day this year.
Overall...I still took 2nd in the Masters 40+ class and had the 9th (?) fastest time on the day (though one was a tandem and an other was by the same guy racing two classes). But I feel good about the effort because my fit feels pretty dialed in, I think I could have gone a good 10 seconds faster and I set a PR on the course by a large margin.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Raven TT #1
The last time I competed in this race was during it inaugural season in 2010. I really liked the course and it's proximity to where I live but didn't get a chance to race it last year due to scheduling.
The course is both fun and hard. There are some good high speed turns, one big hill and a lot of steeper rollers with an overall length of around 11.5 miles. The hill and rollers make it hard to get into a rhythm and you always seem to be changing gears. With that said, I'm not a climber so I lose a little ground in those areas most of the time...so it's a challenging course for me.
I hadn't ridden in two days so my legs were likely fresh, but a little dead due to time off. After about 30 minutes of warming up on the trainer they started to wake up a little...but still were not all the way there, so I didn't quite know what to expect for the race. My best time ever is a 28:42...so I was shooting for something in that range.
I also had a different bike set up than previously...and will make a few more changes. Previously the seat post I had was a reversed Ritchey which worked, but had the nose of the saddle pointed up a little, which makes it a little uncomfortable when in the drops. So, I switched seat posts to another "Throw away" post I had laying around and tried to make it work...which it didn't. So I went back to a zero degree post and a Selle Italia Max Flite saddle that allows for a very far forward positioning of the saddle...which worked OK, but I had the saddle set just a little bit too high as I could feel it in my knees the last 1/2 of the race. I plan on picking up a cheap post that I can reverse and will allow proper set up of the saddle as well as switching back to my original saddle for next weeks race.
Other changes made to my set up was lowering the bars by 1cm and switching from a 95mm to a 110mm stem. Looking at photos from the PIR TT I could see I was a little tall and looked a little compact on the bike...so I made the switch. I'm still not sure it's better or not right now.
I also decided not to go with a full set of TT wheels leaving my disc at home. I instead went with my 58mm, tubular Corsa Concepts for lighter weight and to get some power numbers during the race. I had just got them back from having new tires glued on after my crash at Kings Valley, where I also had to re-true the rear wheel a little, so I wanted some time on them to make sure they were ready for next weeks road race. So I wasn't as aero as I could have been for the race, but still good overall.
The race it's self went well enough. I tried using my power meter to pace myself...but in reality probably should have just ignored it. I think my pacing overall was good though...but I can tell the final hill is my slowest part of the race. I can hit the front side hard because I'm fresh, but coming back up it after a 25 minute hard effort is more difficult. Next week...I need to get out of the saddle and push it more there for a better time.
Overall though I had a good race finishing 2nd in the Masters 40+ (6th fastest time overall) with a time of 28:50, which is good and falls within my average for this race. I can tell there are areas where I can go faster on the course...which I will try to do next week. Something in the range of 28:20 - 28:30 is attainable, I just need a slightly better run at certain sections.
I think a few changes to the bike will help here as well...Some final tuning and it should be set up for a long time...until I can afford to get a new TT bike as my 5 year old aluminum Fuji is behind the times when it comes to being the most aerodynamic design out there.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
300 miles on the new CAAD 10
So, I've hit the 300 mile mark after a week (16,500+ feet of climbing) on my new Cannondale CAAD10 (4) and wanted to give my impressions of the bike now that I've spent some time on it, made some fit changes and done a lot of climbing on it.
Mid week my new top cap from "Slam that stem dot com" came in which was the final piece in getting my bars in the correct position. With this my total stack height is down to 15.8cm (including headset) which is about 1cm taller than on my Tsunami...however, using a -17 degree stem instead of the -10 degree stem puts it within 1mm - 2mm of my old position.
The fork on the Cannondale however is 8mm longer than my old Easton EC90SL, which may bring the front end up a little higher than the old bike by a little.
Other changes that had to be looked at with the fit was the shorter top tube (by 1cm) and slacker seat tube angle (by .5 degree). The reach was taken care of by going to the Pro Vibe 7 deep drop bar as it has a 1cm longer reach than my Ritchey bar did. The slacker STA was taken care of by using a saddle with longer rails and thus more adjustment to move it forward and be put in the correct position.
The fit feels really good at this point and I don't foresee any adjustments at this point since my power output is good and my weight balance feels good.
One overall, noticeable difference between the Cannondale and my Tsunami is I feel like I'm riding taller on the Cannondale than my Tsunami. Part of this is the longer fork (8mm longer than my Easton EC90SL) and possibly taller bottom bracket. Now that I've to the stem low, it's not as noticeable, but it's still there.
The weight of the bike...as mentioned in my previous post is 17.13 pounds as shown (with cages, pedals and computer mount). My race wheels are still in the process of getting their tires glued on, so no pictures or weights with them on...though it should come in right at 16 pounds (no bottles). Given this is an $1800 bike (though I'm made a few changes to some components) that's very light for the price.
As for the bike it's self...
The ride is still aluminum harsh, but refinements have been made over the years. Over pavement cracks and small holes in the road, the sharp impacts can be felt and if they are big enough, getting out of the saddle should be done. However, on small bumps and chip seal roads the ride is better damped than my old Tsunami, but isn't quite as good as my old Velo Vie.
The CAAD10 does use the "Save" technology from their higher end, carbon frames, which just means the seat and chain stays are flattened in the middle to allow for some flex in them. I'm not sure how well this works with an aluminum frame, but I hear it does wonders with carbon frames. Aesthetically though, it's not as nice looking as the older curved stays CAAD frames had.
The bike does give a solid/connected feel of the road when motoring along...Some of the more comfy bikes I've ridden didn't give me the this and I feel my speed (at least while descending) suffered at times.
If you are looking for a plush bike...look elsewhere...if you are looking for a race bike, the CAAD10 should be worth checking out regardless of it's lower price or non-carbon frame.
The handling of the bike is good, but may appeal to others a little more than myself. With that said, it's well within acceptable range. At lower speeds (below 30 mph) the bike feels great having a solid/planted feeling to it. When speeds go over 30 mph it gets a little twitchy and I have to watch how much input I give the bike to make sure I maintain my lines. My old Tsunami was built to be very stable at speed and there is a noticeable difference between the two when descending.
Personally, I'd like to see a little more stability at speed and less so at slower speeds. A fork with less rake might do the trick since Cannondale put a 45 degree rake on the stock fork. If I had the money I'd try an Enve tapered for with 43 degree rake...but since this has me tapped out on finances, I'll pass for now.
With that said...I received my first Strava K.O.M. on the Cannondale this weekend on a climb/descent (the segment has some initial climbing and then drops down about 800 feet and is pretty twisty)...so I can say that it corners very well, and as I said before, has a great road feel so I can tell when it's getting close to it's traction limits.
The stiffness of the bike translates well when it comes to climbing. I've been setting faster times up local climbs on it than I was on my Tsunami which may be due to a slightly different fit, better power transfer, better gearing (since this bike has a compact front crank instead of a standard crank), I'm getting lighter or I'm getting into better shape. Probably a combination of several factors.
I have yet to complete a full on sprint...so I can't comment on it's sprinting ability, however every other aspect of the bike is doing well...So I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt for now.
The fit/finish of the frame is acceptable, though I can tell a difference between this frame and older Cannondales I've owned. The CAAD frames used to all be made in the U.S.A. but now have been outsourced to Asia for manufacture. The welds are no longer as clean as they used to be, though they are still smoothed/sanded after welding which cleans up the appearance...the overall look just isn't as clean as it used to be.
I will also say the seat tube/seat stay juncture is pretty ugly on the CAAD10 compared to previous models. They were going for a stiff top tube, which they got, but it made for an ugly connection at that juncture.
I don't have a problem with any frame misalignment or bad welds though, so it at least passed the QC portion before leaving the factory.
The only change I can see making in the near future to the bike is a different crankset. The stock (Apex I'm guessing) crank is stiff and solid, but is heavy and ugly. Granted that's not a good reason for a change but I can see saving 100-200 grams and making the bike look much better with a nicer crankset on the bike. I'll also look at changing the gearing of the crank to a 50x36 instead of the stock 50x34 since I don't quite need the 34 tooth gearing and I feel a 50x36 when combined with an 11x26 cassette is the best amateur race gearing combination out there.
Overall...as a replacement for my Tsunami, I'm happy, especially for the price of the Cannondale compared to similar priced bikes. It doesn't have quite the same feel, but is a great bike in it's own way. Now, I just need to get my race wheels and some results on the new bike. Hopefully we will have many happy miles together.
Mid week my new top cap from "Slam that stem dot com" came in which was the final piece in getting my bars in the correct position. With this my total stack height is down to 15.8cm (including headset) which is about 1cm taller than on my Tsunami...however, using a -17 degree stem instead of the -10 degree stem puts it within 1mm - 2mm of my old position.The fork on the Cannondale however is 8mm longer than my old Easton EC90SL, which may bring the front end up a little higher than the old bike by a little.
Other changes that had to be looked at with the fit was the shorter top tube (by 1cm) and slacker seat tube angle (by .5 degree). The reach was taken care of by going to the Pro Vibe 7 deep drop bar as it has a 1cm longer reach than my Ritchey bar did. The slacker STA was taken care of by using a saddle with longer rails and thus more adjustment to move it forward and be put in the correct position.
The fit feels really good at this point and I don't foresee any adjustments at this point since my power output is good and my weight balance feels good.
One overall, noticeable difference between the Cannondale and my Tsunami is I feel like I'm riding taller on the Cannondale than my Tsunami. Part of this is the longer fork (8mm longer than my Easton EC90SL) and possibly taller bottom bracket. Now that I've to the stem low, it's not as noticeable, but it's still there.
The weight of the bike...as mentioned in my previous post is 17.13 pounds as shown (with cages, pedals and computer mount). My race wheels are still in the process of getting their tires glued on, so no pictures or weights with them on...though it should come in right at 16 pounds (no bottles). Given this is an $1800 bike (though I'm made a few changes to some components) that's very light for the price.
As for the bike it's self...
The ride is still aluminum harsh, but refinements have been made over the years. Over pavement cracks and small holes in the road, the sharp impacts can be felt and if they are big enough, getting out of the saddle should be done. However, on small bumps and chip seal roads the ride is better damped than my old Tsunami, but isn't quite as good as my old Velo Vie.
The CAAD10 does use the "Save" technology from their higher end, carbon frames, which just means the seat and chain stays are flattened in the middle to allow for some flex in them. I'm not sure how well this works with an aluminum frame, but I hear it does wonders with carbon frames. Aesthetically though, it's not as nice looking as the older curved stays CAAD frames had.The bike does give a solid/connected feel of the road when motoring along...Some of the more comfy bikes I've ridden didn't give me the this and I feel my speed (at least while descending) suffered at times.
If you are looking for a plush bike...look elsewhere...if you are looking for a race bike, the CAAD10 should be worth checking out regardless of it's lower price or non-carbon frame.
The handling of the bike is good, but may appeal to others a little more than myself. With that said, it's well within acceptable range. At lower speeds (below 30 mph) the bike feels great having a solid/planted feeling to it. When speeds go over 30 mph it gets a little twitchy and I have to watch how much input I give the bike to make sure I maintain my lines. My old Tsunami was built to be very stable at speed and there is a noticeable difference between the two when descending.
Personally, I'd like to see a little more stability at speed and less so at slower speeds. A fork with less rake might do the trick since Cannondale put a 45 degree rake on the stock fork. If I had the money I'd try an Enve tapered for with 43 degree rake...but since this has me tapped out on finances, I'll pass for now.
With that said...I received my first Strava K.O.M. on the Cannondale this weekend on a climb/descent (the segment has some initial climbing and then drops down about 800 feet and is pretty twisty)...so I can say that it corners very well, and as I said before, has a great road feel so I can tell when it's getting close to it's traction limits.
The stiffness of the bike translates well when it comes to climbing. I've been setting faster times up local climbs on it than I was on my Tsunami which may be due to a slightly different fit, better power transfer, better gearing (since this bike has a compact front crank instead of a standard crank), I'm getting lighter or I'm getting into better shape. Probably a combination of several factors.
I have yet to complete a full on sprint...so I can't comment on it's sprinting ability, however every other aspect of the bike is doing well...So I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt for now.
The fit/finish of the frame is acceptable, though I can tell a difference between this frame and older Cannondales I've owned. The CAAD frames used to all be made in the U.S.A. but now have been outsourced to Asia for manufacture. The welds are no longer as clean as they used to be, though they are still smoothed/sanded after welding which cleans up the appearance...the overall look just isn't as clean as it used to be.I will also say the seat tube/seat stay juncture is pretty ugly on the CAAD10 compared to previous models. They were going for a stiff top tube, which they got, but it made for an ugly connection at that juncture.
I don't have a problem with any frame misalignment or bad welds though, so it at least passed the QC portion before leaving the factory.
The only change I can see making in the near future to the bike is a different crankset. The stock (Apex I'm guessing) crank is stiff and solid, but is heavy and ugly. Granted that's not a good reason for a change but I can see saving 100-200 grams and making the bike look much better with a nicer crankset on the bike. I'll also look at changing the gearing of the crank to a 50x36 instead of the stock 50x34 since I don't quite need the 34 tooth gearing and I feel a 50x36 when combined with an 11x26 cassette is the best amateur race gearing combination out there.
Overall...as a replacement for my Tsunami, I'm happy, especially for the price of the Cannondale compared to similar priced bikes. It doesn't have quite the same feel, but is a great bike in it's own way. Now, I just need to get my race wheels and some results on the new bike. Hopefully we will have many happy miles together.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
My new Cannondale
So now that my Tsunami has gone to the recycle bin in the sky (or maybe lawn or wall art, not sure yet)...I had to get a new bike. Being the bike geek that I am, I'm always looking at bike geometries and what might work when it comes to getting another bike or a back up bike.
With this in mind, the Cannondale CAAD series of frames has always been on my short list of bikes to look at. They have been around forever, the frame has been refined and on a cost/performance ratio they are "Very" hard to beat.
So after my crash yesterday, my wife told me to "Just go buy another bike" ... taking her advice like and good husband would do, I went out after cleaning myself up and checked out a few bikes to replace my beloved Tsunami.
I looked at the Scott Foil 40, CAAD 10 series and was considering the Felt F series of road bikes. I would have loved to picked up a Scott Foil, but nobody had one in my size and I just couldn't justify the extra expense over the Cannondale. The Felt bikes would have fit a little better (shorter head tube), but the parts for the price just isn't there.
So...I came home with a new Cannondal CAAD10 (4) Rival equipped bike.
I did replace a few of the stock parts with some that I already had including:
- Thompson 0 degree seat post
- Thompson -17 degree (110mm length) stem
- Pro Vibe 7 round bars
- A set of 32 spoke Open Pro wheels laced up to my Powertap for training
I also bought a new Specialized Romin saddle since my saddle was also killed in the crash and I've wanted to try one out for a while knowing the size and shape would work for me.
Today I was able to take the bike out for it's maiden voyage, a 47 mile ride with 3300 feet of climbing. I didn't do any huge accelerations, but did do some tempo climbing and just worked on getting the fit dialed in while checking out how the new ride handled and felt on the road. One addition I'm waiting for is a new top cap for the headset from "Slam that stem . com" that will have a stack height of about 2mm giving me the lowest possible handlebar set up for this bike.
The bike it's self is lighter than I anticipated weighing in at 17.13 pounds according to my fish scale. That's with my Powertap wheelset, bottle cages and Garmin 500 computer mounted. Not bad for an $1800 bike. With my race wheels it will be just over 16 pounds and if I want to upgrade in the future, taking another pound or two off will be very easy with a few parts swaps.
The initial feel of the bike was one of solidity...it feels like a bike built for big power guys, but has the ability to work for smaller climbers as well. There isn't a whole lot of flex in the frame or fork and out of the saddle efforts seem to propel the bike forward as would be expected for a stiff aluminum frame.
Road noise was still there as is expected on an aluminum frame, but is muted a little due to the tube manipulation Cannondale has done with the bike. Basically it's not a silky smooth ride, but it's not super harsh either. Completing 60-70 mile races, or 100 mile training rides in the summer won't be a big deal where I feel beat up by the bike, as other bikes I've had rode harsher. The frame gives enough feedback to let you know what's going on with the road, but not enough to beat you to death.
Climbing was solid, but not spectacular...then again, is anything spectacular climbing wise for somebody just under 200 pounds? Part of this is getting the position dialed in which will happen over time, but out of the saddle efforts where position isn't as important were very good...over rollers it would shoot up and over with no problem.
I haven't done any full on sprints yet...so I can't really comment on that, but given the solid nature of the bike I expect them to be good.
Handling wise the bike is a little twitchy at speeds over 40mph, at least more so than I'm used to. Since my last bike was a custom frame I had it made with stability in mind...so it was very stable at speed. The Cannondale holds a line fine, but small movements can make a big difference, so learning the characteristics of the bike at speed will be important.
Cornering was solid and the bike held lines without issue.
My only real complaint would be I'd like a 1cm shorter head tube and 2cm shorter seat tube to accommodate riders that are on the fringe of bike fit. This is a minor squabble and part of that is just the look and feel that Cannondale was after with the bike.
Overall...the CADD series of bikes from Cannondale seem to be the workhorses of their lineup. They are solid, dependable, refined and just plain work for much less money than higher end carbon bikes.
I'm looking to many thousands of miles aboard the new Cannondale and hopefully a few wins along the way as well.
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