DIY Cannondale CAAD12 with Di2

[@gearknobz]

Very detailed video. Really helpful for my future project. Thanks.

[@markevison3578]

Great video, it's inspiring me to level up! You were right that it's not as simple as you'd hope, but very straightforward explanation thank you

[@mr02gixxer1000]

This is awesome 👏🏿 tutorial, I am going do this with my CAAD12 had Di2 on my CAAD10 before selling it and I must say I missing the Di2. But now I am in the process of putting together 6870 Di2 though 😊 I am going to go on square trade and buy these plugs for my CAAD12 for sure, I think it gives it a really clean look.

[@srcitizen]

Good luck with your build. I have to say, I love this bike with Di2.

[@mr02gixxer1000]

Gregg Lagnese: I love my CAAD12 its an awesome ride. A lot of the guys on carbon bikes ask me how it rides. Because i am right there with them in fast group rides to give u an example, did a club ride on saturday where we average 23.4 mi for 60miles. this ride was a breeze with my CAAD12 such a fast and nimble bike. plan to keep it for a while and upgrade the components over time. I have a set of Reynold carbon wheels at the moment, next on the list will be DI2 6870.

[@srcitizen]

Romeo Fowler Sounds like it will be exactly like the bike shown in the video. Mine are Reynold rims too with a Powertap G3 hub.

[@mr02gixxer1000]

Gregg Lagnese : yes except for the color I have the black with the primer grey. Also I am shopping for a powermeter , looking at stages at the moment.

[@marianocelentano2864]

Loved the bike, suuper cool!!! Just saw now that they use a hoover and a string for internal wiring.

[@johnsmithers284]

peak road bike

[@cramamba]

Would I be right in thinking that newer versions of di2 are fully wireless (except power) and that you no longer need to use all these junctions and transmitters?

[@srcitizen]

With some models the shifters can wirelessly transmit to the derailleurs and transmit to the head unit but they also still list the EW-WU101 transmitter for standard wired connections. Only certain rear derailleurs (and power meters) appear to be wireless currently. bike.shimano.com/en-US/technologies/component/details/d-fly.html

[@cramamba]

@@srcitizen thanks! I also did a bit of research on this after posting. It seems that SRAM has a better fully wireless out-of-the-box experience, it'd be nice to see Shimano catch up on this but they seem pretty set on their internal battery solution.

[@spencerliu484]

would this build be similar to the CAAD 10 frame as well?

[@kleivis84]

The buplabs links doesnt work. Where can i get the 3d printed parts?

[@srcitizen]

These parts aren't being made any longer. The plugs were made from injection molded rubber. I'll update the link to Shapeways where the BB cap can be purchased.

[@andrewarnold3308]

@@srcitizen any chance you would be willing to share the .stl files or similar so folks can print themselves? i'm in the middle of di2 swap and would love to plug everything up

[@jonathangonzalez3886]

Hello how do I purchase the caad 12 di2 kit? I need the grommets and bb cover!! Please help

[@chanjasonsk]

Where can I find the frame plugs for the old shifter cables? I accidentally ordered the synapse plugs :/

[@srcitizen]

I don't make these anymore. They were made from injection molded rubber. Only the bottom bracket cap is available on Shapeways.

[@Kanonka28]

do you have or had problems with bb30 ? what's your height and size of th bike, are you content with that ?

[@buplabs]

I've had BB30's creak on my carbon bikes a lot. I've had no creaking or noise from the CAAD12 however. The bike shown is a 51" frame. I'm roughly 5'10" and have dialed in the cockpit to my size by switching out the stem and lowering the steering post. I also have zero offset seatposts, but I used a stock SAVE for this build.

[@growwithdesign]

Hi Gregg. I'm really inspired by your Caad12 build. I have a 2018 Caad12 105. I'm still in 2 minds as to where to invest. Should i invest in the Di2 conversion or should i invest the same amount in getting a carbon wheelset. I'm 30 years old. not a light weight fanatic. & i occasionally do long rides (max a 100Kms). The rest is 50-60km city rides. I'm currently in Doha, Qatar. Please advise.

[@antonv5488]

105 is an amazing groupset already while better wheels always make a difference on a bike. I just got CAAD12 frame which I want to build into some sort of "good old days" 2010s bikes project and I see people selling used DI2 components for okay price, but I just realised that the way DI2 works is going to be awfully dated in a couple of years and it's a dead end and nothing to be missed, UX of building this thing and maintaining is horrible, components are not compatible between generations, and it must have been created wireless from the beginning.

[@kennethjohnson6567]

Great video, I was wondering if a 2014 CAAD 10 with Pro Vibe stem and handlebar, be upgraded to di2 shifting?

[@srcitizen]

The problem with a CAAD10 and Di2 would be getting the wire from the handlebar inside the down tube and out to the front derailleur. You'd have to drill a couple 6 mm holes, and there also needs to be a hole between the BB and the seat post tube. If you did that it would work. However, I think it would be much easier to just use eTAP on a CAAD10.

[@kennethjohnson6567]

@@srcitizen it appears that the cable stops are removable (on the down tube and the chain stay, also there is a plug on the seat tube just behind the front derailleur) I can send you some pictures and let me know what you think

[@srcitizen]

@@kennethjohnson6567 Sure. Send me some pics. Is there a hole in the chain stay so you can run a cable through it?

[@kennethjohnson6567]

@@srcitizen the cable stop for the rear derailleur appears to be removable also I'm assuming behind the removable cablestops there is a hole. How can I send you pictures?

[@srcitizen]

@@kennethjohnson6567 Go to buplabs.com/pages/contact-us and send me a note. I'll reply via E-mail.

[@peppermint5737]

What bottom bracket cap did you use?

[@srcitizen]

This: www.shapeways.com/product/LQ45RVLJQ/caad12-bottom-bracket-cap?optionId=193993352&li=marketplace

[@edouardpiron392]

Hi Gregg, thank you for your video. How tall are you and what's the size of the bike? Thanks!

[@srcitizen]

I'm about 5' 10". The bike is a 50 cm frame.

[@batbawls]

Sick video, Gregg

[@gregr501]

Great video, thanks for sharing. I went to the Shspeway website and looked at the parts. Will they also work with a Cannondale Synapse?

[@srcitizen]

There is a kit from Cannondale that will work with the Synapse. The BB cover kinda sucks, but it does include the necessary plugs.

[@mrfailure93]

as usual, great video

[@3dfx243]

Hi Gregg, I really enjoyed your video. I'm just getting to road cycling and this past summer I purchased a Synapse Alloy 105 disc. I enjoy riding the bicycle a lot. Since you have both synapse and CAAD12 I wanted to ask how they compare? I'm looking upgrade my synapse with some lighter wheels and maybe the hollowgram crankset. Would this be a worth while investment? Thanks,

[@srcitizen]

Deep inhale... The Synapse is a fantastic bike. I have the carbon model (not the Hi-Mod) and generally I love it. I found the geometry to be very comfortable especially on long rides. It is predictable, stable, and quick. On some mountain descents I found that the front can become a little unstable, but we are talking about bombing down hills at 40-50 mph on bumpy back country roads. The frame is also very stiff. I can vacillate in weight by 10-15 lbs. When I'm at the top of the range (>185 lbs), the bike really stays composed and stiff when I am out of the saddle and really stomping on it. I'm no power horse, but I generally put out 700-800 watts on a steep climb, and when combined with 20 spoke wheels and my weight, everything starts to flex. However, the Synapse doesn't twist all that much. When flying down a hill with a rear facing GoPro, you can see the movement in the rear suspension. The Synapse will move about 10mm with me on it which is pretty darn stiff. The CAAD12, which is aluminum, rides somewhat differently. First, the 12 is much more aggressive in posture. My posture is much lower on a 12 and more stretched out, despite having a much smaller frame (50 vs 54). This changes a lot of the ride characteristics. The handling is sharper on the 12 and even more stable on the same fast descents. Comfort is an issue on long casual rides n the 12 (i.e., 100K or more) mainly because the pelvis is twisted forward more. The benefit is that the bike is fast and responsive as a result of the geometry. Second, on rough patches, it soaks up the road almost as well as the Synapse but maybe not as well as a Trek would with the Zerts thingies. Regardless, I never get road buzz or fatigue even on the lousy roads I ride on (which are sometimes packed gravel). It is not quite as stiff as the Synapse on climbs either. I can get lateral flex in the rear enough to get slight brake rub (>3mm lateral movement). It is rare, and it only happens when I am on the hippo side of my weight range. The vertical movement is slightly less than the Synapse, and I seem to get slightly better power transmission out of the 12. The big trade off is that it is fast. Because the geometry is lower, wind drag is reduced, I find that I can perform about 5% better with the 12 on short 50K runs. It also handles really well as a result of the lower geometry. The CAAD12 is a sports car racer, whereas the Synapse is a fast coupe. These days, I prefer fast and short rides (50K or so), so I use the CAAD12 more than anything else. One final note, is that I really like the idea of alloy over carbon. I've dinged an aluminum bike by careless handling and it really doesn't concern me from a safety perspective. On the other hand, I have had situations where bikes rub on a bike rack and take out chunks of carbon. That concerns me a lot more. Carbon strength comes from the structural integrity of the woven material. Also, with carbon, you can crunch the carbon but not see it. With alloy, you will see the dent, there's no hiding that. If a bike shop newb clamps the top tube slightly too much, nobody will notice the god awful crunch sound carbon makes when the fibers crack in the resin. Worse that defect won't necessarily show through the paint. I don't want to start a holy war (they each have merits), but these days I really like this new breed of alloy over carbon because to me, what I see is what I get.

[@3dfx243]

Hi Gregg, Thanks so much your insight, much appreciated, sorry it look so long for me to respond, I had lost the link to this video. According to your review I seem to be heading in the right direction with the CAAD12. Hope you keep up with the Cannondale DIY videos, they are great! Cheers, Don

[@jovianpesik]

Hi, I have the exact caad12. What seatpost and wheels are those?

[@srcitizen]

Jovian Pesik The wheels are PowerTap G3 (with Reynolds rims). The seat post is the Cannondale Save Carbon Di2 (gen 1). www.cannondaleexperts.com/Cannondale-Save-Carbon-Road-Seatpost-Di2-Compatible-254X350mm-15mm-offset-Carbon-CU42142542_p_4811.html

[@andymac1091]

Did you have to remove the bottom bracket to install the di2 wires?

[@srcitizen]

You have to remove the crank, not the BB30 bearings. Because the spindle is in the way, it will be nigh impossible to route the wires down from the seat tube with the crank in place. The junction from the seat tube to the bottom bracket tube is a hole that is nowhere near the size of the seat tube itself.

[@srcitizen]

FYI, I created a rear derailleur cable plug (also on Shapeways) so you don't have to buy the Synapse kit any longer. Seemed like a huge waste just to buy one plug.

[@topher.m]

Gregg Lagnese thanks for the great videos and creating the products. Life saver!! I'll be purchasing the full set!

[@brody5211]

Just had the new Ultegra fitted to my caad12 . Big problem . Rattle . Seems to be in the top tube . On rough ground the bike is rattling . I think it could also be in seat tube or B.B. also . LBS fitted it . Previous to this the bike was rattle free . Any ideas ?

[@srcitizen]

Did you slip a plastic sheath over the cable? If not, loosen the brake cable from the caliper and slide a piece of sheathing over it, then reattach it to the caliper.

[@michaelhammond4150]

So it cost only $2700 ? But what about my time / Is that not worth something?

[@kevtade]

Great video thank you. What is going to stop the DI2 cables from rubbing off the bottom bracket as its turning?

[@srcitizen]

kev There's plenty of room and slack so there is either no contact and/or no friction with the spindle.

[@kevtade]

Thank you very much

[@chaririderjapan7179]

Shimano Di2 is so much pain with the ass! Why now to do totally wireless like SRAM did?

[@lavellejordan543]

Check 1$&@