Road Bike Build Breakdown: CAAD13 Long Term

[@zm4242]

Gorgeous Bike ❤, best aluminum road bike!

[@BTGCycling]

Glad you like it! I appreciate you checking it out

[@brianstranyak1049]

indeed

[@_xnk7257]

I miss the Cannondale welds of old... Thanks for sharing your bikes, great work!

[@BTGCycling]

There really was something special about those old CAAD7s

[@SvenfromKiel]

Nice bike. Still happy with my oldschool CAAD 10 with Dura Ace STI and Ultegra, FSA-crank and I have no complaints and don‘t miss disc. I am running Easton Tempest 2 + also GP5000 with it and I am really happy with a Fabric Swoop saddle + Ritchey Carbon seatpost. My Garmin now 😅 is a Karoo2 which works very well.

[@BTGCycling]

Sounds like a solid, classic build. I honestly think I am missing out on the biggest benefit of discs, which is being able to run extremely wide wheels and tires. Hopefully I can afford to change that sooner rather than later.

[@brianstranyak1049]

Nice bike. I have a CAAD 10 w/ Ultegra. And just recently upgraded to the Cannondale crank w/ spider ring. The FSA SLA Light crank broke. Left crank arm pedal insert was loose

[@BTGCycling]

The hollowgram 10 spoke crank? Those look good!

[@brianstranyak1049]

@@BTGCyclingYes. And it does look amazing.

[@LukeRichardson1981]

I'm a fan of GP5000s, but unfortunately they're super tough to get on to my wheels. As a result, I've switched to Vittoria Corsa Controls, which are just about as fast and puncture resistant, but considerably easier to mount. I'm using RideNow 24g TPU tubes with them and I'm super happy with them.

[@BTGCycling]

I’ve heard a lot of people say that about GP5000s, but I’ve never had the issue. My team used to be sponsored by Vittoria so I used Corsas for a while, but had multiple issues with the tire delaminating. Glad they’re working out for you!

[@angela-onesroman8873]

btw I'd also go with some ridenow tpu tubes, they are considerably lighter and are roughly the same price, it's a no-brainer bro...

[@angela-onesroman8873]

nice ride, I own a custom built caad13 myself, i have a set of 2023 lun hyper r45 wheels which are excellent, I would consider them over the hollowgram wheels, the hollowgram wheels are about 1700 grams which in this day in age are pretty heavy, the hypers are about 1300 grams. the hypers did go up in price but they do have different variants, also the elite drive are an excellent choice. good luck.

[@BTGCycling]

I appreciate the suggestions, I’ll take a look at these

[@JeBaSIINGH23]

Great bike! I have the same one and am inspired by your upgrades! My only qualm with Cannondale is the sizing they offer. 48 to 51 is a larger jump and I was torn between the sizes. alas i opt'd for the 51 which is a bit too long for me. hoping this is my forever bike for now!

[@BTGCycling]

I’m really enjoying it! I’ve made a few more significant changes to the bike since this video that I’ll probably go over in the future.

[@gabrielealdini1052]

My caad13 with hallow gram knot 64 and 105 shimano mechanical 11sp , 165 crankset weight 8.4kg in 51 frame size . Can keep up with any other high end carbon bike on the market . Love cannondale aluminium frame

[@thierrysf]

The cat is nice and seems to be interested in bike stuff.

[@BTGCycling]

She’s just the best

[@conceptcs]

GP5000's are the best. Nice setup for a Aluminum frame bike. Thanks for sharing your build.

[@BTGCycling]

Thanks! Its first race of the season is tonight, so we’ll see how it goes. I’ll be uploading the race footage later this week.

[@rogersmith4926]

I use also contis5000 for years, and they are amazing, you could put a 28 mm tire in the back and a 25 mm Tyre in the front. I ride that way, the wider the tire the more weight you get on your wheels, but also you ride more comfortable with wider tires and the wheels have to be as much light as possible, i use the Zipp Rims they are stiff and lightweight but expensive 800 Euros the set, wheels should weight max 1500 grams then you are way faster and quicker. My CAAD 10 weight 8 Kilos with the Zipp 30 Course rims. it's a rimmmbrake but im happy with that, thinking now to get me a new bike with disc brakes.

[@BTGCycling]

I appreciate the suggestions! I just made a video with my new set of wheels that matches some of this.

[@ronaldomartinsdossantos8282]

I love Cannondale!!

[@luukslutter6393]

you can take a look at Scope R4/R5 wheels. they a great and not that expensive.

[@BTGCycling]

I appreciate the suggestion, I’ll give them a look

[@wiebehd531]

@@BTGCyclingBetter to look for the S4/S5 then, You save about a third of the price for last gen's specs over the R4/R5!

[@Nightfox56]

Lovely bike - but almost 9kg is tough. I miss the old rim break CAADs with which you could have sub-7kg-builds for a (by today's standards) reasonable price :(

[@Acejustforalaugh]

Would you like to hear about my 1974 Schwinn Le Tour? 😊

[@GymLuca5]

How much does the bike weigh?

[@BTGCycling]

19.7 pounds with pedals, cages, and computer mount

[@mikekane9213]

I just bought this bike. Any issues with the press fit bottom bracket creaking?

[@BTGCycling]

No issues with a creaky bottom bracket. The only noise I’ve ever had was from the seatpost clamp.

[@mikekane9213]

@@BTGCycling thanks for the reply

[@714SNF]

Nice bike setup! I'm new to cycling, been browsing the used market, do you recommend a CAAD 12 or 13 for about the same price?

[@BTGCycling]

It depends on what you’re going for! While I race on the CAAD 13 and do fine with it, the 12 definitely has a more aggressive geometry. Endurance riding and racing = CAAD13 Pure crit machine = CAAD 12

[@714SNF]

@@BTGCycling Thanks!

[@johnyoon5399]

I got a CAAD13 to replace a stolen CAAD9 - for a while, I missed the sharper handling of the 9, but the 13 has really grown on me, to the point that I've almost forgotten about the 9. I got an Aethos (nearly identical geometry as the 9) because I missed the ride/handling of the 9, but I find that I prefer the ride of the CAAD over the Aethos. Barely noticeable difference in performance too.

[@BTGCycling]

I hate bike thieves, that’s tough, I had an Allez Sprint stolen years ago. Those older CAADs were definitely super aggressive, but I do enjoy the ability to do long days in the saddle on the 13 without issue.

[@johnyoon5399]

@@BTGCycling yeah the 13 brings the comfort to a new level. I don’t think it deserves the hate it gets - after spending a reasonable amount of time with it, I think it has the perfect blend of stiffness/compliance for the enthusiast rider. I think the fact that I prefer it to the Aethos, which feels like a CAAD9 on steroids to me, says a lot.

[@johnyoon5399]

I was kind of surprised I didn’t like the Allez Sprint - made me realize I prefer a more relaxed geo. But yeah - bike thieves are scum.

[@megaxzero88]

@johnyoon5399 Could you elaborate a little more? I got a caad13 since I thought it would perform like caad10, however it seems a little heavy/slow. Prices for 2nd hand aethos are pretty low, and I'm wondering if I should switch over to aethos to get that more lively feeling that I was looking for. I do agree the caad13 is comfortable and stiff, but I feel a lot of it is because of a heavier frame.

[@johnyoon5399]

@@megaxzero88 It seems to me you’re looking for the feeling of going fast vs. actually going fast. According to my Strava times, the Aethos has a slight performance advantage over the CAAD13 (mostly on hills). But it’s pretty negligible. In terms of agility/handling, the Aethos is undoubtedly sharper, but over time, I’ve come to appreciate the benefit of slightly slower handling. Below around 15mph, the faster handling is preferable, as it feels more agile and fun. But the more you exceed that threshold, the benefits of slower handling get more and more pronounced. The CAAD13’s handling, I believe, is tuned for higher speeds - while it may seem slow handling at lower speeds, it is extremely stable at higher speeds, while being very responsive to rider inputs. In contrast, the Aethos feels twitchy at higher speeds - I don’t have as much confidence going downhill on it. Also keep in mind the aero benefits increase the faster you go. I haven’t yet mentioned the acceleration factor, which is probably the biggest reason people love the old CAADs and Aethos. The Aethos is the fastest accelerating bike I’ve ever ridden (in terms of feel) - that’s the main reason I bought it. It almost feels like there’s an invisible force pushing you along. I’m still not sure if the CAAD13 is slower accelerating than the old CAADs - it has a different feel, almost springy rather than the direct response of the old CAADs. So if you’re looking for fast-handling and explosive acceleration, the Aethos may be for you. While I very much appreciate these characteristics, I find that the CAAD13 suits my everyday riding better. I even find that it is more comfortable than the Aethos, likely due to its larger geometry. I’ve heard a story about someone who sold their fully upgraded SuperSix Evo because their CAAD13 sufficiently ticked the same boxes - I have entertained the same thoughts about selling the Aethos, but I’ve never seriously considered selling the CAAD13.

[@zm4242]

I wouldn’t change anything about it , I’d ride it,way it was made from factory

[@zm4242]

What could you do to transform this bike into endurance version?, because I live in NY and streets are rough

[@BTGCycling]

This bike can fit up to 32 mm tired, has mounts for fevers, and comes stock with a relatively upright geometry. It can be quite the endurance setup with minimal changes.

[@zm4242]

Like , maybe put on endurance tires?

[@BTGCycling]

@@zm4242 correct, something like a GP5000 or ultrasport in 32 mm width would make it super comfortable

[@WeezyZZ]

What's your height? I am 185cm and I am thinking about 56cm frame. Will it be ok?

[@BTGCycling]

I am 186 cm with a long torso, so I went with the 58 cm

[@germantalash5189]

Is the seatpost proprietary and cant be changed with anythibg but Cannondale one?

[@BTGCycling]

It is

[@germantalash5189]

@@BTGCycling K. Thanks!

[@EverythingWasGreat]

Bike manufacturers really screwed us over with the "we wont sell rim brake bikes or wheels from now on". I just sold my CAAD12 Sram red etap with zipp 303, it weighed

[@BTGCycling]

Why sell the 12?

[@EverythingWasGreat]

@BTGCycling it started when i was looking to buy new carbon wheels. I realized that stores doesn't have them stocked anymore. So i sold the bike to go into the "new era" of road bikes. Before my CAAD12 i had a CAAD10 black inc. Im thinking its time to try a CF bike this time around, CF bikes with discs have a better second hand market but are a pain to buy. I dont know if the argument "less road noise in a CF bike " is still relevant with the trend of big tires and fat CF rims. They aren't lighter. I will see if i can find a Supersix Evo 4 to upgrade over time or a Allebike industrie due to their insane value (respect to buyers wallet).

[@ariffau]

@@EverythingWasGreatWinspace and Elite still makes them. There are also custom builders like Light Bicycle if you fancy a Chris King R45 hub on there 😅

[@darianjohnson2556]

Gm did your bike come with front speed sensor?

[@BTGCycling]

It did, though I don’t use it.

[@darianjohnson2556]

@@BTGCycling ok im bout to get that same caad i just couldn’t remember if i seen it or not but i seen it on some other model in videos did you see the new evo 3 that thing look awesome

[@714SNF]

What made you go with the Di2 version over the AXS version?

[@BTGCycling]

Personal preference. I just like how shimano works more than sram

[@714SNF]

@@BTGCycling Thx for sharing your bike, I just purchased the same saddle bag, very minimalist!

[@sebastian-FX357Z1]

Specialized allez sprint r just as good compared to caad 13.

[@BTGCycling]

I won’t argue that, they’re both very good bikes, but I’m not a huge fan of Specialized’s business practices

[@danielsavage1784]

Aluminum is ok if you weigh less than 180 lbs

[@BTGCycling]

I’ve never heard that stipulation, do you mind explaining? I’m under that threshold by a decent chunk, but still curious

[@danielsavage1784]

@@BTGCycling I weigh 240. I can easily produce 1200 watts, maybe 1500 transients. On my old aluminum bike, that often resulted in the frame flexing and the chain grinding gears. I have a Cervello carbon fiber bike that is stiff AF. Transforms power into forward motion, not flex.

[@anthonykoleszar1779]

At 240 you may want to consider titanium.

[@SvenfromKiel]

@@danielsavage1784not every Aluminium frame is the same and my experience is totally different and I am not a lightweight. 😊

[@kabobsyea9985]

grandma bike

[@BTGCycling]

You right