Cannondale Quick Speed 2

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DavidS
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Cannondale Quick Speed 2

Postby DavidS » Sat Mar 16, 2013 7:14 pm

If you read the 6K thread you may have noticed that my bike is no more :(

I've looked at a few bikes today and am wondering if anyone has opinions on the Cannondale Quick Speed 2, you can see the details here: http://www.rivalbikes.com.au/cannondale ... -bike.html

I looked around on Bikexchange last night and found a few choices to look at so I hit the bike shops today. I am after an upmarket, but not carbon, flat bar roadie. I like flat bars so suggesting a drop bar will not help me (anyway, nowhere to put my basket on a drop bar, and do you really want me sullying the image of drop bars riding around with my rear basket ;) ). This would be to replace a Giant CRX3 which now has a broken frame. I am also looking at 2 chainwheels and 10 gears on the cassette, so 20 gears in all as I never use the small chainwheel on the Giant.

Tried a Cannondale Quick SL2. This was quite nice, maybe a bit upright for me, but a comfortable bike. It also gave me a view on the sizing of Cannondale bikes and I would take an XL in their sizes.

Tried a Giant Cross City RX1 but was looking at the RX0. The RX0 has better specs but the bike they had in my size was the RX1. I would almost have just bought an RX0 but the distributor does not have them in my size (L on a Giant) and wont be getting more in until the new models come out in July. Gee I wonder why internet sales are doing so well when bike shops get this sort of support from their distributors.

Tried an Apollo Exceed 40 which was not quite right for me sizing wise. Nice bike but doesn't seem to fit me.

Ditto on the Merida Speeder T5 which had the advantage of Ultegra gears (all the others have 105) but again not such a good fit.

Lastly looked at a couple of Treks, the 7.6fx would be the one but I just felt the Giant and Cannondale were more to my liking.

The Cannondale I tried was a Quick SL2 rather than a Quick Speed 2. The Quick Speed 2 is a bit more aggressive with a top tube which is slightly longer and the stem coming off the front of the forks is flatter. The handlebars are different but not sure exactly how. This all adds up to the sort of fit I'm looking for and I liked the sizing of the Cannondale. The saddle would be replaced with the Brooks B17 special on the current bike and I would also be transferring across mudguards, rack, basket, lights etc.

Has anyone riden one of these or heard anything?

DS
Allegro T1, Auren Swift :)

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DavidS
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Re: Cannondale Quick Speed 2

Postby DavidS » Sun Mar 17, 2013 10:53 pm

Hmm, not much familiarity with this model. Oh well, I went ahead and ordered one. Funny thing was that we looked at the geometry and they ended up sizing me up on a Cannondale Road bike as the geometry was closer to that. Should arrive in about a week and I'll get all the parts off the old bike and on to the new. The bike shop will do a bike fit so I'll take my saddle and pedals down there and get everything adjusted right for me. The frame size is clearly bigger than the Giant so shouldn't face the same issue.

DS
Allegro T1, Auren Swift :)

wozza
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Re: Cannondale Quick Speed 2

Postby wozza » Thu Mar 21, 2013 12:37 am

The Quick Speed looks good to me - seems like quite a road bike like geometry and good spec's. I currently commute on a mountain bike and have started looking for something faster to help spice up the commute a bit more and encourage me to go on longer rides on the weekend. I'm also sick of paying for a new chain/cassette at least once a year, so will even consider an internal hub, like the Quick Speed 3 has. Web forums seem to bring up mixed opinions on internal hubs, and they add weight, so I'm not sure... Have been loitering at a few shops but still a few months of saving to do, so not test ridden anything as yet.

It's interesting that the Quick Speed is only sold in some countries. eg Not available in NZ, US, UK. Seems to be very little commentary about the bike on the web.
While a test ride is obviously going to be the primary decision factor, I do like that the Quick Speed already has excellent tyres, good components, and maybe I'm being naive, but I like that the wheels have a lot of spokes! I have broken a few spokes over the years...

I hope to read what you think of the bike once you've had some time with it.

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DavidS
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Re: Cannondale Quick Speed 2

Postby DavidS » Fri Mar 22, 2013 12:00 am

Yeah I'll post when I get it (Saturday). I too have noticed that there is not much info on the speed models as opposed to the SL models. I think maybe because they are more expensive. Didn't know they weren't available in some countries.

I prefer derraileur because I know I can fix them myself. I realise this is actually irrational since the hub gears rarely fail but derraileurs are nice and simple.

Lots of spokes? I had 36 on the back wheel of my last bike and used to go through them. Hopefully less spokes will be ok but I think it should be ok. I looked at the specs and it is meant to be able to take a person who weighs 136Kg plus 14Kg of luggage, I don't weigh that much but closer than I want.

DS

AndrewBurns
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Re: Cannondale Quick Speed 2

Postby AndrewBurns » Fri Mar 22, 2013 7:51 am

Just a question, why go flat bar? If you're interested in a flat bar with a more agressive geometry and a less upright position it seems like you should just get a road bike with drop bars, then you get the comfort of all the different hand positions you want and there's a lot more choice out there. If you want something that can take mudguards, fenders and wider tyres then go for a cyclocross bike.

When I was looking for my first proper bike I was looking for a flat bar too because that was all I'd ever known but I eventually went for drop bars and I'm glad I did, I only ever ride on the road and paths so why not go with what is most efficient on that terrain?

wozza
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Re: Cannondale Quick Speed 2

Postby wozza » Sat Mar 23, 2013 9:52 pm

I must admit I haven't really considered drop bars. Since your comment I've been reading about the cyclocross bikes and they do seem like they may suit my needs. A little bit more expensive, but the versatility looks very appealing. When I start test riding bikes I'll definitely try a cyclocross and see how it feels. Probably won't find one with an internal hub, but I'm still not sold on them yet anyway.

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DavidS
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Re: Cannondale Quick Speed 2

Postby DavidS » Sun Mar 24, 2013 12:50 am

I really do have trouble with the hostility towards flat bars. Can I just say I bloody well like them?

Some of you folk should take a look at the cyclists you share the roads with, there's a hell of a lot of flat bars being sold and ridden around. Must be something people like about them. Amongst the bikes I see at work (Uni) I reckon the flat bars outnumber the drop bars.

Every time I say I'm getting a flat bar someone comes along and says "you should get a drop bar". I'm getting it here and on another forum.

Next people will be saying I'll just replace it with a drop bar in 6 months. Well, I'm replacing a flat bar with a flat bar. Had the last one for 3.5 years and did 21,000Kms. I know what I'm getting.

I've got it now, put all my crap on it and it's a very nice bike.

Wozza, don't listen to all these people telling you that you should get a drop bar. You should get what is right for you. Try both and see what you like.

DS

AndrewBurns
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Re: Cannondale Quick Speed 2

Postby AndrewBurns » Sun Mar 24, 2013 6:31 am

DavidS wrote:I really do have trouble with the hostility towards flat bars. Can I just say I bloody well like them?

Some of you folk should take a look at the cyclists you share the roads with, there's a hell of a lot of flat bars being sold and ridden around. Must be something people like about them. Amongst the bikes I see at work (Uni) I reckon the flat bars outnumber the drop bars.

Every time I say I'm getting a flat bar someone comes along and says "you should get a drop bar". I'm getting it here and on another forum.

Next people will be saying I'll just replace it with a drop bar in 6 months. Well, I'm replacing a flat bar with a flat bar. Had the last one for 3.5 years and did 21,000Kms. I know what I'm getting.

I've got it now, put all my crap on it and it's a very nice bike.

Wozza, don't listen to all these people telling you that you should get a drop bar. You should get what is right for you. Try both and see what you like.

DS
Hey David perhaps you should calm down and read what I said? Maybe that flat bar of yours has gotten to you :P

Did I make a blanket statement about flat bars being rubbish and drop bars being the bomb? No. I just said that if he was looking for a bike with more aggressive geometry he should consider a drop bar road bike.

- I said he might enjoy the different hand positions, is this disparaging flat bars?
- I said there would be more choice around (especially for a bike with more aggressive geometry), am I wrong?
- I told him my experience with looking for a bike and that I was looking for a flat bar because I'd never tried drop bars before, are you going to dispute that these were my experiences?

Wozza himself mentioned that he hadn't considered drop bar bikes so I feel that I've done a good thing by getting him to think about and try them and see what he likes, personally I don't see that your post has helped wozza very much, maybe it has helped you more.

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The Walrus
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Re: Cannondale Quick Speed 2

Postby The Walrus » Sun Mar 24, 2013 9:00 am

I like flat bars but I ride a roadie with drops. It took me a long long time to get used to them from a flat bar/MTB background, and I can see both advantages, but neither is right or wrong!

Yes people will argue that for longer rides a drop bar offers more flexibility but I'm not entirely convinced. I still have thoughts of swapping mine for a flat bar, why? Because I like to ride them!

toppity
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Re: Cannondale Quick Speed 2

Postby toppity » Sun Mar 24, 2013 12:09 pm

I have both. Flat bars on the MTB and several roadbikes with drop bars. I generally use my MTB for 50km rides on some gravel roads, but I reckon you would consider it is set up more like a commuter than a MTB. I find I have to have bar ends on flat bars, otherwise there is not enough hand position options to suit me. If I had to choose i'd go with drops.

Anyway the Quick 2 is a nice bike. Hope you enjoy.

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DavidS
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Re: Cannondale Quick Speed 2

Postby DavidS » Sun Mar 24, 2013 11:21 pm

Andrew Burns, just a question, why a drop bar? Ever been asked that? Probably not. It's a question I keep getting asked about a flat bar. Why is this?

Flat bars have more relaxed riding positions and more aggressive riding positions. They are flexible. I can have my hands sideways or flat on the bar.

Had a couple of quick rides but commuting from tomorrow with the new bike.

DS

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