Cannondale Quick Carbon 1

Comments:

I'm a life-long/avid cyclist who typically rides high-end road bikes. After back surgery and a year of PT, I was looking for a stright-bar alternative to a road bike but I didn't want to compromise on performance. I find that with bar-ends the more upright posture allows me to ride my normal 15-20 miles/day without causing back strain. The issue has been that the few straight-bar bikes I've tried have really been mountain bikes with road wheels. They've had mountain bike gearing and components and simply don't perform like a road bike. This bike is at the opposite end of that spectrum; it's a high-quality road bike with straight bars. It's a fun, comfortable, powerful ride. The gearing, high-end components, beautiful carbon frame with SAVE stays, and architecture all lend to a road bike feel and performance. The only complaint I have is the use of hydraulic and not mechanical disc brakes. Hydraulics are a must for hard-core mountain and trail rides. But I'll argue that this bike is more a road bike that will handle a light trail, but with the 700x28c tires I'd be VERY careful riding any non-paved trails. I actually cannot ever see riding this bike on anything but pavement. Mechanical discs on a road application still outperform rim brakes. I wish this bike had been loaded with mechanicals; the fussy (need special tools and experience) hydraulic brakes are a complication I don't want. I will be replacing them with mechanicals and I imagine the bike will ride better once I do. The hydraulics rub no matter what I do and the lack of adjustment capability on them is frustrating. I don't want to buy a whole new slate of special tools (bleed kits, etc...) and then have to take the time to hassle with the oil and learning how to adjust them. Yet neither do I want to have to haul my bike to my dealer for an adjustment every few weeks; the mechanicals I am ordering are fully adjustable - with dials on the caliper! That aside, everything from the seat & post to the stem, bars, gears, rims, etc... is simply stellar. It's not the sort of bike you buy and immediately start looking at the parts you want to replace. This one comes with everything a die-hard gear-head would want. I think it's really the ultimate in fitness/urban/commuter bikes... and I rode/tested several top carbon-bodied straight bar models from other top road-bike makers. The Quick Carbon 1 was more expensive but was head and shoulders above the others regarding the quality of the parts and the enjoyment/performance/comfort of the ride.

Comments:

I would call this bike a "Rybrid" i.e. a cross between a road bike and a hybrid. It is fast, light, and a pleasure to ride and to look at. I was a C* rider with my Trek Fx 7.5 and this bike alone added about 3 mph and allowed me to join B rides. It is not difficult to maintain 15mph overall and 17mph on the flats with this bike. I took several trial rides to compare this bikes speed and handling with the "relaxed" road bikes made by Cervello and Cannondale. The small decrement in power transfer compared to a road bike that you may give up due to the upright geometry is more than compensated by the safety and comfort of the upright position. Beware that if you purchase this bike and go on group rides you will encounter at least one person every day who will ask something like "What is that? That is some cool looking bike"

Comments:

I take this bike from Financial District to George Washington Bridge and Back in about an hour twenty minutes on West Side Highway bike path (approx 24 miles.) It is smooth, excellerates quick past mindless rent a bike riders and is quite nimble navigating around smart phone talking tourists that wonder unconsciously into the bike path near The Intrepid on 42 nd street. You can really appreciate the acceleration and handling in rapid city traffic where your life is at stake....superb stopping power...excellent exceleration from a red light stand still...absorbs street vibration beautifully even on cold days no buzzing fingers after dismount. I was going to sell this bike after a year of getting into shape and buy a lighter, faster racing bike in the $5000-$7000 range but in the city this bike is so versatile from central park to west side highway to Tribeca cobble stone streets that I can't bring myself to part with it.

Comments:

great bike

Comments:

Great bike. Handles well. Very comfotable. I am very happy with this bike.