Cannondale's CAAD series of aluminium road bikes has long been a stalwart for roadies looking for a top-performing, value-packed bike that can cut it in racing and group rides. We haven't had a new one in a while and I've found myself wanting a fresh dose of alloy goodness.
With that in mind, here's my open letter to Connecticut, the home of Cannondale, with my wishlist for the CAAD14 (and a few of my own sketches to help).
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2019 was the last time Cannondale brought us a premium CAAD aluminium road bike.
The venerable CAAD13, which I awarded 4.5 stars in my review, is a bike I’ve enjoyed and been impressed with. It mimicked the design of the SuperSix Evo of the time, with the same handling dynamics and a thoroughly modern look.
That's all well and good, but it meant the CAAD13 didn't stand out, and most riders would choose a lower-end, carbon SuperSix Evo model rather than a high-price alloy bike when the two looked so similar.
I want the next CAAD to return to the bike's heyday, and that of wider aluminium bike design, which culminated in the glorious – and 2016 BikeRadar Bike of the Year-winning – CAAD12 (here's my review from the time).
Don't let me down, Cannondale!
Why CAAD matters
The CAAD12 carried with it the DNA of legendary Cannnodale bikes such as the Saeco-Cannondale CAAD3 and CAAD4 team bikes, resplendent in a beautiful and iconic red/yellow colourway.
The classic horizontal top tube, full-length seatstays and short wheelbase of the CAAD12 carried over from the earliest days of Cannondale’s pro-level alloy line-up, loved by racers and riders who appreciated nimble handling and rapid response.
The CAAD frameset was a staple of criterium racers globally looking for a tough, fast bike that could take a few knocks and come back fighting.
Cannondale made the CAAD13 more 'modern', but there’s a precedent for a return to the style of the CAAD12 and earlier.
Specialized proved that with the Aethos (while we're at it, can we have an alloy Aethos please?), and its gravel Crux sibling is also available as an alloy version with the Crux DSW.
Interestingly, Peter Denk was the lead engineer on the Aethos and Crux, and he was also the man behind the original SuperSix Evo, which shared the same classic lines as Cannondale’s CAAD race designs.
Lately, where mainstream brands have stepped away from performance-focused alloy, we’ve seen a re-emergence from upstarts such as Germany's Standert, while established brands such as the UK’s own Condor still have some fine alloy bikes in their range, too.
Cannondale could be primed to get back into the premium alloy game with a lot of potential success.
The Cannondale Optimo serves the entry-level end of the market well, but the current CAAD13 tends to be forgotten alongside the latest SuperSix Evo, so having a point of difference to the design, rather than mimicking its carbon WorldTour stablemate, would be a big plus.
5 things I want from the CAAD14 (and some sketches)
1. A return to a classic silhouette
I want the 14th CAAD to have the classic silhouette that made Cannondale what it is when it comes to road bikes, aping the look of the Saeco, Liquigas and even the Sagan-era Evos.
The frame should have the classic horizontal top tube, a cleverly swaged down tube, flattened seatstays – as we've seen from Cannondale previously – to add a bit of comfort, and oversized chainstays for that all-important power transfer.
2. My dream geometry
Drilling down into the geometry details, it needs a short wheelbase, so as close to 415mm chainstays as larger tyres allow.
Up-front, Cannondale should keep the steering geometry from the Evo, so a short 45mm offset on anything size 56cm and above, and an increase to 55mm on smaller frames to avoid toe overlap. Long reach and mid-height stack too, please.
3. Big tyre clearance… but not too big
I’d like to see clearance for a 32c road tyre.
We don’t need any more than that for road riding, but – and here's another request to Cannondale – you could make an alloy SuperX, just as you used to make the alloy CAADX, a forerunner of the modern gravel bike.
4. It's time to embrace UDH
It's time for the CAAD to get the UDH rear dropout.
I’m convinced SRAM’s direct-mount standard, which debuted with the Transmission mountain bike groupsets before moving over to the brand's latest gravel components, is coming to the road. As I've said before, it's time to kill off the derailleur hanger.
Having this stiffer, sharper-shifting, tougher and lower-profile rear derailleur design would be a massive boon to crit racers.
Cable routing should have the option for fully internal or not, so let’s drill the down tube, and the fork for a hose, too.
5. The finer details
As for the finer details on my wishlist, I'd like a round seat tube and an external clamp to keep the bike stripped down for simplicity. There's just no need for hidden compartments and the like.
However, it certainly should have eyelets for mudguards or fenders, and a BSA bottom bracket.
Finally, can we have the smooth welds of Cannondales of old? I know they didn’t bring any performance to the party, but they didn’t half look good…
