Tested: Cannondale CAAD12 Disc Dura-Ace
The CAAD12 improves upon the sublime ride of the Bicycling Editors' Choice-winning CAAD10. Cannondale's aim was to get the best-riding, most compliant aluminum race frame possible, without sacrificing the cornering, control, and precision of the existing model. The company succeeded: The CAAD12 Disc does a magical job of shielding you from the road at both ends, with a front that's still stiff enough that it allows you to wallop the bike in all-out efforts and sprints.
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The 12 feels similar in ride characteristics to a CAAD10 with rim brakes, though it edges out the 10 for overall compliance, even with the stouter frame needed to handle the discs. The skinny seatstays sport an update with Cannondale's SPEED SAVE technology: Flattened sections and computer-optimized wall thickness and shaping mean the stays can flex or stay strong where needed and save weight where possible. Up front the all-new, full-carbon fork is compliant and comfortable and incorporates fibers that run from the fork tips to the top of the steerer tube for improved strength. Best of all, the great ride is still a great value: The CAAD12 is available in both rim- and disc-brake versions and seven different builds, starting at $1,680.
Cannondale says it skipped the CAAD11 moniker because there was just too much goodness in the new model for only a single point increase. We heartily agree.
Price: $4,260, as tested
Weight: 18 lb. (54 cm)
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