# Quandary, caad 8 vs 10



## birdman1 (Mar 13, 2011)

I've been a runner for quite a while, and done quite a bit of mountain biking the last few summers. I've been on the verge of buying a road bike for the last two years and finally decided to take the plunge as a graduation present to myself.

So enters the quandary, what bike to get? I did a lot of internet scouring and have come to the conclusion that on paper anyway I really like the new caad 10 (would be the 105 version for me), but after visiting my lbs they have last year's caad 8 tiagras on closeout (for 850 I think it was). I'm rather torn as I could afford the caad 10, but if I stand a good chance of outgrowing either and wanting a new bike in the next few years either way it doesn't make a lot of sense to drop the extra money on the 10.

So here I am, asking for the sage thoughts of the wisemen (or wisea...'s) here.

A word on my usage:
I live in KS right now, but will be moving to the CA desert for the summer and then to central PA next fall, so I'll be riding in a variety of terrain. I'll ride mostly for recreation, fitness, and occasionally to work this summer (25miles or so one way), though I'd also like to get into tri and bicycle racing (though as with my running racing I'm not any podium threat so I don't really care about being the absolute fastest - I'm racing myself mainly).


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

Outgrow it how? Like you're young, and still getting taller? Or you think that Tiagra and 105 components are somehow unworthy of serious riding?

If it's the former, you might stick with the CAAD 8. Transferring components from one frame to another is not necessarily as easy as it sounds, although not as bad with road bikes as with mountain bikes, and if you're good enough to finish races, you're good enough to be on a team and may have access to better deals than you do now.

If it's the latter, you should realize that the CAAD 8 is already better than anything Merckx got to ride as a professional, and the CAAD 10 is even better than that. I think Ultegra components have a little better feel and a reputation for a longer wear life, but the function, IME, is not any better than 105 stuff. The bike market is full of stuff equivalent to $250 running shoes. I do think that the difference between Tiagra and 105, at least the shifters, is worth spending some money on, and it's nice to have a bike with decent-quality hubs and bottom bracket, something that tend to wait until more expensive bikes to appear. Bummer, but there it is. If you start with better-quality components in the first place, you'll spend less on replacing things in the first couple seasons.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Given your (general) intended uses and considering this is your foray into road riding, I don't think there's a 'wrong' or 'bad' choice here, but I suggest going with the CAAD8 and using the savings for accessories/ pedal systems, etc.

The CAAD10 will be slightly lighter, and 105 gets you some refinement and 10 speeds, but Tiagra is a solid group that will serve you well and 9 speed parts will be around for quite some time, so obsolescence isn't a (short term) concern. 

Because fit is so important, especially on road bikes, it deserves mention. The geo of both models is the same, so fit/ ride/ handling will be as well, but if you haven't yet ridden one (or both) of the bikes, do so. What looks good 'on paper' doesn't always translate into good in the real world, so until you're ok with the test rides, pondering which model may be premature.


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## dgeesaman (Jun 9, 2010)

I agree with PJ, the 8 is a very nice bike and with a little extra cash you can buy nicer accessories and clothes that aren't attached to the bike itself. Good shoes, pedals, and shorts make a huge difference, certainly more significant than the Tiagra-105 increment.

If you stick with it you likely will get the itch for a nicer bike in the next year or two, but with either one the reason will not be because this bike is holding you back.

And central PA has some nice places to ride. I'm in Harrisburg area and I've enjoyed riding on both sides of the city as well as Lancaster county.


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## birdman1 (Mar 13, 2011)

I guess I should have been a little clearer - by outgrowing I didn't mean physically (I've gotten comfortable with being slightly on the shorter side ), but rather that I'd simply want a newer/shinier/higher specced bike in a few years and that going for the 10 would push that time off some.

Either way I was planning on springing for some nice shoes/shorts. I guess what it comes down to is - how much of a difference am I really going to feel between the two? I suspect that being inexperienced the difference is small enough that I'll never notice it until I'd notice the difference between a 10 and a nicer bike than it anyway and I might as well save the cash while I won't notice what it'll buy me. On the other hand 10 is a whole two bigger than 8...and being an engineer, I'm stuck between practicality and shiny toy syndrome 

Anyway, as PJ suggests I need to ride one of them first, time to kick this cold I've got I guess and have the bike shop put the 8 together.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

birdman1 said:


> I guess I should have been a little clearer - by outgrowing I didn't mean physically (I've gotten comfortable with being slightly on the shorter side ), but rather that I'd simply want a newer/shinier/higher specced bike in a few years and that going for the 10 would push that time off some.
> 
> Either way I was planning on springing for some nice shoes/shorts. I guess what it comes down to is - how much of a difference am I really going to feel between the two? I suspect that being inexperienced the difference is small enough that I'll never notice it until I'd notice the difference between a 10 and a nicer bike than it anyway and I might as well save the cash while I won't notice what it'll buy me. On the other hand 10 is a whole two bigger than 8...and being an engineer, I'm stuck between practicality and shiny toy syndrome
> 
> Anyway, as PJ suggests I need to ride one of them first, time to kick this cold I've got I guess and have the bike shop put the 8 together.


Since you're an engineer, I'll offer you this...

I'm very confident that you'd have to do a controlled study putting both bikes through identical tests, and even then the (very small) differences would only be meaningful if you raced.

As stated, go do some test rides, then decide.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

If you can tell the difference between the CAAD 8 and the CAAD 10 when you try them, and you're planning to compete, get the CAAD 10. Racing means putting in a lot of mileage, so you'll go through components faster; starting with nicer ones buys you a little more time before you need to start spending money replacing stuff. Not just the Shimano parts that go into the name of the bike, but also things like wheels and headsets. Doing masochistic things on my bike makes me appreciate having a little nicer shifters and a 10-speed cassette - I chose a little lower lowest gear for climbing, but it can also mean closer ratios for a little better top-end speed.

The difference is marginal, but so is the difference between finishing positions in a race, or among times in TTs and triathlons. Also, if you can feel a difference test-riding, think about how many hours you'll be spending on this thing when you're training for something.

If it doesn't pass the "can I tell the difference without looking at the bike" test, just get the 8. Tiagra has a really good service life, IME, and if you don't need magic unicorn wheels or a really fancy crank or something, bike components don't have to be that expensive to replace. The 10 also has a less common standard for its headset and bottom bracket, while parts to fit the bottom bracket shell and head tube on the 8 are going to be readily available and relatively inexpensive. If you're training seriously for cycle racing or tris, you're going to go through wear parts fairly quickly, so it's nice if there's a larger, cheaper selection of good-quality replacements. I kick myself a little every time I buy a 10-speed chain (twice as expensive, give or take) even though I actually really like the shifters and cassette that make it a necessity. I'm predicting that the 8 would need some replacement stuff sooner, but probably not this season and maybe not next season, aside from the chain and tires. So I think it would have cheaper cost of ownership even factoring in the shorter service lives of a few items.


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