# CAAD 10 Upgrades



## BillyNJ (May 1, 2012)

Hello, this is my first post horay!

I have recently picked up a Red 2011 CAAD 10 with 105's. When I bought the bike I had no intention on dumping more money into it and figured I would ride it for a year or so then upgrade to a full carbon bike. After reading a lot on these forums I have heard nothing but great things about the bike and am considering upgrading some parts. So I have a few questions.


Wheels.. The bike has the RS10s on it now.

Crank - The bike has a FSA Gossamer PRO BB30 on it and I was considering upgrading this as well.


Looking for some feedback on items i should look at and if the $ vs performance is worth it.


Thanks


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

The first thing you should look into is fit...Does the bike fit you well, or are there things you would change?

Stem: If you feel too stretched or too cramped, look at a different stem
Seat Post: If you are at the extremes of your saddle rails a post with different lay back could be in order
Saddle: An area where lots of people have issuse could be replaced
Bars: Do you feel to wide/narrow when riding on the hoods or drops.

All of these are starting places if you have fit issues and by upgrading to aftermarket parts can save 1/4-1/2 pound overall...but if it helps in getting a good fit, it will make a huge difference overall.

Aside from that, if your fit is good, the next best place to look is wheels. 

A nice set of wheels will shave anywhere from 1 - 2 (ish) pounds off your bike (depending on how much you spend and what wheelset you have now), reduce rotating weight which will allow you to accelerate/climb faster. Also, going with a wider rim that's in fashion these days will allow you to run slightly lower pressure in your tires for a much improved ride with better traction as a side benefit.

The crank is an area where you can lose a lot of weight...but it's placed low on the bike and a part that doesn't wear out often. Unless you don't like the way it looks or are trying to go super light weight...it doesn't make much sense to replace it.

Replacing your cables with a nice set can make a big difference when it comes to shifting/braking performance and is an area most people ignore/neglect when it comes to upgrading...but can make a big difference in the performance of the bike.

Other light weight/cheap areas to replace on a bike:

Bar tape: It's cheap and the stuff that comes stock on a bike can weigh a fair amount more than aftermarket stuff. You can also change the color depending on whether you like the stock color or not. 

Tires/Tubes: A lighter set of tubes are cheap and won't effect how often you get flats (if something can go through your tire and extra .25mm of rubber isn't going to stop it). This can save 15-20 grams or rotating weight per wheel. Tires are a high wear item and you will have to replace them sooner or later. They not only can save weight but improve performance and flat protection. A nice tire will ride better, corner better an may/may not last longer than a cheap tire.


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

I think wheels and tires will be the best value to upgrade.

What would be a wheel budget?

As for tires, I run the Vittoria Open Corsa EVO 25 mm. They ride really well, but a tad fragile. If you are on good pavement most of the time, you can run those. You have to search for sales on them to get a good price. 

I've also run the Conti 4000s in 25 mm with good results. It's a bit tougher, but does not ride as well.


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## BillyNJ (May 1, 2012)

I would spend anything on the wheels if it made sense. I dont know if spending 1500 bucks on a set of wheels for a 1500 dollar bike would be practical. I could be wrong. I have seen a handful of the cheaper carbon wheels from china etc on ebay for like 500 bucks for a set. Again I really dont know if those would even be worth it. I put a pair of Vittoria Rubino tires on the bike last week they are 700x23


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## earlfoss (Aug 1, 2010)

It's true, anything that rotates on the bike would be a priority target for upgrade. After that, you can really lighten up the bike by replacing seatpost, stem and bars. There's light stuff out there that won't break the bank too if you look in the right interweb places.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

BillyNJ said:


> I would spend anything on the wheels if it made sense. I dont know if spending 1500 bucks on a set of wheels for a 1500 dollar bike would be practical. I could be wrong. I have seen a handful of the cheaper carbon wheels from china etc on ebay for like 500 bucks for a set. Again I really dont know if those would even be worth it. I put a pair of Vittoria Rubino tires on the bike last week they are 700x23


You don't have to spend $1500 for a good wheelset that will both perform well and save weight.

In your case I would stay away from any deep carbon rim wheels and tubulars as well.

A nice set of hand built wheels will go a long way toward lightening up your bike, increasing performance and in many ways adding durability to your bike. Most of the time you can get a 1500 gram, handbuilt wheelset for $400-$500 or so.

It would be well worth the cost if you want to upgrade. Throw on a nice set of tires and light tubes and you just took off a pound of weight from your bike and increased performance.

Look around...there are a couple of custom builders that frequent the wheels section of this forum that would offer a wealth of knowledge.


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## Mr_Clean (Feb 12, 2012)

Ah, the new bike syndrome. I found myself in the same situation, Bill! As they said, proper fit is key. In my case, I had to change the stem, post and bar in order to dial in my fit. The stock saddle was too soft for my liking (a bit heavy too), so I replaced it. The RS10 wheelset is functional, but heavy. It felt noodly too (I'm 165 lbs). It rides so much better with my current sheelset. Oh, I swapped out the FSA cranks as well. Due to budget constraints, I went with compact 105's using cone adapters. I did this for 2 reasons: crappy shifting, BB squeak, and the non-drive side crank bolt that didn't hold torque. 

If the bike fits well out of the box, and these things don't bother you... keep it stock. It will work well with proper tuning.


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## fastev (Jan 4, 2010)

Custom wheels that fit your needs are never a bad choice. Neither are Cannondale Hollowgram cranks...


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## jcgill (Jul 20, 2010)

In my opinion, the most important is fit, followed by wheels.

Get the bikes fit tailored to you; then upgrade the wheels to a set that fits your riding.....That should address all the upgrades....The fsa crank is pretty good. I wouldn't worry about upgrading the crank unless you change out the whole group.


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## defboob (Aug 31, 2011)

+1 for new wheels, i've been researching which ones to get as well for my caad10! Boyd, ROL, Williams, so many choices for an easy way to drop 1+lbs of rolling weight.


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## Ahillock (Apr 16, 2011)

Save up for a power meter next.


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## Mr_Clean (Feb 12, 2012)

I hope that this isn't tagged as OT.

Since the topic is on upgrades, there have been some bad reviews on the stock Tektro R580 brake calipers. Some just replaced the pads, while others reported "sticky" springs. Before shedding some weight, swapping the brakes could be a another sensible upgrade.

My CAAD10-5 came with 105 calipers out of the box. What about the other 10-5's in this forum? What brakes did your bikes come with?


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## RCMTB (Apr 20, 2012)

My CAAD10-5 came with Tektro brakes. Went for my first ride this weekend and seemed ok. Only time will tell.


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## CAADEL (Jul 23, 2011)

Mr_Clean said:


> My CAAD10-5 came with 105 calipers out of the box. What about the other 10-5's in this forum? What brakes did your bikes come with?


What year is it? 2011? 2012? I've never heard of a CAAD10-5 coming with 105 calipers! Did you buy it in the US or somewhere else?

Although the specs mention Tektro R580, my CAAD10-5 came with black Tektro R741 which mechanical ratio is compatible with the 105-5700. 
You can see the model of the brake if you look at the rear side of the caliper (facing the headtube) and read the embossed letters.

I was very curious why I couldn't find the R580 on tektro's website, so I asked them and here's their answer:



> The Tektro *R580 road brake caliper is more compatible with the 105-5600*. You can still use the R580 with the 105-5700 but it’s *not* perfect.
> 
> Check out our website for all the new mechanical pull ratio models.
> 
> http://www.tektro.com/_english/01_products/00_bikeslist.php?pid=9


It would be stupid to install R580 and 5700 levers together and I'm wondering why Cannondale still says R580 on their website.


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## Mr_Clean (Feb 12, 2012)

Hi Caadel, I'm not sure if my 10-5 is a 2011 or 2012 model. How can I tell? Did they make any changes then? I bought my BBQ 10-5 last February, and I'm from manila if that counts. Could it be possible that bikes sold in other regions have some spec variances? 

Aside from the "105" logo printed in front, it even has "5700" stamped at the back side. The rest of the parts were pretty much standard fare (FSA Gossamer Pro compact, Prologo Kappa saddle, Tange Seiki headset, RS10 wheelset, C3 cockpit, etc.). 

If you check the specs online, you'd be surprised-> 105, Tektro, 105, Tektro, 105, Tektro... I'm stumped.


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## CAADEL (Jul 23, 2011)

Mr_Clean said:


> I'm from manila if that counts.


Probably yes. I've looked at cannondale.com and European and Japanese specced 10-5's also come with 5700 calipers.


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## Mr_Clean (Feb 12, 2012)

Thanks CAADEL, I guess I'm one lucky duck then.

BillyNJ, what changes have you made so far?


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## BillyNJ (May 1, 2012)

Well I took everyones advice and decided to make sure comfort was my #1 priority for now. I was having some upper back/neck pain so I scaled the stem down to a 90. This past weekend after about 40 miles im still having the neck and back pain even right now im sore. So I ordered a 80 stem and im going to try this out. I know a lot of the back pain can be directly related to my posture while riding. I'm doing my best to be aware of this while riding so I can correct myself. The guy at my LBS told me to set up a mirror inside next to my trainer so I can teach myself how to position on the bike. 

I have been talking to some people about wheels and the go to wheel seems to be a Mavic Cosmic Carbone's or a set of the Ksyrium's. I just want to make sure Im going to be able to ride this frame before i dump any performance upgrades into the bike now. If i am unable to fix the comfort issue then im either going to have to look for another frame or sell my bike and look for a whole new setup. I wanna cry even typing that this bike is a rocket.

If anyone has any input on this please lemme know what you think.

Thanks


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

BillyNJ said:


> If anyone has any input on this please lemme know what you think.


For now...instead of spending money on parts and upgrades...spend the money on a professional fitting. It sounds like you don't have the time on a bike to know how to properly fit yourself...so get the help of experts.

Sometimes going to a shorter stem can cause more back pain. Your stem length may have been correct but could have been too high or low. Other causes could be seat too high or low, seat too far forward or backward, cleat placement, etc.

A good fitting will run you $200 - $300, but in your case will be well worth it.


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## Mr_Clean (Feb 12, 2012)

Did you get fitted for the right frame size? It sounds like you're too stretched out. Is your saddle position correct? How about your drop? Get a pro to fit you right if you can, it's money well spent. Correct these settings first and log in more miles. If these still don't help, chances are you may be riding the wrong size. Don't give up just yet, you may not find a better frame at that price point.


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## BillyNJ (May 1, 2012)

Wookiebiker said:


> For now...instead of spending money on parts and upgrades...spend the money on a professional fitting. It sounds like you don't have the time on a bike to know how to properly fit yourself...so get the help of experts.
> 
> Sometimes going to a shorter stem can cause more back pain. Your stem length may have been correct but could have been too high or low. Other causes could be seat too high or low, seat too far forward or backward, cleat placement, etc.
> 
> A good fitting will run you $200 - $300, but in your case will be well worth it.


I have already gotten this done, and I will have it setup again with the 80 stem this week once it gets here


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## BillyNJ (May 1, 2012)

Mr_Clean said:


> Did you get fitted for the right frame size?


 - Yes



Mr_Clean said:


> Don't give up just yet, you may not find a better frame at that price point.


- If I have to spend more I am ok with that I just want to be able to ride without having pain 45 min into a ride.



Ill update this week once I get the new stem setup


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## kirbdoggy (Jan 6, 2012)

I also got a CAAD10 105 this spring. The fist things I changed out were the seat and stem to get the fit just right. I recently upgraded to a set of RS80 wheels with Michelin Pro4's. I'm happy with the ride comfort the upgrade provided.


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