# best alloy bike of 2012



## RAFIUDEEN (Apr 6, 2012)

Hi,
wanted to know a best in the offering of alloy frames for 2012 which gives the best ride quality in flats as well as in climb and is as stiff as a carbon if not stiffer .
thanks


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## martinrm (Jul 30, 2012)

I would have to say the cannondale caad series, specifically the CAAD10. The CAAD10 however does have a carbon fork if thats a problem. A few of my teammates ride the 8,9,10 and they love them. 

If you would like to read a review on the bike look here
Review: Cannondale CAAD10 Ultegra | road.cc | Road cycling news, Bike reviews, Commuting, Leisure riding, Sportives and more


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## RAFIUDEEN (Apr 6, 2012)

carbon fork is alright was considering a canyon ultimate al


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## martinrm (Jul 30, 2012)

RAFIUDEEN said:


> carbon fork is alright was considering a canyon ultimate al


Do you not want a carbon frame bike? At this price range you could get a decent one. However, i understand te downfalls of carbon and can understand why alloy would be of benefit.


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## RAFIUDEEN (Apr 6, 2012)

i own a r 5 complete carbon bike of cervelo had a s1 but it has had a seat tube crack hence sending it for replacement to cervelo hence was looking at alloy only if cervelo gives me a s1 as replacement i will be more than happy


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## ExChefinMA (May 9, 2012)

RAFIUDEEN said:


> Hi,
> wanted to know a best in the offering of alloy frames for 2012 which gives the best ride quality in flats as well as in climb and is as stiff as a carbon if not stiffer .
> thanks


My vote would also be for the CAAD10, I happen to have purchased a 2012 CAAD 10 5, which I am loving.

Your mileage may vary.


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## gte105u (Aug 12, 2012)

I have an Specialized Allez and like it. Several reviews I read prior to buying said it is one of the better bikes in alloy. It has the exact same geometry as the Tarmac, just in alloy. I am no expert so don't know how well this would work for you though.


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## nordy643 (Aug 3, 2012)

My vote is for the CAAD10 as well. I have the 2011 CAAD10-5 and it's awesome. It's the only bike I've ridden, and I have found that it handles climbs and flats very well (riding 50/34 crank and 12-27 cassette). Last weekend I rode 180 miles (105mi, 5,700 ft climb Saturday/75mi, 2,600 ft climb Sunday) and it was great the entire time.


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## demonrider (Jul 18, 2012)

Jamis has released a very interesting aluminum crit racer for 2013 called the "Icon"; will definitely be keeping a keen eye on reviews of this machine.


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## charlox5 (Jan 31, 2011)

the CAAD10 is the only aluminum bike i would consider buying new. having ridden one it lives up to the hype in my opinion: smooth ride, fast acceleration, precise handling.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

Another vote for the CAAD 10, mostly because I've spent 5500 miles on it this summer and know it well. It's a quick handling bike that rides smooth for an aluminium frame and has a stiff bottom bracket.

From an aesthetic point of view...there are nicer looking bikes out there...but from a pure performance point of view, it really doesn't get any better, just different.


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## RAFIUDEEN (Apr 6, 2012)

nice suggestions here is a summery of what i collect from this and another forums please tell me which one in this list is a definite no no
1>cannondale caad 10
2>specilised s works allez
3>cannyon ultimate al
4>Storck visioner
5>Rose Rs

guys opinions


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## eurotruck (Jul 8, 2009)

*Caad 10*

I own a 2011 CAAD 10 5 that I use for crit racing and my rain bike. It is more than capable, with the biggest limiting factor being the engine.

CAAD 10 is the best bang for the buck.


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## jpaschal01 (Jul 20, 2011)

If I was in the market for an aluminum bike, my list would be short:
- Cannondale CAAD 10
- Felt F-series


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## RAFIUDEEN (Apr 6, 2012)

shortlisted it will be either cannondale caad 10 or canyon ultimate al thoughts


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## sjghouse (Sep 9, 2009)

RAFIUDEEN said:


> shortlisted it will be either cannondale caad 10 or canyon ultimate al thoughts


We have shortlisted CAAD10 & Ultimate al too, had previously done many research b4 getting the alloy bike for my wife. It was a tough decision. Some of our friends rode CAAD hence the high recommended candidate + many positive reviews frm the webpages too. Finally, last week, the canyon came to our door step - we took a different step. Haven't got the chance to register mileage as yet, but she rode up a steep 7km ascent averaging 6% and max of 16% gradient. At the summit - she told me that we made a perfect choice. As stiff and much more comfortable. - comparing to her other bike a Carbon Guerciotti Team Androni Edition.


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## Danimal (Jan 4, 2005)

How about the Ridley Icarus? Suposedly very light and stiff. Competitive Cyclist claims under 17lb when kitted out with Tiagra and cheapo Alex rims. Not sure how much I trust that weight, but regardless, should be a very light bike.

Dan


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## Bethelcat (Aug 13, 2011)

Or a Principia - probably the best aluminium frame in the world ;-)

Have a look at the Rex or RSL frames/bikes


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## nordy643 (Aug 3, 2012)

At this point, if you have it narrowed down to 2, wouldn't it be best to ride both of them and see which one fits better? imho you'll get more out of the bike you like to ride and that fits you well over the one that's the "best" alloy frame


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Caad10.


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## terbennett (Apr 1, 2006)

demonrider said:


> Jamis has released a very interesting aluminum crit racer for 2013 called the "Icon"; will definitely be keeping a keen eye on reviews of this machine.


I have been raving about the CAAD10 because it is such an exceptional bike, However, that Jamis Icon looks like it might be a force to be reckoned with. I'm watching the reviews closely too. Also the Specialized Allez and Felt F75 are other good ones.


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## RAFIUDEEN (Apr 6, 2012)

nordy643 said:


> At this point, if you have it narrowed down to 2, wouldn't it be best to ride both of them and see which one fits better? imho you'll get more out of the bike you like to ride and that fits you well over the one that's the "best" alloy frame


my dear friend if ii was so fortunate would have taken time out to ride each and every bike and decide but except for cannondale non r avaliable in my country India hence forum is my best bet


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## paulfeng (Jun 10, 2011)

*Competitive Cyclist weight calculator is goofy*



Danimal said:


> How about the Ridley Icarus? Suposedly very light and stiff. Competitive Cyclist claims under 17lb when kitted out with Tiagra and cheapo Alex rims. Not sure how much I trust that weight, but regardless, should be a very light bike.
> 
> Dan


For at least some bikes, the Competitive Cyclist weight calculator is neglecting to include the weight of the frame itself (I confirmed this by calling them).


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## RAFIUDEEN (Apr 6, 2012)

paulfeng said:


> For at least some bikes, the Competitive Cyclist weight calculator is neglecting to include the weight of the frame itself (I confirmed this by calling them).


17lbs sounds correct cannot be without frame definitly


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## paulfeng (Jun 10, 2011)

RAFIUDEEN said:


> 17lbs sounds correct cannot be without frame definitly


Well, my Ti bike with 6700, Ksyrium Elites, and Ritchey WCS finishing bits weighs in at 16.9 lbs. With Tiagra and Alex wheels, that Ridley frame must be really light then to come in under 17.


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## RAFIUDEEN (Apr 6, 2012)

paulfeng said:


> Well, my Ti bike with 6700, Ksyrium Elites, and Ritchey WCS finishing bits weighs in at 16.9 lbs. With Tiagra and Alex wheels, that Ridley frame must be really light then to come in under 17.


that i cannot comment but only the parts cannot weigh so much definite


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

RAFIUDEEN said:


> 17lbs sounds correct cannot be without frame definitly


Agreed, my CAAD 10 weighed in at 17.5 lbs with speedplay pedals,garmin 800, Sram Force group and Williams System 30 wheels.


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## paulfeng (Jun 10, 2011)

ziscwg said:


> Agreed, my CAAD 10 weighed in at 17.5 lbs with speedplay pedals,garmin 800, Sram Force group and Williams System 30 wheels.


But the original post was not about a CAAD 10 with Force, Williams System 30, etc, it was about a Ridley Icarus with Tiagra and "cheapo Alex rims":

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/4116278-post18.html

I would think that you might be surprised if your CAAD 10 with Force and <1500g wheels weighed more than the Ridley with decidedly more modest components.


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## bwhite_4 (Aug 29, 2006)

Forget The CAAD10.

Get a Gaulzetti Corsa or a Spooky. Made in the US. My Gaulzetti is the best riding bike I've ever been on and it's the benchmark for which all others will be judged. That comment is pretty much consistent for anyone that's ever ridden one too.


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## RAFIUDEEN (Apr 6, 2012)

Italian sounding name with country of origin being USA ??? humm


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## RAFIUDEEN (Apr 6, 2012)

seen the pics of Gaulzetti Corsa wow they look so striking and beautiful .. wonderful frames indeed but do not know their review


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## RAFIUDEEN (Apr 6, 2012)

the frame itself costs 2800 $ expensive indeed


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## geekjimmy (Mar 26, 2012)

paulfeng said:


> For at least some bikes, the Competitive Cyclist weight calculator is neglecting to include the weight of the frame itself (I confirmed this by calling them).


Some of the parts not their custom spec build pages add 0g weight as well. Some of the Mavic wheels and SRAM cranksets do this.


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## terbennett (Apr 1, 2006)

RAFIUDEEN said:


> Italian sounding name with country of origin being USA ??? humm


Not much of a surprise. Medici was made here in Southern California by builders who used to work for Masi. They set out to prove that a US brand could be just as elegant as an Italian one. They succeeded. If you've ever seen one, you will see the quality they put into their frames back in the day.


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## Italianrider76 (May 13, 2005)

You can pick up a new Giant TCR frame on eBay for about $600.


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## jericbarg (Jul 7, 2012)

ExChefinMA said:


> My vote would also be for the CAAD10, I happen to have purchased a 2012 CAAD 10 5, which I am loving.
> 
> Your mileage may vary.


Me too!!!
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## martinrm (Jul 30, 2012)

There is also the Pinarello Uno (The baby one) which incorporates the asymmetric drivetrain system. . . cool stuff. I got to ride one at the bike shop once, it felt good to say the least. And, it comes with that iconic pinarello fork!

Might as well suggest it since im a pina guy.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Anderson, Waterford, Mercian, and loads of other bicycle custom builders now using Reynolds 953 stainless which is an alloy, would be my choice if I unlimited funds.


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## paulfeng (Jun 10, 2011)

RAFIUDEEN said:


> 17lbs sounds correct cannot be without frame definitly


Competitive Cyclist seems to have fixed their weight calculator, and this bike is now listed as 20.55 lbs.


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## Warpdatframe (Dec 9, 2012)

I ride an aluminum frame Norco and it's sick, I like it a bit more than my borhters caad 10. The cannondale is still pretty sick though.


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## salmansqadeer (Nov 21, 2012)

What about the Secteur? I have heard very good things about the 2013 model and hoping to try one out at my LBS this weekend.


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## tangerineowl (Sep 1, 2012)

If you hadn't mentioned 'stiff', then I would have suggested the Ridley Icarus SLS Flandrian. On looks alone, it is gorgeous.


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## martino (May 11, 2009)

RAFIUDEEN said:


> nice suggestions here is a summery of what i collect from this and another forums please tell me which one in this list is a definite no no
> 1>cannondale caad 10
> 2>specilised s works allez
> 3>cannyon ultimate al
> ...


hello to india,
i live in germany and if it's any help to you the canyon ultimate al wins every test in tour magazine that they put it through, and tour is the most popular mag in europe (well germany anyway). when the cadd 10 came out they were both rated as pretty much equal in quality with the cadd being perhaps a little race-y-er. the canyon on the other hand is always getting the top marks for comfort, supposedly a very comfortable fork and seat post and slighly more relaxed geo.
from what i've heard the stork is a bum breaker, very very stiff.
and just to make it more confusing koga has brought out a top alloy bike-frame as 
well.
my choice, the ultimate al (mainly because of geo) you have to look a long way to find a better component-price relationship.
good luck & good riding,
martin


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## ophiravina (Jan 8, 2013)

love the spceialized allez sport


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## NealH (May 2, 2004)

Another vote for the Specialized Allez E5. For a relatively low cost, you get a bike knocking on the door of state of the art.


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## Mr_Clean (Feb 12, 2012)

Caad10 for me. I miss mine badly. I agree the Icarus SLS Flandrien looks sharp too.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Someone mentioned the best ride offered by an alloy bike, if your looking for a comfortable aluminum frame then maybe you need to look into the Cannondale touring bike, not sure if their even making this bike anymore, but I know their still available for sale.


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## fatoni (Jan 8, 2013)

pretty solid group of caad supporters


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

fatoni said:


> pretty solid group of caad supporters


ehh. Some of their bikes are made of aluminum which makes them vulnerable to fatigue, some Cannondales are now made in China which I personally would never buy a bike frame made in China no matter what material it's made of. Then Cannondale is owned by Dorel Industries now, which makes Pacific Cycle, Schwinn, Mongoose, Roadmaster and GT, and with those brands their customer service sucks, not sure how that's going to effect their Cannondale line yet. But some Cannondales are made in Taiwan which is a lot better, and some may come out of Vietnam which I don't have a clue how their quality is going to be compared to China or Taiwan. But they laid off hundreds of employees in America stating cost factors, yet while Cannondale was being made in the USA they competed price wise with other products just fine, so it was about the almighty dollar and they could care less about the effected employees in the US.

Some believe the quality control has gone up since moving production overseas, but I never heard of quality control issues from the Cannondales made in the USA so I doubt that's true, it's just someone's attempt to blather on to keep buyers interest in buying Cannondales.

Personally I would never buy a Cannondale after what they did to their workers, but that's just my opinion.


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## Dream Plus (Feb 4, 2004)

bwhite_4 said:


> Forget The CAAD10.
> 
> Get a Gaulzetti Corsa or a Spooky. Made in the US. My Gaulzetti is the best riding bike I've ever been on and it's the benchmark for which all others will be judged. That comment is pretty much consistent for anyone that's ever ridden one too.


My Spooky Skeletor was made in the US, came with an ENVE fork, and weighs under 17 lbs with Force groupo.


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## Soundtallica (Sep 24, 2011)

It's not a bike from this year, but the alloy Parkpre Image Road is a hell of a bike. Built up with a Rival drivetrain, it weighs in the high 16 lb range, and it maintains all the good ride characteristics of aluminum while still somehow being as comfortable as carbon. I would know too, since I also own a Cervelo R3. While the R3 is slightly more comfortable than the Parkpre, the difference is barely noticeable. The Parkpre is sooo good that I ride it at least 3 times as much as the R3!


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## Wood Devil (Apr 30, 2011)

I have nearly 20,000 miles on an CAAD9 I bought two years ago. Up until my crash in December, it has served me very well.


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## box handler (Nov 8, 2010)

I'm building a Ridley Icarus (special Flandrien edition) up for a friend. It really seems like a great frame - smooth welds, really beautiful lines. I've got it kitted out in Rival with Aksium wheels. No pedals yet, but it feels incredibly light - certainly a pound or two lighter than my Indy Fab Crown Jewel (853 steel) with Campy Record alloy bits and Velocity Aerohead wheels. Could be my pig of a Brooks saddle, but the point is it's light and beautiful. Ridley is easily my favorite non-custom bike builder right now. I would not hesitate to recommend them to any rider, beginner or pro (or in-between, like most of us on this forum).


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## jimibonz (Dec 5, 2012)

I haven't ridden any of the others mentioned and I'm kind of a noob but I don't think you can go wrong with the CAAD10. I sure like my CAAD10-4, light weight, smooth riding, nimble, very responsive, fast and comfortable.


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## terbennett (Apr 1, 2006)

jpaschal01 said:


> If I was in the market for an aluminum bike, my list would be short:
> - Cannondale CAAD 10
> - Felt F-series


+1....


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## fatoni (Jan 8, 2013)

where do you go to find one of these 16 lb park pres? pretty intrigued


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## BlingMyBike.com.au (Feb 16, 2013)

The best riding Al bike will be the one that fits you best!! On that front you really should look at Tsunami for a slightly better priced custom frame. You want it stiff? They will make it stiff!!
Also a smaller brand- but the Velocite Selene is meant to be extremely stiff. Velocite really targets pedaling stiffness in their bikes.
Seems Ridley are not making the Icarus anymore (unless I'm looking in the wrong place on thier website). They now have the Fenix 7005. Geometry suits me, but the hydroformed tubes don't seem to have much point to how they are done.
I'm on a system 6 currently. Very curious to go back to a nice full Al bike but with custom wheels using wide rims to see what the ride quality would be like.


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## r.shoemaker78 (Feb 23, 2012)

...why not just look for a lightly used S1, I had to have one after test riding a friends. My 56" S1 with full SRAM rival and a few nice mods with custom wheelset weighs in at 15.8 lbs. I got my '08 Soloist still brand new last year from a warehouse sale with the upgraded 3T fork. The Caad10 is a great bike but the S1 is superb IMHO.


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## rePhil (Jun 20, 2002)

Personally I would look out of the box. Rock Lobster or Primus Mootry. Both get great reviews from their owners.


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