# R5000 OR six13



## MonolithicX (Oct 26, 2005)

So I've been trying to decide between and R5000 with Dura Ace, or a six13 with Ultegra components. 

I've been reading reviews, and the posts here and I'm having a hard time deciding between the two. 

Any one have experience with both bikes? What do you think of the two?


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## YakuzaSmurf (Sep 15, 2005)

MonolithicX said:


> So I've been trying to decide between and R5000 with Dura Ace, or a six13 with Ultegra components.
> 
> I've been reading reviews, and the posts here and I'm having a hard time deciding between the two.
> 
> Any one have experience with both bikes? What do you think of the two?


I haven't ridden the R5000, but I have an all aluminum Cannondale and a Six13. I got the Six13 because it absorbs vibration better which helps when you have a bad shoulder like I do. If little bumps in the road are not an issue, I suggest going with the R5000. If I did not have the shoulder issue, I'd rather have the DA group than the fancy frame. I hope this helps.


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## Climb High (Aug 9, 2005)

*Choose*



MonolithicX said:


> So I've been trying to decide between and R5000 with Dura Ace, or a six13 with Ultegra components.
> 
> I've been reading reviews, and the posts here and I'm having a hard time deciding between the two.
> 
> Any one have experience with both bikes? What do you think of the two?



IMHO Go with the six13, the frame is really sweet and the ride is better. The ultegra parts are still pretty good. I just think the frame is worth it.


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## dedroach (Oct 24, 2005)

*Just got an '06 R5000*

In the clearcoat and it is absolutely gorgeous!

Personally, I went with the R5000 because I valued the components (Dura Ace) more than the frame (the Six13 just isn't that great of a buy.) For the price you can barely get the component package of the R5000 aftermarket.

I looked at the R5000 as a good performer that was very cost effective and offers me a much better upgrade path for later on (it's Dura Ace!!) In a couple of years if I want a more comfy frame (or a stiffer one?!?!?!) then the cost to make the move AND have a really top notch parts spec is pretty reasonable.

Just my thought process.


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## GaryJaz (Sep 21, 2005)

*In between frame sizes*



dedroach said:


> In the clearcoat and it is absolutely gorgeous!
> 
> Personally, I went with the R5000 because I valued the components (Dura Ace) more than the frame (the Six13 just isn't that great of a buy.) For the price you can barely get the component package of the R5000 aftermarket.
> 
> ...


I have a 56 cm Caad 7 (r700) and spent the last week with a demo Saeco 54 cm Six13. The six13 was noticeably "softer" on the road, but that may be due in part to the fact that the six13 had dura ace wheels while I have Kysiriums on my r700. I do not think the six13 is worth $2500 more if you intend to race. But if you want a 55 cm frame you have no choice but to get the six13. If your ideal size is available in the R5000, I'd go for that. 

BTW, I ride with a 100mm stem on the 56 cm frame and had a 120 mm with the 54. It felt like steering becomes a little more sketchy with a longer stem. Is there an ideal stem length (for racing)?


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## topflightpro (Nov 3, 2004)

I recently got an 05 Six 13 with Ultegra, and I love it.

IMO, you are better off getting a better frame now and worrying about the components later. The components will likely wear out faster than the frame. Also, I didn't notice any performance difference between the Ultegra and Dura-Ace, and I had several salespeople tell me that if they were blind folded, they wouldn't know the difference either. After comparing the two, I decided to remove the R5000 from consideration, replacing it with the R1000 vs. the Six 13.

Both the Caad 8 frame and the Six 13 are stiff frames, and I honestly didn't notice much difference in the ride quality between the two. I ended up with the Six 13 because the sales guy convinced my wife that the Six 13 would be more comfortable on long rides over rough roads (I live in the middle of nowhere and our roads are in piss-poor condition). She also like the paint color better - I got the blue frame.

You also get a nicer crank on the Six 13.


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## Blue Sugar (Jun 14, 2005)

So your wife picks out bikes for you, huh?


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## Mr. MG (Aug 23, 2005)

They are both good bikes. I ride the R5000 and love the ride, I ruled out the Six13 due to my height and weight and how the ride felt. You just have to go with your gut...also the wallet and wife.


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## topflightpro (Nov 3, 2004)

Blue Sugar said:


> So your wife picks out bikes for you, huh?


Hey, I was ready to buy an R1000. She said get the Six 13. So as long as she wants me to get a nicer bike than I planned, I'm okay with it.


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## cyclewvu (Oct 17, 2005)

*I've owned both*

I have actually owned both over the last year. I started with the R5000 because it fit my budget slightly better than the six13 and I wanted the dura-ace. It was a wonderful bike, ultra responsive but still very comfortable (so much more than the aluminum giant or specialized that I tried). Then a deal came along on the six13 that I couldn't pass up. The six13 is much more comfortable. It makes everything feel like perfectly smooth pavement. It is still very responsive but buttery smooth. It is not really all out as stiff as the caad8 is for pedal to the metal sprints. (don't get me wrong. the six13 is stiff in sprinting and climbing, just not as stiff as the caad8). Both offer comfortable rides, but the six13 infinitely more so. The biggest difference I noticed was that I'm a more confident descender on the six13 because it absorbs all the road irregularities and makes me feel like I'm glued to the ground.

I'm very impressed with the new ultegra. Hell, the new 105 is great, just not as durable.

If you're a very very demanding sprinter and won't be satisfied with anything but the stiffest stiffest thing around, go for the caad 8. If you are anyone else, get the six13. The ultegra is great, the frame is better, and when it comes down to it, you'll notice your frame and wheels way more than you'll notice your shifters out on the road.


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## zosocane (Aug 29, 2004)

Before buying, I test rode a new six13 with Campy Record for about a half hour. Great acceleration attributable to the stiffness from the rear triangle and oversize bottom bracket, yet soft on the hands and shoulders when hitting bumps with the front wheel. Then, my bike shop lent me a demo R5000 with Dura Ace for a weekend. My feedback on the R5000 is largely the same as most of the other posters -- i.e., the R5000 is remarkably stiff and feels like a rocket when you're accelerating, but its all-aluminum nature doesn't absorb road vibration that well. 

I wouldn't focus on the components -- just decide do you want a slightly more comfortable ride that's a litte more expensive or do you want to have that edge above others on sprints, in which case the less expensive yet still-excellent R5000 is great, just not as soft on the bumps. At the end of the day, both are great frames hand made in the USA by a great company.


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## ico (Feb 6, 2005)

MonolithicX said:


> So I've been trying to decide between and R5000 with Dura Ace, or a six13 with Ultegra components.
> 
> I've been reading reviews, and the posts here and I'm having a hard time deciding between the two.
> 
> Any one have experience with both bikes? What do you think of the two?


I have.
It's not really comparible.Six13 frame is class above R5000. Ultegra 10spd or DA 10spd it really doesn't make such a diference regarding a perfomance. If you can buy six13, buy it.


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## zamboni (Sep 11, 2003)

I just bought a 06 Six13 frame for my wife and the major difference is Cannondale replace the seattube with an aluminum replica of the Caad 8 rear triangle, this would makes the bike more steady on a decent. I agreed with Climb high go with the frame and then upgrade to high end components when they need to be replace. I'm in the process to migrate from Shimano to Campy record for her bike. I'm still riding my 04 Caad 7 with full Campy & Mavic Ksyrium SL and loving it.
If you have the budget then I say go with Six13 Campy centaur to me it's a better value bike to get for under $3K.


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## GaryJaz (Sep 21, 2005)

ico said:


> I have.
> It's not really comparible.Six13 frame is class above R5000. Ultegra 10spd or DA 10spd it really doesn't make such a diference regarding a perfomance. If you can buy six13, buy it.



If the poster is going to be racing, then I disagree with this and some of the previous posters who say get the six13. First of all, most races that we amateurs are in are relatively short and come down to a final sprint. So lightness and stiffness are to be preferred over comfort. The Caad 8 frame is LIGHTER than the much more expensive six13. The Dura Ace components are also significantly lighter than the ultegra (http://weightweenies.starbike.com/). Durability isn't even an issue as they'll both last. Also consider the possibility of crashing and hurting the frame. You will feel much worse losing the six13 frame. The R5000 is a better racing bike overall and a better value. Until Cannondale shows us real data about the "comfortableness" of these frames, I remain skeptical that it's really much at all. Marketers obfuscate when they don't have real data. 

Looks like for 2006 they put a lot of inferior parts on the R5000, however, probably so it weighs more than the six13s they want you to buy. You can't even get a Dura Ace crank on any Cannondale but the $4600 Team 1, but the Team 1 is the only bike you wouldn't want the Dura Ace crank since you can get the Hollowgram. Doesn't make sense.

It's a bad year to be buying a Cannondale. The 2004 R3000's are probably better than anything you can get now. Anyone have a 55cm I could buy?

just my 2 cents.
--garyjaz


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## jhenry4 (Feb 4, 2006)

*building an R5000*

I test road both a CAAD 8 and a synapse and prefered the feel and responsiveness of the CAAD 8 enough to buy a bare frame for complete customization.

1. I believe that history has value in that cannondale made a name for themselves with aluminum and nobody does it better. 

2. The bonded aluminum and carbon frame idea was big 5 years ago when they had trouble getting the weight out of the frame joints, but that has passed. people also used to be concerned with the differing material properties, wherein aluminum expands and contracts more due to temperatures than carbon or titanium. This is why many of the bonded frames in recent years have been in the carbon/titanium catagory which have similar thermal properties.

3. I can't deny that the six13 is a wonderful frame that many pro's rave about, and cannondale is a great company that stands behind their products and would be the last to rush a product to market on a fad. 

guess i'm just a little old fashioned and prefer to stick to one frame material at a time.


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## dawgcatching (Apr 26, 2004)

The CAAD8 is a lighter frame, the Six13 a bit more comfortable. I really don't think the CAAD8 is excessively stiff, unless you use a harsh set of wheels. A great race bike-you will see more CAAD7's/8's under unsponsored riders than anything else. I personally didn't think the current Six13 was super comfortable: it wasn't quite as smooth as other carbon bikes I rode (Fondriest Carbon Lex, Look 585) as I had about 2 weeks on the Six13, and owned the other bikes. I rode a CAAD8 frame last year, and is was very close in comfort to the Six13. They both are amongst the best handling frames you can buy. If I was into comfort, I would check out the older Six13 (w/carbon seattube). You can always run 10psi less in your tires for training, or buy some good 290tpi tires, or even use 32-hole wheels for training: either of these would make more of a difference than the frame in this case, IMO.

I am struggling with the same choice. I purchased a CAAD8 frameset late last year new for $600, intending to build it as a race/crit bike. Then, an older new Six13 Saeco fell into my lap for $650. Do I keep the CAAD8, sell the Six13 and pocket the $450, or trade up to the Six13? Probably the latter, as I still have that Look 585, but it sure is tempting.


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## boroef (Jun 18, 2005)

i say CAAD8. test ride them both and get a feel of it for yourself, but i love the way the CAAD8 rides. Sure, it's stiff--but it's by no means uncomfortable!

and it's already been said, but i also believe that no one does aluminum better than cdale. i absolutely adore their frames.

that being said, i dont particularily take a liking to the six13 stuff. comfy it may be, but workmanship isnt the same. take a look at how the top and bottom tubes are bonded to the frame. from several lampre edition six13s that i saw, u can see the glue that they used in the bonding. it's not even smoothed out. and the finishing on the carbon is poor. sure, such a minute thing to mention but when i am shelling out that amount of money on a bike, i sure as hell want quality. and in my eyes, this is an overlook on their part!

why pay more money for something with inferior components? the r5000 is a lighter bike and has better parts. i personally can live without the carbon tubes. it's really a craze to be honest--and this is coming from someone who rides a full carbon frame! i still like the aluminum stuff.


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## dougbot (Jan 22, 2004)

*Get an 05 R5000*

Find a shop that is closing out an 05 R5000. The compenents are better, and you might be able to find it for the same price or less than you would pay for an 06.


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