Aluminium has long been used for the manufacture of racing bikes but it's use for the production of high-end race machines has dwindled in the past 10 years with the rise of Carbon as the material of choice. Cannondale however, have bucked this trend and although they produce some of the finest Carbon road frames in the industry (the last major Grand Tours of the Aluminium age were won on Cannondale), continue to push Aluminium at the mid to high end.
Cannondale see the value in Aluminium as a material for the creation of lively and responsive race bikes and have invested significant amounts in the R&D of materials and processes in order to create some exceptional frames that weigh less than even their own Standard Modulus Carbon SuperSix Evo race frames. The CAAD 10 has received high praise in the industry and has often bested carbon bikes in group tests. Indeed, if you were to walk into many a bike shop, you would likely find that a member of staff owned a CAAD 10 or would happily ride one, be that as winter bike or race bike.
It is testament to the material then, that Cannondale have decided - not to stop making the CAAD series - but to invest further in developing their flagship aluminium frame : so it is that the CAAD12 is born.
The Cannondale CAAD12 is the most sophisticated, highest performance aluminium race bike on the market and is lighter, stiffer and smoother riding than many elite carbon frames. It exudes a lively and communicative ride-feel that comes from the most advanced aluminium forming techniques in the world. Cannondale's new Flow-Modelled 'Smart forming' is a complex mix of hydro forming, taper-butting, double pass smooth welding, heat treating and mechanical shaping that yields lighter and stronger frames. The new Flow-modelling yields more organic shapes whilst reducing frame weights: The new CAAD12 is up to 170g lighter than the excellent CAAD 10!
The front of the CAAD 12 features a 11/8” to 11/4” tapered head tube to improve the front end stiffness and handling but this season the fork has been re-engineered. A new one-piece Ballistec construction uses continuous fibre construction which utilizes uncut carbon fibres from the drop-out to the top of the steerer. This construction combined with the new in-molded crown race drops the weight (375g for Standard and 290g Hi-modulus versions) whilst simultaneously increasing the lateral stiffness by 6.1% to offer superb handling. The slimmer profile of this new fork also improves compliance by 12.5% over the CAAD10 so the rider has more stable and reactive handling but with increased comfort, making for a bike that sticks to the road even on the rough stuff.
Moving down the frame the top and down tubes are noticeably more flowing than they were on its predecessor CAAD10. The down tube is significantly deeper were it meets the head tube, again to add front end stiffness and improve the handling. The top tube flattens as it approaches the seat tube and runs into the very wide seat stays which aids the broad improvements in lateral stiffness.
Other improvements have come in the rear end of the CAAD12 with refinements to the Speed SAVE micro suspension. The seat and chain stays have been completely re-designed : both are very flat and broad allowing them to flex vertically whilst at the same time being exceptionally laterally and torsionally stiff, allowing the rear wheel track the ground better for enhanced speed, cornering, grip and comfort. The new stays are married to a 25.4mm seat post as found in the Synapse models to further improve compliance. The new design means that the CAAD12 is now a huge 50% more comfortable and compliant than the CAAD10 but without any loss of stiffness.
The rider's power is transferred back from Cannondale’s new BB30A bottom bracket into the rear wheel. This new standard uses a wider 73mm asymmetric BB allowing for a bigger down-tube junction and larger non-drive chain-stay for stiffness. As with many aspects of the CAAD12 frame design, where stiffness has been increased, so too has the drive to improve the comfort in the same area to counter the inevitable feedback to the rider. The Bottom Bracket junction is no exception; the oversized Delta down-tube is also flared and this profile allows for greater deflection in the seat-tube under seated loads, further improving comfort.
Ever the innovators, Cannondale have embraced disc technology to the point where they have attempted to optimise their frames to best make use of the braking improvements. The new CAAD12 uses Cannondale's Paten Pending Braze-On Disc mounts. This simple innovation is designed to eliminate one of the biggest sources of additional weight on disc frames whilst improving the frame's strength; indeed the CAAD12 disc frames exceed even Cannondale's TANDEM brake tests and the disc frames are actually a few grams lighter than the non-disc version!
Ultimately this means that the CAAD12 rides with the comfort found in a quality Carbon frame but with the weight and cost savings of aluminium, all the while handling like a race bike should: super sharp cornering with a a lively and direct feel that keeps the rider informed and ready to react.
All the work Cannondale have put into the CAAD12 has resulted in a bike that is impressive, even when compared with carbon bikes for twice the price. This bike is stiff, even when compared to middle-high range carbon; the flat chain stays really do transfer all your power to the rear wheel, making a bike that is ideal for road racing – the long geometry lends itself well to settling down into a smooth line whilst the stiffness allows for fast changes in pace. The Cannondale CAAD12 is light too, impressively so. The frame weighs under 1100g (size 56) which is comparable to a Pinarello Dogma F8! This means that it is easily possible to build the Cannondale CAAD12 up such that it falls below the 6.8kg UCI weight limit.
The ride would be considered firm when pitted against some of the more relaxed sportive style carbon frames around, however the Cannondale CAAD12 has made significant steps to markedly close the gap in that regard; also it is not a sportive bike. This is a bike that is engineered to go fast, which it does admirably. It is a comfortable ride compared to its competition, not least every other aluminium bike out there, but it is also extremely stiff where you want it to be.
We love this bike and the innovation that is attached to it. Road cycling is without a doubt a sport that is made by the fashion that surrounds it, because of this and the trend in the market to try and get carbon at every price point the potential of aluminium is often overlooked. The Cannondale CAAD 12 however is simply stunning and has left us feeling like our wallets should be a little lighter given what we are riding away with.
With a Shimano 11 speed 105 groupset married to Cannondale's new Si chainset with 52-36 rings (a lighter and stiffer alternative to Shimano) the CAAD12 105 5 is an excellent alternative to carbon road bikes at this price, indeed we would buy this in preference to the Tiagra equipped SuperSix Evo from Cannondale's own range! The use of Mavic's Aksium wheelset makes this bike a well-rounded package indeed.