Guest Travis. Posted March 1, 2011 Posted March 1, 2011 Hi guys, A mate of mine wants to buy his first Road bike and he can't decide on the Cannondale CAAD8 105, Cannondale Synapse 105 or the Merida race lite 904. They seem very similarly spec and the prices are about the same. Which would you think would be a better buy? Any reasons? Any input is much appreciated.
chris_w_65 Posted March 2, 2011 Posted March 2, 2011 I know someone selling a CAAD 8 105, I think it is a 54cm and it is in Sandton. I am waiting for him to send me more info. Apparently very good condition 2010 model
andretraut Posted March 2, 2011 Posted March 2, 2011 Both are great bikes, and should offer a lot of joy. The Merida had a great review in a recent Bicycling magazine, and was recommended for heavier riders. I own 2 Meridas, a mtb and a carbon Scultura 905, and I am very happy with the Merida brand. Never owned a Dale, but know it is a good ride. So I will recommend the Merida!
TNT1 Posted March 2, 2011 Posted March 2, 2011 (edited) All thing being nearly equal, I'd go with the CAAD8 'Dale. Edited March 2, 2011 by TNT1
Guest Travis. Posted March 2, 2011 Posted March 2, 2011 (edited) Hey chris_w_65, Why does your bud want to sell? What was his experience of the bike? The nice thing about the Merida is that it has internal cable routing. I haven't seen the new Canndondale's, but my mate is gonna have a look at it in his lunchtime today. He doesn't know much, so I've got a feeling he's gonna go for the one I suggest or the one he finds more visually appealing to him. And so far I can't tell which is better as all I can see that could possibly be better is the frame on each? Edited March 2, 2011 by Tevez
AndreZA Posted March 2, 2011 Posted March 2, 2011 So what is his price range? The past weekend I saw that Giant, Merida and Silverback has great bikes in the 18-20k mark.
Guest Travis. Posted March 2, 2011 Posted March 2, 2011 That's a bit too high Mampara. His budget is around the R10k mark and he can get those 2 bikes for about R10.8k. He just wanted a 105 groupset as minimum.
AndreZA Posted March 2, 2011 Posted March 2, 2011 Then the Caad 8 dale is a great buy and I will go for that. I'm pretty sure the alu frame will be lighter then the Synapse.
TNT1 Posted March 2, 2011 Posted March 2, 2011 Then the Caad 8 dale is a great buy and I will go for that. I'm pretty sure the alu frame will be lighter then the Synapse. They should be about the same, and the synapse will be a more forgiving ride. Either way, go with a 'dale.
chris_w_65 Posted March 2, 2011 Posted March 2, 2011 That's a bit too high Mampara. His budget is around the R10k mark and he can get those 2 bikes for about R10.8k. He just wanted a 105 groupset as minimum. What size does he need? If it is 54 I will get more info on the used CAAD 8
Guest Travis. Posted March 2, 2011 Posted March 2, 2011 Is there any reason for choosing the Cannondale above the Merida?
Guest Travis. Posted March 2, 2011 Posted March 2, 2011 Eish, sorry Chris, I replied wrong there at the top - fixed it now He's supposed to be riding a 55cm (83cm inseam). Not sure if he wants to buy secondhand, but if it's in an excellent condition and the price good he might be tempted. What's your friend's experience with the bike?
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