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Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 11:10 pm
by welkman
I have the choice between the Caad 10 Dura ace and the cervelo S1 (Sram force home build) as a training bike to do the occasional Crit and TT on, I have an R5 for road races. Which would you recommend ? I will be riding this 150 - 200 miles a week all year round in the uk. No chance of trying them but I ride a Caad 8 at the moment and a R5. I have been advised that I can get a more aggressive position on a 58cm S1 compared to my 58cm R5 for tt duties.

Help me Choose!


Cheers

Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 11:10 pm
by Weenie

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Re: Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 3:18 am
by rich00
Can't speak for the CAAD 10, but I have a soloist ( S1) which I use for crits and it's fine. Built up with centuar and Kinlin 270 24 front and 28 rear. It does have the switchable seat post which has come loose on a couple of occasions. Also the S1 at times has an issue with a creaky seat post, due to the shape which can be annoying. Head to the Cervelo forum to see the various remedies.

Re: Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:04 am
by climberevan
The Caad10 is basically a crit specialist. I use mine for road races too, since I don't have the luxury of having multiple race bikes, but it loves crits. The short head tube (at least on a 52) allows me to get nice and low. Cervelos aren't as accommodating in that regard, though it looks like the S1 is better than most of them.

Another thing, which may be heresy here on WW where everyone seems to prefer Sram, is that if you're going to be crashing it, DA will be more likely to survive. Sram's levers, especially, while crazy light, just don't hold up to being smashed against the tarmac. The same goes for the frame--Al bikes have to be seriously visibly wrecked to not be able to continue soldiering on.

I will say, though, that after I ride my Cannondale for a few days in a row and then go out for an easy ride on my other bike (a Seven Axiom steel), I am reminded of just how unforgiving the Al bike is. If I were just doing a few crits here and there and mostly using it for training, Al would not be my choice, but I do a lot of racing, and can't afford to replace a carbon bike if I wreck it.

Re: Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:51 am
by welkman
Thanks for the answers, any ideas on the TT ability of the two bikes?

Re: Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:26 am
by sawyer
S1 will be more aero assuming you can get as low.

TBH, given your current stable, it sounds to me like you should just but a TT frameset

Re: Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 11:26 am
by Svetty
Sounds like you need 2 bikes - an all round trainer and a TT bike.

Kinesis Al frame for trainer and S1 will do fine for TTs

Re: Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:27 pm
by djconnel
I''d go with the S1, since it will be faster in TT's and likely for crits also, assuming identical position on the bike.

Re: Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 2:44 pm
by jmilliron
Was surprised how comfortable my CAAD10 was. Suspect the Cervelo S1, with its aero aluminum tubes, would be less so.

Re: Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 2:45 pm
by MrHeng
I've no comments about the way a S1 handles and stuff.. But as for the caad 10, i am riding and racing with it. One word comes to the mind when u put the power down with the caad 10, amazing! When sprinting, it feels really stiff something i would have never expect in a alu bike! Fit it up with some weight-saving , power handling , race-ready carbon tubs and u will be ready to race! Get it a pair of stiff alu wheels with good hubs preferrably and training will be just as good and just as efficient! It may not be as aerodynamic as the S1 but the way it rides is really fantastic! On top of that, a caad 10 with da as compared to a S1 with DA, the caad 10 would certainly be cheaper.. And safer too since alu dosent break that easily!
If its tt ability u are worried about, there are triathletes using the caad 10 who even won races :)
Cheers

Re: Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 3:25 pm
by sawyer
Yes ... if it was a straight choice between the two my concern with the S1 would be relatively lifelessness. Haven't ridden one, but the CAAD10 is a known livewire, so hard to match in that respect.

It's a quality that makes you want to ride it, and instills confidence and enthusiasm in the rider. That's worth a lot of watts ;-)

Re: Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 5:26 pm
by welkman
Think I will go for the CAAD 10 and then buy a TT bike next year if I like it! Just need a powertap now....

Re: Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:10 pm
by User Name
I dunno if this is helpful, but I have both an old Caad7 and a 2007 alu Soloist (both 58cm). I love both bikes, but I'd probably lean slightly toward my CAAD7 if I had to choose. They both feel stiff and fast, but, in my opinion, the CAAD8 has a little something extra that makes it 'dance' more. :D I guess the word is 'lively', but I was trying to be different. :D

Also, I'm not much of a weight weenie (I've been told that I don't belong here. Ha), but the CAAD7 is about 180g lighter than the Soloist, and the CAAD7 has loads of paint on it.

The 58 Soloist has a 180mm which, as is typical with many Cervelos, is a bit on the tall side.

Re: Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:17 pm
by Monkeyboy3333
I have an S1 and it is noticeably quicker even under a chunky monkey, i have done plenty of all day rides on it and never feel beat up. It's stiff responsive, relatively cheap now and still a bit different out on the road. Mind you, I was a whisker away from buying a Cannondale about a week ago!

Re: Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:21 pm
by User Name
rich00 wrote:Can't speak for the CAAD 10, but I have a soloist ( S1) which I use for crits and it's fine. Built up with centuar and Kinlin 270 24 front and 28 rear. It does have the switchable seat post which has come loose on a couple of occasions. Also the S1 at times has an issue with a creaky seat post, due to the shape which can be annoying. Head to the Cervelo forum to see the various remedies.


The best thing I did for my alu Soloist was get an alu seatpost, because they're a teeny bit bigger and can obviously take much more 'abuse' from the alen key. I regret I didn't buy one sooner. The carbon posts get crimped over time, and occasionally slip.

The carbon posts on the alu bikes are very easily (eventually) squashed at the back, even when the supplied shims are used. This then results in the clamp going in further and further, which can put a little crack in the top if the seat tube. I've seen a few alu Soloists with the little crack near the gap at the back of the seat tube, including mine.

Re: Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:29 pm
by VPR
User Name wrote:I've seen a few alu Soloists with the little crack near the gap at the back of the seat tube, including mine.

And with the lifetime Cervélo warranty you will get a carbon Soloist (S2) for it since the alu version isn't available any more. :D

Re: Caad 10 dura ace or Cervelo S1 ?

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:29 pm
by Weenie

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