New CAAD 12, some questions.

[Happybiker]

Hi, newbie here. I've just bought one of the last 2019 105 CAAD 12s, I had a CAAD about 15 years ago and really liked it, sold it because it was a bit big for me. I've been a road bike disc convert for the last 6 years (MTBer at heart) and currently ride a Genesis Datum with Ultegra, SP Dynamo set up as a do everything road bike, but I find it too heavy and not very inspiring to get out for a quick blast on, hence the CAAD.

I few things I've noticed before even riding it, the cable routing up front is a mess, I had to undo and re-route the front brake cable just to fit the bars, the gear cables don't cross over the front of the headtube (my preferred method) and the result is not very pretty. If I pull the inners out to swap the cables over where they enter the DT I assume there's full length plastic liners in there so I can easily feed them back in?

The last section of gear outer from the dropout to the rear derailluer looks like an inch worm, goes up a few cm and then loops down, whats the best solution here? I think it needs shortening by about 40%.

WW wise I don't want to spend too much as this is meant to be a budget exercise, however I already have a spreadsheet with likely upgrades... The 1st essential upgrade is some better wheels next Spring, looking at some 28/21mm LB WR46 on Carbon Ti hubs (and GP5k tubeless) to drop some weight and improve the looks.

Scouring eBay for some Si HG cranks to replace the none HG, and a carbon SAVE post.

The bike comes with a FSA Si KP044 top cap and plug (50g), looking at replacing it with a KP017 but it seems to have been replaced with K35009, can anyone confirm this and is there much weight difference?
https://qwertycycles.co.uk/products/can ... dge-kp017l
https://qwertycycles.co.uk/products/sl- ... cap-k35009

[3Pio]

Hi, newbie here. I've just bought one of the last 2019 105 CAAD 12s, I had a CAAD about 15 years ago and really liked it, sold it because it was a bit big for me. I've been a road bike disc convert for the last 6 years (MTBer at heart) and currently ride a Genesis Datum with Ultegra, SP Dynamo set up as a do everything road bike, but I find it too heavy and not very inspiring to get out for a quick blast on, hence the CAAD.

I few things I've noticed before even riding it, the cable routing up front is a mess, I had to undo and re-route the front brake cable just to fit the bars, the gear cables don't cross over the front of the headtube (my preferred method) and the result is not very pretty. If I pull the inners out to swap the cables over where they enter the DT I assume there's full length plastic liners in there so I can easily feed them back in?

The last section of gear outer from the dropout to the rear derailluer looks like an inch worm, goes up a few cm and then loops down, whats the best solution here? I think it needs shortening by about 40%.

WW wise I don't want to spend too much as this is meant to be a budget exercise, however I already have a spreadsheet with likely upgrades... The 1st essential upgrade is some better wheels next Spring, looking at some 28/21mm LB WR46 on Carbon Ti hubs (and GP5k tubeless) to drop some weight and improve the looks.

Scouring eBay for some Si HG cranks to replace the none HG, and a carbon SAVE post.

The bike comes with a FSA Si KP044 top cap and plug (50g), looking at replacing it with a KP017 but it seems to have been replaced with K35009, can anyone confirm this and is there much weight difference?
https://qwertycycles.co.uk/products/can ... dge-kp017l
https://qwertycycles.co.uk/products/sl- ... cap-k35009

Check my thread about my CAAD12.. Maybe will help u.. BTW, CAAD12 is very nice riding frameset... Deserve good wheelset and good groupset.. Mine is about 7 kg depend of the wheelset...

Link to the thread:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=154473&start=15#p1447575

[Happybiker]

Thanks, I had a good read of that doing my research, nice bikes!

This is an example of what the cable looks like, with Shimano 11 speed the cable enters from the top instead of the rear of the derraileur and this is the result.
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topi ... ustration/

Just ordered an SL topcap and expander so thats sorted.

[3Pio]

Thanks, I had a good read of that doing my research, nice bikes!

This is an example of what the cable looks like, with Shimano 11 speed the cable enters from the top instead of the rear of the derraileur and this is the result.
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topi ... ustration/

Just ordered an SL topcap and expander so thats sorted.

I suggest getting Colnago or Deda Fork Expanders, since provided fork expander is very short and u are not allowed to have spacers above the stem with stock expander.... Of course if there is no spacers at all above stem, stock expander will work as well...

But in all my bikes im using Colnago Fork Expander