MAMIL Cycling : Cannondale CAADX Tiagra 2017 Product Review скачать в хорошем качестве

MAMIL Cycling : Cannondale CAADX Tiagra 2017 Product Review

MAMIL Cycling : Cannondale CAADX Tiagra 2017 Product Review Well if there’s one thing that is grabbing the cycling fraternity by storm at the moment it’s cyclocross / gravel bikes. The morphing of the boundaries between mountain bikes and road bikes leads you to this centerground which is increasingly being populated by manufacturers looking for their next N+1 victim. This bike, despite the name, is last years model. The upside was not only that I managed to pick it up for £350 less than this years model (which in terms of build is identical) but also I managed to pick it up in this gorgeous green instead of a rather dull 2018 model which doesn’t attract nearly as much attention. The spec of the bike includes the really well respected Cannondale oversized CAAD aluminium frame with smartform C2 alloy, Carbon Ultra X Disc forks, Shimano Tiagra groupset, FSA Omega Cross chainset, CX 3.0 Disc, 32-hole rims, Schwalbe Rapid Rob tyres, and Promax Render R Mechanical Disc brakes. The tyres inflate to anything between 50-85 PSI so run a little softer than your standard road bike tyres and have a lot more nobbly grip than you would see on slicks. In terms of the riding position, I found it to be very similar to my Specialized Roubaix in that it is a slightly more relaxed road riding position than an all-out racer. This makes total sense for a bike of this type and giving my ageing body suits me down to a tee also. I took the bike for its maiden voyage out yesterday around a local Forestry Commission forest called Alice Holt. It’s an area that I am familiar with from dog walking, but also riding around on my (now sold) crosstrail bike. To get to the forest you have to ride on the road for about 2 miles, so it was interesting to compare how this felt to my Roubaix on a stretch of road that I cycle almost daily. Clearly, from the perspective of speed, this bike isn’t as fast as a road bike and you wouldn’t expect it. The weight, tyres and general setup of the bike dictate that logic, but I was surprised to find how effortlessly it rolled on the road. I had expected the tyres to feel sticky and for the frame to feel lethargic compared to the Roubaix, but it felt very solid, very secure and altogether very pleasurable. It was noticeable harder to climb a short hill compared to the Roubaix, but in the same way, it felt a lot easier than on the flat bar crosstrail bike. Once I got into the forest the bike came into its own. It fairly flew along the gravel path soaking up all the bumps and soft surface stones. It was like I was riding a road bike on a road, except I was riding a cyclocross bike on the gravel. This was exciting, very comfortable and I very quickly had a big grin on my face. The Tiagra groupset is positioned about the mid-range of the Shimano groupsets but perceived wisdom on the net seems to suggest that you don’t need a really classy groupset for a cyclocross bike because of the nature of picking up dirt, debris and alike. There’s also a different need for gearing configurations because you are not going to be going as fast as a road bike, but you may need more gearing support at the low end to get up hilly trails and paths. The gearing setup on the CAADX is 46/36 at the front and 12-18 at the back which supports the logic. However, the Tiagra groupset seems to be perfectly positioned as a decent all-round groupset and certainly, the shifting was effortless and true on the bike, both on and off-road, and the gearing made sense entirely. The tyres were very impressive on the gravel, not only soaking up the uneven surface (in conjunction with the smartform frame) but giving real confidence to turn on corners where there loose gravel and dirt were common. If there is one area of the bike that I remain unconvinced by it is the brakes. It may well be that they need bedding in and tweaking, but they were the one thing that I didn’t feel overwhelmingly great about. They weren’t terrible, but they just seemed way less efficient than evening my road bike calliper brakes, and as for comparison with the hydraulic brakes that were on the crosstrail there simply is none. It’s tough to judge on the first outing and time will tell but it’s the one thing I remain unconvinced about in relation to this bike. So my first impressions are very positive indeed. This is a stunning bike to look at. Almost too nice to take out and get dirty, but that it will be and I am fully confident that I will derive great pleasure from riding this bike and hacking it around trails and paths that have previously been unexplored. I also look forward to taking longer trails down to the coast, remaining off the road where possible because whilst this is a cyclocross bike designed to be ridden hard, it feels so comfortable and so pleasant that spending hours in the saddle could be just that. You can also read more from me at www.themamil.co.uk