Cannondale Alloy Goes Aero
The CAAD13 takes on the look and feel of the SuperSix Evo, in a budget-friendly package
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Known for its skill in aluminum, Cannondale is upping the ante on its popular alloy CAAD (Cannondale Advanced Aluminum Design) bikes with the CAAD13. With truncated airfoil tube shapes and dropped seatstays, it’s pulling from the same bag of tricks as the new SuperSix EVO (and many other high end bikes these days) to create a new level of aerodynamics and compliance for an alloy frame.
- Uses the same geometry and tube shapes as the SuperSix Evo
- truncated aero tubeshapes and compliant dropped seatstays
- room for up to 30c tires disc, and 28c rim.
The new truncated aero tube shapes—the same design as for the SuperSix Evo—have a similar weight and stiffness to the old round tubes, but can reduce drag by up to 30 percent. For an extra way to cheat the wind, there are two ways to mount the downtube bottle cage, with the lower setting offering maximum aerodynamics. Finally, internal cable routing keeps airflow smooth and makes for a cleaner looking bike.
In addition to getting faster, the new CAAD13 gets more comfortable, with compliance coming from features throughout the bike. Dropped seat stays form a new forgiving SAVE rear triangle, and a new truncated KNØT27 carbon seatpost absorbs much of the road buzz through the saddle. Additionally, the carbon fork offers up to 30c clearance for disc frames—and 28c clearance for rim brakes—for maximum comfort and some versatility in tire choice.
The CAAD13 will start at $1,800 for a rim brake 105 build, and will jump to $2,100 for disc brake 105. An Ultegra rim brake build takes the price up another $300. At $5,750, the most premium build will include Force eTap with disc brakes and Cannondale’s HollowGram KNØT 45 wheels, which Cannondale claims are faster than many similarly sized wheels on the market. It will be available in 44, 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 60 and 62, as well as women’s specific sizing in 44, 48, 51 and 54.
Cannondale uses 6069 aluminum alloy, which it calls SmartForm C1 premium alloy, to weld the CAAD13 together with the same race-ready geometry and fit as the SuperSix Evo. The company is pretty bullish on this latest alloy frame. It thinks it outcompetes many carbon frames and is the perfect race bike for a crit racer’s budget. If it rides better than the already stellar CAAD 12, and can approach the compliance of its carbon cousin, the SuperSix, then we’re a little more than excited to try one out.