Cannondale vs Giant?

syrahkowski said:

[font=Calibri]Hi, yet another new to cycling...[/font]

[font=Calibri]I’m looking to buy my first road bike and looking in the AUD$3-$4K price range. After visiting a couple of bike shops, at this stage I’ve narrowed the choice to [/font]

[font=Calibri][font=Calibri]-[/font] [/font][font=Calibri]Giant TCR C1 (full carbon, Ultegra components and Mavic ksyrium elite wheels)[/font]

[font=Calibri][font=Calibri]-[/font] [/font][font=Calibri]Cannondale SystemSix (carbon front, Aluminum rear, SRAM rival components, Mavic aksium wheels)[/font]

[font=Calibri]The Giant is $3,400, while the Cannondale is on sale for $4,000 which the LBS tells me is a really good price. They are both from different shops.[/font]

[font=Calibri]It seems to me that the Giant has the advantage of being full carbon and has better wheels, while the Cannondale has slightly ‘better’ components (although the guy from the Giant shop said SRAM components are harder to repair as not all bike shops will stock them, and in that respect Shimano is a better choice).[/font]

[font=Calibri]I’m wondering why it is that there is such a difference in price. Is it a case of you get what you pay for? Is Cannondale better quality than Giant, or am I trying to compare two bikes that really aren’t comparable? Is full carbon a better choice than a mixed carbon/Al frame – I’m reasonably small and pretty light so not sure that stiffness is a major issue.[/font]

[font=Calibri]Any advice would be appreciated. If I was going purely on looks, the Cannondale wins.[/font]

In my area (Atlanta) Cannondales are typically more expensive. My LBS told me it was volume manufacturing issues. Giant, I think is the largest manufacturer in the world. Personally, I prefer Cannondales but ended up buying Giant for price...

this is now my second attempt at writing a reply so this time I will make it short.

I've just bought the european spec SystemSix Ultregra SL Compact. I've only done 50mls but the ride is just fantastic. The bike is very stiff and you really feel that with every bit of power is transfered to the road.
I have changed the standard factory setup and I got my LBS to change the [font=Calibri]ksyrium equppe to Fulcrum Racing 1. I really feel I have the right wheels for this type of bike. I also changed the fizik saddle for a specialized toupe Gel.[/font]
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[font=Calibri]I didn't just want a stiff frame. I don't see why you should suffer because you want a bike that is at the peak of performance engineering. The aluminium/Carbon combination is perfect at soaking up road vibration but doesn't start flexing whe you least need it too.[/font]
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[font=Calibri]Every owner review has nothing but praise for the SystemSix and now I understand why. Be sure to check out the broadband racer's review of the SystemSix. [/font]

With the Cannondale, you're also paying for handbuilt man hours in the USA. The Giant is manufactured in Taiwan. That's not to compare the quality of the workmanship, just the labor rates.

The Systemsix is a real thoroughbred racer, yet it provides a super comfortable ride. I have yet to see a written or video review come short of raving about it.

I can't comment on the TCR. However, if cost is an issue, Giant is a great value.

I'm biased toward Cannondale, so I'd go for the Systemsix. Just visited a VERY high-end shop in Atlanta, filled with Pinarello, Serotta, BMC, Litespeed. Cannondale was their stock brand. The salesman told me that almost all of the guys in the shop owned Systemsixes.

For that sort of money and at this time of the year, I wouldn't get the TCR1. You will find specials on the 2007 matte finish TCR Advanced with Ultegra running gear at between AUD$3600 to AUD$3999. This will be a much better ride than the TCR, and my preference over a SystemSix.