CANNONDALE CAAD12 DISC DURA-ACE
£3499.99 › Can metal really compete with carbon fibre?
The CAAD12 alloy frame has a string of awards to its name and is a superb showcase of just how far you can take metal tube technology. The hourglass headtube backs onto a super-thin wall down-tube that morphs and reshapes regularly before reaching the BB30 bottom bracket (BB) shell as a flattened oval.
The asymmetric Delta seat-tube flattens and expands sideways as it drops onto the top of the bottom bracket shell, locking in anti-twist stiffness when you pedal hard. Together with the SAVE flat centred, brace-free seatstays and a top-tube that tapers dramatically from headtube to seat-tube, it’s clear to see where stiffness or comfort-boosting flex are concentrated. The SAVE chainstays use a flattened centre section for a leaf spring ridesoftening effect before ending in cowled quick-release dropouts.
The patented flat-mount brake fixture is formed into a separate gusset plate then welded onto the inside edge of the stay. All cables and hoses are fully internal with a tidy dropout exit point for the rear gear line. With a weight under 1100g it’s lighter than most of the carbon frames in this test and with smoothed mainframe welds it could be mistaken for composite cosmetically too.
The SAVE fork is fully carbon with a 12mm thru-axle for precision and security and a front-of-crown brake pipe entry point keeping things clean and neatly aligned. Cannondale also adds one of the nicest moulded carbon headset caps we’ve seen and, with the metallic flake paint finish, it looks more like an exotic carbon frame rather than an off-the-peg model.
The spec you’re getting is superbike level too with an almost full set of Shimano Dura-Ace gearing, the cassette is Ultegra,
cranked round by Cannondale’s own hollow-armed SpideRing chainset.
Cannondale branded kit forms the cockpit and skinny shaft, cutaway top seatpost, while Fizik provides the premium Antares saddle. The wheels use Cannondale Hollowgram carbon rims, using licensed Stan’s No Tubes technology to come set up tubeless as standard, using liquid sealant and a rim-mounted valve rather than a separate inner tube.
The wheelset creates over half the weight saving advantage the Cannondale has over its closest rival the BMC, and acceleration is in a different class to the rest of the pack. Even at full 90psi front/100psi rear pressures, with relatively narrow 19mm internal rims, the wheels have a richly connected and damped feel compared to the conventional, lower grade tyres and deeper, alloy rims on other bikes on test. While it doesn’t damp vibration like carbon can, the frame itself is forgiving of rougher surfaces considering how alive and precise it feels.
The result is a bike that just disappears underneath you on climbs or whenever you hit the gas coming out of corners, and begs you to go on the attack to rub that in at every opportunity. Handling is sharp and precise but that surefooted wheel and tyre connection meant it was never nervous however late we left braking or hard we leaned through tightening turns. We can’t think of a bike at this price that we’ve enjoyed as much.