Okay let me say first I am a newbie. I am in the process of buying my first ride. For some reason I am wanting a C'Dale. However my shop is pushing Raleigh and Trek saying they are better bikes all around for the money.

I live north of Atlanta so it is a little hilly and I want to start riding about 3-4 times a week and I want to stay around $1200. Is a C'Dale my best option.

Please say yes. ;)

But every bike you mentiioned are good bike also. I owned a raliegh, it was a pretty good bike, for the price i payed anyway, I own a trek, it's MT'bike but it also a good bike, I just bought a C'dale R1000, and to answer your question it's better of them all, I live the C'dale, what model are you looking at? Lets just say you can't go wrong with either bike, have your test rode any of the models, whatever fits better should make your decision easier...

But every bike you mentiioned are good bike also. I owned a raliegh, it was a pretty good bike, for the price i payed anyway, I own a trek, it's MT'bike but it also a good bike, I just bought a C'dale R1000, and to answer your question it's better of them all, I live the C'dale, what model are you looking at? Lets just say you can't go wrong with either bike, have your test rode any of the models, whatever fits better should make your decision easier...

Thanks for the reply. I really don't know why I'm sold on the C'Dale it is just a feeling. I was a MTBer for a while and that is what I owned and I was thrilled with it. I like the Trek and the Raliegh but for some reason there is something about a C'Dale that I like. I am looking at the R1000 but I have to admit I might go with the R800 just because I LOVE the red/gold paint job.

I have two Cannondales, Jekyll 1000 and R1000. Really like both of them alot. Cannondale has a great resale value. I have friends with some of the other brands you mentioned and they seem to be great bikes, but when they try to trade up or just get out they take a beating on the price.

First of all let me say that i own 2 cannondale's; a jekyll and a CAAD 6 custom frame. IMO go with your gut and get the cannondale, you def will not be dissapointed in any way. I happen to have the SI hallogram crankset as well and it is awesome, the stiffest and lightest i have found (and looks good too) a friend just bought (off this site) a CAAD 6 like mine to replace his 10 year old c-dale. after a couple weeks of riding, he could not be happier!

Just a warning though, once you buy a c-dale---it's all you will ever own. Good Luck :D

Okay let me say first I am a newbie. I am in the process of buying my first ride. For some reason I am wanting a C'Dale. However my shop is pushing Raleigh and Trek saying they are better bikes all around for the money.

I live north of Atlanta so it is a little hilly and I want to start riding about 3-4 times a week and I want to stay around $1200. Is a C'Dale my best option.

Please say yes. ;)
Dales are nice all-around bikes. Do they still spec all that Coda crap though?

I think these days they reserve the Coda crap only as an exclusive for Colnago.

Dales are nice all-around bikes. Do they still spec all that Coda crap though?

Nope, Coda has either gone out of business or cut down to producing just a couple product lines, I forget which. 'Dale now places mostly other people's crap on their bikes, except for some stuff under the 'dale moniker (mostly low end bars, brakes, headsets, hubs, etc.)

Re: the original question, IMHO the only reason NOT to go with Cannondale is if you prefer something besides Aluminum, but if you're ok with those ride qualities I don't believe there's a manuf. out there that does better with that material. As good maybe, but not better. And although they're a teensy bit pricier than a similarly spec'd Trek, Specialized, whatever... they're made in the US (although you may not be an American and therefore not care about the economic implications... me, I'd never consider buying a Giant, for example) and the lifetime frame guarantee is nothing to sneeze at.

I respect Cannondale because they're one of the few sizeable companies that are truly innovative- you may not like the Lefty, the Headshok, the Scalpel, etc. but you've got to admit that they had balls to develop the things they did, some of which were later copied and occasionally improved on... Some companies exhibit innovation in their initial business stage, and then are relatively static from then on, their ideas spent. Not Cannondale.