I Have Just Found My Ideal Bike, the Cannondale Quick!

Jan 27

08:40

2012

Stephen Bailey

I've been trying to find a new bike, but it's been not easy to find one that suits the sort of riding I like to do:- I like to cover useful distances on the road, however I don't fancy a super road bike with drop handlebars and a painful saddle. I commute to the office by bike, so want something comfy that will also carry a bit of luggage. Mudguards are vital too - I can't turn up at work covered in mud. While I want to take the odd trip along a track or path, I know that a mountain bike would not be right as the thick tyres make riding on the tarmac just very hard - and the road is where I will spend the majority of my time.

There's undoubtedly no lack of choice in the market, with loads of suppliers trying to get a share of the action. So researching the marketplace is not simple. A lot of of the bikes that I checked out were just not suitable - most of them didn't have the right design approach Gentle riding would be no challenge. But they were simply not designed for speed. Then I discovered the Cannondale Quick.Clearly one glance at the bikes in the Quick series was enough to tell me that I had found the right bike:-

Lightweight alloy frame, looking like it was built for speed. The bikes higher up the series have carbon forks as well.
A decent range of gear ratios for (relatively) effortless hill-climbing. Once again, the higher bikes in the collection have really nice road bike components- not as a rule found on hybrid bikes.
Straightforward brakes - sturdy V-brakes which need minimal upkeep, unlike the disc brakes you regularly find.
The wheels on the versions towards the top of the range are truly smart - paired spokes that look as if they have come off a road bike. OK, a conventional arrangement with more spokes will be more robust, but for riding on the road, just great.
The prices are not bad. You can get cheaper needless to say. The Quick range starts at around £600. If you have the funds, you can spend up to £1100 - but this is rather out of my price range.

So following all this online research, I went along to the local dealer to try one out. I went for a model from the lower half of the range, which seemed to have all the attributes that were most important to me. But at the same time not too expensive for me.The trial ride was a revelation. The bike felt pretty lively and agile, yet steady. Road vibration was not at all noticeable, thanks to the carbon forks, and the saddle and handlebars made for a very relaxed riding position, ideal for extended trips. Gear selection was very smooth, with a decent selection of ratios for hill-climbing.I could see myself looking forward to getting on the bike, even after a hard day at work.I didn't hesitate. I placed the order immediately. My bike arrives next week. Can't wait.

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