>>1571111>If you had 1500 usd to 2000 what brand and model road bike would you getI have been thinking about this myself ever since I've been putting a ton of miles on the road this year. I'm very partial to Cannondale's CAAD13 rim brake 105 groupset. It's generally offered at $1800 and checks all the right boxes for me.
-CAAD13 frame geometry looks gorgeous to me and I happen to like all the muted color options for it. It's definitely a pricey frame just for aluminum and you can find more price competitive options, but I like the aesthetics and generally well received performance reviews for it.
-I've always preferred rim brakes aesthetically as well as for the low maintenance vs something like hydraulic brakes, plus it shaves off some weight for those weight weenies out there. The CAAD13 models I've seen use the dual direct mount setup for rim brakes which makes them a lot more responsive.
-105 Groupset is more than adequate for anyone not competing, and it's great value. Only other consideration is running Tiagra, but at that point you might as well really lower the total price of the bike to sub 1k.
>also aluminum verses carbon fiber?I've ridden my buddy's "cheap" carbon bike and I didn't particularly care for the way it felt. If I DO plan on getting carbon I'm just going to bite the bullet and get something 4-5k and opt for a Bianchi with their counterveil since I've heard good things about it.
Ultimately though I'm too paranoid to own a carbon bike and worry I'm going to crack it or stupidly overtorque something out of impatience. Aluminum suits my price point and my needs and throwing down 1.8k for a well designed aluminum frame vs a basic carbon frame with subpar components just doesn't sit well with me.
