An Overview of Road Groupsets

The drivetrain of a bike plays an important role in cycling. Basically a drivetrain consists of the chain, cassette, derailleurs, brakes, shifters etc. The frame of a bike is said to be the defining point of a great bicycle and all the major manufacturers spend millions of dollars to make them lighter, stiffer and more aerodynamic each day. But it is the drivetrain that takes up most of the stress that you put it under.

All the energy that is generated through your frame and then to bottom bracket transfers straight to the cranks. That relentless stamping on the crank transfers power to the wheels through the chain and cassette. Simultaneously you are also shifting gears to engage derailleurs. And don't forget all the grits and grimes that it faces each day as the terrain changes. So you can imagine the life of a drivetrain is pretty difficult to say the least.

Therefore, reliability is one of the most crucial aspects of a solid drivetrain. For a road bike it's no different as you want your components to last as long as possible after putting huge efforts- whether in racing or in training. Also weight plays a significant role in road biking as lighter groupsets help to keep down the overall weight of the bike. Finally a better groupset is more efficient and it helps to deliver maximum power to your wheels that you generate which in turns save you precious watts of energy in the long run.

So if you're into road bikes and you want to get yourself a roadie but have less idea on groupsets, this article is for you. Basically there are three largest manufacturers which are renowned for their groupset production: Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo. Here's a more in depth look into each brands.

1. Shimano (Japan):

Shimano is the most popular and widely used brand in the market. Shimano thrives on being the ever reliable and no compromise products. Shimano is also widely available and as a result replacement parts are easy to find.

The hierarchy of Shimano road groupset is as of following (from best to worst)

• Dura-Ace di2 (9070) (11 speed electronic)
• Dura-Ace (9000) (11 speed)
• Dura-Ace (7900) (10 speed)
• Dura-Ace (7800) (10 speed)
• Ultegra di2 (6870) (11 speed electronic)
• Ultegra (6800) (11 speed)
• Ultegra di2 (6770) (10 speed electronic)
• Ultegra (6700) (10 speed)
• 105 (5800) (11 speed)
• 105 (5700) (10 speed)
• Tiagra (4600) (10 speed)
• Sora (3500) (9 speed)
• Claris (2400) (8 speed)

Some of the older and discontinued models are: 2300, 2030 etc

Pic: Shimano Dura-Ace 9000

2. SRAM (USA):

SRAM is the latest manufacturer of the big three but they have caught up pretty soon with their innovating technologies and bold designs. Their graphics are really eye-catching and performance of their components are really awesome. They are also widely available like Shimano.

The hierarchy of SRAM road groupset is as of following (from best to worst)

• Red22 (11 speed)
• Red (10 speed)
• Force22 (11 speed)
• Force (10 speed)
• Rival (10 speed)
• Apex (10 speed)

Pic: SRAM Red 22

3. Campagnolo (Italy):

Campagnolo is definitely the classiest groupset maker of the lot. When you think about Campagnolo, you think about art. They have the artistic touch in almost everything they make. They are also the most expensive of the three manufacturers and compared to Shimano and SRAM, a little hard to replace.

The hierarchy of Campagnolo road groupset is as of following (from best to worst)

• Super Record EPS (11 speed electronic)
• Super Record (11 speed)
• Record EPS (11 speed electronic)
• Record (11 speed)
• Chorus (11 speed)
• Athena EPS (11 speed electronic)
• Athena (11 speed)
• Centaur (10 speed)
• Veloce (10 speed)

Pic: Campagnolo Super Record EPS

One important thing to note that, both Shimano and SRAM are interchangeable i.e. you can use SRAM components with Shimano and vice versa. Campagnolo doesn't give you this flexibility.

So if you want a drivetrain with solid and reliable performance, then Shimano is your best bet. If sleek performance and innovative designs are your priority, SRAM is the way to go. If you have money to spend and want to get the classiest groupset of the lot, opt for Campagnolo.

Cannondale Road Bike Size and Guiding

What's to say about "Cannondale" except pure admiration. The pursuit for evolution and performance are their prime focus, which has established them as one of the most renowned bicycling brand in the world. They are at the forefront in terms of innovation and technology such as BB30 Standard, BallisTec Carbon etc and many more. They have also developed a suspension fork called the Lefty for their Mountain Bike series. Cannondale is also one of the few leading brands still opting to design and manufacture "Classic" road frame geometry whereas most brands switched to "Compact" frame geometry.

The history of Cannondale is somewhat turbulent. The Cannondale Bicycle Corporation is a major American bicycle manufacturer, headquartered in Bethel, Connecticut USA with manufacturing in Bedford, Pennsylvania USA. It was founded in 1971 by Joe Montgomery, Jim Catrambone and Ron Davis to manufacture backpacks and bags for camping and later bicycle trailers for bicycle touring. The name of the company was taken from the Cannondale Metro North train station in Wilton, Connecticut. The Company is now owned by Dorel Industries, a Canada based diversified consumer products company.

In the late 1990s Cannondale attempted to move into the motorsports business, producing a line of off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles but the company was unable to drive down the cost of their motor vehicles fast enough. This gap proved to be too much and the company declared bankrupt on January 29, 2003. Cannondale's full assets were then purchased at auction by Pegasus Partners in 2003 and the motorsports equipment and inventory were quickly sold off as the company returned its focus to bicycle manufacturing. In February 2008, Dorel Industries announced the purchase of Cannondale from Pegasus for approximately $200 million. Dorel also owns Pacific Cycle which is a distributor of bicycles made in Taiwan and China for sale under many historic U.S. cycle brands, including Schwinn, Mongoose, Roadmaster, and GT.

Now coming back to the Road Bike discussion, Cannondale manufactures a diverse range of models in various price range. Following is the summary of all the Road Bike models (As of 2014 range).

---Elite Race ("Pure thoroughbred racing machines designed for maximum efficiency, with a focus on extreme light weight, balanced stiffness, aggressive positioning and Cannondale’s legendary pinpoint handling")

1. Supersix EVO (BallisTec HI-MOD Carbon/BallisTec Carbon)
2. CAAD10 (Smartformed 6069 Alloy)
3. CAAD8 (Optimized 6061 Alloy)

Pic: Supersix EVO HI-MOD Dura Ace Di2 (2014)

For the people who are curious with the CAAD designation, it stands for "Cannondale Advanced Aluminum Design". Arguably, it is considered the best alloy frame to its competitors. Also Cannondale claims Supersix to be the lightest and the stiffest frame compared to rest of the competitors.

Pic: CAAD10 5 105 (2014)

---Endurance Road ("balance of raw power and all-day ridability to the cobbled chaos")

1. Synapse Carbon (BallisTec HI-MOD Carbon/BallisTec Carbon)
2. Synapse (Optimized 6061 Alloy)

Pic: Synapse HI-MOD Black Inc

---Triathlon/Time Trial ("Slice and Slice RS bikes are engineered to maximize your advantages")

1. Slice RS (BallisTec HI-MOD Carbon)
2. Slice (Full Carbon)

Pic: Slice RS Black Inc (2014)

---Cyclocross ("From dedicated ‘cross racers who spend their entire year preparing for muddy battle or simply people who recognize the versatility and fun these bikes offer, Cannondale has a ‘cross bike perfectly suited to your desires.")

1. SuperX (BallisTec HI-MOD Carbon/BallisTec Carbon)
2. CAADX (Optimized 6061 Alloy)

Pic: SuperX Disc Force (2014)

So you've seen all the models and among them you have chosen your favorite. But now you don't know what size you would need. Below is an estimated guideline for the appropriate frame size. I mention estimated because Cannondales come up at least a size bigger than most bikes. So narrow down the size from the chart and then check the bike geometry of that model to have a proper understanding.

Pic: Cannondale Road Bike Sizing

As we reach to the end of the article, one thing's for sure, Cannondale means business. They are innovative and aggressive with newer technologies and determined to save each and every second without sacrificing the comfort. It's no wonder that they are so popular in the racing scene for such attitude. It brings us the image of Peter Sagan dancing and sprinting on his green machine towards the finish line. So if you're interested to get a road bike, then look no further from Cannondale. It surely'll bring a smile to your face.

Specialized Road Bike Guide and Sizing

"Specialized"- when you hear the word, you do feel special. From bikes to accessories to clothing, they have the mark of true craftsmanship. When we think about Specialized Road Bikes, it brings us the image of the infamous "curved" top tube. The stunning geometry is a crowd pleasure and there's nothing but admiration when I see one in front of me. But beneath all those beauty, hides a monster which is waiting to be released. Performance is always the biggest focus of Specialized as well as the aesthetic aspect. At Specialized, building bikes isn't a job but a hardcore religion. It's such attitude which established them as one of the popular bicycling brand in the world.

Specialized Bicycle Components Inc., more commonly known simply as Specialized is the United State's fourth-largest maker of high-end bicycles. The headquarter now resides in Morgan Hill, California. It was founded in 1974 by Mike Sinyard. It started with a budget of only $1500 as he sold his Volkswagen Bus to fund for Europe and from there his dream started.

Now coming back to the Road Bikes, Specialized has a variety of bikes placed in different groups. Each group is characterized by the frame material and frame design and those criteria are separating a group from others. Therefore depending on your budget and preferred criteria as mentioned above, you can easily pick a group and choose a model under that group which meets your requirement. A summary of the 2014 range is as follows

---Competitive Range ("Light and stiff bikes- built for all-out performance, speed, and race-day domination.")

1. Tarmac (Specialized SL4 FACT 9r/10r/11r Carbon)
2. Venge (Specialized FACT 10r/11r Carbon, Aero Shaped Tubing)
3. Allez (Specialized E5/A1 Premium Aluminum)

Pic: S-Works Venge Dura-Ace Di2 (2014)

An important thing to note that, most people are confused about the differences between the Tarmac and the Venge series. Both the series have similar price point for similar specs so it raises a question actually what's the difference and which one should i get. The main differnce is that, Venge is the Aero road series whereas Tarmac is considered the Classic road series.

Pic: S-Works Tarmac SL4 Dura-Ace Di2 (2014)


---Endurance Range ("For any terrain, there’s no such thing as a distance too far, or a road too rough.")

1. Roubaix (Specialized SL4 FACT 8r/10r/11r Carbon)
2. Secteur (Specialized E5/A1 Premium Aluminum)

Pic: S-Works Roubaix SL4 Dura-Ace Di2 (2014)


---Triathlon Series (" Course-crushing bikes, helping you transition to the run with energy left in the tank.")

1. Shiv (Specialized Shiv Pro 10r/11r Carbon)

Pic: S-Works Shiv Di2 (2014)


---Cyclocross Series ("Weapon of choice for that non-stop, lungs screaming, heart exploding, ‘goashardasyoucanfor60minutes’ cross race.")

1. Crux (Specialized FACT 10r Carbon/Specialized E5 Premium Aluminum)

Pic: S-Works Crux Red Disc (2014)


---Track Series ("The beautiful simplicity and classic lines of bikes built to ride in Track. No brakes, minimal frills, and a ride-hard-as-you-like attitude—that’s how track racers roll.")

1. Langster (Specialized A1 Premium Aluminum)

Pic: Langster Pro (2014)

In terms of frame quality, 11r represents the best Carbon frame of the bunch followed by 10r, 9r and 8r. For alloy frames, E5 is considered the lighter and better construction compared to A1.

Now, after you decided and fixed on a model, the big question arises, Frame Size. Which frame size is appropriate for you. To get you started, below is the various list of sizes for different range. Please note that the below sizing charts are good guideline to give you an idea on frame size but they are not 100% and can vary depending on other physical aspects.

Pic: Guideline to Specialized Road Bike Frame Size

So here it is, Specialized Road Bikes in a nutshell. If you're a fan of Specialized and dreaming to get one then I hope this article shall help you decide. If you aspire to sprint like Mark Cavendish on a Specialized just like him, go grab one and say it out loud, "I Am Specialized."