Every now and then, your bike just explodes.
Prior to this bike, I was on a CAAD10 built up from a new, 2015-era frame and used parts from all of my cycling friends. Unfortunately, the RAAD10’s derailleur decided to suck up a piece of gravel, blow up the lower pulley, and in turn somehow swing my derailleur into my seat stay at supersonic speeds. It dented my frame and continued to bend and crack further the more I rode it, so it was time for a change.
That said, at this point, I had become a Cannondale fan (looking past the notoriously creaky bottom brackets, of course). So, the obvious next purchase was a CAADX, which had roughly the same frame geo as the CAAD10 but was more comfortable on the gravel roads of the Central Coast.
Is it light and fast? Ummmm, not exactly. Is it pretty? Depends on your definition of beauty, I guess. Is the derailleur hanger bent? When is it not?
Is it the perfect bike? Absolutely not, but that’s exactly why I love it.
And with that, let me introduce The Black Pearl.
Name: I’m a huge Pirates of the Caribbean fan (don’t ask why, I don’t know either). When I bought this bike, I was quick to name it after Jack Sparrow’s ship. Funnily enough, only upon receiving the bike did I realize that the official colorway was listed as “Black Pearl.” Arrrr!
Total mileage (as of writing): Somewhere around 6,200, according to Strava.
Specs
Frameset: 2020 CAADX
Drivetrain (Derailleurs): Shimano 105, featuring a clunky front derailleur that frequently finds itself stuck. Also hydraulic brakes that actually work quite well.
Chainring: FSA Omega alloy, 46/36T (bent)
Cassette: Cheap-o aftermarket 11-speed 11-34T
Bars: Some bars from Pro Bikegear that I got secondhand in early 2016 and have been using ever since. They say they’re 40cm wide but they’re narrower than all the other 40cm bars I’ve ridden, so let’s call it “38.”
Stem: 90mm, $4 Bontrager parts bin find.
Pedals: Cheap Shimano SPDs–they’re heavy, but they stand up to a beating.
Bar Tape: Zipp Service Course
Wheels: Hunt 4 Season Gravel–I keep trashing the bearings on these though, so that might have to change in the future.
Tires: Front – Teravail Cannonball Light and Supple, 700 x 38. Rear – Specialized Pathfinder Sport, 700 x 38. (Note: These are not mixed and matched on purpose, it’s more of a question of what I had lying around.)
Seat: Specialized Power Arc Expert
Seat Post: $20-dollar Amazon find
Bottle Cages: Lezyne Matrix Team Cage
Saddle Bag (not pictured): Right now I’m using some REI-brand saddle bag that I don’t like very much (it’s tearing at the top and has a tendency to unzip mid descent and spill all of your belongings out onto the side of the road). This is a WIP.
GPS: Wahoo Elemnt w/ Front Mount
Extras: Hotline sticker, for bad influence purposes (shoutout to Terry Barentsen). Oh, also a “bike more” sticker.
Favorite Thing: The fact that it’s let me put it through hell and back. I ride the Black Pearl hard, and while I may break things from time to time (RIP derailleur hangar #10), overall, she’s kept chugging along just fine.
Least Favorite Thing: The damn front derailleur. It’s sticky, even when it’s clean, and it sometimes requires a helpful nudge to move over. There are definitely times I wish I was running 1x (read “most of the time”).
Longest Ride: 101.84, according to Strava. I’ve done a few centuries on this. It’s not the fastest, but it’ll do, donkey.
Wildest Ride: Gosh, I have so many good memories on this thing. Honestly, it’s gotta be setting the QOM on the See Canyon Descent in 2020. Maybe I would have been even faster on a proper road bike, but this thing does have the advantage of weight on its side, so…
Future Plans: I’m not a dentist, so my current philosophy is “just replace shit when it breaks.” So, I don’t really have any part upgrades planned, other than probably installing derailleur hanger number 11, 12, and so on.
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