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Submitted by
Michael Staples
a Downhiller
from Sonoma, CA USA
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Northstar/Downieville | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | Pleasant Hill Cyclery | | Strengths: | Seems to be well built. I like the handling. Quality workmanship. | | Weaknesses: | Read below. Also, I'm not overly impressed with the Sherman forks for DH. To be fair, the 3000 is billed as a Freeride bike, and the DH probably has a different set of forks. I would go with the dual crown forks (having taken a couple of endos I think were due to those Shermans). Also, I think the 3000 sits too high for a DH bike. Again, maybe the Cannondale DH has a lower BB. For DH, you need to lower your seat and have a reasonbale standover height -- which I don't have with the 3000. So before you buy, make sure you can lower the seat, reach the ground with your feet, and not have your knees too far up into your chin when you pedal (which you don't do all that much anyway in DH). | | Similar Products Used: | M3, Kona (several), Big Hit, Demo 9, Foes...etc. | | Bike Setup: | Standard with E-13 dual chain guid and Specialized magnesium flats. SRAM swist grips. Thompson seat post. Various different tire combos. | | Bottom Line: | I've had this bike about two years. Put it through a lot of hard miles: Downieville 2 or 3 runs a weekend. DH races. Northstar many times. Smashed it up plenty on local rockbeds, thrashed down many school staircases... But the fact is that it has been in the shop more than under my butt. It goes down hill fine, but there is something wrong with the peddling that no-one can figure out. It skips, it pops, it clanks. It's been to maybe 5 different shops repeatedly. Replaced the chain, the chainrings, the rear cluster...and the cables (many times -- because that's what everything thinks it is). The last shop I took it to just threw their hands up after repeated trys and said it was a desgn flaw...not with the drive-train, but with the bike itself. And this was a former Cannodale dealer (maybe with an axe to grind, but I don't think so).
I don't know if it is the Cannondale itself, or the E13 combination. Initially, we got the E13 setup wrong because we didn't know the E13 required a 100mm axel -- so we had to replace the bottom bracket. But that was the least of my worries. I have had nothing but trouble with this bike, and I have spent enought to buy a new bike trying to get the drive-train to work. Tomarrow I', cutting my losses and looking seriously at an Intense M3. A lemon is a lemon. I'm giving the bike 2 chilis because it rolls down hills and takes drops well. I guess that's worth a couple of Chilis. My advice, though, is that because of the cost of the bike, you might do better with something else in the DH arena...maybe an M3 or one of the new Santa Cruz DH bikes. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jesse McCollum
a Downhiller
from Kansas City, MO
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | anything | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2300.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycle City, through employee discount from Cannondale | | Strengths: | the stock bike is perfect for downhill racing, and hardcore freeride... might just swap out dual chainring for a single with an e-13 guide. | | Weaknesses: | triple 8 is alittle weird at first, but now it rocks. Manitou 4 way is just butterly smooth. | | Similar Products Used: | demo9, foes fly, haro DHR | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | this bike just floats over everything... 8 foot to flat drops... no problem, 20 footer to tranny... too easy. This bike is perfectly balanced. Even though you all will hate me for the how little I paid, this bike with worth every single cent of the full retail price. The ringle hub is super loud... I guess it makes you keep pedaling to shut it up though, so it's all good. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
frslovak
a Downhiller
from Charleston, WV
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | John's | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$3599.00 | | Purchased At: | CBC | | Strengths: | Frame, rear schock, cranks, fork, brakes, wheels | | Weaknesses: | Um, nothing yet | | Similar Products Used: | Rocky Mountain RM7 | | Bike Setup: | Zokey Super T, Manitou Swinger 4 way, Saint Cranks, MRP Chainguide, Mavic 321 Wheels with Cannondale Hubs and DT Swiss spokes. Cannondale Freeride handlebar. XT rear derrailleur. | | Bottom Line: | This bike totally rocks. I raced it up at Snowshoe and totally ripped the course. The frame is responsive (a trait of C'dales), and the rear shock keeps the rear tire gluedto the ground once you get it set up for your weight and riding terrain. In the corners the Gemini is like a spring, scrubbing off just enough speed and then springing out of the corners. Pedaling downhill actually helps maintain control and is encouraged by the high bottom bracket and responsive seven inches of travel.
When it comes to jumping and/or dropping the Gemini excels. It's light for a downhill bike (43 lbs stock), and it shows when manuevering the bike through the air. Setting the rebound a little slower allows you to hit drops that are perhaps a little too big for you. Overall, this bike totally rips the trails, whether you're dropping off a 7 foot rock face or pedaling down a muddy NORBA course. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jaime correa
a Downhiller
from san antonio,tx.usa
Date Reviewed: February 3, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | the whole planet | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | san antonio, tx | | Strengths: | this bike will read your mind and do what you want, when you want it, from xc all the way to downhill | | Weaknesses: | the rider keep confusing his intentions with his abilities | | Similar Products Used: | 02 gemini 1000. 02 bullit. 01 stinky five. 03 azzonic saber | | Bike Setup: | jr T.raceface diabulus handlebars,seatpost and dh cranks with atomlab aircorp peddals. azzonic love seat saddle.odi ruffian grips.sram trigger shifters, xt f/r derr. deemax rims hayes 8" brakes.and my airborne and air-assault badges from miine army's days. | | Bottom Line: | there nothing you cant do on this bike,(ask cedric gracia)I even did a 12hr race 2yrs in the row, solo category and took first place both times.is great to listen to the xc racers on their 24lbs bikes during the 1st lap and again after 11 laps (2nd place did only 9 laps on a litespeed ti bike,,,,22.5 lbs)the gemini will take you as far as your courage and/or lack of common sense want to go | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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