Submitted by
David Eisenhower
a Cross Country Rider
from Lansdale, PA Date Reviewed: March 2, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Ralph Stover High Rocks
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1065.00
Purchased At:
Scooters of Souderton, PA
Strengths:
Great setup for the price, it is a Cannondale after all. Enough travel to make it comfortable and a good all day bike. Disc brakes and shifting are both a dream.
Weaknesses:
The Manitou Radium R had no lockout and took a lot of tuning to set the sway and the rebound before we left the shop.
Similar Products Used:
Cannondale Super V 500, Cannondale Super V 700
Bike Setup:
Stock setup w/ Crank Bros Egg Beaters Ti pedals
Bottom Line:
I've been riding hard tails for six years, Schwinn S95.5, Marin Pine Mountain, Cannondale F500, so full suspension is still fairly new to me. But this bike has impressed me with comfort and capability I didn't expect. The SRAM shifters are smooth and fast when you need them, and the Avid disc brakes stop you yesterday! 100mm of travel on the front fork and 3 inches of travel in the rear have eaten everything I've thrown at it so far, logs, ladders, rocks, falls, you name it! An excellent setup out of the box, just ensure you set the sway and rebound correctly to keep the ride smoother.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rune Gundersen
a Cross Country Rider
from Norway Date Reviewed: August 17, 2006
This is a great bike and if you upgrade the components it`s even a greater bike. My weight in about 13,5kg before I upgrade it, now it`s about 11,8 kg. It`s handlig fantastic in all terrain and its fast like the Scalpel.Wery fun too ride and you can ride it all day.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a Cross Country Rider
from Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA Date Reviewed: August 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
any and all
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1400.00
Purchased At:
Competive Edge
Strengths:
Frame all the way
Weaknesses:
Seat and components. Seems like it's constantly requiring tune-ups. And my ass is hating the seat!! Too hard
Similar Products Used:
Some GT from back in the day. This ones got me hooked on the sport all over again
Bike Setup:
All stock except for Stan's tubless kit, and Terry fly Ti seat. Soon to upgrade to clipless pedels.
Bottom Line:
I'm hooked on this sport all over again. After owning my first full suspension bike about 5 yrs ago and only owning it for about 2 months before it was stolen I swore I would never spend this kind of money on a bike again. I'm hooked like never before and it's all this bike. I can't stay off the seat. I have noticed compared to the next model up that the components are a little low end. The brakes are great but are not as easy to adjust as the next model up. I think after I add clipless pedels I'm going to look into upgrading some of the components to aid in shifting performance. The craftsmanship is excellent besides strength the double welding and blending shows that attention to detail I love. Not to mention Made in the USA!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Oscar
a Cross Country Rider
from Westcoast Sweden Date Reviewed: August 3, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Fast singletracks and mud
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$2500.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Frame
Weaknesses:
None
Bike Setup:
Stock
Bottom Line:
Bought this bike as my first entry level FS and really learned to enjoy it having ridden only HT:s before. Since you get what you pay for the components are not the best. A lot of them have been changed already. The pedals are now CB Candy, the stem is a shorter Easton with more raise, the tires are now Schwalbe Big Betty, the rims are now Mavic Crossland, the chain is a XTR and the front shifter is a Shimano XT. Since the frame is so nice it´s been worth upgrading. Next is the rear derailleur because it changes gears improperly and feels cheap.
The ride is smooth and the bike flows over those naughty roots and stones. It also climbs very well and very little pivot movement when pedaling on flat surfaces
I would recommend this bike any day!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a Weekend Warrior
from Maryland Date Reviewed: July 1, 2006
Favorite Trail:
The Shed
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1400.00
Purchased At:
bike dr arnold md
Strengths:
Frame, fork
Weaknesses:
front hub, shifters, derailleurs
Similar Products Used:
kona dawg, spec xc comp
Bike Setup:
stock, soon to change
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike knowing that I would eventually upgrade the components due to poor performance, and breakage, and they have so far proven me right. The front hub squeals and has shown a tendency to loosen after so many miles of riding. It has never shifted properly, even after repeated tune-ups. That's the bad. As for the good, this frame kicks a$$. It is low to the ground which may cause some riders to make adjustments in the way they approach some obsticles, but once you get used to it, it's not a problem. This bike eats up the tech stuff...rocks, roots, 2-3-4 footers are a breeze. Handles like dream on the corners. The R7 is a great shock so far, and barring any unforseen issues, I don't see any reason to trade it out. This bike also climbs very well for a full sus with no lock out. Bottom line is I would buy this bike again and again. If you have the dough, spring for the more expensive model, save yourself some trouble with the stock components. The Overall Rating below is for the frame, fork, and overall ride.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mick carr
a Weekend Warrior
from canberra, australia Date Reviewed: May 12, 2006
Favorite Trail:
kowen forest
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1400.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
GREAT FRAME
Weaknesses:
TYRES, SEAT.
Similar Products Used:
PROFLEX 555 (ANTIQUE DUEL SUSP)
Bike Setup:
STOCK EXCEPT FOR SADDLE FI'ZK CP, DX SPDS, NEW TYRES (MICHELIN HOT S)
Bottom Line:
IN AUS THIS BIKE COSTS $2300 AND IS VERY GOOD VALUE. GREAT FOR A WEEKEND WARRIOR OR ENTRY LEVEL TO DUEL SUSP. SUPERB QUALITY FRAME. SMOOTH PERFORMANCE FROM CHEAPISH FRONT SHOCKS AND READ SUSP. FRAME MAKES UPGRADES WORTHWHILE. APPRECIATE THE FOUR INCHES OF TRAVEL AFTER RIDING MY SINGLESPEED. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS DALE TO ANY FIRST TIME DUELIES ON A BUDGET.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Michael
a Weekend Warrior
from Puyallup, WA Date Reviewed: April 21, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Any
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1200.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
Frame, Frame, Frame
Weaknesses:
The components are low end, but what do you expect from an entry level C'dale? My R7 has developed a leak from the rebound adjustments.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized, Trek, etc.
Bike Setup:
Stock with upgraded seat (WTD), seatpost (Thomson), bars (Easton), and stem (Thomson). Wheels and cranks next............
Bottom Line:
I'm light (140 lbs) so I've had no issues with riding my Rush more as a trail bike than a XC racer. Set-up is straight forward and once dialed in this sucker moves! Great for the conditions in the Pacific NW unless you're a pure free ride type of rider. An excellent frame that should provide years of service. A great bike for the weekend warrior or in my case someone who enjoys multiple sports and can't afford to invest too much $ in any one activity.
Highly recommended!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
What's New
»
Interbike 2008! Read news and info about new bikes and products from the upcoming show»
$
Overall Rating:
