Comments on: Cannondale Updates F-29: Offers A Single Speed In ‘08

By: Twenty Nine Inches | A 29er Bike site » Blog Archive » More Cannondale Rumor Updates

Wed, 23 May 2007 02:09:30 +0000

[...] If you missed the last Cannondale rumors post, you can find it here. Today, I want to add some updated information I have gathered concerning Cannondale ‘08 29″ers and nip a couple of other things in the bud before they blossom! [...]

By: Dirt McGirt

Dirt McGirt — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 21:05:34 +0000

Ps. Grow up I moved away from the East Coast to get away from crap like this. You ride your’s, I’ll ride mine and we’ll all have fun. Oh, and there ARE trikes in my size, Mr. Nosey Pants!! :oP

Keep the rubber side down

By: Dirt McGirt

Dirt McGirt — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 21:00:45 +0000

This all started off wit me having a little fun. Then (as usual) the Cdale cult HAD to make it personal. I’m not all about Taiwanese companies. In fact I usually point people in the direction of smaller companies like Rocky Mountain, Seven, etc.

Look, I HATE Cannondales. No amount of huffing or puffing or personal attacks (dick) are going to cange that. And I’m not on the East Coast, Phil, I’m west side till I die.

Sorry you guys paid too much for marketing hype.

i’m out

By: Thank-you BWB

Thank-you BWB — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 17:31:48 +0000

I have been fortunate enough to race bicycles all over the country. I have ridden everything from specialized, trek, gary fisher, giant, and the cannondale F 29er that i currently ride. I will say that hands down, the c’dale is the NICEST bike I have ever ridden. Also, the lefty fork is just absolutely amazing!!! (yea, im getting things started…)
Im not sure how one could dis-like a bicycle company just because they lack the ability to adjust the shifting themselves…seems a little odd to me, especially when you work in the greatest bike shop on the East Coast… Maybe Mr. McGirt doesn’t like C’dale because they don’t have a tri-cycle his size??? I spiked the Kool Aid.
~Phil

By: BWB

BWB — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 23:27:43 +0000

So you probably sell Trek/ Gary Fisher and maybe Specialized, but not C’dale… well I’ve worked on Cannondale mountain bikes since about 1985 and I’ve never had a shifting problem I couldn’t solve. Does any one else know of supposed shifting issues with Cannondales? Mine shifted just fine right across the finish line of my last three races- one of them was a mudfest at 35F. Must be a “high standards” issue.

Cannondale’s flexible, in-house, American made, CAD tube cutting and frame building process (I took the factory tour earlier this year) allows them to quickly adjust and change frame specs, so I doubt there are any “design flaw” problems that aren’t changed quickly, if they ever existed in the first place.

Look at the frame in the picture I referenced above- could a big factory in Taiwan quickly whip out a small one-off run of SS/oversize bb frames to be tested by grass root pro riders racing just hours from the factory? This team’s feedback gets back into factory Monday morning to the tech guys and engineers for further tweaking that will be incorporated into frames and forks in the near future. No bull.

Every thing has advantages and disadvantages: twentynine inch wheels, Lefty forks, American factory workers, no tube wheel systems, disc brakes… sure there are problems but, given a choice, I wouldn’t race without any of these because the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Lefty forks are probably still going through an evolutionary process but they steer better than ANY other suspension fork and the 110 SL at 2.7 lbs. is far lighter than anything available in the 29″XC racing fork category.

And yeah I drank the kool aid a long time ago but I’m still alive and my F29′er hasn’t fallen apart yet. I’ve been riding and selling Cannondales for around twenty years and I have friends who work for Cannondale so I AM biased but I’m not lying or exaggerating.

By: Dirt McGirt

Dirt McGirt — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:47:41 +0000

I work for the larget IBD in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve also worked for a shop on the east coast as a sales and service manager. Said shop was a top 10 Cdale dealer every year I was there. Do I like cannondale mountain bikes for no good reason? No. I’ve seen too many design flaws to EVER beleive that they work properly, new ownership or not. It’s not because we don’t carry them anymore, it’s not because I don’t ride one. It’s because you’ll be hard pressed to convince me that they match up with the glowing seniment above due to my many days and nights in the trenches working on those damn things trying/praying/hoping to get them to shift well enough to meet MY standards. And don’t get me started on those GD leftys. Don’t GET me started!!!

By: BWB

BWB — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:04:36 +0000

Well… I drank the kool aid and it tastes great. Who do you work for Dirt McGirt ? Trek or Gary Fisher? Or are you just one of those guys that still runs cantilever brakes and a rigid fork? I put my butt on the saddle and let my legs do the talking and they told me that this bike rocks! Hey we do need a bridge, what do you got?

By: Dirt McGirt

Dirt McGirt — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:07:12 +0000

Well, sounds like everyone has had their glass of Kool Aid in here….. Anyone want to buy a bridge?

By: Thunderlump

Thunderlump — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:12:55 +0000

Nice looking ride My braother is racing A geared F29 with stans wheels. He has it built up to 22lbs with gears, and hope brakes. I tried it out, that lefty is stout, and no its not like their 26 bikes, its better. More supple

By: CA guy

CA guy — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 02:08:33 +0000

I just rode at demo cannondale gave. The XL just barely fits me, but my torso is proportionally short for my size. I plan on buying one by the way.