Wanna try something new? Trail SL 29’er makes an ideal first mountain bike. The big wheels roll over obstacles with ease, absorb bumps and maintain momentum better. Give yourself an edge.
Weaknesses: EBB is rubbish
Exccessive flex , frame and fork
frame welding average
Full price is a joke
Bottom Line:
SERIOUSLY disappointed!!!
First ever Cannondale .... and definitely the last!
Eccentric BB is crap, wasn't even assembled correctly from the factory and forget tightening it to the recomended torque, the BB shell will distort at about 80% tight !! constantly creaks !!
Geometry is not right for a 29er at all, works way better as a 650B cause the BB is way too high.
Bought from Bicycle Express in Adelaide SA (and certainly would NOT recommend them either!!!),
fortunately i got it on clearance at around half price, if i'd paid full RRP i think i'd have asked for a refund!!!
So now i've machined a new BB sleeve and running 1x10 with 27.5 wheels and it's a way better bike
If you are considering one of these P.O.S. , be careful, take it for a thorough test ride and make sure you get a good one ... or just buy something else !!!
Similar Products Used: KHS, Diamondback, Norco, Giant, NS, Jamis
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Submitted by
robert frazer
Date Reviewed: April 2, 2013
Strengths: great steering response, i could go on and on and! just buy one!
Weaknesses: mechanical disc brakes the only real down fall of this gem of a bike
Bottom Line:
i bought the 2013 gulf racing color sl3 ss really just for the color but after riding it for a week my 2012 anthem x1 has been parked up ever since! this bike is plush on the rear end and still to this day i keep looking back to see if some one has snuck a shock on! there are 5 of us with this same bike now and local shop (ride cycles) (even he bought 1) has struggled to keep up with demand. big pat on the back cannondale.
it corners fast ,responds quickly and front fatty fork is set up just right.
my only gripes would be mechanical disc brakes and little tires, but have got some formula r1S on the go and swapped tires for maxxis ikons( personally i reckon best xc tire made)
this bike was intended just for a commuter to and from work, i put a 33x15 set up on it
but now would rather throw this around the sandy point track than my anthem.
i have used it at bluff hill and with the standard 33x 20 set up it climbs awsum!
33x18 set up is a great all round gear for this bike and i am looking forward to hitting the single speed champs down here in october
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Submitted by
ironsinker
Date Reviewed: October 22, 2012
Strengths: Looks, components, price, and feel. Shifts and brakes like a dream. This bike makes me look good. I bet I could pick up a chick faster on this bike than in my car!! As a matter of fact, I've already proven that.
Weaknesses: Not many if any
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike on clearance from REI for $ 649. Spec wise this was a steal compared to other bikes at this price.
My favorite aspect of this bike is the Hydraulic Shimano brakes....my first experience with Hydraulic. I can stop this bike quickly with just my pinky finger. I don't normally stop with my pinky of course, but hydraulic brakes make the experience that much better....I love them! They aren't necessary but are just nice if you know what I mean.
The second thing I like about this bike is the look. It looks expensive from the paint down to the smooth welds. The welds on other bikes look like unfinished products compared to Cannondales.
It's also my first 29er. I feel like I'm riding an elephant although I have not had any problems maneuvering this big rig.
I'm not here as a Cannondale fanatic but I'm very impressed with this bike and the quality period. I have nothing but good things to say. Everyone wants to ride the bike and when I let them they also have only good things to say.
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Submitted by
Jace Taylor
a Weekend Warrior
Date Reviewed: July 18, 2012
Strengths: This bike has transformed my riding making me look for smoother lines carrying more corner speed
charging hills and just riding. No gears Just Ride
Weaknesses: Bars, Swapped out for
Crank Brothers Cobalt 3 dropped some weight and no upsweep
Bottom Line:
Just buy one. I lapping faster on this than my gt idrive 4 1.0 its been sold because i like this bike so much
Strengths: Lightweight, climbs great, accelerates faster than all my friends' 26'ers, steers great in technical stuff
Weaknesses: Cheap brakes, 1.5" head tube (have to buy custom headset if you want to replace the fork), ebb only lasts a few adjustments before it needs an upgrade
Bottom Line:
This bike is great as an entry level or low budget single speed. The gearing is great for climbing and won't have you spinning too bad on the flats. Obviously you can't go too fast on flats, but where I live it's pretty much up/down/back up again.
There are definitely parts that need replacing soon after buying, but they'll work until you can afford better ones. The problem with the ebb is that after a few adjustments the wedge on the drive side got stuck. Now to get it loose I have to use a hammer and a thin punch to pop it out from the opposite side. This isn't a huge problem since I don't have to adjust the tension often, but it is a little annoying. Should easily be fixed by a Bushnell ebb tho. The brakes do have the ability to stop you on a hill if you give them a good squeeze, but they are nearly impossible to adjust. I stopped removing my front wheel because every time I put it back on it takes 20 minutes to keep the pad from rubbing.
The small block 8 tires roll very fast and work well at a low psi (22 front, 25 rear) and I've only had one flat. They do, however, slide on anything wet at all.
All in all this bike is a great buy on a budget. It will definitely fly on single track with any skill at all. I found that I could keep up with my friends who'd been riding years on HT geared bikes even though I was new to mountain biking. So I guess I'm trying to say if you have a high budget and know you want a SS get something higher end. If you don't want to break the bank on an experiment or you don't have the bank to begin with, this is a great choice.
4 chilis for value because you do need to replace parts.
4 chilis overall because the cheap parts don't affect the performance like they do my patience.
Submitted by
SS29erRider
a Cross Country Rider
from Reading, PA
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2012
Strengths: Light weight, Great handling, laterally stiff and responsive - SAVE technology does wonders for alloy frames.
Weaknesses: brakes are junk and EBB is cheap, but its what you'd expect for a bike in that price range. Kenda SB8's. Wheels are heavy. Tires come with Schrader valves.
Bottom Line:
Despite having some cheap parts on it, the bike rides extremely well. This is my first rigid SS bike (not first SS) and I was surprised at how smooth it rides for having an aluminum fork. Toss the silly chainstay protector!
The EBB is "ok" but will need to be replaced. The brakes work ok too but are hard to keep them from rubbing the rotor for no apparent reason. Have to adjust them a lot. I plan to swap them out for BB7's asap.
The SAVE tubing makes this ride responsive! CDale got it right with that. The geometry of this bike helps it climb very well with the short chainstays and handles twisty trails extremely well and also very stable on downhills. Swap out a few of the components as mentioned and this ride will compete with any high end bike out there for not a lot of coin. I added some ergon grips with bar ends and it climbs like Godzilla! The 33x20 gearing is perfect although I do swap out the 20T for an 18T depending on where I'm riding, which is an easy change out.
Unless you're riding rail trails those Kenda SB8's are a waste! Get something with some grip that are fast rolling and it will corner like its on rails.
Bottom line, this bike is well worth the money and the few extra bucks for some upgrades!
Bike Setup: Stock, except tires. Maxxis Crossmarks
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Submitted by
tdhood
a Cross Country Rider
from Houston, TX
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2011
Strengths: Climbs well: stiff frame, fairly low weight & extra-wide bars give lots of leverage. Low gearing (33 x 20) makes a good entry point into singlespeeding.
Clean lines: EBB means no cling-on chain tensioners are required.
Smooth: Being a fully rigid frame, I was expecting to litter the trail with dislodged teeth. I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth the ride is. The SB8's (2.1) are a surprisingly high-volume tire & absorb a lot of the high-frequency chatter.
Bike handles well in tight & twisty single-track - it's easy to carry momentum through corners before attacking any steep sections.
Weaknesses: Funky fit: fairly high standover for a medium frame, coupled with a short-ish top tube means that a stem swap is likely required to make the cockpit fit long-armed riders.
Weight: Wheels & tires are heavier than they could be and are supplied with Schrader valves. Lots of unnecessary bits & bobs to remove (dork disk, chainstay protector, etc) before you can get to riding.
Bottom Line:
It's a good entry-level singlespeeder. Yes, there are lots of areas where the bike's componentry could be improved: the long-term performance of its mechanical brakes and no-name wheels & hubs are an unknown to me. However, upgrading those items take this bike out of entry-level territory.
You truly get what you pay for & for what it is, this bike is a great value.
