Submitted by
Garrett Bash
a Downhiller
from Placerville, California, El Dorado
Date Reviewed: March 15, 2007
Strengths: Nice feel, Huge Disc Break's from Hayes Break Company, Light even though it's a burley Downhill Bike? The Fox Shox(Vinnilla Air Float)
Weaknesses: Mine does not have very many weakness the Super-V is a good bike because I own 2, 2003 Cannondale Supr-V 800(Red/Yellow/Black) Special Edition, and my $5,500 Downhill Bike that I bought for $160.00 a Super-V 1000SL(Metalic Purple/Yellow/and Black) and their both the best bikes I have ever riden. My Parent's both have Super-V's also my dad has a Super-V 500(Metalic Blue/Silver) and my mom has a Super-V 400(Gloss Bright Green/ Black). I'm planning on buying a Brand new Gemini 900 or a Prophat 2000.
Bottom Line:
That I wish that Cannondale could kept the Super-V in their line up. But if I get a Gemini 900 or the Prophat 2000 I will come back wiht my reveiw on those.
Similar Products Used: My other Super-V and my Parents
Bike Setup: Hayes Disc Breaks, MTB Hand made Handel Bars,Thomas Seat Post/Helmet, Rear Fox Racing Shox Air Vinnilla Shox.
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Submitted by
Red Knight
a Weekend Warrior
from Netherlands
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2002
Strengths: The position on the bike is excellent for cross country tours as well for one day raids. The suspensions have little impact on the efforts
Weaknesses: The bike is relatively heavy. Therefore it is not suitable for competition. Steep climbing involves a constant movement on the saddle to prevent the front wheel from leaving the chosen path.
The price for experiencing the emotion of riding a Cannondale is high as the bike is expensive.
Bottom Line:
A very comfortable bike for non-competative tours.
Similar Products Used: Giant ATX 850 Competition adjusted for competions with adequate for fork and Magura brakes
Bike Setup: Adjustments made were CODA Expert Diskbrakes with Mavic Cross Max wheels
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Submitted by
gabe chuck
a Downhiller
from marion mass usa
Date Reviewed: June 11, 2001
Strengths: this bike is a XC bike. it does not fit my riding needs. i got in 1998 as a 1995 left over. i liked it but i am a more hardcore rider for the bike. the rear shock was great (fox alp 4) the bike rides nice. it climbs ok.
Weaknesses: it is constatly breaking when i do drops of rocks (etc.) this bike is not a good freeriding bike. it is made for XC. the coda stock parts stink. the handle bars bent after droping a couple times. it comes with bull horns and the bars that i dont like. tires are very nice and i have rode this bike for 3 years and they still are good. the pedels are really dull. seat ripes after a year of use.i dont care for the headshock
Bottom Line:
good XC some poor parts but works VERY nice for some single track.not good for freeriding
Favorite Trail: anything with jumps and technical stuff
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At: new in bike store
Similar Products Used: i like speazilzed P3 that what iam getting next they can take anything
Bike Setup: i got new bars cause the codas bent :-( but oi got richey rizers. i got new pedels (bmx pedels) need new tires. i dont really want to but much into it cause i want a p3
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Submitted by
Javier Garza
a Cross Country Rider
from Alice,TX
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2001
Strengths: The strength i have to say was that coming across ditches,logs,or what ever the rut was this bike was very capable of getting you out.
Weaknesses: acceleration,out of the seat was a little damp,and climbs felt a bit springy.
Bottom Line:
This Bike was my first Full suspension i had ever owned and will be the last cannondale i will ever own. However Cannondale has out better full suspension bikes The JEKYL. Overall the bike was not a bad bike. I ended up selliing this bike complete for 1200 on mtbr.
Similar Products Used: No, similar products used. My first full suspension!!!
Bike Setup: This bike was red/yellow with yellow decals,this bike had spins for the wheel set,xtr rear deraileur with gripshift shiftnig,ride-on gortex (yellow) cables xtr bottom bracket,Kore stem,Kore seatpost.
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Submitted by
Mountain Biker
a Weekend Warrior
from Salem, Ma
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2000
Strengths: Strong frame, good components.
Weaknesses: The oversized nut at the pivot of my swingarm comes lose.
Bottom Line:
Bike is setup for downhill, since the headshok is not adequate for this, you need a triple crown fork with more travel. this increases the weight of the bike which is already up there. Great for dual slalom and dh, not for xc.
Bike Setup: i have a triple crown fork with 5" of travel, and a fox 5R with 5" in the rear.
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Submitted by
Viddo Paparazzi
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2000
Strengths: Front fork. Lots of travel. Very smooth. Very sexy. I traded-in my girlfriend for this bike.
Weaknesses: Weight. Stock rims can't take downhill abuse: need constant truing. Coda cranks suffer from chain suck.
Bottom Line:
This was my first full-suspension bike, and it took me a while to find the correct set-up. During the first few rides I thought that I had made a mistake, and that maybe I should go back to a hard-tail. The additional weight of the huge front fork and my improper set-up made climbs a real pig. After much fiddling with the preload on the Fox Vanilla rear shock, I finally found the settings that gave me a plush ride on the downhill while maintaining good contact and power-transfer on the climbs.
The bike is incredibly fun to ride. On the downhill, take your hands off the brakes and steer: the bike will do the rest.
I was amazed to read that some people have experienced problems with their front forks. Unlike the Rock Shox Mag 21s and Judy SLs from my previous bikes, this fork has been extremely reliable. I have beaten the you-know-what out of my Moto FRs, and they simply refuse to break. Despite inches of mud, hard-core downhill, and plenty of 2-to-4' drops, the forks show no serious signs of wear.
Chaffing from the cables takes the paint off in a hurry. I resorted to using black electrical tape to protect the problem areas.
I purchased the bike at the end of the season and only paid $2000 CDN (a-boot $1300 US) for the bike, so it has been an incredible value for me.
Bike Setup: Stock Super-V 1000, with a Moto FR fork.
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Submitted by
Bond-baby
a
from HERSHEY, Pennsylvania, USA
Date Reviewed: February 16, 2000
Strengths: No matter what trail, no matter what condition this beauty rides better than most bikes I have ever riden or tested. Very smooth on rocks, smooth on downhills and not very bobby on the uphills. (love the beefy tubes man!)
Weaknesses: I think that the fatty headshock forks are meant for little string bean, cross country looking guys who weigh in around 100 lbs. I don't think they hold up long and don't like wasting money into something that I really don't like. Prefer to use a Judy or SID and that bike is ready for war baby! Coda components are getting better, still have a way. Over all, sweet damn ride.
Weaknesses: front fork could use an upgrade to 80mm.
Bottom Line:
I love this bike . I've ridden it long and very hard and she hasn't let me down over the years .Always gives me satisfaction anywhere I take her . Better than most of my ex-girlfriends .
This is an update. After only 200 miles the super fatty D decided to give up on me! It did not leave me stranded but started to leak slowly losing all its pressure in a few days, very poor. I'm hoping this is just a one of. On the plus side Leisure Lakes in Nottingham where I purchased the bike from, got it sorted in just 2 days...in the middle of summer. As for the rest, i've relented and put on some risers, this has improved the high speed handling, useful as i'm going so much faster downhill hill. Talking of speed the louise discs are great lots of power and when i'd got em set up just right no maintenance, I love Disc brakes. The rear fox vanilla shock is a gem really plush and relliable. The bearings in the front crosslink wheel needed tighning after a couple of weeks and the coda chain rings took an age to wear in ( i'd rather have a full shimano set up). The gripshift has exceded my expectations the rear shift is the best i've ever tried, dont like the front cus you need to twist too much though. The handling is so rigid it rides over just about anything and shrugs it off, it does bob under full power but it's worth it for 120mm of PLUSH travel. This bike just wants to have fun, it's not the most efficient of fastest accross country but it will do anything that you ask and put a big grin on your face. But then again my old steel hardtail does as well
Submitted by
The Puppy
a Cross-Country Rider
from Clearwater, FL
Date Reviewed: September 20, 1999
Strengths: Light and quick. Plush on the rocks & roots. Climbs good. Very solid, yet smooth ride. Just spin, baby!!
Weaknesses: Paint is bubbling near water bottle bolts. Pretty sad for a $2000 bike. Seat & post. Get new ones!!!
Bottom Line:
Great bike, light and easy to drop another 2 lbs. w/ minor swaps. Smooth, efficient and solid. Will last for many years of abuse, I think. I have orange. The 'Flyin' Pumpkin' lives!!!!!
Similar Products Used: Spec'zed FSR's, Joshua's, Schwinn dualies.
Bike Setup: Super V1000, SuperFatty SL headshock, FOX Vanilla Float R rear, XT/XTR, Avid Arch Rival 50's, Easton CT2 seatpost, Spec'zed Geometry Comp saddle.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Peter McCann
a Racer
from Houston, TX
Date Reviewed: September 1, 1999
Strengths: design
Weaknesses: assembly
Bottom Line:
WEB REVIEW 8/7/99 -PROBLEMS!!!! FRAME&FORK
On 2/25/99 I purchased a new $2000.00 Cannondale full suspension bike (3rd C-dale in ten years). After a couple of months, I noticed that the frame seemed out of alignment. C-dale rep agreed (the seat tube was skewed to one side) and in a couple of weeks, they replaced the front triangle of the frame. The day I picked up the bike from the LBS I noticed that the bottom bracket shell wasn't centered on the main tube (off by 3mm or 1/8 in.), and showed it to the rep. He sent it to the factory to be checked. I also asked them to touch up some paint flaws on the new triangle. Five weeks later, the frame shows up back at the LBS. Cannondales' response was that all alignment specs are well within tolerances. My request for their tolerance spec on how far off center on the main tube that the bottom bracket shell could be was never answered. I measured the bottom bracket shell very carefully, checking it several times. The off center condition is very obvious, and is reflected when measurements are taken between the braking surfaces of the rear wheel and the inside of the crank arms (I had the wheel checked for proper dish). Apparently, Cannondale takes the phrase HAND MADE IN USA to mean sloppy frame assembly. I won't even go into the component failures here. The frame was returned over a week ago, minus the upper and lower fork bearing cups, upper fork bearing and shock/swing arm bolt, but with the paint flaws intact. In addition, while unpacking the frame, I noticed that something was rattling around inside the fork boot. When I removed the zip tie to investigate, needle bearings and pieces of bearing housing fell out. Called C-dale customer service about the fork 8 days ago and have not heard back. I've been bikeless for 9 weeks of the 5 months since I bought this bike, and if I ever get it put back together, I'm getting rid of it. Any business that expects customers to spend 2K and accept this kind of shoddy product and customer service won't be seeing any more of my money. If you have had a similar experience with this company (or want to buy a framethat's almost assembled right), email me at phm14@flash.net.
Submitted by
peter mccann
a Racer
from houston, tx
Date Reviewed: August 18, 1999
Strengths: design
Weaknesses: sloppy frame assembly
Bottom Line:
Cannonodale sold me a $2000 bike with a seat tube skewed to one side. They warranteed that frame with one that has a bottom bracket shell 3mm off center on the main tube (wheel not on center between cranks). Have had no bike for 2 of the 6 months since I bought it. Look your frame over very carefully. Apparently Cannondale finds these conditions are acceptable. Warranty frame had paint flaws and very sloppy welds as well. Andmade in USA should not mean sloppy assembly. Looking for new bike.
Weaknesses: some design factors in frame and front susp
Bottom Line:
The cannondale Super V line is not so bad, like the Trek, Klein, Schwinn S-works lines (all amount to expensive seat post suspensions only). But the head shock is not as good as a K2 crosslink with smart shock. the crosslink is a single shock, electronic brain suspension. The cannondale also makes their carbon frames with an aluminum spine. K2 does it much better with all carbon. For the money, I would still go with something besides cannondale.Two chilies for not being a seat post susp.
