Strengths: Durable, I have ridden this bike for close to 5 years now and it's still kicking it like never before. Light. Very responsive. Climbs like a mountain goat. Kicks it on the downhill too.
Weaknesses: Orginal Components, upgrade the breaks, handle bars, and seat or suffer....and the Cassett sucks it bad. I'm also 6'3" and the bike feels just a little bit small but is okay.
Bottom Line:
Very good bike, has lasted me for 5 years and will go a lot longer too. If you want a quality bike that will last you a long time with no major problems then get this bike.
I love this bike so much I was inspired to submit an update to my original review. I admit at first I was a little nervous if this bike would hold up to abuse and use. It has with flying colors. Since purchasing the bike I've put 1000s of miles on it, a lot of it at Palos and Kettle, the former a pretty hard environment for FS bikes. My once clean bike is now scratched and dented and banged up from use. It is still without a doubt the fastest and easiest bike I have ever rode off road. It inspires confidence and only limitations is my own nerve. It just isn't like other bikes, I have no problems with either front or back shocks. Everything is holding pressure, no leaks anywhere. Took it out mudding a few weeks ago, just buried it in nasty black mud and it shifts, it brakes it just keeps on giving. I bought this bike new off of eBay for $825. and it has to be one of the best purchases of my life. Gladly would have paid full price for it. For a four year old model it is still one of the most high tech and let's face it, sexiest bikes ever made. I've done things on this bike that I once thought were impossible. Fast down hills into a tight turn you can literally stand it on its nose with complete confidence, drop it at the last moment and carve hard through the turn. It's like a well trained powerful horse, merged and you can't separate where the bike ends and the rider begins. The so so STX RC stock components surprisingly have held up well. The teeth on the middle crank cog is grinding down but hey that would happen with any component. Buy one, ride it and become a believer.
Strengths: Great hill climber, tracks wonderfully at high speeds, super agile, instills great confidence, easy bike to ride very fast up or downhill, particularly fast downhills through tight turns on the pedals it tracks beatifully.
Weaknesses: grip shifters lame as are most of the stock components, just over 6'1" and feel as if bike is just a little too small for me (own the large). Water bottle mount is a joke, hard downhills I lose bottle every time.
Bottom Line:
The machine makes a huge difference. Faster than ever with less effort. She's a bullet bike, buy one and you'll find out what it's all about.
Similar Products Used: Suger 3, Schwinn Rocket's, Super V
Bike Setup: Stock 'cept for seat, XTR for the future.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Kim Francis
a Cross Country Rider
from Port Macquarie, Australia
Date Reviewed: May 24, 2002
Strengths: Beautiful to look at.Rigidity,tracks likes it's on rails.Headshock with 80 mm travel is perfect for this bike.Lightweight!
Weaknesses: None really!
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike in Sept 98 and Ive put close to 7000 Kilometers on this bike without any real problems.This has been a great bike. So much lighter and stiffer than my old super V. I mainly use it to race on these days as its lighter than my new Raven, which is set up with a Lefty for more general trail riding.
Similar Products Used: 1996 Super V 2000,2001 Super V Raven 800.
Bike Setup: Ritchey WCS Rims & XTR Hubs,Magura HS33 Rim Brakes,Float Shock and XT Cranks.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff
a Weekend Warrior
from Central AZ USA
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2002
Strengths: 9-speed hub, balance, climbs without excessive pumping, wacky frame shape protects family jewels in panic dismounts.
Weaknesses: One bottle mount even though there's room for two, not many suspension adjustment options, front suspension has "collapsed" twice in two years, questionable proprietary Coda componentry, could lose a couple pounds
Bottom Line:
I've been riding this Raven for almost three years and although I'd like to replace or revamp it in an effort to shave off those two pounds, it's just not worth the trouble and expense. The bike is not "hardcore" and neither am I. Its proprietary front suspension, which has worn itself out twice, is a complete mystery to me and I like it that way; just take the thing back to shop now and then.
As for value, I got it closeout in Oct 99 and saved several hundred bucks. As for '99 Raven present value, with what's out there now, I'd wouldn't put it past three hundred or so.
Bike Setup: Sawed one inch off each end of handlebar, had hub replaced with greater range model, ditched witless pedals for trusty bear traps
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Scott M
a Weekend Warrior
from Orem, Utah, US
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2001
Strengths: Awesome Climber, climbs like a Monkey. Fast and plush. Weight.
Weaknesses: Seat sucks, got a new one. Breaks.
Bottom Line:
I got a deal on this bike so it made it all worth while, the retail price is high for what you get. Overall the bike completely kicks. I've done a tonz of riding on it and it's still bombing downhills like nothing and the climbing is great. I love it.
Bike Setup: I've done a lot of work on mine and I love it. I got rolf wheels and specilized tires, with XT disc. A sweet matching Carbon Profile Bar, Specilized Seat, XTR front derailer, SpeedPlay pedals, and the carbon RaceFace Cranks.........Awesome.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Reggie
a Cross Country Rider
from France
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2000
Strengths: It's light. It's beautiful. It has a soul. It can read your mind.
Weaknesses: Low end OEM components for the $$ People think Cannondales are for snobs. I hear them saying this behind my back as they choke on my dust.
Bottom Line:
This bike is for those few enlightened ones who appreciate art, beauty, and most of all, speed. It flattens hills and staightens curves. Lean in, power the pedal and overwhelm the obstacles, it will only ask for more. Point it down a rocky crevasse and scream with the joy of being alive at the bottom. Caress its carbon skin as you would a beautiful woman. It calls from its place of rest in the living room, , master, impose your will upon this humble servant, I am honored to be your slave. It is all at once, powerful, dangerous, yet loyal and obedient, like perhaps a tamed tiger. I fear no man and no mountain, nothing on this bike. We will go to our doom together in a fiery crash, and that's OK.
Similar Products Used: hardtails, Klein, GT, Specialized, all inferior
Bike Setup: Mostly XTR now.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Ashley Jordan
a Cross Country Rider
from Grand Jct ,Colorado, USA
Date Reviewed: August 5, 2000
Strengths: Climbs like a billy goat when in the saddle. Decends like free-ride bike This bike is incrediblely stiff in the corners for such a light weight FS bike. The carbon-fiber is out of this world comfy and the suspension can be fine tuned for someone as large as my tubby self, 6'2" 230lbs.
Weaknesses: The top tube length is a little short if you are used to the racing set-up of most other bicycles. But, for the price that you pay for this carbon fiber delight there were no other weakness
Bottom Line:
This bike totally rules the cross-coutry/freeride catagory of bikes. It is a kickass good time. I will never again own an aluminum full-suspension bike. Nothing can beat the ride quality of carbon-fiber frame. To quote another light weight bike company "save your money, buy one, ride it and all your questions will be answered - you'll never ride another company's bike again."
Bike Setup: Before I rode it I changed every component to suit my tastes and to bring the wait down to a sub 25lbs. bike. I used the frame, Headshok, rear shock, the stem, and tires from the original set-up and that was it.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Rich
a Cross Country Rider
from Plainview, NY, USA
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2000
Strengths: Comfortable ride whenever I hit the trails. Light weight. adjustable air shocks. so so mix of components.
Weaknesses: so so mix of components, paint scratches easy, poor placement of the water bottle cage, and only 1.
Bottom Line:
for the trails, this bike is incredible. I do a mix of trail riding and paved path riding, and while it makes riding on the path easy and more comfortable, the real comfort comes when you are hitting the dirt. I bought this bike as a leftover and think i got a good deal for it...or at least hope i did. had some problems with the coda cranks before i even took the bike home and they changed them to lx for me, and did a few other changes free of charge. i go out riding every day i can and am still getting used to riding this bike. on the trails it is better than i could have hoped for. paint scratches a little to easy for me, but i suppose it is a mountain bike and will get messed up eventually... it was hard spending the cash, but i talked myself into it and am glad i did. if you can still find one, get it.
Similar Products Used: specialized fsr xc, fisher sugar, gt idrive
Bike Setup: Basically stock, except changed the seat, had problems with the coda cranks and put on shimano lx cranks, and shortened the stem a little, originally came with grip shifters, have them changed to rapid fires.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Will
a Cross Country Rider
from Oakland, NJ
Date Reviewed: February 25, 2000
Strengths: Incredibly light and agile. I do a lot of rock-picking and this bike climbs better than my hardtail and is a hell of a lot more fun on the downhill. Put the handling and balance of the bike to the test while riding trails which were snow and ice covered and found this to be the most agile and responsive bike I've ever ridden.
Weaknesses: STX-RC components, come on, you find these on $300 bikes.
Similar Products Used: Amp research & trek FS bikes
Bike Setup: basically stock except for new tires (Mythos XC don't cut it where I ride) and had rear changed to 8-speed due to problems surrounding 9-speed. What do you really need 9-speed for? for that matter 7 was fine.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
dan chiaravalle
a Cross-Country Rider
from new york
Date Reviewed: November 25, 1999
Strengths: looks,value,co. service
Weaknesses: i am 6'1 205 lbs and the large is too small
Bottom Line:
i think this bike is a very good buy. the weight is great. the rear suspension is perfect. like i said it is a little too small for me. also i think i was too heavy for the bike it pogoed after dropps. so my only advice is be careful if you are near my size.
Similar Products Used: pro flex, super v, spooky, f900
Bike Setup: only changed the wheelset kinghubs w/ 517 cd/ceramic rims
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff G
a Cross-Country Rider
from Central AZ
Date Reviewed: November 4, 1999
Strengths: Very crisp handling, rides very smooth and quiet, great rear damping
Weaknesses: A pound or two heavier than my dream bike, only one bottle mount, chain falls off when shifting into small chainwheel
Bottom Line:
I was holding out for a reputable FS XC bike that weighed 23 lbs and cost $1300. When I tried the Raven -- quality throughout, about 26 lbs, $1400 (closeout) -- I said close enough. This thing instantly spoiled me. I took a familiar ride today, one that used to wear me out, and I feel like riding some more! No more watching out for every little rock, no more aching back, no more half-inflated tires to soften the ride.I can't understand why they didn't put a second bottle mount on the seat column of the frame. The dealer gave me adapters to mount it on the seatpost, which is okay but the rear tire rubs the bottle on big bumps. Not a big deal.I'd give it 4.7 stars if I could -- nothing is perfect -- so I'll round it off to a 5. I've only ridden it a few times, and if I discover any nasties in the future, I'll re-post.
Strengths: Frame Suspension (Front & Rear) Full length cable housings It's a Cannondale!
Weaknesses: Price point spec
Bottom Line:
This bike awesome! A friend of mine has a Trek Y, and he goes out of his way to cut down my Super-V any chance he gets. On the other hand, I don't give his Trek a second thought. I think that some of the spec is not so spiffy, but that's fine with me; I'll keep this bike long enough that all that stuff will wear out a couple of times! 5 stars!
Similar Products Used: Cannondale hardtails Trek Y Specialized FSR
Bike Setup: Dead stock
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Peter
a Cross-Country Rider
from Ocala, FL
Date Reviewed: July 11, 1999
Strengths: Suspension, feels lighter than it weighs, climbs like a hardtail, great design, incredible tracking
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
I was apprehensive about switching from a hardtail to rear suspension, but this bike flies uphill, takes bumps and ruts without pogoing, and follows lines without fishtailing like my old hardtail. It's probably in the upper 20's but feels like it weighs alot less. The Santos trail here near Ocala, which is well known for its diverse terrain (very technical rock quarries, long winding XC trails), is great for putting a bike through its paces, and this bike does not disappoint. It also gets alot of attention with its design and color. 5 chilis for a great all-around package of performance, handling, and design.
Similar Products Used: Schwinn Y Frames, Specialized Stumpjumper
Bike Setup: Standard set-up with fatty headshock
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Scott Bays
a Cross-Country Rider
from Bonneau, SC
Date Reviewed: April 29, 1999
Strengths: Light, stiff, and Rad-looking.
Weaknesses: EXPENSIVE (but if it was cheap everybody would have one)
Bottom Line:
I almost had to mortgage my house and came close to divorce to get this, but it was all worth it. Its 4 pounds lighter than my '97 Super V and tracks through turns like a Cheetah. I don't think there's a company that matches Cannondale and I don't think there's a bike that comes close to the Raven. This time, believe the hype. Now I've only owned the bike for 3 weeks so if I come across issues later, I'll repost.
