Submitted by
Aaron
a Cross Country Rider
from York, ME USA
Date Reviewed: October 24, 2006
Strengths: Ground clearance on the larger frames Stability at speed Color (not the volvo paintjob...I'm talking afterburner fade)
Weaknesses: CODA Expert Disc Brakes XTR Rear Derailleur came miraculously incomplete Weight Tires suck in loose terrain as well as on roots, and ANYTHING wet Mavic X223 Disc rims are expensive to replace, especially the spokes...Also lack durability Fatty SL only has 70mm travel...which is NOTHING for its heavy weight. Grip Shift
Bottom Line:
Ok, first thing's first, is what I said when I put down 600+dollars for Hayes Disc Brakes because the CODA Experts were a) a public humiliation while riding with friends due to the unbearable noise they produced, especially when they were dry...I couldn't believe how loud they were. b) a burden on the New England C-dale sales rep who personally came to my house 3x times, which I appreciated despite the futile efforts on his part, to change the pads after maybe 10 miles use. c) a messy cleanup after the so called "closed system" bled all over the floor.
This bike flew downhill, and had great ground clearance for getting over fallen tree trunks. It took to the air with great stability, although the landings sucked because the SL fork only had 70mm travel in it. It handled well in all weather conditions, and proved to me that grip shift could get the job done, but I still prefer rapid fire.
Since it is almost 2007, I can't really imagine who would buy this bike these days, but I would have recommended it to someone who was willing to spend a lot of money to fix up the rig for one, but who was searching for a speedy, stable bike that could handle trail obstructions well and have a wide speed range while maintaining control. But replacing the CODA disc brakes is a MUST!!!
Favorite Trail: Seemingly all the trails which are now closed
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$2245.00
Purchased At: Exeter Cycles
Similar Products Used: Trek 8900
Bike Setup: After over 6 years, pretty much nothing is stock anymore...But not all of the parts replaced were replaced willingly...Moreso that I didn't have a choice. Hayes Disc Brakes Mavic Cross Link Disc rims Thompson Seat Post Hot Tomali grips Nokian Boazobeanna Blue tires New XTR rear derailleur Gore-Tex cable housing Selle Italia Novus Saddle
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Brampton, Ontario
Weaknesses: Squealing brakes, mushy brakes, Headshock losing air
Bottom Line:
Great bike over all. I have not had any real trouble with the CODA components, except the fact that they squeal when hot, but after some tweaking and swapping out the CODA pads for a different pad material, it helped. (By the way, thanks for supporting the replacement parts market C-dale! It took 2 weeks to try to find someone who stocked a pad set that would fit the CODA brakes!)The Headshock lost air almost every ride, but after some reconstructive surgery, it is fine now. I recommend this bike to anyone looking for something fun to ride that won't kill you up the long epic up hill climbs.
Similar Products Used: GT Zaskar, Mongoose IBOC Rockadile SX
Bike Setup: Stock, except for Frog Pedals, Selle Italia Flite Saddle
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Chad Baumgardner
a Weekend Warrior
from Shalimar, FL
Date Reviewed: February 7, 2003
Strengths: Lightweight and can be handled aggressively. The brakes work (I'm used to cantilevers). I still need to do a little fine-tuning before I can criticize or praise the fork.
Weaknesses: Coda barends are awkward for me. The IRC Mythosxc slick rear tire has some serious traction problems and was replaced after my second ride. I have no idea why Shimano has indicators on the XT shifters and why they aren't as ergonomic as the '93 XT.
Bottom Line:
It's the best ride I've owned so far. It's lightweight, climbs like a monkey and can be thrown around very easily on tight trails. Overall I feel very confident about my purchase of a expensive bike. If you don't mind spending more than a Taiwan built ride the C'dale will be worth it.
Bike Setup: XTR cranks/BB/chain, Sella Italia Flite 'Gel' saddle, Hutchinson Python Gold Tyres, Mavic x317 Disc rims, Thomson Elite seatpost, quality wheel bearings!, XTR skewers (rear hub generally stays set now)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Ellison
a Cross Country Rider
from Newport News, VA
Date Reviewed: February 22, 2002
Strengths: climbs like a mountain goat, very light, cool paint job, headshok is the best
Weaknesses: wheels, crank, and seatpost kind of suck for a frame of this caliber
Bottom Line:
very good cross-country bike & climber, very light and tracks well. However, reading some of the reviews reminded me of an incident I forgot to mention in my review on the bikes' wheels. I had the rear hub lock-up while I was riding which caused 2 spokes to break. Over looking that incident, the short seatpost, and the crank that just will not stay torqued, the bike is excellent. I do not think I will purchase another brand again.
Bike Setup: xtr/xt, easton seatpost & handlebars, hutchinson tires, coda disk brakes, coda team seat
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
mountain man
a Weekend Warrior
from eastern pa
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2001
Strengths: good climber, tracks well. the very best paint and finish you have ever seen on a bike. looks really nice and attracts alot of attention.
Weaknesses: hate to scratch the beautiful paint job. hate everyone asking about a 'volvo' bike. the mosquito tires were downright dangerous on early season rides this spring before the ground got firm enough for them to grip.
Bottom Line:
the brakes have worked pretty well for me, but they do require alot of adjustments. seems like after every couple of rides i am tweaking them. so far no problems with the rims or hubs. i am a medium rider at 180 lbs, the bike has held up well. i upgraded to hutch's alligators after my early season adventures for better soft ground control, but now that the weather is drying up, i am thinking about putting the mosquitos back on because they are noticibly light and roll fast. the frame is plenty strong probably has the best rear triangle of any disc bike. for touch up paint, look for loreal 'jet set' nail polish at the cosmetics store. the color is 'orbit perle' #235.
Similar Products Used: Cannondale F 700 Schwinn Moab
Bike Setup: Pretty much stock, except for XTR Front Derailleur.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
R Dixon
a Cross Country Rider
from Saskatoon, SK. Canada
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2001
Strengths: CAAD 5 FRAME HEADSHOCK Fatty Ultra DL I'll never ride anything else. The bike is feather lite and tracks like a dream. The paint is wicked and gets lots of looks. I've been able to climb hills with ease that I used to stuggle with before. For the intermediate or expert rider this bike is confidence inspiring.
Weaknesses: CODA Expert Disc Brakes - See "Bottom Line" for more details CODA Performance Clipless Pedals - Just didn't like 'em CODA Competition Volvo Team Saddle - Looks cool, but rough KALlOY SP-248 Seat Post - bent right away CODA Expert Disc Rims - Poor rims for such a costly bike HUTCHINSON "Mosquito" Tires - They wear out insanely quick.
Bottom Line:
I'm not a skilled technical rider and I will probably never race but I love to ride. I'm a bigger guy at 6' and 220lbs and I was concerned about buying a bike with a lite frame but the bike has held up well with no signs of stress or fatigue. This bike has brought a new level of enjoyment to my ride and as I said earlier I'll never ride anything but a C'dale frame from now on.
That being said...I was really disappointed with the quality of the components on this bike. I mean for the money this bike requires a lot of upgrades. The CODA Expert Disc Brakes are problematic at best. I respect what the people at Cannondale have tried to do by designing and manufacturing their own components but when a product is so obviously defective I think they have a responsibilty to their customers to recall that product or least offer compensation to have that product replaced. I mean some the smaller things like pedals and a saddle are a matter of personal preference but brakes and rims are rather important and when the bike is "DISC specific" you're kinda stuck to fork out big bucks to replace them.
My L.B.S. The Bike Doctor has been excellent in handling warranty issues quickly and efficiently and provided me with great deals to replace certain components. If you live in Saskatchewan and want to know where to bike your next bike, The Bike Doctor is the BEST!!!
In summation, even with the brake defects and having to shell out extra bucks to replace some other components, I love this bike and have to give it 5 smokin' chilis overall but it loses marks on value because for the money this bike should be equipped with top quality components right out of box.
Similar Products Used: 2000 Trek 8500 - My second choice, an excellent bike. 2000 Trek 8000 - A good all-around bike for the money. 2000 Jamis Komodo - It's got all the big "brand name" components but I would take the C'dale or the Trek everytime.
Bike Setup: Mostly Stock Except: SHIMANO PD-M434 Pedals PROFILE DESIGN Ultra FR Riser Bar EASTON CT2 Carbon Seatpost SERFAS Saddle - Mens Performance RX MAVIC X-317 DISC Rims
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew
a Cross Country Rider
from Bedford, UK
Date Reviewed: December 28, 2000
Strengths: Great frame. Headshok is the best tracking suspension around. Great weight and ride.
Weaknesses: All of the CODA components. The disc brakes are awful, the hub bearings suck, the chainset is probably the worst quality MTB I have ever bought.
Great frame and fork/Poor package.
Bottom Line:
Read into this what you will!
I replaced the CODA brakes and wheels for Hope XC 4's, Mavic Ti Glide and suspension hubs and Mavic 317 rims.
I replaced the CODA chainset with XT.
I replaced the standard seatpost with a Race Face.
The bike is now almost perfect!
For a bike of this price, the CODA components are outrageous. The frame and forks are the best I have ever ridden. I though that I would have to spend a fortune on Titanium to get the weight, handling and response that the CAAD 5 has. Its is such a shame to spoil it with the component package.
OK, so I could (and possibly should) have spent more to get the components of the F5000, but I wrongly assumed that a bike of this value (even higher to UK residents) would have components that would last at least a season before being upgraded gradually. As it is, I have had the additional expense during the first 4 months!
Weaknesses: Reliability, speed of service on west coast, US, 4 bolt rotors.
Bottom Line:
First the good news. This is an amazing climbing machine. The difference between the CAAD5 and CAAD4 is significant. CAAD5s are noticably lighter and have a much more compliant ride. This bike begs you to get out of the saddle and fly. I can't believe that no other bike maker has yet done what Cannondale did with this bike: they eliminated the canti mounts and all the additional structure that goes with them. If you look at the seat stays on this bike, the are tiny, but that is where the compliance comes from. When you design the whole bike for disc brakes, there is no weight penalty. The extra weight comes in when you design a bike for both kinds of brakes. Speaking of dics, I like the expert disc brakes. I mention this because they get slammed a lot in these reviews. I can understand why: they feel totally different from V-brakes, Hayes, Shimano, etc. Those brakes lock up and slide easily which makes them feel powerful. If, on the other hand, you like old center pull cantis for their modulation (and you realize they are just as powerful as V-brakes), you will like Coda Experts. They feel "muddy" because just one pad makes contact with the rotor initially, but this gives you a great mode to "feather" the brakes. I would describe them as XC brakes, not DH brakes. And whatever people say good about Headshok handling below applies here.
Now the bad news: reliability and service. My local LBS is great, but they can't fix things any faster than Cannondale sends them parts. While C'dale claims a 2-day turnaround from the factory, stuff takes forever to get back and forth, and parts have not always been available. If I have another set of Headshok bearings "float" I will slap a SID Race in place of the Headshok (or demand a Lefty Carbon ELO, hmmm...).
Finally: Cannondale, Puleeeze make a 6 bolt rotor for these brakes. Sorry, but you lost the standards battle. Admit it.
Similar Products Used: Cannondale CAAD4, GT Zaskar.
Bike Setup: Stock exept: XTR crank/BB, CT2 post/flat bar, competition wheelset, Speedplay Frog pedals, IRC Mythos tires.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jared Stretch
a Racer
from Charlottetown
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2000
Strengths: Super light, sweet drivetrain, ultra fatty headshock, Coda dual ring crank, Coda's hubs are the smoothest I've ever ridden, and the super fast mosquito light tires. Not too mention the Volvo/Cannondale paint job.
Weaknesses: Squeaky brakes, Weak seatpost and rims, coda pedals.
Bottom Line:
I fell in love with this bike from the very beginning and I tend to be very picky about what I ride. My only beef with this bike is the squeaky brakes and the weak rims. This bike weighs about 21 pounds and climbs with ease but is still super agressive on descents. Coda hubs and headset are by far the smoothest in the business. The ultra fatty is lighter, stiffer and easier to service than any other air fork on the market. I don't want to give up this bike because I am rather attached to it and the the expert disc work very nicely but if they don't stop squeaking then me and everyone I ride with is going to lose their hearing.
Strengths: steers well, light weight, stiff front triangle... excellent race bike
Weaknesses: weak frame. coda expert disc brakes work poorly in georgia's pine forests. coda house brand parts aren't durable.
Bottom Line:
this bike was loads of fun at speed until: my freehub seized. my crank continually sucked the chain in. the large chainring folded from torque (this has happended to 3 other racers i know) . the brakes... fail to work well in adverse conditions. the spline threads strip off the crank arms--cannondale's explanation for this was that the shops building them (us) weren't tightening them down to their specifications-- which are (in ft/lbs) almost twice what shimano recommends for installing a splined crank to a splined bottom bracket.
to everyone that owns one of these (expert crank): jump on it a few times--hear that creak? it's the spline threads beginning to strip off the bottom bracket.
those kevlar pads they use don't work well when it's wet and nasty in georgia. we have this problem with acidic soil and red clay-like dirt. it destroys disc brake pads that aren't metallic. unfortunately i, and a couple other guys on cannondale expert disc brakes, found this out the hard way . [www.bike4fun.com -->the whitesburg race of the series] i was working at a shop that sold cannondales at the time. so the main problem i had-- wrapping my bike around a tree and breaking the frame-- was actually solved with a new frame. for 2001 cannondale isn't gonna make those crappy brakes anymore. all the nonsense we had to deal with--replacing pads, seminars on servicing the coda expert disc brake, replacing those easily contaminated pads/rotors--they honk like geese when warm-- cannondale finally came clean and decided that they really don't know how to make brakes after all. they should have given it a thought shortly after the world cup xc race last year when their women's team had NO BRAKES after two laps of a slick xc course.
then there's that whole problem of that caad5 breaking when crashed into our GA pines.
yeah it's a fun, fast bike, but what of all those parts failing when you actually race? race on something else, like the f3000sl. or better yet, a kawasaki-green kona explosif...
Similar Products Used: gary fisher supercaliber, trek 8500; the usual aluminum hardtails for racing--and a steel kona explosif
Bike Setup: stock, except for time atacs
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Derek Mattice
a Cross Country Rider
from Michigan
Date Reviewed: September 19, 2000
Strengths: Great looking, climbs incredibly, 2 x 9 drivtrain.
Weaknesses: Rear can be stiff when you stand up and unweight it, lots of chatter.
Bottom Line:
This bike is awesome. I walked into the dealership, saw it (for $1,300), and dug it. Decided to part out my XTR Litespeed Unicoi. I just prefer the hardtail. And the looks are stunning. Can't imagine riding anything but disks again. They might be heavier but my bike weighs around 22lbs. with them-that's light enough (and lighter than my Unicoi). It climbs incredibly, Cannondale's new geometry is far superior to their '96 offering (last Cannondale I owned). Can be a little harsh on choppy terrain when you are standing-lots of chatter (I just got off a titanium softail though). The Crossmax tubeless disk will probably help smooth that out once I get them. Can't say enough about the bike. I think the Hutchinson Mosquitos work well, and the look of the Golds makes the bike. These other guys are crazy to take them off. They roll fast and are light.
Similar Products Used: Litespeed Unicoi, Cannondale CAD3, Airborne Lucky Strike-joke.
Bike Setup: Swapped out stock parts to all XTR, thompson seatpost, Time ATAC carbon pedals, will be getting Crossmax tubeless disk when they are avilable.
Weaknesses: Rear tire is not a very good climber suggest switching it out for irc mythos, saddle is a bit to harsh, coda rims are not very durable
Bottom Line:
Great bike. I am very happy with my purchase. With a few small upgrades this bike is an A++. Buy this bike if your an experienced rider who enjoys riding a bomber bike. do not buy this as a intro bike. this bike is very light and without experience you will not be in very good control
Similar Products Used: schwinn homegrown, lightspeed pisgah
Bike Setup: factory exc. mavic rims, xtr front derail, sella italia saddle
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Parker Gillum
a Racer
from Huntsville, AL USA
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2000
Strengths: This bike is so light! It climbs with ease and the 2x9 is right on. I've never ridden a bike that tracks as well as this one. IMO, the Headshock is the difference, great tracking, plush and has easy on-the-fly lockout for climbs. A much better feel than the Manitou's I've ridden in the past. The disc brakes are much better tha V's but these are the only disc brakes I've ridden. Also, the blue and yellow color combo gives it a race bike look.
Weaknesses: The big chain ring bent in less that a month, had to upgrade to the stronger Coda which should've come on the bike. Same with the pedals, not very high end for a $2000 bike. The seat looks nice but mine squeaks. All minor things but worth mentioning.
Bottom Line:
This bike kicks ass!! I would recommend it to anyone at any level. With a few minor upgrades this bike is a racing dream. These upgrades, which add more cost, is the ONLY reason I give it 4 chilis in the value rating. If you're thinking about buying a new bike you owe to yourself to consider this one!!
hello forum,
2000 F2000 SL
i own this great light bike..its the volvo edition with xt/xtr all over it..problem is my coda brakes are terrible..yes i know, everyone agrees..terrib Read More »
