Weaknesses: the rear tri is narrow and mudd gathers fast when its nasty on the course, geomtry not made for racing specs, longer wheel base than others, frame dents easy.
Bottom Line:
this bike did all it was intended for me. my first year of racing and couple years of riding/ i was sold for cannondale. it was all i would buy and look at. if it wasnt a c-dale i hated it. until i got racing for Team Speedgoat and found out what real bikes are. my teammates laughed at me joking and picked on me for it at the 24 hrs of 7 springs. until i rode a Titus HCR, Titus Raxer-X, Moots Rigamortis, and Santa Cruz Superlight!
the last series of races where all muddy and mess. gotta love that stuff! but i had so many problems with mud in the frame, im not so crzy about the geomtry of it for racing. i mean its a good bike for someone just staring off. but if you into racing id look else where. its really not NORBA racing quality. so i was forced to buy a new rig from the sponsor's. i hate that haha. i have a Titus HCR, all X.0, Tompson seat post and stem,WTB Shadow V saddle w/ti rails, Avid Single Digit Ultimate V's, FOX 80 RLT, and Mavic Crossmax's XL wheels!! i will review it in a month or so. so happy trails guys and gals!
Similar Products Used: other c-dales, treks, Titus Riddler..
Bike Setup: 2000 F700, Mavic 317 wheelset, avid mechs, all 2003 XT, Ritchey seat post, WTB saddle, Mosqiutos tires(BEST EVER)
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Submitted by
Jason W
a Cross Country Rider
from Bentonville AR
Date Reviewed: January 22, 2004
Strengths: Frame and fork design
Weaknesses: Coda rims and tire choice...
Bottom Line:
I love this Hardtail. The frame has held up to MUCH ABUSE. The lefty is not only sweet looking, but PLUSH!!! Never a single problem with it. The rims however don't handle aggressive XC, And it's expensive finding a replacement rim for a lefty. The mosquito's wore QUICKLY, but those were the only issues I've had with the bike in 3 years.
Bike Setup: upgraded to XT front and rear der. Upgraded brakes from Magura Clara, to Julie.
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Submitted by
Jeff Hatch
a Cross Country Rider
from Guilford, CT, USA
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2003
Strengths: Unbelievable! The frame is ridiculously resiliant. For a 23 lb pound bike, it is a capable dh'er and fr'er-5 ft drops, dhing at mt snow (and not going slow at all!) Good racer, too-won my first race ever on this bike!
Weaknesses: The only weakness is that somehow a groove got worn into the drive side dropout so now the wheel pulls to the non drive side when i crank. Mino, but annoying all the same. i will still give it 5 chilis!
Bottom Line:
i love this bike! I wouldn't sell it for the world! I don't know why the guy i bought it from sold it in the first place! Who needs a new bike when you have a bike this good?!?!
Bike Setup: xtr hubs, brakes, brake levers, and rear derailleur, xt cranks, bb, shifters, and front derailleur, mavic x517 rims, headshok fatty sl fork w/rebound adjustment, easton ea70 handlebar, selle san marco saddle, hutchinson rubber (alligator rear, Python air lite front)
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Submitted by
Howard
a Cross Country Rider
from Valdosta, GA
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2002
Strengths: Well built frame, light weight, lock-out fork
Weaknesses: Coda parts
Bottom Line:
Don't pay full price for your bikes! Go to E-Bay and shop. I picked up this C-dale for $800.00 with all the crappy componants up-graded. To have this same bike built up would have cost about $1600.00 I have a great set up for my style of ridding, just about everything is XT except for the wheel set. (I liked the wheel set, strong and decent weight) I did add a Cane creek thudbuster seat post, (very nice) and a nashbar seat. (try this and your but will love to ride) I also changed out the peddles to specialized Ti SPD's. Over all a cost effective all (xc-road) around bike. If you want to hit the big bumps and jumps, go FS. I have one of each due to one bike can't do everything and be good at it. Try the 2" road slicks on this bike and the miles just pass you by. Nice change from just single track, and great for training. Over all, you get what you pay for, do you home work before you buy, and up-grading is just part of the game, you will learn as you go, and be able to fix your own bike. I would recomend this bike, and would buy again.
Submitted by
brian no
a Downhiller
from hamilton, ontario, canada
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2002
Strengths: the frame is super strong, but because of it being ment for a xc person, it can only fit i think like a 2.4 in the back, pretty disapointing for me, oh well. teh coda disk is alright but definatly needs to improve power.
Weaknesses: the space between the frame for a larger tire limited fork selection, fatty fatty dl, lefty and tahts all unless u get an adaptor which is really pointless
Bottom Line:
if ur into xc hardcore (like i was) go for this bike, it has everything u need, super light, good parts and relatively cheap. But if ur more of a freerider, u can use it but the forks will eventually just crap out on ya, like they did to me. Anywho, i have had only small problems with my 700 and for riding hard im pretty proud of my cdale. later
Bike Setup: im not a dh'er, i freeride and trial but that wasnt in the option above, so im running an alex supra-pro in the back for a rim, WICKED!!, a small seat, risers and hydro v's on the back for breaks. this bike is really versitile and truly rips if u dont hold back.
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Submitted by
H.A Guenther
a Cross Country Rider
from Netherlands
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2002
Strengths: Nice stiff frame (CAD 3) beautyful craftmanship Handles great on road and off-road point and shoot driving nice geometry (for me) good price
Weaknesses: The Headshok needs some finetuning. Broke it and gained 20mm travel in one year. poor paintjob, rear a bit lateral flex original setup no good
Bottom Line:
Great bike. Nothing beats a cannondale although i did (broke it, but manufact.-error. Just sent it away, hope to get a new frame. Coda parts are indeed dull. I've never had a versitile bike like this. for road use you lock off the fork (if it works) and ofroad the fork is the best (if it aint broken)
Similar Products Used: Koga Myata, GT LTS, American Eagle
Bike Setup: XTR/XT, Mavic Crossland and some beauty parts
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Submitted by
Matt Smith
a Cross Country Rider
from Harrisonburg, VA
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2002
Strengths: Love the headshock- very responsive, good frame, like the front disk brake, XT rear derailer is awesome! the clipless peals are nice. Got the bike at an awesome deal(on sale from $1200)!
Weaknesses: Front derailer not very responsive, have had to take the disk brake in for fixing, the seat is a big kick in the butt!- not very comfortable, and the steam seems a bit short for my riding style.
Bottom Line:
Great bike, its my first big upgrade from a crappy ridged bike, haven't had any major problems, handles great on the trails and can take a descent beating, I'll most likely upgrade the front derailer to LX and get a more comfortable seat, overall its a great bike for someone who wants a mid-level mountain bike.
Submitted by
Drew
a Weekend Warrior
from Eagle, CO
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2002
Strengths: Awesome frame, excellent hydraulic brakes, fatty shock very tunable with lock out.
Weaknesses: None for me. I'm a recreational rider. My only problem is I was sold a frame size too small :( I must sell it.
Bottom Line:
Love the bike! Highly recommended for riders like myself. Recreational rides, single track, pulling a burly with my son. Other reviewers have commented on poor coda components. I'm pretty careful & don't abuse it (very meticulous maintenance). Given that, everything has performed flawlessly. It is smooth, has never let me down & has been easy to tune
Submitted by
KitKat
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, Australia
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2001
Strengths: - Looks good - Stiff frame - Light frame - Lockout on fork
Weaknesses: - Components that came with the bike - Stiffness on road too - 70mm fork isn't quite enough - Perhaps the bike isn't light enough because of components
Bottom Line:
The bike is brilliant!!! As I posted last year when I bought it . . .
But the bike has stood the test of time & the components haven't. Bad points to Cannondale for speccing the truly horrible Coda components on this bike - it completely ruins an otherwise brilliant bike. It is stiff and VERY fast. It is a brilliant climber. However it isn't light - I weighed it at 26.2 pounds but nothing lighter components won't fix.
70mm of travel just doesn't cut the mustard any more - I'm left feeling a little disappointed on some trails - I think I'm gonna upgrade to Super Fatty soon.
As you could see from above - there is a lot of new bits that I have had to replace on the bike & most of the Coda stuff is gone. Disc brakes are also gone as they were truly horrible too.
All in all, I think I've made the bike EVEN BETTER than when I first bought it, & I hope it'll stay with me for a very long time yet.
Strengths: everything! shocks,dics brakes,fast very fast!!!!
Weaknesses: none if u know what to look for n if u know how to fix somthin right!
Bottom Line:
shes a winner! i ride with some guys n we ride hard very crazy!!! n we ride 65-75 miles all the time! n we go to races lot if they have any!!! its handles great climin n awnsome down hill she gets bookin real easy(im very glad)!
Submitted by
Piet Saman
a Cross Country Rider
from Netherlands
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2001
Strengths: Brakes, frame-stifness, steering, build-quality, styling, the coda-expert rims are very strong, jumbo-size.
Weaknesses: Pedals are bad. It's difficult to keep the barbeque-black paint in good condition (after a wash, the paint turns from black into darkgrey, when I spray it with silicon-spray, the paint is beautiful again). The front-suspension is a bit hard. The standard tires (Hutchinson Mosquito) are worn out after just 2 months.
Bottom Line:
I drive my bike every day for about 15 miles, with a year-range of 4000 miles, and it's very reliable. The worst thing about the bike is the barbque-black paint, which is nice, but becomes ugly after a time. I'm sorry for the bad spelling, but i'm only a Dutchman.
Submitted by
Richie Valens
a Cross Country Rider
from Barreiro, Portugal
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2001
Strengths: Lightweight; performance; stiffness
Weaknesses: The same stiffness on hard ground...
Bottom Line:
The bike is perfect for someone who love riding fast through good ground. On a trail wth lots of big rocks, or you just hav a spectacular arm strenght or you are out. On these tracks, it's easy to loose balance and speed. Meanwhile, on the way up no one can catch you. You just block your Fatty and go... Great stability and ideal for riding in fast, bumpy and closed trails. You just want more and more. Disadvantage: It's hard to stay more than 3 hours on the bike. Your ass and your back just can't handle it (at least I'm hurt from it)... But i woukd buy it again, and again, and again.....
Similar Products Used: Trek 4500 LT; Atlas Nível 3;
Bike Setup: Changed shifters from Deore to XT; changed Magura Julie to Magura Louise; changed rear deraileur from XT to XTR; changed saddle post from 350 mm to 450 mm
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Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Calgary Alberta Canada
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2001
Strengths: Looks great! Red frame, Black components. lite weight & nimble. comfortable riding position. Magura Julies work well (F700SX) Lefty with 4" travel yahoo! Coda seat (once my but was broken-in)
Weaknesses: Deore shifters fair, (will upgrade to 'XT' next year) Deore 'LX' front derailleur was crap. (now 'XT') Coda chain rings, vague chain movement under load. very noisy freewheel. IRC XC tires, very rapid wear.
Bottom Line:
I hurt my back a few years ago, this is the first time in almost 6 years that I've done any serious riding. The upright XC position on my F700SX is ideal. This bike is a blast to ride. It climbs like crazy & is a blast on the downhills. Though I like the Coda seat, I'm not overly impressed with the rest of the Coda components that are on the bike. The pedals will do for now. However the chain rings & freewheel will be gone as soon as I can afford Shimano/ or Race Face. I got a great deal buying a new "last years" bike. I paid $1400 CDN (approx $925 US). You can't get a 4" travel front suspension bike with hydraulic discs for anywhere near this price. It's too bad it's no longer available. If I'd payed full pop, $2100 CDN I would have been a little disappointed in the components on the bike. With the deal I got I'm very happy with the bike & glad to be out riding again.
Similar Products Used: Norco 'Nitro' Rocky Mountain 'Hammer Race'
Bike Setup: Longer Kalloy seatpost. 'XT' front derailleur . Otherwise 'stock'.
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Submitted by
Jeremy Padgett
a Weekend Warrior
from Alabama
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2001
Strengths: This review is actually for the 2000 F700SX.
Lefty Fork: Big bonus. Very light, tracks superb, very tight on the turns, 100mm of travel!, wonderful articulation.
Magura Hydro Discs: Very strong, yet extremely progressive. Works in ANY condition. You've got to play with them everytime you take the wheels off, but it's a small price to pay..., silent and sibmissive.
Weight: Very light weight frame
Asthetics: Ok, this is totally personal, but this is an attractive bike. My setup is a solid red frame with solid black accesories. Very nice.
I've not experienced the hib problems that every keeps talking about, though I've only had the bike about 3 months and I'm not in this to trash my new toy.
Weaknesses: none yet
Bottom Line:
Good bike. I got a pretty good deal on the closout. I've been extremely happy with the bike. Needed something to actually go OFF road with.
Similar Products Used: My assortments of Huffy's as a kid
Bike Setup: stock
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Submitted by
Jasi
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 30, 2001
Strengths: The frame is a beauty, the headshox is great, together they make the bike feel special. Great looks too.
Weaknesses: Pedals were terrible, I have just changed to Speedplay frogs. The rear hub is so noisy it is almost embarassing to freewheel when people are around - considering the stealth look of the bike it feels strange to have a hub broadcast your location to everybody within 3 miles :-)
Bottom Line:
This was my first new bike for a few years and I tried just about everything before deciding on the Cannondale. It just felt right even though it was more than I hoped to pay with the mods. A couple of weeks later I broke my leg(not cycling) and it has been sitting there for months taunting me... Now that I can finally ride it again it reminds me why I purchased it, it feels great and even without my being able to hammer it at the moment, it gives a feeling of confidence and feels worth the money. One of the most impressive things is how much lighter it feels when you ride it than most similar bikes and how well it accelerates when you put a little power on. I can only give 3 for value because most of the mods I made were stock on similar bikes at the same price. That said I have no problem with a 5 overall just because it feels, looks and works great.
Similar Products Used: Orange P7, Rocky Mountain Soul, lots of others.
Bike Setup: USE XCR seatpost, XT rear mech and shifters, Bontrager Revolt tyres, rear disc brake. I had all of the mods done at the time of purchase, I wanted to avoid upgrading a few weeks later.
I have a 2000 F700 hardtail with disc mounts and want know if a 185 rotor will fit on the front and rear of this bike. The bike came with a disc front but had hyd. rims on the rear Read More »
