Submitted by
mueller
a Weekend Warrior
from Prosper Date Reviewed: January 26, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Erwin Park
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$1500.00
Purchased At:
Houston Bike Shop
Strengths:
Once figured out I think it performs well.
Weaknesses:
As for this bike all my confidence issues were taken away by the addition of an x-firm negative spring kit for the lefty. Each size bike comes with a specific negative spring. I ride a large bike but my weight demanded a firmer negative spring( As says the cannondale set up guide). And the reviews are right some lefty fronts missed some lock tite somewhere. Once these to issues were resolved I think the bike is fine. O-yea AVID Elixir CR with 203mm's are outstanding for me at about 220lbs geard up. Just thought I would shead some light on the lefty subject because alot of people seem to be unhappy with them. All the info you need to solve your concerns should be on the cannondale web site or your local bike shop.
Similar Products Used:
Ridin other hardtails but the full is much better for me.
Bike Setup:
Stock except for the CR's.
Bottom Line:
The bike will preform well it you get it set up right; and what ever you do be sure it gets some lock tie before it leaves the shop or you will end up like the person that had the really bad luck.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
csi13
a Cross Country Rider
from bristol,connecticut Date Reviewed: November 8, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1500.00
Purchased At:
bikers edge,
Strengths:
good bike,decent shifters
Weaknesses:
mechanical brakes,i mean u can find these on bikes $500 less. the lefty is good but not great,its "stiction- less" trvel is the problem,i've flipped the bike because the lefty absorbs the bumps but then does not go over them,u go over the handelbars. the grips and tires suck replace them be fore u leave the shop,my hands start 2 hurt the first minute i start riding
Similar Products Used:
2007 cannondale prophet 5
Bike Setup:
stock except for platform pedelsand specilized comfort grips
Bottom Line:
it is an ok bike,i loved the prophet i tried but it got sold. the brakes should realy be hydraulic and the tires should be upgraded along with the grips
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from Akron, OH, USA Date Reviewed: May 17, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1500.00
Purchased At:
Ohio's Largest Bike Shop
Strengths:
Handles well. Lefty has a lockout. Great fit for me, I feel really comfortable but able to ride aggressively.
Weaknesses:
Grips, component failures, Cannondale service.
Similar Products Used:
95 Cannondale F700 99 KHS Pro
Bike Setup:
Stock
Bottom Line:
Lefty had a catastrophic manufacturing or installation defect, had to be replaced, I had to pay for shipping after 3.5 weeks of waiting. Metal shavings rattling around in the top tube. I guess this was a good thing, it forced my bike shop to take the fork off to get at them, they noticed the fork problem then. Crank has constant creeking. I can probably fix it, but it is a brand new bike and I shouldn't have to. Rear shock went bad after I got the Lefty repaired. At first this was gradual, I noticed it when I was hitting my crank arms on the ground on gentle turns. Then after pumping the shock back up it would drop pressure overnight. I have barely ridden this bike off-road and on nothing I would consider rough or technical. My other Cannondale has been nearly flawless over 13 years of use. I take good care of it and it still mostly stock. I have put more abuse on it, a hardtail with a 50mm elastomer sprung fork, than the new bike. I really want to like this bike but I have lost faith in it. My bike shop has had it for more time than I have in the first 2 months of ownership. I will take care of the warranty issues, sell it, and probably go back to a midlevel hardtail.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cameron
a Racer
from Riverton, Ut, US Date Reviewed: April 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Ghost Falls
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1200.00
Purchased At:
Infinite Cycles
Strengths:
Lefty speed is amazing, fox rear is nice too. Can't go wrong with sram.
Weaknesses:
Mechanical disc brakes are a little weak, have to adjust them every few rides. Bottom bracket is a little low. end up hitting rocks when crank is extended down.
Similar Products Used:
Cannondale Prophet, several hardtails
Bike Setup:
bone stock for now.
Bottom Line:
Good solid bike for the price. Not too bad at only 29 lbs. Good weekend warrior, or good race bike for a few upgrades.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Airmale
a Weekend Warrior
from Hannover, Germany Date Reviewed: March 18, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Awesome rear suspension, soaks up everything. Maybe the most elaborated one pivot design on the market. Front travel upgraded to 120mm in 2008, plus new head tube gusset and swingarm improvement. Avid Juicy 3s are a blast. Beautiful welds. The look. The frame ist the thing! Has more travel than promised.
Weaknesses:
Cheap Deore Hubs, but they´ll do. Additionally you will have to protect the frame from cable rub all by yourself. The cable hose on the right side, close to the pivot, will propably damage the frame badly, I just noticed that a few days ago, and it has already gotten down to the metal. Be sure to check on this.
Similar Products Used:
Klein Attitude, Cannondale Super V, Prophet (tried), Mongoose NX 8, Yeti Arc.
Bike Setup:
Outa the shop... added lock on grips, my fav. saddle and flat pedals for a tougher riding style.
Bottom Line:
I was looking for a light All Mountain bike with enough travel to ride every trail in my area. The 2008 Rush does that very well. The Prophet would have had more travel and a Freeride feel, but I wanted the lightness of the Rush for extra climbing performance. In fact I can take every nasty, rooty and rocky trail that previously scared me on my Yeti hardtail. Cannondale says that the Rush has 110cm of rear travel, but magazines testing it always get more out of it, maybe Cdale wants to keep the difference to the burly Prophet. Who cares when you get extra rear travel that elevates the bike into the cushy All Mountain class together with the 120mm Recon fork? Flip that blue switch on the Fox shock, go up efficiently. Switch it to "cushy" and fly down like a downhill racer (well, kinda...). The wheelbase and geometry feel excellent for fast downhills. Just point the bars somewhere and GO! The difference to some friend´s bikes that I tested, and that handled like a shopping cart is surprising. Very confidence inspiring together with the travel. I can just trust this bike and it makes me grin on every ride. If your focus is not about jumping and dropping but riding fast (swoooooosh) this one is for you.
I recently saw pictures of Cdales new "Rize" All Mountain Bike and knew I had bought the right bike. The Rush´s top tube gives you just the required freedom for your sensitive parts. Also confidence inspiring when pushing your skills, which is what this bike encourages: All day trail surfing, riding on the edge, radical amusement, going further than you thought you would. (And gotta protect this first class frame from the mean cables...) I definetely will upgrade this bike the following years.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sam Ridger
a Weekend Warrior
from Charlotte Date Reviewed: January 2, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Roan Mtn
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1700.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
Solid Overall Full Suspension Mountain Bike. Great response and stiff as a full suspension can get.
Weaknesses:
No major complaints. Grips are a little slippery. Getting used to the Lefty. Seat post should come with a quick release.
Similar Products Used:
Cannondale Jekyll
Bike Setup:
Straight from the manufacturer
Bottom Line:
Buy one if you can find one. Great bike for the price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Adam M.
a Cross Country Rider
from Pittsburgh Date Reviewed: November 20, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Hartwood, Frick, Boyce
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1700.00
Purchased At:
Pittsburgh Pro Bikes
Strengths:
~Strength, derailures are good and reliable, not great though ~Lefty ~Feels VERY stable on the trails ~ Mine came in at 28.79 lbs after upgrades, pretty good!
Weaknesses:
~BB-7 brakes are good but I went with the Juicy 5's for better power and responsivenes ~Grips ~Huge, heavy stock bars ~Tires are terrible, dont waste your time riding them, replace them immiedeately. This is maddening that this tire comes on a $1700 bike and also comes on the $370 hardtail (F7). Cannondale needs to upgrade stock tires for this bike.(They put Maxxis Ridgelines on for '08)
Similar Products Used:
None of my previous bikes can compair. ~Specialized Hardrock Pro
Bike Setup:
~Stock other than: Juicy 5 Brakes, Oury Gips, and Panaracer Fire XC Pro's ~Bars, seat, and seat post are the next victims of replacement
Bottom Line:
Great Bike, if you are looking to buy one, definetly do it. This bike is well worth it! Buy this if you are a speed hungry weekend warrior, with an eye on your wallet. Dont buy this if you are a weight weenie. This is also a great bike to start racing on. I did my first race at 7 Springs on this bike, it was great! Thanks Cannondale!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jered
a Cross Country Rider
from Alpharetta Date Reviewed: October 31, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Blankets Creek
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1400.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
The geometry of the bike is absolutely incredible. It provides unmatched stability.
Weaknesses:
sram x-7 triggers and rear derailluer. Prefer XTR.
Similar Products Used:
Gary Fisher Hi-Fi
Bottom Line:
This bike is extremely fun and easy to ride. The comfort while riding this bike is almost unbelievable. It takes anything you throw at it and chews it up without hesitation!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Forrest Bennett
a Cross Country Rider
from newport beach Date Reviewed: October 3, 2007
Favorite Trail:
whiting ranch
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1300.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
Super fun bike. Very comfy, soaks up bumps, climbs well, descends even better. Great bang for the buck.
Weaknesses:
Brakes,and a tad heavy
Bike Setup:
all stock except pedals(i switched out because i am not a fan of clips
Bottom Line:
Awesome bike. Highly recomended
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
William
a Cross Country Rider
from Minneapolis, MN USA Date Reviewed: July 9, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Murphy
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1800.00
Purchased At:
Erik's Bike Shop
Strengths:
Frame, fork, rear suspension
Weaknesses:
Grips, BB, brakes
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Hardtail
Bike Setup:
Stock
Bottom Line:
Had the bike about 6 weeks and love it! Handles like a dream, climbs like a goat, eats rocks for breakfast. The bottom bracket has started to really creak after 6 weeks and the brakes are squeaking like crazy. Brake levers also are not very firm. The suspension was easy to dial in and almost never needs adjustment. BB is low which is good for XC but LOW for obstacles. I would buy higher end if I had to do it again but I would stick with a lefty Cannondale again though as I dig the feel.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim Brueshaber
a Cross Country Rider
from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Date Reviewed: May 16, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Hueston Woods State Park
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1600.00
Purchased At:
West Chester Cyclery
Strengths:
Climbs like an animal... I've conquered sections on this thing that I never thought were possible. The lefty is amazing and the overall suspension setup is well-balanced. The bike is stiff enough to be confident on fast downhills and tough climbs, but forgiving enough to absorb roots, rock gardens, etc. with ease.
Weaknesses:
Not sure about the brakes yet. It could just be that I haven't broken them in fully, but they feel soft. Stock tires are fine on dry trails but I'm guessing they'd be a handfull on wet patches. Stock handgrips might as well be mounted on ball bearings and made out of clay. A $1600 bike should come with lockons.
Bike Setup:
All stock, handlebar/handgrip upgrade coming as soon as I can pull them off my old bike.
Bottom Line:
This is my first full-suspension bike after a couple of years on a Diamondback Topanga Comp. I can't say enough good things about it. I'm impressed by how responsive it is and I can't get over how well it climbs. I feel like this bike is really going to raise my riding ability and confidence.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Frank G
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Rosa, CA USA Date Reviewed: April 20, 2007
Favorite Trail:
annadale
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1500.00
Purchased At:
Santa Rosa Cyclery (Great Store!)
Strengths:
Bike is nimble at slow speeds, turns well for switchbacks and such. On downhills it feels a bit like your riding a ghost...its light and that is a bit tense till you have confidence that its tracking well. In "rock garden" type terrain the lefty sucks up hits really nice once you dial in the rebound to match the speed you like to ride at. It feels just like what it is...a big super shock up there that eats rocks. The rear suspension follows along well enough, although I have yet to get the shock as dialed in and sweet as that lefty is up front. Going up hills, the bike climbs well in or out of the sadle. The frame feels stiff and having a lock out switch for the front shock right at your finger tips when your standing up on a climb is really nice. The disc brakes and the groupo all work very well.
Weaknesses:
I am not a racer, nor an expert rider, so I don't know that I can tell you about technical performance weaknesses. I ride hard and far and I find the bike works well for me. I would complain that a 1700 dollar bike should come with a quick release for the seat post and a better choice of stem rise so you can adjust the fit but thats about it and those are easy, inexpensive fixes.
Bike Setup:
I changed out the stem for one with a higher rise, added a quick release for the seat post and bought a different saddle (SR Cyclery was great on fitting this bike for me).
Bottom Line:
I definately like this bike! It rides well, looks cool in that gun metal grey and has the capability to handle the variety and complexity of the trials I ride here in Sonoma and Marin County, CA (where Mtn Biking was born). I have ridden the heck out of this thing for about 4 months now, pounded it through rock gardens, bombed it down fireroads and steeps, thrown it through water, mud, gravel and of course crashed it a few times as well. It has held together. As a rider, I have not reached the limits of the bike yet which is nice because it still challenges me to push it and myself a bit more each time I ride. All in all, the bottom line for me is this is a way cool bike after 4 months and unless something changes dramatically I will be riding this for sometime to come.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a Weekend Warrior
from Omaha, NE, US Date Reviewed: March 20, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Swanson
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1700.00
Strengths:
-Stiff, Stiff, Stiff. You can feel your power transfer right to the ground -As long as you stay in the saddle when climbing VERY little bob or flex -Lefty feels awsome, im sold on the idea -Low bottom bracket contributes to good cornering but watch the logs and rocks -Great geometry for a bigger fella. I'm 6'1" 230 lb(I wouldnt know if it were good for a smaller fella) -Good components for price
Weaknesses:
-Brake levers-weak -Grips-worthless -Bars are freaking like 29 inches wide(fixable) -Taking the front wheel off the Lefty is a pain
Similar Products Used:
Trance, Yeti 575, Trek EX8 and the new Fisher Hi-Fi
Bike Setup:
Added some Avid Speed Dial brake levers and some Odi locking grips, after I trimed the bars down. I was gonna upgrade the brakes but the Avid BB7 mechanicals worked great after I replaced the stock Cannondale levers with the Speed Dial levers.
Bottom Line:
I test rode many bikes and looked at many reviews. And I made sure that I looked at this bike purchase with a very open mind. I didnt care what brand I bought. I just wanted the best fit for my budget and my type of terrian, mostly technical single track XC on hard pack. When it came down to it, the Rush 5 frame/shock/fork/component combo, there was no better buy in my price range. Which was around $2000. And at $1700 I saved myself 3 clams for use on a couple of upgrades.
Cannondale has put together a great platform for single track XC and the occasional small drop or jump. I was a little leary about the Lefty, but that thing takes hits! Almost no flex whatsoever. Cornering is excelent and the bottom bracket is super stiff. So every time I pedal I can feel the bike moving foreword. Which was a problem with all the rest of the bikes I test rode. Funny how the simplest rear suspension design can be the most effective.
The bottom line is that the Lefty is phenominal. The single pivot design is simple and works great. And the whole package works wonderful toghther...after I changed a couple components. I would recomend this bike to any XC guy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ben
a Cross Country Rider
from Columbia Date Reviewed: January 19, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Cascades--Patapsco State Park
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1700.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
The frame really is solid! Feels great going off small jumps and drops. The lefty speed sucks up anything you decide to run over. It has great feedback and the 4 inches of travel up-front is plenty for agressive xc. This baby climbs like a goat on roids man! It comes with decent components.
Weaknesses:
Ummm, I can't think of anything that stands out as a weakness. The components on the 5 aren't the greatest but that is why Cannondale offers the Rush 4 or 3! I plan to upgrade slowly
Similar Products Used:
I started out with an F400 but after destroying two headshoks I decided to get something a little more beefy.
Bike Setup:
Thomson Elite, WTB Speed, Crank Brothers Candy C, FSA Bash Guard and the rest is stock...for now
Bottom Line:
The bottom line in my opinion is this: If you are looking for a bike that is great for aggressive xc then this is the bike for you. The 4 inches of front and rear travel are plenty for any trail that I have been on. The bike reallys feels great on small jumps and drops of about 3 or 4 feet. One thing for the technical trail lover. This isn't really a weakness, more of a preference. My Large frame Rush came stock with a 120mm 5 deg rise stem which is great for long climbs but not so much for bunny hopping, riding over logs or steep technical descents. I would say go ahead and buy a new stem from your bike shop before you leave if you ride more technical trails. Anyways, that is my two cents!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
What's New
»
BEST OF MTBR - Check out the highest rated bikes, parts, & gear!
»
LED BIKE LIGHT SHOOTOUT 3 - We test all the newest products and latest light and battery technology in this comprehensive guide»
$
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
