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Submitted by
Brian Lewer
a Cross Country Rider
from Wellington, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | all of NZ | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$4000.00 | | Purchased At: | Burkes Cycles, WGTN | | Strengths: | Light weight, handles well, awesome suspension | | Weaknesses: | I had a near death experience today while riding my Raven 3000, (2001 model) which I bought new 9 months ago.
While standing and pedalling on a flat, smooth tar seal stretch of road my frame snapped above the bottom pivot(through the magnesium skeleton and thermoplastic casing)
I was thrown heavily to the ground in front of an oncoming bus which stopped just before I was squashed.
I am an 87 kg rider who does not do jumps or particularly vigorous downhill riding.
I can only rationalise this hugely unexpected and terrifying event to result from an error in design or manufacturing. I will never ride a Raven again. | | Bottom Line: | Have any other Raven owners had a similar experience or heard of one?
Bear this in mind the next time you are going to hurtle down a hill. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
DIRTMINDED
a Cross-Country Rider
from America
Date Reviewed: May 26, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Mammoth MTN | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
The bike is an awesome ride. Buy one and see for yourself. This is the only bike I will ever own. | | Weaknesses: |
None at this point. | | Similar Products Used: |
I've tried other FS bikes and this one came out on top by far. | | Bike Setup: |
This bike has full XTR groupo on it. So I'm pleased to have it. I got the bike for a great price. So I couldn't pass it up. | | Bottom Line: | The final say on this bike is that its awesome and I love it. It handles like a mull on the climbs. And for the downhills its like drag racer with great handling. The headshok really works. Get out there and buy this bike. If you have an extra $3000 go for it. I know they aren't cheap rides but they work. Have fun on the trails. Also wear a helmet too. Just be safe out there. Peace. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian Vakiener
a cross-country rider
from CT
Date Reviewed: March 4, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I was a hardtail rider (GT Zaskar) for several years and wasn't interested in a full suspension bike. An opportunity came up to get a Raven 2000 and I took the plunge. I can't believe the abilities of this bike! After learning how to ride a full suspension bike I can do things I wouldn't dream about with the GT. The Raven climbs like a goat and descends faster than my skills allow sometimes. It is by far the best bike I have ever ridden. I work in a LBS part time and take the demo bikes out whenever a new one comes in, and nothing comes close. It is not as light as the GT, but damn close. And being an older (gasp) rider, my bones appreciate the plush rear end. The price of the bike is outrageous, but if you can afford it, you won't regret it. And the attention factor is incredible. People love to check it out, whether I'm on the trail or it is on the car rack. High Zoot factor! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alain Powder Cadorette
a cross-country rider
from Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Date Reviewed: February 26, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
This is an updated report for a much modified RAVEN 2000 (not the Freeride). CHECK OUT the original review posted on August 12, 1998 after 2 1/2 months of use.With everything I have changed on this bike, it is more like a '99 RAVEN 3000 or '98 Raven 4000. Here's were it's at today (some changes were done since I had posted in MTB Review): Cane Creek Crono Wam SS wheelset (Double butted Stainless Steel
spokes), Ritchey Logic Rim Tape on both wheels, Specialized 1.25-1.5 thin
tubes on both wheels (they stretch to 2.1 and are pretty reliable and very
light), XTR Titanium Casette (12-32), Rear XT Quick Release (no flex wanted
there), Kept the Mythos tires on both wheels (very light tires), Front
Specialized Ti Quick Release.XTR splined Bottom Bracket, Coda Tarantula competition Splined Crankset with
inner Ti ring, Shimano SPD-747 pedals (747 are a bit heavy but, still the best out there), Sedis road chain (forgot the number, they have little groove in the
side plates, It shifts nice and lasts as long as any other hi-end chain, and
It's light).Easton CT2 Carbon flat handlebars, Tomac ATI grips, GripShift Attack 8.0
shifters, XTR brake levers, No more bar ends, XTR front and rear brakesSyncros Titanium seatpost, Avocet 40 02 kevlar saddle (had a Sella Italia
flite until it got riped so I'm trying something new)That's about it. I added up all the weight savings and it should weigh about
24.5pds but on my scale it comes in at 24.75pds (sometimes closer to 25pds).
It still feels much lighter when your riding it.In order to bring the weight down to 24pds, I would want to change the rear shock, but I'll wait until the ALPS 5R blows up. The only problem is that as of today Fox will not sell Air Vanilla or floats to the public, only OEM, man does that SUCK! Cane Creek has a nice shock, the AD-10, but they don't make one that fits the Raven yet, they only have one for the Super V 2000. You need the get a shock with the correct lengths, compression ratio bla, bla, bla... you just can't put any other shock on this bike yet. Oh and forget about the Rock Shock rear SID, I heard it really SUCKS the big one! Maybe one day Fox will allow dealers to sell the shocks as an aftermarket part.My local bike store was very helpfull in helping me find cranks for this bike, they finally got Cannondale to ship them Tarantulla cranks for my bike at an amazing upgrade price in exchange for my old cold forged cranks. The best fitting cranks are the CODA competition Tarantula (Splined), you also need an XTR splined BB. The cranks with rings are lighter than XTR, shifts really nice, feels very stiff and look pretty good too. We tried other cranks but because of the rear swingarm design most cranks do not fit on the left side of the bike (Including XTR, Race FACE...). You can get these other cranks to fit, but you will have to get a much wider axle which will add flex, add weight, off center your chain and rings and widen your pedalling stance. NOT GOOD!This bike still kicks butt! I have had nasty spills with the bike falling over jagged rocks , roots , branches.... and guess what? The carbon shell doesn't have one dent yet, minor scratches but that's about it. That big ass pivot mounted on sealed bearings hasn't shown any sign of weekness yet, It still feels as stiff as a hard tail. With periodic maintenance, the Fatty SL headshock still performs very well on big hits but not as good on small ripples like a SID would, then again it still tracks better than anything else on there.Bottom line I still stand by what I wrote on August 12th 1998.
FYI: The local bike store I shop at has really help me out in tuning this bike they really know their stuff and for you Americans and Europeens you should check out their prices since the Canadian dollar is basicaly worth SHIT!
Call Francois (AKA Franky) at ABC Cycles & Sports, 514-276-1305 and tell him you saw this on the WEB, he'll get a kick out of that.BTW: No, I don't work for that store, I don't own any of their stocks, and I'm not dating the owner's daughter, if he has one, anyways I'm already hitched with someone else. They just deserve a little CUDOS for having very good service, which is something that is hard to find in this town.
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Submitted by
nick
a cross-country rider
from Chesapeake, VA
Date Reviewed: January 9, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I've had my Raven 2K for about 6 months now & I don't think I'll ever want another bike. Very plush over any kind of terrain, almost as light as my old Haro Alu. HT, climbs nicely with minimal bounce and causes stops & stares on the bike trail at the beach. Stiff forks with tons of travel on the super fatty sl, very adjustable rear end & the blue & yellow matches my roadie to boot. I love this bike!!! (named him jake) 5+ chillies for this baby!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jimbo Birney
a
from FL formerly Canada
Date Reviewed: December 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
After racing BMX as a kid,competed in freestyle(big air) as a teenager,, being sponsored (breaking other peoples stuff) and now mt bikes as an adult I have seen it all. All the technical innovations we are recycling now have bbe done before,suspension,composite wheels etc. This idea of a carbon skin over an aluminum skeleton is truly unique. I have owned and ridden all levels of mt bikes. Having a buddy who worked as a bike mechanic in a Cdale shop(rode EVERTHING) for 10 years I did see a few problems,some serious and some minor. At one time Cdale let their customer service level drop, early 90's. Prior to that every problem was addressed and corrected without exception. Recently I have seen the service level improve. As an innovator in this sport a company will experience growing pains, they did and its over.
The BIKE: I picked up a Raven at the end of the 98 season for cheap( 2100 for a Raven 2000).Early 98's did not have the disc brake mounts or Tarantula cranks.This is one of the only FS setups I would ride/own.(Specialized is a close 2nd) The Trek/Fishers are pretty, nice workmanship, but a poor design. I was going to buy another Cdale hardtail with Headshok. On a whim I rode the Raven. The bike is balanced. No heavy Rockshok or DH fork to cause it to nosedive on jumps. No springy rear suspension top cause the tailend to pop up on you as you leave jumps. JUMPS yes JUMPS,why else would you be on one of these, comfort????. Get real, if you want comfort sit your fat ass on the sofa. If you want exercise then don't be afraid to work at it.This bike performs. Its lite enough that it feels like a HT yet it has the advantage of useable suspension. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Trond Hindenes
a cross-country rider
from Bergen, Norway
Date Reviewed: October 17, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
After having spent 2 years on a AMP B-3, this was something quite different.
I`ll just sum up the strong and weak points dosn below:
Goods:
-Boombproof chassis. Maybe the stiffest XC/FS design out there
-Rear suspension that really works (who scoffed at air shocks??)
-Carbon fiber/Viper red color scheme -soo cool!!Bads:
-My bike came with the P-Bone D fork. 6 cm of travel just isn`t enough when you have 12 cm in the rear -unbalanced...
-The IRC Mythos XC 1.9 tires aren`t cutting it for me.. these are not the ideal trail tires. OK, that`S it!! | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phaeton
a cross-country rider
from Slovenia - Europe
Date Reviewed: September 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
One of the best and most reputable MTB magazines here in Europe - the german magazine BIKE voted Cannondale Raven the BIKE OF THE YEAR 1998!
Loved the weigth, the bombproof frame, the way suspension works, the super precise, flex-free and adjustable HeadShok fork, the company that stands behind the product and of course the looks!
Nuff said! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike
a cross-country rider
from ND
Date Reviewed: August 31, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Ok hello there. Just bought this Cannondale Raven 2000. I was a Hardtail guy for years. Rode a nice HT. It was a GT Zaskar LE. Very nice bike but not a what this Raven is. The Raven was such a great ride, I couldn't believe how well it worked on the trail and the climbs and the downhills. The bike is just a piece of art. It's no HT and I think this is the best bike I've ever ridden. Don't get me wrong. I do love HT's too. But in the mean time I think I will ride my Raven to no end over the HT. Both bikes are very good once you have them dialed in. So if you want a great FS bike this is the way to go. Got a great bike for a great deal. Have fun with this bike. And ride it with will not skill, and just have fun. Believe you will love this bike. The Raven is unbelieveable. Get one if you get a chance. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dr. Raven
a cross-country rider
from Calif
Date Reviewed: August 20, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've ridden C-dales for years and love my new Raven after I broke my old 95 Super V. The Customer Service has been great, but I have seen different levels of service depending on the relationship the store has with Cannondale. The only disappointment I have with the bike is lack of a front disk mount. I know that is something that I'm going to want to upgrade to. My bike had a creeking/popping sound until they replaced my rear swingarm. Problem taken care of. When I bought the bike, it came with a 97 swingarm (no disk mount and old style dropout). I've heard of few others that have had the same noise. Other then that, it is a great bike, both up and down the hills. It is a go anywhere type of bike. Highly recommend it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alain powder Cadorette
a weekend warrior
from Montreal, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Now for a real review of the Raven (last time I just talked about cranks),The bike is great, I had once said that I would never get an FS bike for x-country riding, then I got to try the Super V Raven 2000. I have been riding for 9 years now and have had lots of light x-country bikes, my last one was a specialized S-works carbon with Ti FSX suspension forks, XTR, Ti here, Ti there....23 pounds. A stock Raven 2000 (Large size) weighs in at 26 pounds (Cannondale advertised 25, probably using a medium size without pedals or something like that). When I first tried the stock bike I was amazed on how light it felt. It felt almost as light as my S-works! It climbs steep technical sections like a mountain goat and I’ve noticed a significant speed increase (read scary) on my favorite downhill portions. The Head Shock Fatty SL is not as plush as a Judy but it does a very good job swallowing the big hits and the front rim no longer rubs on the brake pads because of torsion or flex in the fork blades (thank god for that design). Just point it where you want to go and hold on. I haven’t noticed any bottom bracket flex, the rear suspension works great, very tunable, and the overall frame feels almost as stiff as a good cro-mo hardtail when sprinting out of the saddle. Carbon fibre? Never had a problem with it. I think that Trek has proven that the material is durable and worthy of the sport. This bike just does everything right but, keep one thing in mind, it is not a downhill nor a freeride bike, so don’t expect to be able to follow a guy on a FOES with 6 inches of travel.Having raced Motocross bikes in my teens (6 Years) , I should of seen the Full Suspension light a while ago but, I had not found an FS bike that could be made into a light weight, fully active, no pedal induced bouncing around, minimal pivoted, x-country racing bike. Who the hell wants to pedal a 32 pound monkey motion monster up a hill, this is the 90`s not the late 80`s! If I didn’t like climbing, had the guts I had when I was 20, didn’t have a family to support and wouldn’t need a job to pay my bills, I would probably be on a $5000 full suspension kick ass downhill machine to go down Bromont`s World Championship course every weekend. Then again, for $5000 I could get a 5 year old CR250 motocross bike, buy a real helmet, boots, pants and a trailer. Now we’re talking air time, non of that weekend warrior, full body armor on a bicycle, did you see me jump 3 feet off the ground crap... Don’t get me wrong, It’s still cool to get a little air with style, it’s a great feeling when you nail a nice table top or a kicker, but, facts are facts, it’s nothing next to what those motocross dudes can do!...Anyway, I like to ride bikes hard and fast, I love making it down a steep drop off and finishing a one hour climb on a sprint, that’s why I do it! Some bikes out there our just plain stupid, those Y shaped bikes (Trek, Gary Fisher..) are useless the minute you get off the seat, the suspension becomes inactive. When is the last time you have gone screaming down a rough access road or a rocky single track sitting down on your seat? You might as well get a super light hardtail and put on a suspension seat post-a-ma-gig. Bikes like the Specialized FSRs and AMPs B-5 are great bikes, but they have so many pivots to look after and maintain (the Raven only has one pivot to look after) and most have that pedal induces bouncing motion, but some weigh less than Cannodale’s design.I have not changed the cranks yet. Cannondale has not responded to my e-mail asking what else fits on that bike (it’s only been 3 days). I have installed my old Titanium crank bolts, Syncros Ti seat post, Sella Italia flite Ti railed saddle, Bontrager Titec 118 handlebar, Grip shift Attack 8.0, 747 SPDs, Specialized Turbo ultra light tubes, Specialized Team edition tires and a Cane Creek Wam SS Wheelset with a Ti XTR cassette. The bike now weighs about 24 3/4 pounds (knocked off about 1 1/4 pound off the out of the box stock bike). NOW it actually feels lighter than my S-works! I should be able to drop it to 24 pounds when I change the cranks and bottom bracket.If your into X-country type mountain biking and want a bike that climbs very well, descends with ease, is as light (feels as light) as most hardtails and doesn’t bruise your sorry ass on those long rides. This could be the one your looking for. Anyway, just get a couple demo bikes, ride them, compare them, then buy the one you think feels right for you, and don't listen too much to guys like myself that write about their bikes and read these sites just to convince themselves that they didn't spend 4 Gs on a piece of crap. Most of us also want to help people find the right bike for them because we just love this sport so much (start crying now Steve).
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Submitted by
Patrick McNamar
a cross-country rider
from WI
Date Reviewed: August 9, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Have a Raven 2000 that I ride everyday. Have over 1200 miles on it this summer and think it just great. Cannondale will upgrade the 701M crank to the spec'ed tarantula for $50.00 US. Complaint is that I cannot put disc brakes on the front fork. I believe they have a new version out now that will accept discs. Put on a pair of Mavic Crossmax wheels and you have the sweetest climbing, descending bike around. Have your dealer get you the headshok tuning video and a shim kit and you will be amazed at the different feels you can get from the headshok. I am having a problem with snapping noises coming from the frame in the area of the bottom bracket or shock mount (can't pinpoint the source) and C-dale says they want the frame back. Waiting for a replacement at this time. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alain Cadorette
a weekend warrior
from Montreal, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 7, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This bike is HOT, great x-country bike and with the right parts, it can be pretty light too. Where I ride (Bromont, Quebec), bikes take a beating, I know these trails inside out so I can tell after a week whether or not it's a good bike. I`ll post again soon to tell you about Cannondale's customer service.Here’s the letter I wrote to Cannondale about a little problem:I have recently purchased a Super V 2000 Raven (Large size), Before I even picked up the bike, There was a recall on the original cranks which were replaced by other Coda cranks which seem to be of lower quality (maybe LX quality). I have been riding the bike for one month now and feel that the replacement cranks are soft (not worthy of the Raven's frame). This bike is HOT, great x-country bike and with the right parts, it can be pretty light too. I`ll post again soon to tell you about Cannondale's customer service.Question 1: Would it be please possible to find (somewhere in your warehouse) a set of Tarantula SL 175mm cranks (as pictured in the Coda Tarantula web site, Item # 6)? I'll pay full price for it if I have to. I just want to be fully satisfied with my bike. If the cranks need a special bottom bracket, I'll pay for that too. Every dealer in town (Montreal and area) says that they are not available. If someone buys one of your bikes that are spec'd with the Tarantula SLs and the cranks break for whatever reason, you must have some spares to replace them? If you do have some in stock that I can buy and not have to wait a month to get them, I will be glad to get them from my favorite Cannondale dealer (ABC Cycle in Montreal), we can easily coordinate this effort with________________ from ABC Cycle at (514-276-_____)Question 2: Although I would prefer to have Coda cranks, If you can't find anything in your warehouse, could you please tell me what after market (High quality and light) cranks I could put on the Raven? So far, nothing fits because of the Asymetrical rear triangle's left side. Do XTR cranks fit? I know Race Face cranks don't fit, a friend of mine already tried on his Raven.Question 3: I have heard some nasty comments on Cannondale’s Customer Service and I refuse to believe them (Hey! I did by a $4500 Cannondale). Could you please, please help me out? I just want to be happy with my Raven, everything else on that bike is perfection.Let's see what they say! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jerry Brockman
a weekend warrior
from Anchorage,AK
Date Reviewed: August 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
My Raven is the most comfortable bike I've ever ridden, ever. The suspension is extremely tunable, and it doesn't suck up a lot of of your power bobbing up and down when you peddle like some other designs. It climbs almost as well as my hardtail, and descends like a rocket. I don't know what the dude with the Klein is talking about, those things don't go downhill worth a damn. I recommend this bike to anybody who can afford it (they are a bit spendy). And with a few well placed upgrades (like getting rid of the LX bottom bracket) you can have one hell of a race worthy steed. I'd give it six flaming tadpoles if I could, but since I can't, I give it five. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason Jennings
a cross-country rider
from Ohio
Date Reviewed: June 27, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have recently just bought a Raven. Not the 2000 but the Raven 700 that shows up on Cannondales web site under new for '99 bikes. It has impressed me much. I paid $2199 for the bike. Well worth it to me because the parts that were lower than XT are parts I usually go through alot of. But the heart of the bike, the shocks, and the frame, are still the same. This bike is really a treat to ride. It can be set up stiff in the back so that it rides strong like a hardtail but still takes the edge off small bumps and still swallows large bumps. On softer settings the force used in a sprint can cause the bike to squish a little. But even on the softest setting it will not bob or biopace at all when seated. Essentially its the perfect cross country bike. Its extremly tunable. The bike came with the new Super Fatty D shock with 80MM travel. It also come with the air/oil upgrade with the five position dampning dial. At first the dial deosn't seem to do much but if you let the air out of the shock and play with the dial and move the shock by hand you can feel the difference. The dampning dial was made for sight adjustments to a well set up shock so don't expect huge differences in each setting. Though I have noticed that it deos make a difference in the bikes ride. The bike came with every single thing listed on Cannondales web site. The disk brake mounts are there just like they said. The paint and build quality turned out just fine. The only bad thing I can say is that for me the rider compartment on the size large seemed a little small. This is probally an illusion to me since I do much road biking. Overall I suggest looking up this bike on Cannondales site. Its the most unique and best full suspension desighn on the market. Perfect score. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a cross-country rider
from Arlington, Va.
Date Reviewed: June 8, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought my Raven(large size) in April and have ridden it over enough types of terrain(100 miles) to be able to offer my comments. I can't lie and say that I wasn't expecting this $3,000 purchase to be awesome but I'm gonna try and be as unbiased as possible to lend credibility to this review. At this point I can say that I'm highly satisfied with the performance of this bike.General Review: The Fatty SL Headshock feels like silk and tracks great. The Rear Suspension IS VERY tunable and delivers the feel you'll come to love on a cross country bike. The bike weights a few ounces over 26 lbs. The bike responds well to short steep technical climbs. It feels slightly sluggish on the long steady never ending types of climbs. It can corner as well as any long bike in tight singletrack. On long downhills, the bike sticks to the ground making it much easier to keep a good line. On rolling hills with roots & rocks, the bike is such a pleasure ride. I can keep my butt in the saddle and my legs moving. Unless I keep the rear shock stiff, it won't sprint like my hardtail, but that's not why I bought it. A remote dampening dial for the rear shock would the perfect addition if I planned on racing it. But I don't. On a long trail ride 20+ miles, I really enjoyed the comfort and down hill performance without feeling like I was pushing around an iron tank. Some things you ought to know if you're really considering buying a Cannondale Raven.First issue: I'm not new to Cannondale bikes. Prior to this purchase, I'd been thrashing a C'dale hard tail around for 5 years. (Longer than most people keep their cars) At 6'1 165-170, the bike fit me and my riding tendencies like a custom made Trojan.(And I'm not talking about horses!) With my long arms, and torso, I felt at home the first time I ever sat on a C'dale. My body type and the C'dale's frame sizing was a match made in heaven. Problem: No problem, mon!! ( Just know what yo' body is a needin')Second issue: Headshock. Blessing or Abomination? As with most other 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation suspension forks made, it's a little of both? My first experience with an earlier model air oil Headshock, on my hardtail C'dale, was a long and trying battle. The forks can track like a missile when they work but when an air/oil shock doesn't work, it doesn't work at all. Unlike an elastomer or spring shock, you can't ride it until you get it fixed. I went through about 7 Headshock AIR/OIL cartridges in 1993 before giving up on the AIR/OIL idea. I degraded the fork guts to an elastomer system for dependability but eventually put in a Speed Spring. Finally, I got a set up that delivered dependability and good performance. ONE COOL THING: Because of warranties, I NEVER had to pay for the many hours of mechanical tinkering needed to install new shock parts. C'dale shipped 'em out quickly to authorized bike shops if the shops didn't already have any on hand. I never had to wait too long.NOT COOL: The 93-94 AIR/OIL (Remote dial) Headshocks should have been recalled. I wasn't the only one who experienced problems. The '95 Fattys should have been a free upgrade to a fork that just didn't work the way it was intended. C'dale never responded to the support questions I posted on their WEB SITE. Maybe they were bombarded with too many questions, maybe they just didn't care. Now they don't even ask for customer feedback. When I wanted a working alternative to AIR/OIL and Rubber, I had to BUY IT elsewhere.Third Issue: I never had an issue with my old aluminum Cannondale frame. I can ride hard but prefer finesse. The frames deserve a respectable reputation. I never had a problem with a loose headset!! The Headshock Headset is BOMBPROOF. I never had a problem with flexing fork blades. NEVER!!! The fork is respectably light and is as solid as Slick Willie's sex drive. As for Carbon Fiber reinforced with an aluminum spine; Hmmmm. Sounds good. Looks good and so far it rides good. You can't judge the frame material by exactly the same standards you would on a hardtail. Also, the aluminum swing arm is beefy and stiff, the cable routings (disk brake too) are clean and sensible, and the susp. pivot point is built for strength. KEEPING IT REAL: It's not reasonable to expect a hyper active, semi-long travel suspension bike to ride like a hardtail only when you want it to and act like a long travel downhill machine only on long fast down hills. If you do, however, want a cross country bike that can act like a little of both when you just want to ride or a lot like both with some strategic tuning in between climbs and descents, the Raven is calling you!! The Raven won't cross the country like a linkage bike. It may bob a little more due to the shock position, but it won't weight as much a bike with lots of links. When sprinting, it may also bob a little more than the unified rear triangle Treks, Kliens and others but who likes to sit down while they're going downhill fast? Be real.Question #1: After all the prior problems, why on earth did I choose another C'dale AIR/OIL Headshock?
Answer: I was hoping that the boys in R&D got it right after 4 more years of tinkering with a phenomenal theory. (YES, I sad phenomenal. Can you say Needle Barrings?) Research from 100+ miles of trials in and between West Virginia and Frederick Md. points towards suspension success!!Question #2: Is this bike really light or does it just look sort of light?
Answer: The only thing I did to save weight, so far, was swap stock wheels with a Nuke Prf./Mavic setup and my Raven weights about 26 lbs. With an XT wheelset, it couldn't weight much more. It could get a little lighter. I would be extremely happy with it at 25 lbs. but I don't deserve that yet. Any lighter than 25 lbs, and it might loose that sturdy and dependable feel on the long downhills. And maybe, after I make up for all the riding I didn't do over the winter, and strengthen my legs, it or I won't feel as sluggish on the long climbs. Keeping the Rr. Shock a little stiffer would probably make it feel like a better climber.Question #3: Who do I think I am anyway?
Answer: I'm not that clown you saw with a $3,000 full sus. bike riding around the neighborhood park with toe clips, Nike crosstrainers and a Spinergy wheelset. I'm not the 16 year old rich kid who will tell everyone that the bike his daddy bought him for Christmas is the best bike in the world.I am the guy who will stop on a screaming descent to help you fix a pinch flat, who knows the local trails like the back of his hand and who rode mountainbikes way before they were featured in every soft drink, credit card, and automobile ad. I'm also the guy who was lucky enough to get a big enough tax return to put money down on an expensive yet educated purchase. RAVEN!!! A bike that will probably acquire more mileage, this year, than my car. Recommendations: Upon purchasing, ditch the Coda one piece crankset for an XT crankset and the coda seat for something of your choice. Try to get trade in values for both. A fancy looking carbon spoke wheelset will look good on the Raven but won't make it any lighter. Wrap something thick (i.e. Lizard skin, grip tape) around the right chain stay to silence the chainslap. Keep the V brakes loose enough to modulate and control the bike around corners. Don't go downhill faster just because the bike can, do it because you can. (i.e. be smart) Last but no least, don't review a bike you haven't ridden or never owned
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Submitted by
Todd Bouchard
a cross-country rider
from Renton, Washington
Date Reviewed: June 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
My Raven 2000 replaces a Mantis Profloater and after being initially disappointed with the ride, it has grown on me. When test riding the Raven I was impressed with the suspension but when I got the bike into the forest I could not make the bike turn in the technical sections. Point this thing downhill, though, and it is as stable as anything can be with only three inches of front wheel travel. The rear suspensiong is excellent and the steering precision with the unified fork is outstanding compared to independent sliders. After 60 hours on the bike I have learned to use a little body english to push it through the single track. I also find that flat sound of carbon fiber hitting granite puts a pit in my stomache but the finish of the bike is great and the carbon fiber frame has tolerated a couple of direct hits without a scratch. When I go put it back in the van, however, I cannot help but dream about a Profloater with 1998 suspension. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter F.
a weekend warrior
from Miami, FL U.S.
Date Reviewed: June 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I just got mine in Team Blue. It's by far the best bike I've ever ridden. The frame is light (carbon fiber) and aluminum reinforced. Incredibly responsive. XT/XTR components. It just flies. Don't take my word for it, try one. The reviewer who said that it sucked, probably can't afford one. Five flaming chilies for this baby! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Taylor
a downhiller
from washington
Date Reviewed: May 27, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
A lad i know Adamhasnt got a clueChristian purchased one of these girls bikes two weeks ago. I rode it once and vowed never to ride one again. Once you have riden a bike such as my own, a KLEINEat my DirtMantra pro, you really can not lower yourself to a inferior Bike such as raven thingy. Sort it out adam!
Just one more thing to say Buy Klein, i did. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joaquin Morillo
a weekend warrior
from Quito, Ecuador
Date Reviewed: May 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought a Raven 3000 after doing some web-based-research (you don't get a chance to test ride bikes in Ecuador). I was looking for a lightweight full suspension bike that would climb OK and descend a lot faster than a hardtail. Weight was a major consideration since I spend most of my rides climbing and dont like the downhill craze.With the Raven, I found all what I expected and some more . I think it's a great bike; it climbs without any noticeable pogo and I can go down a lot faster than before, with confidence. Both air shocks (Fox Vanilla and the Head Shock) work nicely and are easy to adjust while riding. The only doubts I still have arise from the CODA 9000 cranks; they don't shift as smooth as shimano's XT or XTR, maybe because they lack the small dents -hyperglyde ?- that help when the chain is going up.Five chillies !!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel Nilsson
a cross-country rider
from Sweden
Date Reviewed: May 7, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Whoaa!!! Look out for this bike and its manufacturer. In all their ad´s and, in the manual that comes with the Fatty SL fork, they claim that it has a discbrake mount but the fork DOESN´T!!!!! Cannondale wont replace the fork, so I will return the whole bike... Cannondale make nice frames but their service is really bad. NEVER A CANNONDALE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel Nilsson
a cross-country rider
from Sweden
Date Reviewed: April 25, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Actually, I bought a Raven frameset after my SuperV had been stolen.
I like how it looks because its much more discreet than the SuperVs, the frameset that is available from Cannondale is the same as the Raven 4000, ie it has an Fatty SL fork, the whole bike is black.It handles much better than the SuperVs, its not pogoing at all. Currently I am running it with XTR components except from gear shifters, sachs, and rear der. Sachs Plasma. Brake booster on the front fork is a must!The seat is the worst seat I have ever ridden on its hard as rock.... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom Bennett
a racer
from St. Joseph Mo.
Date Reviewed: March 18, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had my raven about a month. It did take a little time to dial in the suspension the way I wanted it. I love the new reverse shifting der. The bike is a dream to ride. The new air shock is great but I do wish it had the lock out version like my dd 60 has. The rear shock is perfect it neever seems to run out of travel. The seat is nothing to brag about though. I'm hoping to tear it soon so I have a good reason to throw it in the trash. Wifes you know must have a reason to get new parts. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Carbon Raven
a cross-country rider
from Chicago, Illinois
Date Reviewed: March 14, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Hey, you guys all know me from TechTalk. Anyway, I thought I should write a Raven review. This is, by far, the best full-suspension bike I've ever ridden. For me, it makes all the tradeoffs a FS bike should, without penalizing the rider with biopace and weight. The frame is light for an FS frame, and the base bike is less than $2750 if you shop around. Granted, I don't have a base Raven, but I've ridden a stock 2000 and it's a great bike. Currently, I'm running XT/XTR with Spinergy RevX-XE. The bike looks great, it feels confident, and it's enjoyable to ride. Can't ask for anything more.btw, thanks for helping me fix up this bike awhile back, TechTalk folks!Raven | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chuck Harrison
a cross-country rider
from bethlehem,pa
Date Reviewed: March 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have been riding a hard tails for 15 years(currently FAT CHANCE, Wicked)and just recently switched to
the Raven 2000. I am extremely impressed ! After 2 years of researching many bikes , I was still leaning
towards another high end hard tail because of the type of technical riding I do. But, I was also curious enough
about full suspension and started test riding several, but never found any I seriously liked, mainly because of
the weight and pogoing. Then I took a trip out to Colorado and ended up renting a SUPER V and had major
fun, but still was not totally convinced. When I was just about to give up on full suspension, is when the new
RAVEN came out. Wow!! This bike made a believer out of me. I did not have to make any compromises in
my riding switching to full suspension like I thought. The weight is right, handling, climbing, simply everything.
| | Overall Rating: |
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