Submitted by
orthobiz
a Cross-Country Rider
from Cadillac Date Reviewed: November 7, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Cadillac Pathways
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
Great ride.
Weaknesses:
29 tooth front chainring is OK but not great for a rider whose daytime job interferes with his training.
Similar Products Used:
Super V carbon swingarm classic.
Bike Setup:
Factory stock, 24 lbs., Super V Raven 4000SL.
Bottom Line:
Been out 3 times, including 27 mile Iceman Cometh Challenge in Traverse City, MI: no problems, great ride. Full report when the mtbr.com 2000 review folder is up. E-mail me if you're having trouble jumping off the small chainring.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a Cross-Country Rider
from Ridgefield,CT Date Reviewed: October 5, 1999
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
laterally rigid, efficient power transfer, all the benefits of fs with none of the drawbacks
Weaknesses:
still searching...weight?
Similar Products Used:
Klein Mantra, Super V
Bike Setup:
Ringle/Hugi hubs w. Mavics, XTR derailleurs w. Gripshift Attacks, Thompson post, Flite saddle, XTR brakes w Sram 9.0's, Grafton cranks, V'Raptors, Fatty Ultra fork, (25+ lbs.)
Bottom Line:
Moved to this bike from a full on race F bike. Took some time getting used to the full suspension way of riding (point and shoot), but now I can't go back to a hardtail. This bike climbs, jumps, and hammers with the hardtails, at a slight weight deficit. Pick a line or not, it really doesn't matter. It carves and drifts at will, tracking precisely all the time. Wow.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Keith Fowler
a Weekend Warrior
from Courtenay, BC Date Reviewed: September 14, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Monkey's
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
light weight plush travel
Weaknesses:
mystery shift on hard rear shock compression while pedaling.
Similar Products Used:
Trek, Marin, Kona, Devinci, Gary Ficher, Norco, Shwinn, KHS, Rocky Mountain, and Cannondale.
Bike Setup:
98 Raven 4000: XTR everthing except: plasma rear shifter, crossmax wheelset, chris king headset 545 pedals coda magic cranks and bb, Z1 BAM 5 travel front shocks, azonic riser bar race face stem.
Bottom Line:
I previously rode a cannondale super v 1000, with the judy dh in front. There is no comparing the two bikes. This bike rides over everything. It's pushed my riding ability to a new level. Feels super stable at any speed( as noticed in a recent downhill) Hops the biggest of logs with awsome balance. 5 in front 4 in rear helps you get through most trails in maximum control. The bike climbs even the steepest loose trails. The only problem with the bike is the chain jumps up one gear while pedaling and hitting a huge bump while going 400 miles an hour. The local bike shop tells me it is chain slop, but my other bike didn't do it with the same basic design.(but it wasn't as smooth in the rear) I put the bike on the scale at the bike shop with the speced as listed above and it was 26 lbs on the dot. Highly recomended. I rode every bike in town, 5 clearcut forests for this bike!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom
a Cross-Country Rider
from Easton, MA Date Reviewed: September 1, 1999
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
light weight
Similar Products Used:
1999 Super V-Raven 2000
Bike Setup:
Hayes disc brakes XTR drive train Super Fatty SL Front shock Fox lockout rear
Bottom Line:
The new 2000 year Ravens are by far the best bike I have ever ridden. I just got my new Raven 2 frame two weeks ago. It is 1.5 pounds lighter than the 1999 Raven frames and the new geometry makes it a blast to ride. The top tube is an inch longer whichmeans better climbing and descending. The rear CAD 4 disc specific triangle is super light. It is almost as light as a hard tail. The new Fox shock with the lockout rear give 4 inches of travel and lockout on the climbs. It climbs super light. I built mine up around 24.5 pounds and that is with a beefy bontrager wheelset. If I wanted to race it, I could get it down to 23 pounds no problem. It is an awesome ride, it does it all. Super fast, super light, balls to the wall. The only things is good luck getting them. Don't expect to have one of your own until November or so.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Art
a Weekend Warrior
from Baltimore Date Reviewed: July 9, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Avalon at Patapsco State Park
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Bottom Line:
I've been riding the Raven for a little while now, and the bike is still awesome. In my original review which disappeared (so here goes again) I mentioned that the bike handles everything I throw at it. It still does! No problems what-so-ever. It has to be one of the sweetest bikes out there. No bobbing, no creaking, no phantom shifting, no problems. This is a great bike if you know how to ride and maintain it! This bike ROCKS! Great work Cannondale!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rick
a Cross-Country Rider
from Pipersville, Pa Date Reviewed: June 30, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Dampens vibrations and noises better than the aluminun version. feels stiffer than the aluminum (is that possible?) Lighter still than aluminum and it looks cool with spinergy's.
Weaknesses:
no second bottle rack
Similar Products Used:
Super-v 2000 GT Lts-1, LTS-DH, RTS-1
Bike Setup:
full xtr, Coda 900M cranks Kore Elite stem
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is I am no hammerhead banzi maniac when I ride. I use but don't abuse my equipment. I preform regular maint. so I haven't had problems. I am glad to be only the second American to review this product, The international input is great. I am really glad I didn't get Bob's Bike (the previous review) after dropping more money than some people spend on a car on this bike. If I hated my bike that much I would hang myself!! P.S. Marketing is life, when your are buying a bike like this do EXTENSIVE homework, Test ride so you don't end up like Bob!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
miguel f gouveia
a Downhiller
from rio de janeiro, brazil Date Reviewed: May 8, 1999
Favorite Trail:
vista chinesa, rio, brazil
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
great slick design when in black, very light frameset, sturdy and firm while downhilling, front shock is great
Weaknesses:
too pricy and hard to find in the stores...ordering process is too long...
Similar Products Used:
mrazek and k2 pro-flex
Bike Setup:
all of them came with some type of rock shock
Bottom Line:
made a few changes from the standard configuration: changed every accessory to 99 shimano xtr and the wheels to mavic crossmax... with all these changes, it is one of the best fs bikes i ever rode...tops all the way...
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
JiMmY
a Cross-Country Rider
from Brussels, Belgium Date Reviewed: April 26, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Mmm.. very sexy and very effective... when the bird works without glitches (see weaknesses ;-). When you ride the Raven, it asks always more from you and wants you to accelerate it at higher speeds. In fact it's a damned nervous bike compared to my trusty Pro-flex 957 wich is neverthless more stable in downhills. It's amazing, but I think this bike is very easy to clean, really !
Weaknesses:
I blew (no, it blew itself) the Fox Air Vanilla R after two weeks, and the new one is now creaking (the noise comes from the bottom axle of the shock). Mystery ! The rear Mavic Crossmax Disc suffers from metallic vibrations, bad lacing I guess, so I will bring it back for replacement (I hope). And last but not least, Ghost Shifting occurs everytime and everywhere ! But I think this has maybe a relation with the Crossmax problem mixed with the 3x9 speeds. I upgraded with GoreTex cables... no changes. Some ratling noises coming from the Coda Disc brakes, the pads moving in the caliper. No probs with the Fatty Super SL if you take care of it.
Similar Products Used:
Proflex 957; K2 4000; AMP B4; Scott Octane; Marin Mount Vision
Bike Setup:
Raven 3000 Disc Fox Air Vanilla R Mavic Crossmax Disc Coda Compact Disc 11,5 kg
Bottom Line:
It costed an huge amount of bucks, and some nightmares with my wife founding the bill... but even with the problems, it remains a good bike, maybe not so bombproof as other FullSusp bikes. The front is quicker and more agile than the Crosslink of my 957. So I will give 3 stars now, perhaps more when the problems will be eradiced.
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.(find under '98 RAVEN 2000)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.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
chris
a cross-country rider
from Hong Kong Date Reviewed: December 22, 1998
Bottom Line:
Bob, a healthy Raven should never creak, have it overhauled. No suspension bike never bob! As much as I understand, you have the best suspension fork, rear shock as well as one of the best all round bike frames ever made, yes it is not the most active one. The most active ones bob like hell! I bought a 98 Raven with a 99 Headshok, I swore by it though the virtual top tube is too short. C'dale spends a lot to advertise, it spends at least as much to R&D! One year ago, C'dale sent a Raven to some English experts to test. It was not as good as yours. Once they test rode it for few day, they never thought of returning it. Send me mail if you still feel discontent.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
bob
a racer
from Livonia MI Date Reviewed: November 17, 1998
Bottom Line:
The spine and shell creak from the torsional stress of pedaling. The only thing that can take your attention from the creaking, is the constant biopacing of the rear suspension. Linkage designs are the answer This bike, and Cannondale's whole line are a perfect example of what happens when a company's marketing budget is bigger than it's engineering budget. Don't belive the hype this bike is extremely average.
Overall Rating:
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