Submitted by
Patrick CommonMan
a Cross Country Rider
from Tampa, FL Date Reviewed: July 15, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1500.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
Georgeous -- the black carbon with the yellow stickers and brushed swingarm are great looking. I upgraded to Lefty and it makes the bike even better. Fast, stiff, stylish...can't ask for more.
Weaknesses:
The original Coda products are a bit weak -- I upgraded the shifters, crank, and derailers to XTR. Also, replaced the Coda disc brakes with XT hydraulic disc.
Similar Products Used:
Cannondale SuperV
Bike Setup:
Full XTR, XT hydraulic disc brakes, Lefty shock, Fox Air Vanilla R, carbon seatpost and XC handlebar, Specialized pro geometry saddle, Spinergy Xyclone disc wheels, and Cane Creek ergo barends. Can't beat that setup!!!!
Bottom Line:
A great bike. You can buy the frame rather cheap and build up a georgeous bike with all the bells and whistles. What a performer too...not too mention -- it's fun getting all the jealous glances while flying down trails. :)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Micah Stipech
a Cross Country Rider
from Fort Langley, BC , Canada Date Reviewed: October 19, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Woodlot
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At:
some guy named donald
Strengths:
Can be made into a light, fast xc bike. Stronger than the Raven 2.
Weaknesses:
Everything but the frame, wheels and crank. Throw the brakes in the trash. Sell the Moto or put it on your bush bike. Replace shock when it starts failing.
Similar Products Used:
Super V, Norco VPS 2, 1968 Schwinn Collegiate.
Bike Setup:
Lefty, Stratos XC, Hope Mini's...
Bottom Line:
I love the set-up I've got now, but the original was neither an xc bike nor a free-rider. It could never be a free-rider. Not enough travel and the carbon fiber will end up snapping. Stock its a waste of a light frame and is a front heavy, bobbing school bike. The coda brakes were hideous, don't even test ride them. Hope makes a four bolt rotor and their mini's are light and smart. The moto is an easy sell, for some reason people want to buy them. Replace it with a lefty and you knock off two pounds. The Strato's XC adds travel, is adjustable, doesn't leak, and has a lock out. Get some lighter tires too. It's a good looker and performance wise I would put it up against a Scalpel any day. Just not any day soon, cause as long as I'm living by the North Shore it will be on the rack and I'll be on my Free-ride. Buy with the intention of up grading. Beware that many of the parts you'll have to buy new because the are specific to cannondale or the raven (rotors, rear shock, head set). Make sure to check the frame for cracks especially near the seat post and head set. If you do it right you can have a nice xc bike for under 2 grand.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
kevin
a Racer
from westerville Date Reviewed: June 2, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Vultures Knob
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$3000.00
Purchased At:
bike source
Strengths:
this is one of the best bike ever made! it is the toughest bike ever and takes all my xc racing and downhill abuse it sings it is the smoothest bike ever!
Weaknesses:
people who are haters write bad reviews about it saying it has no strengths....bull sh** this bike rocks any screw those people who wrote bad reviews!
buy this bike if u have the means....if you can't at least stare at it and wish you had one! lol ,,,just kidding
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom Carter
a Cross Country Rider
from Tucson, AZ, USA Date Reviewed: February 12, 2001
Favorite Trail:
50 year trail
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
swap meet
Strengths:
I bought the frame and rear shock at a swap meet for $700. I had read it was the best frame for riders over 200 lbs. I completely agree. VERY rigid, excellent in every way. Climbing, downhill, turning, etc. I know what the frame will do when I ask. I purchased the Moto FR fork from ebay. (see weakness section)
Weaknesses:
The Moto FR fork is questionable at best. The design is sloppy, disk brake compatability depends on the year of the fork, and the play in the shock disgusts me.
Similar Products Used:
FSR, Kona, Jamis, Gary Fisher.
Bike Setup:
XTR, Race Face. (no less)
Bottom Line:
I love to ride this bike. Big climbs don't crush me like they used to on heavier, less stiffer bikes. Downhill, no problems. This bike (minus fork) is an amazing extention from my body to the ground and air.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rodney Person
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond, VA Date Reviewed: August 21, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Poor Farm Park
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$3100.00
Strengths:
Very plush bike, extremely fast on downhills. Climbs well for full travel freeride bike.
Weaknesses:
This bike is sometimes too fast on downhills. Very eager to to run anything or anybody over.
Bike Setup:
xtr, xt , and coda
Bottom Line:
Fast and durable. This bike can take tons of abuse and downhill torture.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ted
a Downhiller
from Lewisville, TX Date Reviewed: September 12, 1999
Favorite Trail:
LB Houston
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Hey, its a Cannondale
Weaknesses:
Hey, its a Cannondale
Similar Products Used:
Hey how bout a Cannondale
Bike Setup:
Full compliment of shimano Alivio componentry. Mavic helium tubular wheelset, with a Mountian Cycle San Andreas rear swing arm
Bottom Line:
I got this from Cannondale as a proto-type which is why I said I have had it for two years. The component group just could not handle my extreme riding style at LB Houston, so I had to upgrade to Shimano's killer Alivio build kit. Nothin but the best for my Cannon. I don't know about the lefty fork so I think I am going to upgrade to the Rock Shocks Jett. The lefty fork just didn't have the travel that I need to get me through some of the gnarlier sections of LB. When I upgraded the rear brakes to Tektro V's the Cannon's unusually weak construction couldn't withstand the force of my new linear pulls, which is why I swapped the rear end for the Mountian Cycle swing arm. All in all it is ok I guess, but Cannon needs to work on frame rigidity... Although my extremely unusual animal like riding style tends to torque a lot of frames. FYI fellow Texans, for some truly killer downhills try Osaka Tan.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Evan
a Downhiller
from Spokane, WA Date Reviewed: May 21, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Down River
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
No Strengths At All, It completely is bad and does not meet any of my needs!
Weaknesses:
Weak Rims, Bent the front on my first ride!
Similar Products Used:
i've tried every bike out on the market a
Bike Setup:
Total modified package!
Bottom Line:
This bike is a $2500 paper weight! My little sister could design and build a better product!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Curtis
a weekend warrior
from Atlanta, Georgia Date Reviewed: March 1, 1999
Bottom Line:
I just got back from my first trip to Tsali and what better way to do it but on your birthday, on your brand new Raven Freeride that had only been ridden around in circles in the shop and in the parking lot? I ordered my Raven Freeride the day that I accepted a job offer for after I graduate Ga Tech and working at a shop, well, lets just say the discount brought that bike into my realm of reality. The bike is light. A thirty pound freeride bike is sweet. Fortunately, the first day of riding at Tsali was rainy and I got to appreciate the near weatherproof performance of the CODA disk brakes. We were a bit concerned about disk brakes in general at the shop since none of us had any, but I'm a convert. The stopping power didn't match XTR, but the wet weather performance is such a plus. I guess the coolest thing about this bike is that it has the super V's legendary lateral stiffness. This isn't usually found in bikes with more than one pivot point and the cannondale's pivot is about a bearing which makes it even tighter. This helped out in the climbs. It climbs well..and I guess if I wasn't such a lard-ass, it would climb even better. And the downhills? Well..lets just say that you can check your mad skills at the door. You don't need 'em. Well, I guess you need some, but the 100mm travel on the front and the 120mm on the rear is very forgiving. I bought this bike for one reason. FUN. And fun it is. I don't race, don't want to race, I just like to take a bike out in the woods and have a good time. I give the Cannondale Caddilac 5 chilis.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
bob
a cross-country rider
from NE Pennsylvania Date Reviewed: February 1, 1999
Bottom Line:
I got this bike for $3000 because the dealer couldnt rid himself of it. The unique design and carbon-fiber frame make it lighter than it looks. The XTR rear derailer is sweet, and the CODA hydrolic disc brakes have awsome stopping power. A fox vanilla rear shock keeps my ass from hurting, and the front has the headshok freeride fork, with 100mm of travel. it has 6 on-the-fly damper settings, and i even like it's yellow and black paint job. only complaint- it is a little sluggish cornering and carving sharp turns. it is not for mach-5 glade runs... I still use my cannondale hardtail for XC races, but i love to play on this bike.ideal buyer- Northeast rider who likes to blitz down fairly straight DH singletrack.its one sweet looking bike. see http://www.cannondale.com/html/bikes/svrfr2000_99.htmlI give it a 4 because of its turning abilities. (or lack thereof)
Overall Rating:
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