Submitted by
Julio
a Weekend Warrior
from Miami, Florida, USA Date Reviewed: April 4, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Oleta
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Outstanding Hardtail!!! Turns on a dine with change to spare. I have owned mine for just under three months and all I can say is OUTSTANDING. I am very happy with my purchase.
Weaknesses:
none yet!!!
Similar Products Used:
Specialized, Gary Fisher
Bike Setup:
1999 Killer V-700 LX/XT, Fatty D, Avid 1.9 levers, Coda Crank, Mavic rims. I upgraded the seat post to a Thomson Elite. I also upgraded the saddle to a Koobi.
Bottom Line:
Incredible bike for the money. you can't go wrong. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE OWNING A CANNONDALE!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ryan
a cross-country rider
from LA Date Reviewed: January 3, 1999
Bottom Line:
Addendum to the addendumJeff, you're lucky to have a great bike! However, if you look at the technical specs on the Cannondale website, you'll see Cannondale shows the Fatty D and P Bone D both weigh in at 3.4 lbs.If the wall thickness of both forks were the same, the tapered fork WILL be lighter. How much lighter? Probably not a lot considering the weight of aluminum. So why go to the trouble of making a tapered fork vs. a constant cross section fork? I have a M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering and I'm not exactly sure why C'dale did it that way.If we assume the wall thicknesses are the same, the constant cross section fork WILL resist bending MORE because it has a bigger SECTION modulus (e.g. C'dale frames have big tubes to compensate for the lower ELASTIC modulus and ultimate tensile strength when compared to steel or Ti). The overall SECTION modulus of the tapered fork IS smaller, hence, it will deflect more for a given load (again, assuming the wall thicknesses are the same). It's possible the C'dale engineers beefed up the tapered fork by adding more aluminum to make it more bending resistant. What is more probable is that the tapered fork looks cooler and that the differences in bending resistance can't be sensed by anything human under actual use. Are there any C'dale engineers out there who can shed some light on this issue? If the cost of the Fatty D fork wasn't so high, I would want it for myself as well, primarily for the ability to increase the travel with an upgrade.Five flamers so as not to skew the ratings in a negative way.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff
a cross-country rider
from GA Date Reviewed: December 26, 1998
Bottom Line:
I've had the 1999 KillerV 700 for a week now, and all I can say is WOW!! Just absolutely love the stiffness--better pedaling energy transfer, the handling is spot-on, the front fork and suspension with its lockout is quite useful and adjustable from the saddle while hammering, not to mention its upgradeability, great component mix, not exactly unobtanium parts, but LX/XT ders., LX shifters (trashed in favor of Sachs Extreme), Avid Speed Dial 1.9 brake levers, clipless pedals, Mavic rims around STX-RC hubs (again, removed to make room for some Nuke Proof hubs in Sun rims), 9 spd. drivetrain---what more could be asked for? Besides, the frame isn't a me-too design----the low stand-over height is most reassuring when contemplating a rapid dismount without making one join the soprano section. Add to it the handmade Cannondale frame and it's a winner. Oh, just one addendum to the above comment, the Fatty D fork IS lighter than the P-Bone D fork---the fork legs are tapered, unlike the P-Bone's straight tubing design, hence a drop in weight, and include the bonus of disc brake mounts. Now if they would just put a better bottom bracket and brakeset on it---oh, well, suppose cannot have everything at this price. Say hello RaceFace bb and Avid 2.0's!!!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ryan
a
from LA Date Reviewed: December 14, 1998
Bottom Line:
Let me be the first to put in my two cents. I don't have the 1999 model, but my understanding is the frame is still the CAAD2. My bike is the 1997 model. I really like the frame because it is very stiff and light. I also like the low top tube. I've had a good number of panic dismounts and landed on my feet thanks to the frame geometry. I also like the precise steering precision and the ability to lock out the fork during sprints and climbs. It's also great for eliminating bio-pacing during road work outs.The major difference between the two models is components. The 1999 model has a better mix and it also has the Fatty D fork. The Fatty D has about the same weight and performance as the P Bone D fork, but the Fatty D can be upgraded to 70 mm (2.76 in) of travel vs 60 mm (2.36 in). The Coda 200 cranks on my bike were pretty crummy so I upgraded to the five arm LX. Big difference! I wonder if the Coda cranks are as good. The frame may seem harsh to most. I recommend getting a more comfortable seat or suspension seatpost.Although about $250 more in retail price when compared to the 1997 model, it looks like you get a lot more in value. For example, the 1997 bike did not have the Fatty D fork, clipless pedals, Rapid Fire shifters, or new 9 speed drive train. components. The cost to upgrade my P Bone M cartridge to a P Bone D was $140 alone (including labor)! My small KV700 weighs 24.7 lbs. I imagine that's about what the 1999 model weighs.If I had to do it over again, I'd definitely chose the 1999 KV700. However, my bike is still going strong so I don't know when that will ever happen.
Overall Rating:
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