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.

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 !!!

The bike is an awesome ride. Buy one and see for yourself. This is the only bike I will ever own.

None at this point.

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.

Similar Products Used:

I've tried other FS bikes and this one came out on top by far.

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!

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!!!

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.

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!!

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!

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.

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.