Intro
I have been riding and enjoying the Cannondale Rize 1 for several months now, and I have gained intimate knowledge and experience from long term testing. The Rize is a new model replacing the Prophet series. But any comparisons to that previous model shouldn't be made, as the Rize stands head and shoulders above it (and most other trail bikes). When writing about about how well a bike performs, it's often best to define what the bike is built for, in the first place. The term trail bike itself is not readily defined. But as a light weight (it weighed 24.7 lbs on the official Mtbr office scale, without pedals) 130mm travel mountain bike, the Rize strikes an almost perfect balance between XC racer and All Mountain bomber.
Its light weight and efficient climbing means that you could race XC with it. Its 130mm of travel (front and rear) mean that you can still bomb most of the rockgardens and jumps that you can on a 150mm travel bike. And the Rize will handle any length of all day epic ride that you can throw at it. More details about just how it rides at the end of this article.
First Impressions
The first thing I noticed about this bike is that the finish on it is beautiful. The white finish with black and red highlights give it an elegant but racey look. And of course, the Lefty Max gets looks anywhere you go (if you are in to that sort of thing.) Even after the half dozen demo days and my rides on it, the bike still looks fresh.
The build kit is also quite solid, with CrossMax wheels, XT/XTR drivetrain, XTR brakes, RP23 rear shock, FSA carbon bars.....But it is the Hollowgram SL cranks and Left Max Carbon fork that stand out (full specs below).
The Hollowgram SL cranks are rumored to be the lightest cranks out, right now. I have not personally verified that, but even with the lightness, they are super stiff and efficient and they hold up to trail abuse.
I have to admit that this is my first time riding a Lefty, any Lefty, and this fork has a super plush feel and ride. At first I was concerned that the fork might be too plush, since it exhibited a lot of brake dive while tooling around the office. However, out on the trail, this was not a problem. The fork operates as smooth as the best of any conventional (two-legged) fork, but is much lighter. While riding, you forget that the fork is single sided, as the stiffness and tractability of it is spot on. The brake dive was not a problem on the trail and I never once went OTB (or felt like I was going to go OTB.) And the PBR feature (stands for Push Button Rebound....what else?) is very easy to use for locking out the fork.
From the Manufacturer:
"Looking for a premium play bike that eats other all-mountain rigs for breakfast? The Rize brings all-new metalforming technologies to the bike industry, creating a lighter, stiffer and plusher platform to enjoy the backcountry. Traditional Cannondale innovations, including Si-equipped head tubes and bottom bracket shells, make the Rize a dreamy ride. "
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS:
- BACKBONE
Stiffer, lighter and stronger: Cannondale introduced to the bicycle industry new metalforming technology on the Rize. The Backbone combines the BB30 shell, lower pivot, and double-butted seat tube into a 3D forged part.
- COMBINATION OF MATERIALS
Cannondale's designers choose materials to achieve a highly tuned ride. Example: The parts of the frame that receive compressive loads use aluminum. But where light weight and lateral stiffness count, carbon fiber is called to duty.
- SYSTEM INTEGRATION
Si has long been used on Cannondale's bicycles, and the Rize is yet another example. Making machined headset cups integral to the frame eliminates unneeded parts; combining the stem and steerer also reduces the flex inherent in joining two separate pieces. The net result is a bike that weighs less, steers better, and allows cyclists to out-accelerate their riding partners.
Cannondale has a mini-site called The Lodge explaining all of the new features of the Rize (and Moto) here: https://www.cannondale.com/thelodge/
Next: Specs and Geometry>> | How Does the Rize Ride?>>
Specs and Geometry
- Frame: Rize Carbon BB30, 130 mm
- Fork: Lefty Max Carbon w/PBR, 130 mm (integrated air)
- Rear Shock: FOX Float RP23
- Rims: Mavic Crossmax ST UST</a>
- Hubs: Mavic Crossmax ST UST</a>
- Spokes: Mavic Crossmax ST UST</a>
- Tires: Maxxis Rendez, 26 x 2.1" UST
- Pedals: Crank Brothers Smarty
- Crank: Cannondale Hollowgram BB30 SL, 22/32/44
- Chain: Shimano 9-speed
- Rear Cogs: Shimano XT, 11-34
- Bottom Bracket: Cannondale Hollowgram BB30, Ceramic
- Front Derailleur: Shimano XT
- Rear Derailleur: Shimano XTR
- Shifters: Shimano XT
- Handlebars: FSA Carbon K-Force, 25 mm rise
- Stem: Cannondale XC3 Si, 31.8 mm
- Headset: Cannondale HeadShok Si
- Brakeset: Shimano XTR, 160/160 mm
- Brake Levers: Shimano XTR
- Saddle: Fi'zi:k Gobi XM w/Kium rails
- Seatpost: Thomson Elite
- Sizes: S, M, L, X
- Extras: Cannondale Morse Grip
- Weight: 24.4 lbs. (no pedals)
Rize Geometry Table:
Full Specs and Geometry available here: https://www.cannondale.com/bikes/09/cusa/model-9VT1.html
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How Does The Cannondale Rize 1 Ride?
So what have I learned in my many months of riding and enjoying this trail bike? Is the Cannondale Rize 1 a beefed up XC bike or a lightened up AM bike? Aggessive XC or AM lite? A bit of both, really.
For 130mm of travel, the Rize is very capable on both uphills and downhills. It is an efficient pedaler and the sub 25 pound weight really helps here too. The Lefty is one of the best riding forks I've ever ridden. But if you are a strong/aggressive downhiller and your idea of All Mountain fun borders on "light Freeride", you might find yourself wishing for a bit more plushness from the rear. I did not experience much brake jack (stiffening of the rear suspension when braking) which is a pleasant surprise given the single pivot design. One thing I did notice was that the rear brake actually causes more brake dive in the fork, than the front brake does; which actually helped with control of the bike under hard braking (instead of pitching the rider's weight forward and up, the braking action caused the bike to squat down, providing more stability).
Strong Points
The Lefty Max Carbon Fork: The fork is by far the star of this bike. It is light (2.7 lbs) and is SUPER plush. It soaks up everything yet tracks true, single sided design or not. It is the kind of fork that gives the rider extra confidence, and pulls your can out of trouble, when you overcook things a bit. The PBR and lockout feature worked flawlessly. The rebound was easy to adjust and the lockout was easy to engage and disengage. I never found myself wanting a blowoff circuit (like other reviews have stated) and I used the lockout on extended climbs. So, whether it be climbing or descending, the fork was simply awesome. Perhaps too awesome.
The frame is super stiff and beefy, which is suprising for a bike as light as this, with this much travel. The Backbone design provided plenty of lateral rigidity and there was never a sign of any slop from the rear suspension.
The Rize is an efficient pedaler but like most bikes with similar rear suspension designs, climbing in the small ring works best seated. For any extended climbs I always used the lockout on the rear Fox shock (that's what it's there for, right?)
Weak Points
The Lefty Max Carbon Fork: What? How can the same part be both the strength and the weakness of the bike? Let me explain.
The Lefty is so plush and buttery smooth (cliches both, I know) that the simple design of the rear suspension didn't quite measure up. This isn't to say that the ride is unbalanced, persay. I set sag on the rear shock to approximately 15mm and the fork to match. For the RP23, I started with 65-70% of my weight (between 101 and 108 psi) and worked my way down from there. However, I was never able to get the same buttery smoothness that I enjoyed from the Lefty.
The other weakness I found was not with the bike, but with the spec. For such a capable all-arounder, the Rize really should come with more aggressive rubber. The Maxxis Rendez UST tires were not very grippy when upright, but if you leaned the bike in to the corners, and used the side knobs more, the performance of the tires (both grip and braking ability) improved.
Final Thoughts On The Cannondale Rize 1
Overall, the Cannondale strikes an almost perfect balance providing light weight with a more than decent amount of usable, real travel. As previously stated, on the descents you won't be limited to where you ride, just how fast you ride through those sections.
So, back to what I stated at the beginning, defining the intended use of the bike is key in measuring how well it performs. The Rize can be used for the occasional XC race, but this won't be its primary purpose. It can handle rock gardens and gnarly trails normally reserved for bikes in the 150mm range, and perhaps the occasional jump or medium size air, but this won't be its primary purpose. Its primary purpose will be: providing its owner with a fun, all around, light weight, quick handling trail bike that is as fun to ride up as it is to ride down, for as long as you want.
At $5500 for the top of the line model, it isn't cheap, but compared to what some of the other major manufacturers are charging for their high end, carbon fiber full suspension bikes; the Cannondale is actually less expensive than many of those. And don't forget, like it says right on the seatstay, the Rize 1 IS Handmade in the USA.
I give them 4.5 flamin' chili peppers overall:
And 4 flamin' chili peppers for value:
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