I still do everyday... well, mine as been converted as a single speed commuting missile so I guess it doesn't count.
It's not a Cannondale thing, the whole industry is pushing people to buy FS bikes. Why? It can be better for some people but mainly, they want more money. Marketing people now have terms like All-Mountain... In my book, All-Mountain is just what I have always been doing: climbing, downhilling, singletracking: mountain biking! On some trails, a hardtail with a short travel fork is still better than any FS bikes out there. FS bikes get you more confort, more speed and leaves your body fresher for longer when it's getting rough but it adds weight, cost obviously and care. Whether it's a good thing for depends on many things. Where do you ride? How do you ride? For how long do you ride? Do you race? You see my point...
Buisness wise, Cannondale recovered from the motocross fiasco very well. Buisness is great for them now and always was as far as bikes were concerned so the company will be there for a long while. They got more corporate though. It's not run by a passionate family anymore but by people who run a big buisness and want money. That doesn't mean that bikes change, they still think that the way to make money is to make excellent bikes and continue being a leader in the industry.
The CAAD5 became the Optimo. It's a tad lighter than your frame but not by much, your frame is still a top end racing machine that can climb like Spiderman and accelerate like a Ducati Desmosedici RR! As for the Headshok, there are still some on certain models but like everything, they improved a bit, mostly the internals. I think that, like a Cannondale hardtail, the Headshok is the best fork you can get for smoother trails and racing. If you ride rougher trails though, check out the new offerings, they are all wonderful bikes, they just all have each their own purposes.
It's not a Cannondale thing, the whole industry is pushing people to buy FS bikes. Why? It can be better for some people but mainly, they want more money. Marketing people now have terms like All-Mountain... In my book, All-Mountain is just what I have always been doing: climbing, downhilling, singletracking: mountain biking! On some trails, a hardtail with a short travel fork is still better than any FS bikes out there. FS bikes get you more confort, more speed and leaves your body fresher for longer when it's getting rough but it adds weight, cost obviously and care. Whether it's a good thing for depends on many things. Where do you ride? How do you ride? For how long do you ride? Do you race? You see my point...
Buisness wise, Cannondale recovered from the motocross fiasco very well. Buisness is great for them now and always was as far as bikes were concerned so the company will be there for a long while. They got more corporate though. It's not run by a passionate family anymore but by people who run a big buisness and want money. That doesn't mean that bikes change, they still think that the way to make money is to make excellent bikes and continue being a leader in the industry.
The CAAD5 became the Optimo. It's a tad lighter than your frame but not by much, your frame is still a top end racing machine that can climb like Spiderman and accelerate like a Ducati Desmosedici RR! As for the Headshok, there are still some on certain models but like everything, they improved a bit, mostly the internals. I think that, like a Cannondale hardtail, the Headshok is the best fork you can get for smoother trails and racing. If you ride rougher trails though, check out the new offerings, they are all wonderful bikes, they just all have each their own purposes.
