Prophet 600
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Joined
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166 Posts
great bike. i have an 05 600 in the blue. it was the mountain bike magizines bike of the year last year. the strengths are the value, the lefty, and its a cannondale. i would still recomend the bike, but i have ahd my problems with it. i bent the front wheel after 150 miles just doing a wheelie. i had to buy new rims and have my lbs build new wheels. i think the mavic xm117 wheels were a little cheap to be put on that bike. another problem was the bike wouldnt shift right. cannondale got me a new front derailer and crankset for free, although i ddint have the bike for a month this summer. hopefully they fix all the problems this year and you wont have these problems
i have had my 600 for about six months now,and couldnt be happier.i ride very agressively and it has held up great.no problems so far.thinking of switching the radium shock for a fox shock later on.the radium is fine,i just prefer a little more adjustability.hope this helps with your decision.
Joined
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702 Posts
You will be happy w/ one. I have had my 800 for about a year and have not had the complaints that others have on this board.(yet) I am probably not the smoothest rider but still have yet to replace anything and I've got a few miles on. Only additions are a short stem, bash-guard, and new rubber.
My Prophet 600 experience
I am new to mountain biking (but been seriously into bikes for a few years) and got an '06 Prophet 600 last month. I test rode several bikes (including the new Rush) but it's impossible to really get to know a bike in a 20 minute test ride on pavement. I went with the Prophet 600 because:
- I don't race or ride with other fast riders and don't really notice/care a few pounds difference on the bike (compared to the Rush which is almost 2 pounds lighter). Weight/performance is less important to me than something that is solid and can cover mistakes as I learn.
- I don't mind taking a bit more time climbing if it means a more stable/fast descent.
- Has higher BB height so as a newbie I'm less inclined to bash the pedals or big ring on
rocks.
- Excellent components for the price (I definitely like the Avid BB7 mechanical brakes since they are easier to service myself). Love the SRAM shifters. The only things I swapped were the pedals (to Shimano M646s) and seat (to a Brooks B-17, the only seat I will ever use). I also added bar ends, but now I'm not sure I really needed those for this bike.
- More upright position (compared to the Rush which put me in more of a "racer" position).
- I love the matte black/BBQ color this year!
After a half dozen rides on various trails in Marin County, CA I've found:
- Climbs well as long as I stay seated (pro pedal on the Fox Float R seems to work well - I can see it move but only a small amount). I'm a stand-up-and-pedal person on road bikes, so this takes a bit of an adjustment. Every time I stand up during a climb the front bobing drives me nuts, so I just stay seated.
- There seem to be a fair number of creaks/pops (from the headset?) but I haven't figured out where exactly yet. I've made sure all bolts are tight, so I'm not sure about that yet but it doesn't bother me.
- Descents are awesome! **Most important lesson learned so far** - lay off the brakes and let the bike fly over rough stuff. My only scarry moments came when I applied the brakes. Don't be afraid of speed (within reason)
- Tight switchbacks are tough, but this is probably something I have to learn and maybe not the bike's fault. I also bashed the hell out of my shin when I slipped uphill on some switchbacks so I will be investing in some new '06 661 4x4s (and probably 2x4s for the arms as well!).
- I'm not using near the 5.5" of full travel at this point. Seems like overkill for most trails, but I do plan on trying some small jumps as I gain confidence and it might be more useful then. In any case, it is very plush for sure.
- The high BB means you sit up high. Takes some getting used to after road bikes, but after a few rides it's starting to feel more comfortable.
- I have only been riding in the XC setting. At some point I'll try the FR just to see what it's like.
So overall I am quite pleased, but I have nothing to compare it to except when I took my hybrid commuter off-road once and that was not fun. In any case, as you can see from various reviews on the net and this forum in general the Prophets are pretty highly regarded so I think you can't go wrong, especially for the price.
I am new to mountain biking (but been seriously into bikes for a few years) and got an '06 Prophet 600 last month. I test rode several bikes (including the new Rush) but it's impossible to really get to know a bike in a 20 minute test ride on pavement. I went with the Prophet 600 because:
- I don't race or ride with other fast riders and don't really notice/care a few pounds difference on the bike (compared to the Rush which is almost 2 pounds lighter). Weight/performance is less important to me than something that is solid and can cover mistakes as I learn.
- I don't mind taking a bit more time climbing if it means a more stable/fast descent.
- Has higher BB height so as a newbie I'm less inclined to bash the pedals or big ring on
rocks.
- Excellent components for the price (I definitely like the Avid BB7 mechanical brakes since they are easier to service myself). Love the SRAM shifters. The only things I swapped were the pedals (to Shimano M646s) and seat (to a Brooks B-17, the only seat I will ever use). I also added bar ends, but now I'm not sure I really needed those for this bike.
- More upright position (compared to the Rush which put me in more of a "racer" position).
- I love the matte black/BBQ color this year!
After a half dozen rides on various trails in Marin County, CA I've found:
- Climbs well as long as I stay seated (pro pedal on the Fox Float R seems to work well - I can see it move but only a small amount). I'm a stand-up-and-pedal person on road bikes, so this takes a bit of an adjustment. Every time I stand up during a climb the front bobing drives me nuts, so I just stay seated.
- There seem to be a fair number of creaks/pops (from the headset?) but I haven't figured out where exactly yet. I've made sure all bolts are tight, so I'm not sure about that yet but it doesn't bother me.
- Descents are awesome! **Most important lesson learned so far** - lay off the brakes and let the bike fly over rough stuff. My only scarry moments came when I applied the brakes. Don't be afraid of speed (within reason)
- Tight switchbacks are tough, but this is probably something I have to learn and maybe not the bike's fault. I also bashed the hell out of my shin when I slipped uphill on some switchbacks so I will be investing in some new '06 661 4x4s (and probably 2x4s for the arms as well!).
- I'm not using near the 5.5" of full travel at this point. Seems like overkill for most trails, but I do plan on trying some small jumps as I gain confidence and it might be more useful then. In any case, it is very plush for sure.
- The high BB means you sit up high. Takes some getting used to after road bikes, but after a few rides it's starting to feel more comfortable.
- I have only been riding in the XC setting. At some point I'll try the FR just to see what it's like.
So overall I am quite pleased, but I have nothing to compare it to except when I took my hybrid commuter off-road once and that was not fun. In any case, as you can see from various reviews on the net and this forum in general the Prophets are pretty highly regarded so I think you can't go wrong, especially for the price.
Joined
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730 Posts
My Red Proophet 600
I've been riding my 05 prophet 600 for almost full year-its been a great bike. I put some cross max sl's and a thompson post some mallet pedals otherwise stock, have had no problems. The bike makes me a better rider than my skills warrant. I believe you would realy enjoy the purchase. Good luck.
I've been riding my 05 prophet 600 for almost full year-its been a great bike. I put some cross max sl's and a thompson post some mallet pedals otherwise stock, have had no problems. The bike makes me a better rider than my skills warrant. I believe you would realy enjoy the purchase. Good luck.
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