[ap10046]

Hi all,
Have been lurking around for a few days and this is my first post, so Happy new Year to you all!
I am going to be picking up my new Cannondale in a day or two and am confused between the Trail SL F5 or the F4. There is a fair difference in the price, but except for the Cannondale site, I couldn't really find any information/reviews on either of them.

If any of you have either, please would you share your experiences/observations?

Thank you and happy riding.

 

[F5SKULL]

Here's my 2 cents(I havent been riding for 10 years)...I have been doing the same research as you have for the past few weeks on the 2 bikes... I ended up ordering the F5, one reason is the BBQ color(flat black) . The few main things I noticed were that the F4 had a different front fork a little bit better brake system and most of the components were slightly upgraded.The frames appear to be the same? As for the price it was a no brainer also due to the fact that if you happen to brake something on the F5 you can upgrade for not much $ to a better component than is what is on the F4.I got mine just under $700 and am going to make a few minor upgrades with the leftover money(carbon seatpost,magnesium pedals)... Depending on your riding style ofcourse, I would spend less upfront and upgrade down the line.

I will post pics when it comes in.

Hope this helps a little...

F5SKULL

 

[jdr01930]

"The frames appear to be the same?"
Yep - if they are both 2010 bikes, it's the same frame.

 

[ap10046]

Hi
Thank you for your replies. Are you going to be using the bike exclusively for the track? I will be using it for commuting as well, so would I need road tires?

 

[F5SKULL]

no "tracks" just some trails and probably more street biking than dirt till i get my butt in shape. As for road tires maybe someone with more knowledge will chime in, im a rookie.

SKULL

 

[ap10046]

Hi Skull,
I "bit the bullet" and went with the F5. They didnt have the white F4 and the grey one was all glossy....?? and quite a bit more expensive.
Should be delivered sometime this evening.
This is the one I got...is yours the same?
http://www3.cannondale.com/bikes/10/cusa/model-0FS5.html

 

[F5SKULL]

Yes that is exactly the same bike I have on order...ordered it the week of christmas and its supposed to take a few weeks since I live on the left coast. Good luck with it and let me know how you like it and post some pics as well.

Skull

 

[ap10046]

Here ya go..



1. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE Saddle..i'm in pain!!
2. Shifters, according to me, are strictly ok-ok.
3. Front Derailleur is c#*p!
4. The front fork is really nice and the preload is really easy to change on the "fly"
5. Looks Fab!! (Nasty cheesy silver foil Made in Taiwan sticker on the bottom HAS to go)
6. I got a Serfas combination coil lock with it..it's so big, I don't know where it would fit?

 

[F5SKULL]

What seat did you get?

My buddy runs a LBS and we were talking about what to possibly upgrade right out of the box...At first he said he wouldnt change a thing. After doing some research myself I called him to talk about a few other things and we both came to the conclusion that the front and rear Derailleurs were "OK" but he said he would upgrade them to either Shimano SLX or XT for "smoother shifting". Not sure what im gonna upgrade to yet. Im also going to go with a Easton EC70 carbon seatpost to help reduce vibration and Carbon WB holder because I can!

SKULL

 

[ap10046]

Well i've ridden it for 3 days now and I can say from my observations.. the rear derailleur is quite accurate and hasn't missed a shift. The front on the other hand is always stalling or shifting awkwardly.
CHANGE THE SEAT!!! LOL! I have the stock Cannondale one on and I am sitting on an ice pack as I type this..

 

[F5SKULL]

Lol.

 

[Dan Gerous]

Something to note about saddles. If you are new to bikes, to ride longer or if you took weeks/months off of bikes, almost all saddles can be a pain. In many cases, it will get better as you get used to it, as your body adapts and gain strength in the area... but some saddle-butt combos just don't play well with each other. Also, lots of padding can be good right away but not so great in the long run while less padding but a good saddle shape can be harder at first but great after a while.

What I'm saying is that if you are new to riding or just now riding much more than you used to, give it some time before rushing to get a new saddle, if it doesn't get better after a few weeks (3 days is not a lot), then change the saddle... and the long quest for the perfect saddle will start!

 

[Obi-Juan]

I’m thinking of buying an F5 to replace my stolen F5... :madmax: I loved my bike and had already upgraded lots of parts, mostly from replacing broken ones. I had SLX brakes, derailleur and crankset, and also a Reba Team with U-turn.
But life goes on and I´m not gonna be bitter, I will ride harder and faster than before… once I buy myself a bike. I had a dual assault frame so I would like to know how it compares to the new F5 frame. I would also appreciate a list of the specs cause the cannondale web doesn´t let me see this info, and I´d like to see how does the stock set-up comes nowadays. Thanks in advance guys. :thumbsup:

 

[F5SKULL]

AP10046... give us an update. How is the bike? any new feedback positive or negative???

Im still waiting for mine...

 

[dman624]

I bought a new trail sl f5 just a couple weeks ago and love it. I went with the f5 because I wanted to put my own parts on to upgrade it rather than paying more for the slightly upgraded model. Deffinately going to switch out cassette with an XT, the one on the bike is a brick. Also wanting to slap on XT crank, shifters and derailers along with some hydro brakes and I will be set for a long time. Stock wise it's still a nice bike, I am enjoying it quite a bit