2015 Cannondale Trigger 27.5 or 29’er

Now, to be fair, my Cannondale Trigger 29’er Alloy 3 is no longer a stock spec bike – It’s a Bad ass spec bike. I have kept that in mind as I give my thoughts on both of these sweet rides.

Original Specs of bikes involved:

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My Current Bike setup:

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Coming off my last review of the Cannondale Scalpel Carbon 29'er 1.... and how much I LOVED that bike... you might think I throw that word around with bikes a lot.. well, I own a bicycle shop, I LOVE bikes! As far as personal bikes go, the Scalpel was a sweet ride. I sold it because we needed money for a trip we are no longer going on. As well as the trip, I was going to downgrade and purchase a Trigger 29'er Alloy 3 with the money. 

As I mentioned in the last review, the Scalpel is FAST and is way more capable than what I am able to put it through at those speeds.. It's now on the race scene winning loads of trophies.. At least it should be.. if not.. buddy, it's not the bike. I had bought the Scalpel to do long distance/time races - 30 mile+ 4/6/12+ hour races. Being in the shop all the time I'm not able to train for those types of events - You don't get into the bike industry, at least not the retail side, and expect to ride MORE. Anyway.. coming off of the Scalpel I wanted something different, something that had a split personality. I loved the speed of the Scalpel and it's climbing prowess. The downhills were a little sketchy sometimes due to it's Cross Country nature. Don't get me wrong though, it handles and handles well in any condition, I was looking for something bigger.. something with more fun factor.

Enter - 2015 Cannondale Trigger 29'er Alloy 3

I looked at both the Trigger 29'er and 27.5. My main reason at the time for getting the 29'er was I could get the Lefty SuperMax after market on the 29'er and the Alloy 3 was stock with SRAM components. You could only get the Lefty stock on the Carbon 27.5 Trigger, I didn't want to spend the money on the Carbon, plus it was all Shimano stuff, I would have had to spend more money swapping it all out to SRAM.

When I bought this bike I ordered a Lefty Supermax 130mm fork also with the Supermax Hub. UNFORTUNATELY.... The Magura MT4 brakes that came equipped didn't FIT on the Supermax fork using the Supermax hub with given brake adapter. Two adapters are available. The Lefty Supermax uses the same bearing interface as the normal Lefty so a normal Lefty hub will fit also. You will just need the brake adapter that moves the brake in towards the center of the bike more, which the Magura brake DOES fit on... I wasn't having it. I got this fork to use it as intended with the Supermax hub, which is wider than normal lefty so it is much stronger wheel overall. I rode the bike fully stock at first so I could figure out the brake thing before I did something stupid. So I got to ride it with the stock Fox Float 36 CTD fork. Nice fork... It's no Lefty.

The bike did not disappoint. It really is a mix of the Scalpel and Jekyll all rolled into one. How do they do it? The Cannondale DYAD Shock - Here is Cannondale's Marketing jargon.

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Developed in collaboration with Cannondale, the dual-travel, dual-personality FOX DYAD RT2 is actually     two completely different shocks housed in one package: Elevate – a shorter travel, smaller volume air shock for rolling and climbing terrain, and Flow – a longer travel, high volume linear air shock for aggressive descending.

Elevate your soul and let it Flow.

Activated by a handlebar-mounted lever, each mode has its own dedicated damping circuits, fully optimized for the intended terrain. Rather than try to make one shock handle everything, we were free to create separate suspension responses for different needs – active and super efficient for the flats and climbs, ultra plush and bottomless for the descents.

Switching between the Elevate and Flow modes also changes the bike's sag point and geometry, a feature we call Attitude Adjust Geometry. In Elevate mode, the bike rides higher, resulting in steeper head and seat angles and keeping the rider in a better position for climbing and tight technical terrain. In Flow mode, the BB drops, lowering the center of gravity and making the angles slack and stable, perfect for charging descents.

With the DYAD RT2, it fundamentally is like having two different bikes available to you at the flick of a switch.

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Your read that right.. Attitude adjustment. The Bikes with the DYAD and their Travel modes are (does not change fork travel or damping and is NOT A LOCKOUT):

Trigger 29'er -  Flow: 130mm   Elevate: 80mm - FAST, Excellent Climber, Super Efficient (Climbs on the steep stuff easier than 27.5 - steep being 13%+ grade), Solid descender at speed

Trigger 27.5 - Flow: 140mm  Elevate: 85mm - Nimble, Solid Climber (not as good as 29'er - Not as good at climbing steep stuff (steep being 13% grade+), slightly more confident descending.   Best All around of the bunch.

Jekyll 27.5 - Flow: 160mm   Elevate: 95mm - Fastest and most confident downhill, climbs well for the category (Enduro) - FAST on the Enduro course.

What does that mean? It means there are 3 different bikes out there that also act as 2 different bikes with on the fly travel adjust. 2..bikes..in...1. No more need to buy a dedicated full suspension 'All mountain' bike and a cross country bike. Just get, as Cannondale calls them, an Over Mountain bike. Flip the switch, stiffen the suspension (NOT a lockout), shorten the travel, raise the bottom bracket height, steepen the head angle - Climb up wherever you want to go. When it starts going down or flat, Flip it back to flow mode - Lengthens the travel, softens suspension, drops bottom bracket height, slackens the head angle - Haul ass down whatever you want. If you want a good example of a gifted rider taking the Enduro world by storm on his Cannondale Jekyll, Google Jerome Clementz.

Here is a short video of how it works

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Now as you saw in the video I have done a few...upgrades to my Trigger 29'er Alloy 3. I was completely ready to give a final verdict on my thoughts between the two bikes. However, my verdict would not be a fair one. I would have chosen the 29'er for myself personally hands down. I decided this on my last ride on the stock build of the Trigger 27.5 Alloy 3 when I was climbing one of the steepest climbs at Sansom.  I was all over the place, couldn't keep the front end down, sitting uncomfortably on the tip of the saddle in order to climb anything. With the 29'er you just keep the wheels turning at whatever speed and it just wants to go up.

A word about the stock spec of these bikes. Other than the wheel size they are essentially the exact same spec, and a great spec at that. My biggest gripe are the brakes. I never tried Magura brakes until now. I've ridden lots of Avid and Shimano brakes - Now on SRAM Guide RSC - you must try the new SRAM brakes by the way.. Anyway, the Magura MT4 brakes have Loads of modulation, but no real power. When you really needed it it just wasn't enough. Even with larger rotors. On the 27.5 the Magura brakes weren't as obviously under powered as they were on the 29'er. They make good brakes, but I like the power to the there too.

Now back to review

Lucky for all of you I sacrificed my bike in the name of science and a fair review. I have cannibalized everything off of my Trigger 29'er that I could and put onto the Trigger 27.5, I even re laced 4 wheels for you. Your welcome :). So this review is no longer unbiased and unfair, This review is the difference between the two platforms.  What was changed? Glad you asked:

Unlaced all 4 wheels.
installed my X.0 XD drive hub on the back and Supermax hub on the front.
Installed my carbon cranks with 1x chain ring and Enduro zero Ceramic Bottom Bracket bearings.
Installed my SRAM XX1 shifter, rear derailleur and chain.
Installed my SRAM Guide RSC brakes front and back.
Installed my Origin-8 Ergon knock off grips
Installed my KS LEV Dropper post w Specialized saddle (not a fan of their bikes, but I have to give it to them for the saddles)
Lefty SuperMax 29'er converted from 130-140mm travel (NOTE: Axle offset is 10mm longer than what 27.5 model comes with)
Installed my Cannondale C1 Carbon handlebar - later swapped back out to the Alloy C2 (noticed my carbon was flexy compared to the alloy)

Now the bike is an even match for what I am used to. I will tell you this much, after my first ride on my parts on the 27.5 Trigger... This review just got a lot harder to declare a clear winner... I'm not sure there is going to be one!

Initial thoughts between the two

27.5

27.5 - can stand up and sprint/pump more easily. It's definitely more flick-able. With the right riding style can conquer anything the 29'er can. Can't take the same lines as easily as 29'er - rocks close together where 29'er rolls over the gap, 27.5 can get caught without pulling up. Must keep momentum up climbing or the short stem makes the handling too twitchy in steep technical climbs causing you to have to dismount (not necessarily wheel size related, more geometry) . Used less brake descending. going faster and more confident? or just not carrying as much speed as the 29'er. Feels easier to jump over obstacles since the rocks tend to kick the front end up to get the air. Can be more aggressive with your ride and handling.  If your coming off of a 26" bike, this is the bike for you to feel similar. It's almost as fast as the 29'er but handles similar to the 26" its quicker in the tight twisty stuff, quicker to accelerate, doesn't climb as steep as easily as the 29'er... but I do feel less winded on this bike once I'm at the top... less wheel size/weight to keep rotating? The same gearing on the 29'er WILL be easier on the 27.5... need to pick up my speed more on the 29'er to allow the wheels to give me that benefit?

29'er

29'er - its a freight train. slightly slower to get started but keeps momentum up very well. Rolls over EVERYTHING, even small children. Climbing slower is a breeze as long as you keep the wheels spinning. Climbing faster is even better. Must have good brakes - going downhill this bike just gets faster and faster. Not as flickable as 27.5 but with the right body english it will do everything you want it to and then some. The same rock you may jump off of on the 27.5 may get lost in the tire size of the 29'er meaning it IS jumpable, but not as easily, timing it differently or utilizing larger rocks/roots for the take off. Since the 29'er does roll over everything a lot easier it is suited for newer or endurance type riders, but seasoned riders will still be at home on the 29'er trigger. 

27.5 Test ride with all of my components swapped

Cannondale's Rider profile for the 27.5 Trigger
The adventurer who wants to see what’s around the next corner and over the next mountain pass and to do so, wants a bike that climbs as well as it descends.

I'm not going to lie.... Cannondale said it and I will agree... this IS the best overall trail bike Cannondale has made in a LONG time. This bike was a blast to ride. I don't think I was faster, but I had a LOT of fun riding it. Two important things to note about this wheel size platform. The 27.5 will allow you to be a more aggressive rider. I found myself standing up a lot and sprinting almost everywhere at Sansom Park, other than the climbs - I still climb sitting down.

I noticed on the 27.5 I used the elevate mode a lot less than on my 29'er Trigger, I'll explain that in the 29'er section. Basic difference is the valving of the rear shock is updated for the 27.5. You now have 30-35% sag vs 40% Sag recommended as it used to be. When you do flip that lever though it turns into what feels like a 4X rocket on the trails. Stand up and sprint through the rough stuff, pump it through the turns (can't do that on the 29'er, at least not easily). One thing I would like to mention however is that the Lefty Supermax I have is made for the 29'er Trigger with 130mm travel. It also has a 60mm axle offset. The stock 27.5 Lefty Supermax is 140mm travel and a 50mm offset. I was easily able to convert the Supermax to 140mm by changing the upper air seal out with the 27.5 size. I can't however change the axle offset. What that extra 10mm of offset will do for this bike is make it handle a little quicker in the turns - which isn't a bad thing, not here anyway. If your rolling down steeper declines or faster speeds turning, the shorter offset will make it handle a little more stable at speed - minimal difference, but it needs to be mentioned. This could however be the reason it gets twitchy climbing at slow speeds - like an older Gary Fisher with Genesis geometry (Long top tube, short stem).

I use Strava to track my progress on my rides, no I'm not a Stravasshole, but I like to know how I stack up for myself. I made a couple personal records in certain sections. Mainly in some downhill sections, never in the uphill. It was being pitted against my times on my Trigger 29'er. I wouldn't say the bike FELT faster, I mentally was able to not use the brakes as much. I thought to myself "no brake, no brake, no brake" and let the bike do it's thing. Where as on the 29'er if I try the same thing it carries so much speed downhill and keeps going faster the thought isn't no brake.. it's "oh shit, oh shit, oh shit". There is one section in particular I know I can get faster but the only real place to do it is the two switchbacks leading up to the double jump downhill at Sansom. I managed to take off 1 second. Just a single second. That's how close these two bikes are (fastest Strava time is 20 seconds - I was at 26 seconds for a while). I did feel more in control on the 27.5, but not at first*** see 29er section for update on this part of the trail.

My initial rides on the 27.5 were fully stock build. (alloy handlebar also). the bike felt great, but the components held it back, which is why I swapped them all. In doing so I also swapped the alloy bar for my carbon bar. The bike immediately felt different.. almost like my 29'er in corners - over correcting or adjusting my lean. I was feeling the flex in the carbon bar. I swapped the carbon bar back to the alloy and all was right with the world again. My next ride on the 29'er will also now include the alloy bar instead of my carbon. 

Climbing took a different approach than on the 29'er. I used the same gearing I have on the 29'er. 32T front chain ring and a 10-42 11 speed cassette in the back. I used to hate climbing, hated it with a passion. I was that guy who thought I could make up the time on the downhill.. That will never work, not in Texas. You can make up seconds on a downhill, you can make up minutes going up. Thanks to Brad G. for showing me how to climb. Now I enjoy climbing, well.. maybe enjoy is too good a word, I tolerate climbing because it lets me enjoy the rest of the trail. On all the normal uphills this bike was fantastic, no real issues, climbs efficiently. Most any bike will do well on these type of climbs - if the rider knows how to climb. It was the really steep climbs I want to know about. I take great pride in knowing I can climb a 16-18% loose rock grade and make it 9 times out of 10. The 27.5 like I said before felt twitchy at slow speed. My 4th to last ride I was fully ready to put the bike up, "OK, that's it, Don't like it." I was climbing one of said steep climbs at it just wouldn't track straight. I was all over the place. I know I can do better than that. the next ride I realized something.. this bike, whether its due to the extra offset or just the platform in general, needs a little more speed. Also running the same size gearing I run on a 29'er on the smaller 27.5 will make it slower anyway. I kept a little more speed, don't know how much.. 1-2mph faster.. and it tracked straight and true with no issues whatsoever. Even the hardest of all the climbs at Sansom, the second threefer.. you know what I'm talking about, steep loose rock grade with larger rocks all over the place and 3 slight turns. The one when during a race your either just a man or Superman if you can climb out of it without walking.

Everywhere in between on this bike was a blast to ride. This bike brought out the aggressive rider in me. It felt as if I was riding like the big boys in the videos. Carving every turn, jumping every little obstacle, sprinting to the next. Just a blast. It felt stable and playful. I found myself taking different lines - less 'clean'. hitting that root or that rock and letting the bike sail over the next obstacle. It's been a while since I've been on a bike that felt like that. Last one was my custom spec Giant STP dirt jumper. I can't say if it was 'faster' than the 29'er but I don't think I lost anything. With the different riding style I was probably at the same speed. If I rode it like a 29'er - sit down and crank - I definitely wouldn't have been as fast - 29'ers just go. This bike was also insane to ride through all of the new berms FWMBA (Fort Worth Mountain Bikers Association - http://fwmba.org/) has installed across much of Marion Sansom Park. So much fun to just lean into them and feel those G's as the bike shoots you back out.

29'er - Big wheels keep on turnin'

Cannondale's Rider profile for the 29'er
Aggressive-descending 29er fans who know the more efficiently they can climb, the more they can descend.

After having a great week and a half of riding the 27.5 Trigger I was very excited to get back on my 29er. I used everything I learned from the 27.5, aggressive riding style, diving into the turn, throw the bike where you want it to go. I also kept the Alloy bar on vs my original carbon bar and swapped my Trail Boss tires for the original Wolverines so it's a truly even comparison. I must say.. This.. bike.. hauls.. ass!  It's effortless in its efficiency. When you start to get tired it's easy to just keep those cranks turning and let the wheels do their thing until you can recoup. The 27.5 felt more difficult to keep it going when you started feeling fatigued.

The 29'er definitely does climb better and more efficiently than the 27.5.  It does have a slightly shorter Elevate Mode (80mm vs 85mm). On the steepest climbs at Sansom I only moved forward a little on the saddle, where as the 27.5 I was sitting on the tip of the saddle to get into a good climbing position. The 29'er just feels better climbing. The feeling I got with the 27.5 climbing as far as being more refreshed at the top, must be because of the smaller wheel size and the gearing being lower with the smaller wheel also. The 29'er climbs better overall, just lean over and go.

Cruising around everything that wasn't going up or down was effortless. Keep the cranks spinning and the bike just keeps going. You can't pump it as easily as you can on the 27.5, but you don't really need to because it just carries so much more speed and momentum. I did get a bit of air on it last few rides. Felt like a foot and a half of air, was probably a few inches, who knows, it was fun and that's all the matters right?

As big as the wheels feel after coming off the 27.5, it was actually very easy to handle any of the turns. Actually, I would argue it handled better in the turns due to more traction on the ground. just put your outside foot down and lean into it, it grabs everything without missing the line. I've found myself now riding it like the 27.5. Carve around the berm, stand up and sprint to the next. The few switchbacks at Sansom are easily cleared on the 29'er, I could see if they were tighter turns where it could be a little unwieldy for some.

Descending, just like on the 27.5, is very confident. Flip the switch into Flow Mode (130mm travel on 29'er - 140mm travel on 27.5) point the front end down and let gravity do it's thing. The 29'er though has an edge. It just keeps rolling faster with little input. I could see for some who may get intimidated by the sheer speed this bike will reach very quickly. With the Lefty Supermax equipped on the bike it's literally point and shoot, If you want that front tire to go in the 3 inch wide opening between 2 rocks after turning a tight corner at speed.. that's where it's going to go.

The thing I like the most about this bike, besides it's split personality, is how efficient it is. I can't say it enough. once you get it going, it just wants to keep going. The added Elevate and Flow Modes are just cherries on top that complete the whole package for this longer travel 29'er.

My first couple rides back on the 29er was a Sunday and Monday. 10 miles on Sunday and 24 on Monday, all at Marion Sansom Park. That 1 second cut off on the 27.5 on the double kicker downhill I mentioned a few paragraphs up... Well... I knocked off another 3 on the 29'er (22 seconds). I wouldn't have known what this platform could do if I didn't try the 27.5. I'm very glad I did, it unleashed the potential of the 29er. Now I can see a whole new set of skills I can bring back with this bike and really enjoy everything it has to offer and then some. Before the test I knew the 29er had more to offer that I wasn't tapping into, however I thought I was using 85% of its potential... After the 27.5 that changed.. I was really only utilizing 65% of its potential. This bike amazes me every time I ride it. The 29'er platform wants to be thrown around and it wants to go as fast as you feel comfortable.

FINAL VERDICT

I started this test because no one has created one yet, unless I haven't found it. They praise them both as individuals, but never pitted them against each other.

Both bikes would be right at home in any one's garage. They both climb efficiently and they both descend confidently. Bikes with this much travel aren't supposed to do both this well, they typically excel in one or the other. These bikes.. DO both exceptionally well. The beautiful thing about these bikes, unless your a hoarder, they each eliminate the need for two bikes. They ARE an XC bike and they ARE an All Mountain/Trail bike. No more need to have your dedicated XC racer and your play bike be two different bikes. Don't get me wrong, I love bikes, the more the merrier, but the more I can consolidate and spend more time on ONE bike than have to readjust every time I switch between them, I'll take it.

10 years ago it would have been a much easier decision for me, no question, 27.5 would win. At the time I was an aggressive urban/light trials rider spending more time in the air than on the ground. If I was on the trail I was the asshole who blew past you because you were going too slow and "in my way".  Fast forward 10 years, I've toned down a lot, I'm arguably faster, the 12 foot Fort Worth Water Gardens drop offs are now 2-3 foot roots/rocks. I haven't done a pedal kick in 5 years. I have more finesse in my technique and I enjoy being in the saddle for 2-6 hours at a time. For me the bike of choice is an excellent climber, descends well and makes getting to everything else a breeze without wearing me out in the time going to the next obstacle. I wouldn't have been able to give this verdict without riding them both. They both complimented the other. It wasn't until I rode the 27.5 that I realized what the Trigger platform could really do. It awakened what was always under me within the 29'er platform. Super fast Endurance bike, Aggressive descending 29'er, all day climber. It all boils down to this:

No matter which bike 'I' decide is better, this is my opinion for my own riding style. Both bikes are bad ass and fully capable of tackling any terrain you will throw at it. It really depends on what rider you are or what rider do you want the bike to allow you to be.

WINNER: Cannondale Trigger 29'er

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner - Cannondale Trigger 29'er

Always remember kids.... Choose your wheel size... And be a dick about it

2013 Cannondale Scalpel 29'er Carbon 1 review - My long Journey towards the perfect ride

November 2, 2012... Do you remember where you were that day? I sure do. I was having one of the best rides on my 2013 Cannondale Scalpel 29'er ALLOY 3 - as reviewed here:
 http://bonzaicyclewerx.blogspot.com/2012/09/2013-cannondale-scalpel-29er-3-alloy.html

Riding my benchmark trail - Marion Sansom Park in Lake Worth, TX. when all of a sudden:

It was 9am, The sun was coming through the trees at just the right angle to light my path on a beautiful day of riding and the best kind of terrain - Hero Dirt. An hour and 2 minutes into my ride, the sun came came through the trees, past my visor less helmet and blinded me for a split second. In that split second a shadow appeared, I saw stars and let out a guttural sound I've never made...

My ride was cut short. My riding career and ability to function could have been cut short indefinitely as well. A couple days after it happened a couple of my customers told me, "Yeah, that tree brushed my camel bak, I had to duck down way more than normal." My first thought... 'Don't leave a tree like that, especially on a section of trail like this...'... I never lost my grip on the handlebars until I fell to my side about 5-10 feet (see photo) from the fallen tree (8-10" in diameter). 

I was lucky. Very lucky. I hit it head first on the front left side of my helmet @ 10.5 mph (could have been slightly faster (Strava was off of my phone GPS). I felt my spine compress, tweaked my neck and a concussion set in. I was lucky the tree was resting on smaller, flexible trees. When I hit I didn't get knocked backwards, I went through the tree - tree moved up and forwards with the smaller limbs holding it. This was my last ride on my Scalpel Alloy 3 that I reviewed... By early December I sold it, not knowing when I would be back on a bicycle.

Between November 2, 2012 and Feb 2013 I may have put in 40 miles on my cross bike, just to try and rehab my neck and get my legs spinning. I luckily only sustained a compressed spine, whiplash and a mild concussion. I still, however, feel my neck occasionally as I do right now as I type this - January 16, 2014.

February 2013 came along and I was able to snag a complete SRAM X.O 2x10 drive train. I was able to ride a little bit and since I got this drive train I went ahead and bought ANOTHER 2013 Cannondale Scalpel Alloy 3 (No carbon available at this time) I built this one up with SRAM X.O, Stan's Arch EX Wheel set (From Stan's), my tried and true Kenda Slant Six tires. Truvativ Carbon Bar, Thomson laid back Seat post and the OPI Stem from Cannondale. I built this one the way I should have built the first one.

I loved this bike more than my first one, however the whole year of 2013 was spent just trying to build base miles from my accident. I did a couple Gravel rides on it and lots of rides at Marion Sansom Park - but no where near the speed I was able to do previously - not the bike, me. This bike was 1.5 pounds lighter @ 26.5 lbs. I had some good times on this bike.

But all good things come to an end. It was time. Time to get the last bike I would ever want to ride. Come October 2013 I sold this bicycle as well. It truly was a sad day, but not as sad as when I sold my first one.

Pre Sale photo. It sold in under 23 hours. I immediately replaced it with this:

2013 Cannondale Scalpel 29'er Carbon 1. B-E-A-UUUUtiful.

I left it completely stock except for my 20mm rise Truvativ carbon bar (Came with Truvativ flat carbon bar). my 6+ degree rise OPI Cannondale Stem (came with negative rise OPI stem) and my Slant Six Tires (Came with those iffy Schwalbe Racing Ralphs - read previous review linked at the top).

Note: Cannondale has a LIFETIME Warranty on all of their frames, INCLUDING the Swing arm and Seat stays on a full suspension bike (unlike many other big name manufacturers). Also a Lifetime Warranty on the Structure of the Lefty.  Original Owner only and you must have your receipt

This bike with my Slant 6 tires weighed in @ 25 lbs w my Time ATAC pedals and tubeless. I then took it to the nearest mountain bike trail - Marion Sansom Park. The suspension setup was simple, with little to no knobs to keep fiddling with. I would rather air mine up and go, some people like all the adjustments, to each their own. This bike is equipped with Front and rear shock Remote lock out. I rarely messed with the lockout or platform on my Alloy scalpel. But since its there and easily accessible, I have found myself using the rear lockout (platform) a lot. This bike climbs well no matter what, the Lockout however makes it climb even better allowing you to stand up and push hard if you want. sometimes I forget its locked out and haul ass on the downhill section thinking, little rougher than last time. Oh yeah, click. You really could leave the rear shock locked out all the time and never think about it. Cannondale suspension design is fantastic. With the 15mm through axle pivot, 12mm through axle rear hub, double bearing rear pivot.. it is extremely stiff side to side when you put the power down but compliant on any bumps. Some suspension designs think they are "Brainy". If your a hard tail rider and want your full suspension bike to ride like a hard tail, have at it. My opinion.. a good suspension design is like a good steak. If you have to put something on it to make it edible, it's a bad steak. I never notice the suspension under me under power, I just notice the forest in front of me blurring like I'm sitting shotgun during the Kessel Run (if you must, google it, if you have to.. FOR SHAME!).

I found myself saying "Wow" at almost every turn, loose rocky uphill, fast rocky downhill. Holy crap. The Aluminum is one thing... But the Carbon.. Wow. I did 2 laps at Sansom that day. My employee told me to stand up and sprint, see what happens... I said no, I'm scared. This bike accelerates like a road bike its amazing. It carries speed and increases it's speed by itself. The wheels were amazingly nimble, as they should be for Carbon. I hit them on rocks and roots when I was playing with my tubeless pressure, some of them would have bent or dented many aluminum rims. Not these Carbon. The Lefty... there isn't much I can say.. its just an amazing piece of engineering. You won't get a better handling fork than a Lefty.  When you think of your perfect bike, what it would do, how it would handle, how it would make you feel... This was my perfect bike. It does everything and then some... Then the rain came..

Rained so much that every trail in the area was closed for about 2-3 weeks. So I decided to put some smoother tires on for some road/gravel riding on the Trinity Trail in Fort Worth. One of our customers bought the Black Inc Scalpel and did not want the tires. I decided to try them out - Schwalbe Thunder Burt.

First off. These tires are WAY lighter than my Kenda Slant Six. 2 pounds lighter for the pair to be exact. My Fast new Scalpel Carbon 1 went from being just Fast to Insane! First ride on these I did a 13 mile road ride before work. averaged 15.5 MPH on my Scalpel with these tires. Max speed of 33 MPH. With these tires on here the Scalpel Seriously hauls ass. Next, I rode the gravel Trinity Trail in Fort Worth, TX.

By this time I also added an Adjustable Height Seat post made by Origin-8 I picked up at a swap meet - Cheap, but functional (later replaced with a KS LEV Seat post - NICE POST!). I also installed the original Cannondale OPI Stem on it - the negative rise stem vs my 6+ degree OPI stem, my neck was feeling better. This bike is fast. A more finely tuned athlete could make this bike do incredible things. For me, I've finally gotten back on a bike that puts a smile on my face every time I ride it. Even on the street and gravel it amazed me enough to say "Wow" on multiple occasions. I even made it into 5th place, 6th as of now, on a sprint section of the gravel Trinity Trail - 23 MPH, Fastest was 26 MPH - he was on a road bike. Neener neener.

The trails finally dried up and I got to hit the trails again.

I didn't change my tires back from the Schwalbes. I decided, screw it, I'll give it a try at Sansom. I am SO glad I did. Even though Sansom is full of loose rock, steep loose climbs and fast downhill sections, these tires hooked up BETTER than my Kenda Slant Six tires ever did. Which is very surprising given the shallow tread on the Thunder Burt tires. I found I might slip a tad with the Kendas on steep climbs, never slipped on the Thunder Burts. Is it the tread? the compound? the weight? the fact it is 2 pounds lighter and I can climb at a little faster pace and not have to put out as much torque in the climbs to keep it going? Probably all of the above.

In the past year I had only ridden 2 trails. Marion Sansom Park in Lake Worth, TX and Solavaca Ranch in Glen Rose, TX. During my vacation this year - First in 5 years - I decided to branch out to a couple trails I hadn't been to in a long, long time. Between 4-10 years to be exact. New Years Eve 2013 I hit up Northshore Trail on Grapevine Lake. Wow, this trail has changed a lot since my days working at the Grapevine Bike Center on and off 1998-2003 when it was a 2 way trail the whole way. DORBA and the ACOE have done a great job. It started out as a gorgeous winter day in Texas - 45-55 degrees, sunny and calm winds. I start at the MADD Shelter in Flower Mound, TX and rode towards Rockledge Park Entrance - Grapevine, TX. The ride started out awesome, as it always should. Within the first mile I hear a little jingle from my front wheel. As I slow down I notice my front wheel has now become a $1000 Maraca. One of the spokes un threaded itself on the Reynolds Carbon Wheel. I removed the spoke and proceeded to ride the rest of the trail, no way was I going to drive an hour to ride a mile and turn back around, hell no. Amazingly, the 23 other spokes kept the wheel very straight and strong. Notice the missing spoke:

The trail was amazing, the bike was amazing, other than the wheel rattle at slow speeds from the nipple in the rim. Made me keep my speed up.

Now, before you go thinking "Reynolds Wheels are crap, I'll never ride those"... Reynolds has a good warranty and great customer service. Also when buying the Cannondale Scalpel 29'er Carbon 1 with the wheels as OEM - Cannondale pays the $250 2 year no questions asked warranty for the Reynolds Wheels - main reason I pulled the trigger on this model, I was iffy at first about the Carbon wheels... don't be. They are super strong, super light. According to Reynolds they are made for every kind of riding except Downhill and Free Ride. They also say there is no weight limit on these wheels, however a heavier rider will feel more flex in the wheels. I'm 215lbs geared up, I feel no flex, I've hit many a rock with them, pinched my tubeless tires hard - no flat - that would have dented an aluminum rim. Reynolds Carbon? keeps on going. I'll get to the rest of the Reynolds story in a bit.

I kept riding - 28.1 miles in fact in about 3 hours 25 minutes. It was an amazing ride on a trail I will definitely ride more often. This bike was made for this trail. Around mile 20 I heard the rear tire rubbing rhythmically. I stopped and looked... Case of the disappearing spoke. Reynolds uses straight pull spokes on this wheel. So if the nipple threads come loose, the spoke can take flight.. somewhere. I am not sure where I lost the spoke, but my rear wheel was off about an inch to the left side where the spoke is missing. Screw it, I thought to myself. I'm not walking 8 miles back to the car. So, I rode. Missing one spoke on each wheel. Rode faster and harder on the way back than I was before. The wheels never missed a line. Although at slow speed I had a sweet $2000 maraca now. The ride ended as it should... Perfect - well, given the spoke thing.

That night I fixed the wheels. Took them completely apart, cleaned all the spoke threads and added spoke prep. Re-assembled properly to Reynolds specs. My next ride I went back to Sansom. 5 miles in, 2 of my spokes were already backed out so much only 1 or 2 threads were still holding the spokes on. I finished my ride early.

Fixed the wheel again - Just tensioned this time. My next ride i made sure I had my spoke wrench on me and all my gear. I went to Cedar Hill State Park (CHSP). Again.. Wow, what an amazing trail. Just like Northshore, except faster in my opinion. Just a Fast fun trail to pound out the miles. I did all the mileage loops - 3,8,12,8,3 - 31.1 miles according to Strava @ 3 Hours and 34 minutes. i did have to tension my wheels about 4 times on the trail, but it was so worth it.

It was nice to branch out away from Marion Sansom Park. I will say however that if you can ride Sansom.. you can ride anything in Texas and most other areas. Where most of Northshore and 98% of CHSP is easy and fast, great trails to take new riders or just have a great day on the trail... Sansom is a brutal beating of your skills. Its so difficult many of the racers complain its too hard and remove the best parts. I am glad I can ride and clear everything at Sansom and at one time (pre accident), I was in the top 20 on Strava on the whole trail, however, I am happy trails like North Shore and CHSP exist to enjoy what nature has to offer.

Reynolds, so to sum up the wheels, I called Reynolds, mailbox full, emailed them. 3 minutes later I received a phone call. For 2013 SOME, not all, hubs were mis-manufactured. So I sent my wheels back to them and they are going to relace with NEW spokes and 2014 model hubs which are from a new manufacturer for Reynolds. I have not gotten them back yet, they just arrived at Reynolds. Probably looking at 2-3 weeks. Easy to deal with, great customer service and a great product. If a product has a flaw, OK, but if said product has a company that stands behind flawed product and makes it right, that is who I prefer to support on my own bike and in my shop. Only 2 companies I have dealt with go above and beyond in my book - no matter how much or how little I or my customer has spent with them. SRAM and now Reynolds.

 I love getting to ride for over 3 hours, The Cannondale Scalpel 29'er Carbon 1 allows just that. Its not just light, it's not just that its fast, it's that it reminds me why I love to ride and why I do what I do. I could fill this blog with technical mumbo jumbo and gabble on about specs and how this 1 mm of geometry made it handle this way... There is no reason to with this bike. This bike is top notch. . I have been professionally in the Bicycle Biz since 1998. I have gotten to ride many high end bikes. Many of those bikes rely too heavily on their name for what you pay for them, like a Ford Pinto with Ferrari badges. Cannondale has been guilty of that in the past as well as all manufacturers have been. You can't have a home run every time. But this bike, for the price you pay - $7600... I can confidently say it is worth EVERY penny. Having personally owned this and 2 Aluminum Scalpels, Yes, there is a big advantage to the Carbon Scalpels, but you can't go wrong with the aluminum either. Get whatever your budget allows. So go to your nearest Cannondale Dealer and ask for a Scalpel.. ANY Scalpel, you won't be disappointed.

And one more thing...

2013 Cannondale Scalpel 29'er 3 Alloy review

First off to be fair, I have not been on a mountain bike at Sansom Park in about 3.5 months. I rode a Carbon Scalpel in Park City, Utah. My first impression - unimpressed. I really wanted to love it. I wanted it to take my breath away. When I rode the 2013 Cannondale carbon Scalpel 29'er 1 - Reynolds Carbon wheels, Lefty, decked out with all of the bells and whistles I loved the weight and the look of it. I have always loved the way the Lefty rides and the 2013 redesign of the Lefty is no different. But this post is not about the Lefty, this is about the bike as a whole. The Carbon left me wanting, wanting a more flick able bike, more stable bike, a bike I could carve corners with.  I felt none of this on the $7,600 model in Utah. It felt flimsy and awkward to me (Carbon wheels w Schwalbe Racing Ralph tires?). Lefty was amazing as always. - see photo of Carbon Scalpel I rode 

Skip in time to this week. My first time back at Sansom on a demo 2013 Scalpel 29'er Alloy 3 w Lefty. I rode Joel’s but didn't even finish a race loop - cut out before the dam drop. I hated it. I was hoping that maybe in Texas it would ride different on our trails as Sansom is WAY more difficult than any of the trails in Utah I rode. I felt like I had to over correct way too much to make the bike do what I wanted, hit my pedals a lot, just not enjoyable whatsoever. And those tires... those damn Schwalbe Racing Ralph tires that were run tubeless. I have never had a good experience with these tires... ever... on any bike. They felt like they were going to roll off the rim at higher pressure. Lower pressure was even worse. Great traction in a straight line... but that's about it. I had no cornering confidence whatsoever with these tires.

Next day I rode my tried and true Origin-8 Steel frame 29'er hard tail that I have reviewed previously. I still have it and I still love it. It has a 2" shorter wheelbase than the scalpel in the same size and a 1 degree steeper head tube angle. This makes my origin-8 handle like a 26" bike on crack. All the speed of a 29'er with the handling of a 26". I rode 1 full lap at Sansom that day, even the new Lone Wolf stuff without Joel’s Loop. Bottom line... I love my Origin-8 Scout 29'er. Well, until today.

This morning I decided to give the 2013 Cannondale Scalpel 29'er 3 Alloy one more chance, but this time I am going to give it the best chance possible. 1 - I put MY tires on - 29x2.2 ft 29x2.0 RR Kenda Slant 6 - ran Tubeless. I put my grips on - Origin-8 knock off of Ergon grips. I double checked the air pressure in the Lefty and rear shock. The weather this morning was amazing. Cold front rolled in, brought a little rain so it left Sansom a little tacky and kept the dust down. I figured if this bike does not ride well today it never will. 

Before I tell you about the ride - Our new Dirt Rag magazine came in yesterday with a review of the Carbon Scalpel 29'er - they raved about it. They said with the right Body English it goes wherever you put it. I thought to myself - Body English, maybe that's what I'm missing. With my Origin-8 with such a steep head tube angle and short wheelbase I just turn it and it goes, not much Body English needed. So on to one more chance on the Scalpel.

I unloaded the bike at the trail, checked the air pressure in my tires - 28 psi ft, 32 psi RR - just like my Origin-8. I rode with a couple people who were in front, gave me someone to chase. The ride today was TOTALLY different than the ride earlier in the week. The bike flowed, the slant 6 tires were predictable and with the right 'body English' it flew through Sansom. Climbed like a banshee, descending was a blast, before the damn drop I stopped to raise my saddle a bit for Joel’s - perfect. A little later I let some more air out of my tires - not sure how much, I was on the trail - Perfect. I rode to catch up with the group and everything just clicked. It was like I had been riding this bike for years. I found personally I like the rear shock in the locked/pro pedal position which is stiffer than most pro pedal today. I did hit my pedals occasionally but nothing I wouldn't have done otherwise. It carved around the corners, the switch backs were so much fun. The climbs sucked as they always do but it was completely doable, even with the loose rock the bike hooks up and just goes. It WANTS to climb, it WANTS to go faster, and with the right body English... it was a totally different bike. I am thoroughly impressed. This is the bike I expected it to be in the first place. I loved it so much; I rode 1 full lap - green, blue, red (minus new lone wolf) at Sansom and 1 green loop to make sure it wasn't a fluke. It wasn't it was the tires and me. I am sold. 

Damnit... I'm going to have a buy a new bike now. Look for my origin-8 on sale in the near future.

Drinking the 29'er kool-aid

I have ridden a lot of bikes since, 700s, 26'ers, 29'ers. For the longest time I was a 26'er guy. I rode my 26'ers with pride, clearing everything in my path. Something was lacking though as I jump through the age hoops. I am not looking for the bike to jump anymore as I did before. I don't travel to different places, so there is no need to have a 5-6" travel dual suspension mountain bike, even though it is a LOT of fun. The 26'ers handle quickly, you can whip them around corners very quickly. When you hit the flats though you can hear the people behind you lightly breathing, gently pushing their pedals on the 29'er and passing you with half the effort I am putting in to keep my 26" wheels moving.

I rode a few 29'ers, most felt horribly out of place beneath me. Long wheel bases, slow handling, low bottom bracket heights, knocking pedals (I'm used to my tall Teocali Super which I never hit my pedals). The one 29'er I rode and felt 'right' on was a Full Carbon Breezer - $5000.. I'm not spending that for a bike with a carbon frame I may break. I have been extremely happy with my origin-8 Cross frame so I decided to try their 29'er frame out - $200 retail. 4130 Chromoly frame. Not the lightest, but very stiff (uses larger tube diameter than normal steel frames) Disc brake tabs on the chain stay instead of the seat stay. Horizontal drops ( you can make it a single speed or multi speed). I built it up with SRAM X.9 2x10 w X.7 cranks to save cost. Rockshox Reba RLT 100mm travel up front. Origin-8 suspension seat post (LIFE SAVER!), Stan's Arch wheel set with American Classic Hubs - light yet very strong and extremely smooth. I am testing out the Origin-8 Ceramic Bottom bracket ($100 retail - not $200-250 like most others).

I knew I was a good rider, technically, but I wasn't a good rider endurance wise. Apparently I was on the wrong bikes. the Origin-8 29'er over night changed my riding style and my endurance output.  At Sansom Park riding all of the trail, minus Joel's Loop, I was averaging 7mph on the 26'er on 1 lap - 8 miles - I couldn't ride much more after that. Over night with the Origin-8 my distance became 16 miles and my speed over those 2 laps nonstop turned to 9.8mph - HUGE difference. The skills were always there, it just took this bike to unlock them. My racing prowess has been re awakened. I want to do every endurance race I can, even if I come in last its a personal challenge I thought I would need years to get to. all it really took was the right 29'er.

Why does the origin-8 29'er feel so much better than the other 29'ers I've ridden you ask? It has a steep head tube angle - 72 degrees. SUPER short chain stays for a 29'er 16.8-17.3in (horizontal drop out). It has a 12 inch clearance @ the bottom bracket. What does all of this mean? simple. The steep head angle and the short chain stay create a very flick-able, agile steed. But with all this agility it would be finicky right? not so. Point and shoot. Simple. the wheel base (I have a large/21" frame) on this bike is shorter than many 26'er frames with a smaller frame! So this thing really handles everything. The big wheels keep on turnin, the Ceramic bottom bracket and the smooth hubs allow for extremely efficient energy transfer. I don't feel like I'm exerting myself even when I'm going over 15mph off road. All you have to do is keep the pedals spinning and it translates into immediate forward momentum. there are sections on the trails I ride I would never plow into on a 26" hard tail, but this 29'er just eats it right up and rolls over. Roots, rocks, fallen trees, small children, Doesn't matter.

Climbing on this is amazing. the suspension seat post allows me to stay seated and just pedal right on up any obstacle, the tire rarely slips on the loose stuff. if it does it grabs very quickly.

Cornering on this bike is easy and fun. the past 8 years I have ridden tires no smaller than 2.35" wide... I'm riding 2.1 on the back and 2.0 on the front of this bike and I can lean into the corners with extreme confidence better then I ever could on the 26" tires. On the tight turns I no longer have to coast through, I can lean a bit and keep pedaling through and never lose any forward momentum.

"if this bike rides so well why are 26'ers still around?" Simple. 26" is cheaper, its established, its still a fun platform (jumping, agility, etc)

"Who is the 29'er for?" Someone who wants to stay on the ground, get some air here and there but not like on a 26". Someone who wants to have an edge against their friends or competition. If your new to riding a 29'er will enhance your skills by rolling over stuff much easier, climbing is easier, no loss of traction with the right tire choice.

All in all.. the 29'er is here to stay. it's not a fad. it is an upgrade. but like all bikes there are good ones and there are bad ones. There are ones that are good deals, there are ones that should be avoided. For me, the Origin-8 Scout 29'er is where its at. They also make a Carbon version of this frame.

Stop on by the shop if your interested in building one up - you WON'T be disappointed.

Bike Test - 2010 GT Sensor 1.0 - 26" wheel

I had the privilege of going out to park City Utah to test ride as many bikes as I wanted. I will review the ones that are the most usable for our area - Fort Worth, TX. I didn't focus on larger bikes because, well, there is no real place to ride them around here. Video Test ride at end of review.

So, The GT Crew didn't have any 2011 spec'd Sensors to test, so I got to try out a 2010. The design has not changed between this year and next. However, the specs have changed. GT is utilizing SRAM's new 2x10 drivetrains from X.7 all the way up to XX - 2x10 review later. My ride was spec'd with tried and true Shimano XT 9spd components. I prefer SRAM, but Shimano just works.

Frame - The Sensor Frameset is designed around their I-Drive (Independent Drive-train) system. If you are unfamiliar with I-Drive, check out this link here - http://www.gtbicycles.com/usa/eng/Independent-Drivetrain  Simply, the I Drive isolates the drivetrain from the suspension movement. This adds a little weight, but what you get is one of the best pedaling and suspension platforms known to mankind. The bottom bracket rotates forward as the suspension moves backward. I never feel the I Drive working (as far as pedals moving), but I always feel and enjoy the effects it has on my riding enjoyment on any and every trail.

Now, GT is not known for super light rigs, although for 2011 they reduced the weight of their GT Carbon Zaskar frame by a whopping 300 grams! GT Is known for dependable, no nonsense, reliable bikes that use technology proven again and again. But the GT Sensor 1.0 came in on the scales around 27 pounds, not bad for a 120mm (5 inch) travel bike front and back.

I got to ride this rig on the Mid Mountain, Holly's and Ambush Trails in Park City Utah. The climbing was bar none one of the easiest bikes to pedal uphill. The Sensor gobbles up miles and miles of uphill jeep road, even if my fort worth lungs say no, don't do it again. The bike felt great right from the start. Now personally, I would have widened the handlebars and changed the tires from the Kenda 2.1 nevegals to some Kenda Small block 8 2.3". I felt while flying down Holly's rugged, rocky terrain the tires were a little choppy, like I didn't feel the grab that has been raved about for years. The handlebars were a little narrow for my liking, especially at downhill speeds, but climbing was a dream. I don't personally ride enough trails that are that tight to cut the bars down smaller than 27".

I will say this, both GT bikes, Sensor 1.0 and Force Carbon Expert (review next, also an I-Drive) left my hands hurting from riding on the rocky terrain, The forks and rear suspension were setup well, the grips need to be changed to Oury for my liking.

Now between the Force and Sensor, I did like the Sensor better, the Force adds an extra inch of travel front and back, has a FOX Talas fork and a full carbon frame. The Sensor was redesigned with a slightly lower suspension ratio which you really feel. the 5" Sensor's travel feels like it goes a lot longer way than the Force's 6" travel which felt you went through a little too quickly.

All in all, if the bars weren't cut, the grips a little thicker and tires changed. The GT Sensor could very well be my next personal rig. Miles and miles of smiles.

The GT Sensor comes in 4 26" models and 2 29'er models (were not available for test ride)
Sensor 4.0 - $1300 - Shimano Alivio 9spd drivetrain, Suntour Raidon LOD Air fork, X-Fusion O2 R shock
Sensor 3.0 - $1700 - Shimano Deore 9spd drivetrain, RS Recon Silver TK Solo Air fork, X-Fusion O2 RL Shock
Sensor 2.0 - $2500 - SLX/X.7 2x10 drivetrain, RockShox Recon Gold TK Solo Air Fork, Fox Float RL Shock
Sensor 1.0 - $3000 - SLX/XTR/X.7 2x10 drivetrain, Fox F RL Fit Fork, Fox FLoat RP23 shock

Sensor 29'er 2 -$2200 - Shimano Alivio 9spd drivetrain, marzocchi 44 TST2 29'er fork, Fox Float R shock
Sensor 29'er 1 - $2800 - X.7/X.9 2x10 drivetrain, Fox F29 RLC FIT 15QR fork FOX Float RL shock

Here is the Video of the test ride on the Sensor 1.0. Forgive the camera angle. I left the mount on my mongoose at home. I ziptied the camera to my helmet. I thought I had it pointed higher. 5 minutes long.



Brian Buell
Owner
Bonzai Cycle Werx
www.bonzaicyclewerx.com