Since I got the new Cannondale F29 I took it out two times and got about 6 hours riding time on it. I tested it on many different terrains & trails around the Dublin Mountains (Threerock, WW) and it's definitely time to write a short post about my first impressions!
The first thing to say is: man, this bike is fast. I mean FAST! It rolls seriously well thanks to the 29 inch wheels, the travelling speed is on a whole new level. The big wheels just roll over everything in the way so they are great on the more challenging technical sections.
The other main thing that I find particularly good is that the bike is very compact compare to being a 29er. The wheelsbase, the chainstays and the horizontal lenght is nice and short, so the bike feels very comfortable (don't have that "big bike" feeling at all) and handles very well on the techical trails. I tried many of the singletracks with tight turns and the bike handles very well I think. Didn't have any issues whatsoever.
The other thing that I find great is the wide (700mm) handlebar. I have
been using narrow (580mm) bars in the last 14 years and I thought they
are the business. Until now...there's so much better handling with the
wider bars.
After getting back to hardtails one of the most noticeable thing is the stiffness of the frame. Once you put the power down on the pedals the bike moves like a rocket. Very efficient machine indeed. The Lefty fork performs really well. Smooth and definitely light making the front of the bike very easy to shift. The handling precision is very good as well. I might need to play around a bit more with the rebound adjustment but all in I'm impressed with the Lefty!
So, my first impressions are 100% positive, no doubt about that. It's a super light, very stiff but still comfortable XC weapon. Absolutely lovin' the big wheels and if anyone looking for a light and agile XC bike then the F29 is definitely a brilliant choice.
Simply puts a smile on my face every time I ride it and I can't wait to hit the trails on it every time I'm heading out!!
No comments:
Post a Comment