Just a quick update

There has been a lack of posts on the blog lately I know. The one and only reason is that I don't have too much going on in relation of biking. I'm mega busy at work and also enjoy spending time with my family. And since there are no more races planned for the summer I decided to dial down a bit on training. Riding once a week and that's about it these days. 

Working hard, being a dad, riding my bike and enjoying life in general. Happy days! :)

Rhys is the best little helper in Dublin city :)

 

Vegetable curry with home made chips, yumm-yumm

Nice & cold Paulaner, non-alcoholic of course ;)

2014 Cannondale F29 Carbon 3 // The first 1000 km

I have recently crossed the first 1000 km barrier on this year's Cannondale F29 Carbon 3, so it's about time to check in and say a few words about this incredible machine. 

First of all this bike is cheating! Seriously! Riding a light & efficient bike like this would be nothing but serious benefit on any XC race course I have to say. The super stiff frame makes this bike a climbing machine like I never seen before. Yet, it's still very-very comfortable over the rought stuff and the descents also. The 29er wheels are simply brilliant for the kind of riding that I'm doing, so choosing the big wheels was 100% a good thing!

The specifiaction on the bike is great. Good mix of reliable components make the bikeride fun every time. The Sram gears are working fine, the X.7 and X.9 mix seems to be a good combination in my opinion. The Magura MT2 brakes are absolutely fantastic, I like them a lot. Massive stopping power and also kudos to Magura for the little adjuster on the levers, brilliant thing to have!

Last but not least I need to say how impressed I'm about the Lefty PBR 29 suspension fork. Stiff, smooth and very light fork. I know lots of riders are not really convinced about the truly unique design, but there's absolutely nothing to worry about. The Lefty is a proper XC race fork.

After 1000 km in the saddle the F29 still runs like a dream. Got used to the 29er wheels nice & quick and I have to say I like this machine better and better every day. 

Pros: 

• super light & stiff frame that is still the most comfortable that I ever used 
• excellent 29er frame geometry
• smooth & light Lefty fork
• the OPI stem design is straight forward and easy to work with
• the direct mounted front mech has very good shifting performance 
• the wheels are quiet strong, got a couple of knocks on the trails but they are still running true
• tubeless ready system straight out of the box, no conversion kit needed
• the Sram gear system works very well  

Cons:

• the Schwalbe Racing Ralph tyres are a bit too soft, so they wear out quiet fast  

So, after the first 1000 km I'm very-very happy with the F29. It's a pure XC weapon that is all about efficieny and speed but still comfy to ride. I like every single detail on the bike and there was nothing that have left me with bad taste in my mouth since I got the bike. Simply brilliant machine and I hope I get to spend countless hours with training and racing this bike!