Getting a new Mountain Bike

About two weeks ago Ted and I demo’d a Cannondale Scalpel 2000 and Cannondale Jekyll 2000. Personally, I didn’t care for the plush-ness of the Jekyll. I suppose this is mainly due to the fact that I still ride and love my Gary Fisher Mt. Tam with the Genesis Geometry. Nothing climbs like it.

I rode the Jekyll with the rear locked-out in many of the flat sections and climbs. I didn’t get a chance to ride the Scalpel, but Ted was a different rider on that bike. Scary in fact. So he’s sold on the Scalpel; without riding it, I think I am too. That’s why I didn’t push to ride it [yet].

So, Ted’s decision is most likely between a Cannondale Scalpel 800 or 1000 …

Our local shop [Millburn Bike Shop] is one of the top 100 Cannondale resellers in the country. So they obviously love the bikes (bias included).

Despite the bike shop bias, I don’t think he can go wrong with either bike. They’re awesome bikes and seem to have been getting good reviews over the past two years…

“So what makes this particular cc screamer different? First, the flexible chainstay is designed to bend at a particular point to minimize bobbing and chain pull and has constant tension preloaded by the rear shock to react to small bumps more effectively. Another cool fact is that with the Team package, your dual remote lockout disc equipped fs bike will weigh in at about 23 lbs!” BikeReviews.com

“Still unsure about the lefty? It’s not going away. Look for other companies to follow. Hold the front tire between your legs and torque on the handlebars. Stiff, huh? Now see if you can find any bike in the shop and do the same thing. You’ll have a hard time finding anything that will come close. Cannondale knows what they are doing. They’ve always been innovators and are putting all the cards on the table with yet another well made racing bike.” BikeAddict.com

About the 800 “Among the excellent benefits of the Scalpel is that there’s only one frame platform–this is the same bike the race team uses on the Scalpel Team edition” ConsumerGuide.com

“The only drawback: The enthusiast or weekend warrior may find this platform isn’t the right choice. Limited travel, muted rear-suspension feel and stretched-out geometry don’t produce the “fun and lively” ride of alternative suspension designs–something to keep in mind if you’re not interested in a race-oriented bike. If you are, Scalpel is one of your smartest choices.” Bicycling.com

I’m not sure the point of this post. I just needed a place to drop this info, because I’d like to get a new bike later this year. So perhaps it’s an attempt at foreshadowing. Or just a LazyWeb reminder ;-)