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There are some things that you need to consider when you buy a mountain bike. You need to learn more about mountain bikes so that you can make the best decision for you.
Purchasing a mountain bike can be very overwhelming and can consume quite a bit of your extra time if you are not prepared. This article contains some hints that will help to make the process of buying a mountain bike less frustrating.

Your Mountain Bike Budget
You can spend thousands of dollars on a mountain bike if you want to, but for most of us, we have to set a budget so that we do not overspend. To do this, you need to determine how much that you can afford to spend and then stick with that budgeted amount. You will get much better service and a better bike if you purchase from a bike shop, rather than a mass-merchandiser like Wal-Mart. If you stick you’re your budget, then you will be much happier with your purchase in the long run.

What Style Of Bike?
Mountain bikes come in several different designs that correspond to the different terrains that you might be riding on and your particular riding style. You first need to determine where you will be riding your mountain bike the most. Are you going to be mountain cruising, smooth riding, cross-country racing, or doing lift accessed downhill riding? Determining this will enable to salesman at the bike shop to help you find the right bike for you and your needs.

Hard Tail or Full Suspension?
If your budget will allow it, you will want to choose a full suspension bike. The hard tail bike that comes without suspension in the rear will weigh less and allow you to get more efficiency from your pedaling, but a full suspension bike will be more comfortable and easier to control. This decision will be determined by your budget, the terrain that you will be riding on, and your particular style of riding.

Your Favorite Things
When you begin trying to compare mountain bikes using components, you will quickly find that it will be overwhelming. Determine what components are the ones that you cannot live without and then compare based on this to find the bike that meets your needs and your budget. In this way, you will not be paying for a lot of components that you do not feel are important.

Watch For Seasonal Sales
You will find that mountain bike prices can go up and down quite a bit over the course of a year. The main time that mountain bikes are purchased is during the spring and summer. If you can wait until it grows colder during the fall and winter, then you can save quite a bit of money. Local bike shops may even offer incentives on other components if you purchase a mountain bike from them, rather than from a mass-merchandiser.

Take a Test Ride
Test ride the bikes the fit your budget and your particular riding style to find the bike that has the right fit for you. You will know when a bike feels right. The more bikes that you test out, the easier it will be to make this decision.

Research, Research, Research
Reading mountain bike reviews and other product reviews will help you to learn more about your choices and the pros and cons of them. Reading mountain bike reviews that are written by other owners will help you to determine the right bike for you and your needs. Researching is the best way to make the most of your mountain bike budget.

Every job can be made harder without the correct tools to do the job. Bicycle maintenance requires several specialized tools that will make your life much easier on and off the trail.

One thing to keep in mind: In my early days of mountain bike maintenance, I didn’t go out and buy the most expensive tools I could find. I bought the store brand tools until I saved up enough to get some more expensive versions from Park or Pedros. This comes in handy later in your mountain bike maintenance career because you can use your “first set” as a mobile tool set that stays in a small tool box.

#1 – Bike Repair Stand
Mountain bikes…for the most part…are very awkward to work on. In many cases, you have to have the wheels off or you need the bike up at shoulder level to get the work done easily. This is where the bike stand comes into play. A bike stand will hold your mountain bike so that it is easily accessible for any repair or build. Normally, you hold your frame by the seat post with the clamp that is at the top of the stand. This allows you to move the bike around as you work. I bike stand will make life much easier as you become more proficient at your bicycle maintenance.
Over the years, I have used the Ultimate stands because I feel that they are more stable. Park Tools also makes a great stand that a lot of riders like.

#2 – Floor Pump
You will not be able to live life as a mountain biker without a good floor pump with a properly working pressure gauge. You will start to take tires on and off (some people more than others) and tire pressure is crucial to how the bike rides. A good floor pump will end up going with you everywhere.
Find a pump that you are comfortable with and one that you can read the air pressure gauge easily. Almost all floor pumps go to much higher pressures than you will ever use, so make sure you can see the pressure that you use easily.

#3 – Y Hex Wrench
This should be one of the first tools you ever own as a mountain bike maintenance beginner. This Y shaped he wrench contains three of the most common sizes found on mountain bikes today (4mm, 5mm and 6mm). I keep several of these laying around and even one in my pack while riding. It is a nice, convenient way to have the 3 most common sized hex wrenches at your disposal.

#4 – Hex Wrench Set
The Y Hex Wrench will get you through a lot of repairs and tunes, but nothing replaces a good set of hex wrenches. The Y Wrench can actually get in the way in tight situations, so have a good set of hex wrenches laying around.
Almost all of the bolts on your bike will be hex heads.

#5 – Multi-Tool
You should already have one of these in your pack when you ride, but this is a good reminder. A multi-tool is a must have for any mountain biker. It can keep you riding on the trail or provide you with a tool you just can’t seem to find on those bike maintenance days. With a wide range of hex heads, screwdrivers and most of the time…a chain tool, this compact set is a perfect compliment to any tool collection.

#6 – Chain Tool
Most multi-tool’s come with a chain tool, but it is much easier to use a dedicated chain tool when possible. This cheap little tool will save you time and fingers while you are working at repairing that chain in the stand.

#7 – Chain Whip
This funny looking tool is specific to rear cassettes on any bike. It will hold your cassette still to allow you to remove the lock ring from the cassette to do drive train maintenance and replacement. Replacing drive train parts is one area that you should seriously consider doing yourself, and the tools associated with these change outs are a must have.

#8 – Lock Ring Removal Tool
The Lock Ring Removal Tool and the Chain Whip go hand in hand. The lock ring on your cassette that tightens the cassette down onto the hub body requires a specialized tool due to its unique pattern. You use this tool along with the chain whip to remove your cassette from the rear hub.

#9 – Cable Cutters
A good set of cable cutters will make your life much easier when replacing housing or cables on your mountain bike. Can you do this with a non-specialized tool? Yes…but you will not be as efficient and your cuts will not be as clean. A nice side effect of a good cable cutter is the ability to round out the housing after you are finished with the cut. A good set of cable cutters also insures a straight and accurate cut on cable. This will make feeding the cable through the housing much easier.

#10 – Bottom Bracket Tool
Almost every mountain bike on the market today comes with external bottom brackets (x-type). These bottom brackets house the bearings external to the frames bottom bracket shell. This makes them easy to remove and replace. The bottom bracket bearings are a wear item on your mountain bike. They also require this specialized tool for removal and installation. You will scratch the bottom bracket shell when using this tool…that is normal.

#11 – Pedal Wrench
A great pedal wrench was always one of those tools that I was certain I didn’t need. Couldn’t you just use some other wrench to remove the pedals? Yes…but it is a pain! The nice advantage of a pedal wrench is its thin profile. This allows you to get the pedals off easily and quickly without any real effort. The handle is also much longer than a conventional wrench to give you more leverage and get your hands farther away from the bike to make removal and installation easier.

#12 – Chain Ring Nut Wrench
Chain rings are another wear item on your mountain bike. This little wrench keeps the rear of the chain rings bolts still while you unscrew the hex side of the bolt. Its low profile allows you to get in behind the rings for easy installation and removal.

#13 – Tire Levers
This seems like an easy assumption, but choosing the right tire levers can mean the difference between easily installed tires and bloody knuckles. Pick out a set of STRONG tire levers. I use the Maxxis levers and they have worked perfectly. A previous set of Park’s caused me a lot of issues…they just were not wide or strong enough.

#14 – Adjustable Wrench
An adjustable wrench will help you use other tools in your mountain bike maintenance arsonal like the lock nut removal tool. It is always a good idea to have one of these laying around at all times.

#15 – T-25 Torx Wrench
The bolts that secure the rotors on your mountain bike are held in with T-30 Torx heads. Many brakes actually come with one of these wrenches, so keep it handy and try not to lose it. It will come in handy when you are swapping out rotors or wheels. Be careful not to strip out these bolts during removal and installation.

#16 – Screwdrivers
You will need medium sized flat blade and phillips head screw drivers throughout your bike maintenance career. You will use these to do routine maintenance tasks like derailleur adjustment, so keep one set around the bike maintenance area at all times.

#17 – Shock Pump
This specialized pump will control the air pressure in your suspension components. Almost all full suspension mountain bikes come with air suspension. Most bikes and components provide you with one of these pumps with purchase, so keep it in a safe place. I would also recommend carrying one of these with you on the trail.

Conclusion
So there you have it! Your 17 must have tools for any bike maintenance wrencher! Start building up your collection now so when we start to go over each area of the bike…you are ready. Try to shop around for the deals on tools because at any point in time…someone is having a sale.

Spend The Money Where It Matters
I know that carbon cage looks cool as hell on your rig, but for a 1/3 of the price…you can step down to XT or X.9 and get the same performance. You will not be shaving precious grams or have the bling to show off at the trailhead, but you will be able to save that money and spend it on more component parts that will actually affect how your bike performs on the trail. I can’t tell you how many mountain bikes I have seen with $250.00 rear derailleurs and $100.00 wheelsets. It just doesn’t make sense.
I tend to make the biggest investments on wheels and suspension forks. The rest of my builds get the run of the mill XT or X.9 components.

Your Friend Is Wrong
9 times out of 10, your buddy that is telling you to buy his bike because it is the best thing he has ever thrown a leg over is wrong. No one can tell you what the best mountain bike is for you. If his bike was the best thing since sliced bread and everyone should have one…then there would only be that model of mountain bike on the market. All of our body types, riding styles and trail needs are different. Do not let someone talk you into buying something without riding it first to see if it is exactly what you need. It is not their cash they are shelling out…it is yours.

Ideally, you want to test ride as many bikes as you possibly can to find out what works best in your situation. Read reviews, try it out…talk to as many mountain bikers as you can and then formulate your own decisions based on fact. Try not to let this become an emotional, off the cuff buy.

Think About The Resale
Boutique bikes are easier to sell as frame only and big box bikes (Trek, Specialized, Gary Fisher, etc.) are easier to resell as complete bikes. It is pretty hard to unload a big box bike as frame only and get any resemblance of a quality resell price out of it. This is something to keep in mind as you look at purchasing complete mountain bikes or just a mountain bike frame. If you are selling a Trek or Specialized mountain bike, it does not have to have all of the original components on it, but it is going to resell much easier as a complete build as that target buyer is in the market for a complete mountain bike.

Better Deals Are Found In The Off-Season
You are going to find better prices and deals in the off-season as you have more buying power because retail is slow. The same goes for picking up used parts and mountain bikes. If you are looking to save some money or you are on a tight budget, waiting until the colder months may be a great option. There will be less to choose from in the used market, but the prices are generally lower.

The cross country oriented 100mm travel Alchemist that we first saw last year at Downieville is finally ready for action in 2010 and like other Marin full suspension designs this one uses the four bar Quad Link 2.0 design. Like most XC bikes pedaling efficiency is the primary suspension focus while bump management is secondary on this bike. The shock eyes are captures through the pivots to reduce weight and you won’t find any carbon on this racer – it’s all aluminum with 6061 cold forged and machined pieces connecting the 6069 seat tube and 6066 aluminum frame tubes. For years now Marin has utilized hydroforming to shape and manipulate its tube shapes and 2010 is no different. Geometry is a little bit longer and a little bit steeper than the Mt. Vision bikes for snappy handling and a more stretched out cross country rider position. There will be three complete Alchemist models available in five different sizes.

2010 Alchemist
A three hour or so ride consisting of rocky fire road, tight single-track and more open faster wide trail on an Alchemist 4.9 ($5499.99) revealed a bike that likes to cover ground with comfort and speed. It pedals well without any funky pedal feedback and the aluminum frame feels stout mashing the pedals in the big ring over a short rise or hauling the mail on some rough trail. The suspension is fairly supple off the top of its stroke and that seemed to enhance traction and help me clean a couple of loose rocky steeps that upon first approach looked like a 50/50 chance of walking or riding up.

The trail bike oriented 2010 Mount Vision gets lighter and features revised geometry. Its swingarm is 200 grams lighter thanks to using tubes similar to those used in the Alchemist and Marin claims they cut that weight without effecting ride quality (stiffness). Marin claims that in its three years of service they’ve yet to see a swingarm failure so it was probably a bit overbuilt. Perhaps the most striking change is the smooth almost carbon looking front end. It’s all aluminum but the welds are filled giving it a sculpted look. Instead of sanding the welds smooth a filler is used that’s describes as being like a heavy paint that Marin claims adds little in the way of weight but it certainly offers a unique look. Pivot points remain unchanged since they were happy with the suspension performance but the links are now narrower with bearings set further into the links. Geometry gets a major revision via a slacker head tube (68.5 degree – was 69.5), longer top tube (size medium is about 20mm longer), lower bottom bracket and a slightly steeper seat angle. Internal bearings are now used in the head tube for a sleeker integrated look. Cable guides are added to the bottom of the top tube for a remote lowering seat post like a Gravity dropper or Joplin.

2010 Mount Vision
We took the Mount Vision 5.8 ($3299.99) on a short ride around the Tamarancho loop just outside of Fairfax to get a feel for the changes. The new geometry is noticeable right away giving it a feel that I’ve never experienced from a Marin before. The lower BB offers better high speed stability and makes the bike feel more confident on steep climbs and descents. I noted an odd short feeling from the front of the bike like I was on a size too small but it was indeed a large. Later I learned that the preproduction samples we were riding had about a ½’ shorter top tube than the production model so I wasn’t crazy. Other than the short top tube Mount Vision impressed with great suspension and better handling than past years - even with the short top tube.

The Wolf Ridge is now called the Attack Trail because it’s in many ways a new bike. The mainframe features a new support tube while the head tube is tapered with internal bearings and like the Mt. Vision, its linkages use deeper set bearings for a lower link profile. Travel is up 10mm from the Wolf Ridge to 150mm. The most compelling feature of the Attack trail frame is the fact that it’s specifically designed around Truvativ’s Hammerschmidt. It features a forged ISCG 05 bottom bracket shell and the suspension’s instant center has been changed to offer the best pedaling in the 22-tooth chain ring. Marin claims it actually ends up pedaling better in all the rings as a result. The frames are the same throughout the line so they’re all “Hammerschmmidt ready”. Like the Mt’ Vision remote activated seat post cable guides are located under the top tube.

2010 Attack Trail
Of the three bikes I rode the Attack Trail 6.8 ($3199.99) left the most lasting impression since it was one of those bikes that I jelled with instantly. It was almost like I’d owned it for a year rather than just riding it for a few hours even though the bike and rocky Marin County trail were new to me. The Rockshox Monarch equipped rear shock and Quad Link combo gobbled up small medium and large hits with equal finesse while the bike’s geometry offers a great blend of stability and responsiveness. I made sure to ride the bike in the small chain ring and use all the cogs to see how it would pedal with Hammerschmidt and felt great across the cassette. When the opportunity arose to spend another day on the Attack Trail in Downieville it didn’t take much to talk me into the three hour drive. The much faster trails revealed a stable flex free chassis that boosted my confidence on Third Divide and efficient pedaling rear suspension was nice crossing First Divide.

Take these first ride impressions for what they’re worth: first rides on preproduction bikes but I really like where Marin is taking things especially regarding geometry and handling. Look for more thorough reviews in the pages of Mountain Bike and here at mountainbike.com after we get some quality saddle time on production machines. And look for these bikes to arrive in shops around August to September.

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1

April 24-25 - Rabbit Valley Rally - Fruita, CO -TT and XC
May 15-16 - Chalk Creek Stampede -Nathrop, CO - XC, STXC, 4X, DS
June 5-6 - Chile Challenge - Angel Fire, NM - XC, DH, 4X, SD
June 26-27 - Wildflower Rush - Crested Butte, CO - XC, DH, 4X, SD
July 10-11- Blast the Mass - Snowmass Village, CO- XC, STXC, DH, DH, SD
August 7-8 - Keystone Revival - Keystone, CO - XC, STXC, DH, SD
August 22-23 - Full Tilt in Telluride - Telluride, CO - XC, HC, DH, 4X
September 4-6 - Winter Park Pursuit - Winter Park, CO - XC, STXC, DH, 4X, SD
September 10-12 - Fall Classic - Breckenridge, CO - STXC, TT, XC
Want to know more? Visit the series web site at www.racemsc.com

Cannondale’s top of the heap XC Scalpel Team edition gets dirty. Doubt everything about the bike from the funky fork to a rear end missing at least two joints, but like everything else, a ride tells the story.

Cannondale is “that other American brand”. Frankly they’ve always done a better job designing and building bikes than they have at marketing them. That’s a bold statement coming from a goober like me, especially when you consider that, along with prototype testing or R&D, a company’s marketing guys usually run the media show…

But please understand that I don’t mean it as a swipe at Cannondale. Frankly, if a few companies engineers (the ones that actually have engineers that is…) spent more time in original thought focused on what works better, rather than in playing catch up to a marketing departments ideas about what sells, well, they would be Cannondale. Some of the best examples of that have consistently been in their development on the Mountain side, and the Scalpel Team is no exception.

The easiest thing to note here, and the first thing every casual passer-by notices is the Lefty fork. It’s been in the product range long enough that nobody (with any brains) is calling it a fashion fork (especially guys trying to design something competitive). The latest version on the Scalpel, the Lefty Speed Carbon SL is a relatively close cousin the Max Carbon (tested by Mtbr site manger Gregg on the Rize) and represent the best of the bunch and offer fantastic performance.

An easy assumption from people (including me) was that this tech simply can’t offer the stability that comes from a standard two legger… And that’s generally speaking, wrong. In fact anything in the Lefty SL weight class is less stiff… In twist flex and in front to back flex. And that’s when you loosely define the term “weight class”.
Even if it tracked worse than it’s heavier competition (and it doesn’t), the weight of the SL sits at 2.5 pounds. For weight weenie types like me, it makes for an interesting problem because we’re so used to making excuses for the lack of performance on fly weight parts that we frankly don’t know what to do when something is this light and then outperforms other things…

The FAT tube cross section and materials combine for a fork that gives exceptional stiffness.
And does so without reservation or conditions like “better than you would expect for a single leg fork”.

The stiffness and tracking of the Lefty Speed Carbon is great compared to forks in the all mountain weight range.
It makes sense that compression and rebound have to be in one side on the lefty… But it’s that way on lots of two sided forks as well.

Another benefit of the massive cross section of the Lefty fork tube is that engineers have a lot of space to work inside compared to double leg forks that try and stick all of their damping into a smaller tube.

That extra room not only provides more volume for damping hardware, it also allows for the use of needle bearing actuation…

This coupled with better volume for damping makes for the smoothest operation XC fork on the market (just a personal opinion). And the structure also gets credit for some of the stiffness of the Lefty…

Swing around back and like the lefty, it looks a bit like something is missing here too…

The linkage at the back of most bike designs is, well, gone.

And I can honestly say that the combination of no pivots and the fact that Cannondale expect solid hunks of carbon to flex properly up and down, while not being sloppy as all hell side to side was nuts. I was thinking it would either be a glorified hard tail or be a noodle.

Part of the design that allows the Scalpel’s booty to work is pretty plain to see. Skinny stays top to bottom mean that they control both the point of flex as well as the direction…

And no pivots at the rear drops means nothing to gunk up.

Here in AZ it’s mostly dust, but pick your off road poison depending on geography and whatever it is, it’s not fouling up bearings or bushings that don’t exist…
And this lack of linkage / pivot points at the rear wheel also means that the stays are flexing in tandem more so than designs that do allow more freedom of movement. There is hardly any torsion twist that allows the rear wheel to track out of line in hard fast cornering or while the rear suspension is super active.

The link at the shock is pretty basic. Nothing overly special here. One of the neater features is that the tidy overall design makes this the easiest to clean Full Suspension mountain bike ever…

OK so that’s not really a big thing to lots of people but keeping things maintained is a pain in the ass…
The rear end actuates on the uber common Fox Float RP23. This one at 100MM travel with ProPedal. It’s basically a firm and soft setting with 3 subsets versus a standard lock out.

Lock out needs no explanation and ProPedal is pretty dang easy. The numbers are associated with variable degree’s of damping stiffness.

Now honestly I’ve set this bike up and don’t use much but active (lever to soft) and position 2. But for guys that ride lots of different places, this adjustment feature will have it’s advantages allowing on the fly dial in once your sag is properly set. For me, Lockout and single setting is enough.

The Build kit is what you would expect when a company like Cannondale writes “TEAM” on it… (though I’m miffed that Mine didn’t come in pimp-green trim)
Very good Wheels from Mavic in the form of their Crossmax SLR Disc give very low weight and an easy upgrade to tubeless.

Frankly this overall design and concept is better suited to Mountain bikes than Mavic’s continued format use on the road (thankFULLy these are not “M-Sys”). Mavic have a great wheel here in all respects.
The Brakes and Shifting are handled by SRAM / Avid and show in Black-Bling…

The brakes are what they are. Juicy Ultimate with good modulation, weigh diddly, are easy to set up and maintain. great reach and pull adjustment as well…
The shifting actuation of the XO is very good and we’re all ready for XX that should snug things up further.

One of the other features that are a great example of Cannondale design are the SIsl Cranks. Cannondale brought the integrated BB30 system to the field and this is one of the better examples of Cannondale Engineering… (In fact, Cannondale actually sub out their engineering to lots of folks.)

Simplifying and combining parts in the right way can make them stronger and lighter.

That’s about as simple a way to put it as you can. Having oversized bearings sitting wider means they get to handle the load in a way that allows for a combination of a more stable (stiff) bottom end and that stability in load handling also means things take a little (or a lot relative to what other system you compare them) longer to wear out.

And of course it’s pretty damn expensive and time consuming to do the type of detailed machining involved in making a crank like the SL

The detail and design combine for the strength to weight.
And at the end of the day, all these little details that you might think are not much different or don’t save “that much” weight, start to add up…

The whole damn thing rolls in SUB 22 pounds with Look Quartz pedals right out of the box. No cutting the seat post, still running the triple. Still rolling the stock (and damn nice) Conti Race Kings with tubes.

Did I ride it?
After I sat staring at it wondering how bad it would look getting passed by anything without a motor… Yeah.
This is a make no bones about it Cross Country Race bike design., The Scalpel has it’s obvious focus at XC but simply functions well enough not to get cubby holed.
Phoenix Trail 100 isn’t anyone’s fast smooth path. The entire ride is either pointed up a hill or down (frequently both in rapid succession) and the path isn’t traditional “dirt”. It’s almost completely made up of rocks of variable size with the occasional patch of sand… Crashing here means landing on either a sharp rock or a Cactus (or more likely a Cactus growing out between two sharp rocks).

Frankly I should look more toward the all mountain side for an every-day ride, but I love light bikes and simply prefer to ask too much of Cross Country rigs. The Scalpel has no problem filling that roll (but with a definite tilt to XC).

There is a premium in this environment on tracking and control and also on starting and stopping quickly. Constant changes of pace are the norm… Don’t get me wrong, there are other trails around here where the terrain is fast and rolling and this would be a fantastic bike for that. The Scalpel doesn’t sacrifice in weight to many hard tails, but smoother than any hard tail.
The suspension here is a treat. The Speed Carbon Lefty doesn’t just surprise me. It’s surprised everyone that I heard a comment from. And if you’ve tried lefty in the past, I can say that the SL and Max are both better than anything you’ve tried in the past.

And that’s when it’s not even functioning properly…
Full disclosure, I had a little bit of a fork oil leak in the Lefty. On initial build, the top cap on the internal cylinder was left a bit loose and maybe a teaspoon of oil leaked. I noted that there was a little loose-play in lock out (a fairly easy sign) and also noticed the bottom of the fork and the front brake had a coating of oil. And the front brake wasn’t functioning (a REALLY easy sign).
The brakes sit just in the right place for oil to pay a visit.

So it was surgery time and this gave me a chance to see the guts of the fork and how simple the mechanism is inside (the take down is a pretty darn easy deal compared to most forks). After topping off the oil and making sure everything was tight, the fork was working better than great… [Juicy Ultimate brakes are also VERY easy to work on as swapping pads took no time]. Once fully filled, the fork was dead silent (instead of the very VERY slight squish/liquid traveling noise) and the compression was even more consistent and smooth through the range.

Combine the function and the 100mm Travel and the fact that the fork weighs nothing and you have a reasonable all mountain fork that forgot the extra pound of weight.

Or use set up the damping and use it as intended and you have an insane XC fork that leaves me drawing blanks if asked to name a fork I would prefer regardless of bike brand.

Out back is a little different but still very good.
This isn’t an all mountain rear end. The Zero Pivot design sits where Cannondale want it to sit. Some place between a super plush linkage design and razor / hard tail precision.

To do that, you’re not going to get a silk pillow, but the 100mm of travel and the rear design soak up far more than you think they should given the tracking and control.

The Scalpel’s back end stays very well connected to the ground and the RP23 gets a full work out. The combination of control and bump soaking is really impressive. Once you go Tubeless, get your shock preload pressure right and add in the fine tuning selection that the Fox’s ProPedal gives you, you’ll have a ride than handles like a hard tail except the bumps go away…

The only XC condition where tossing in linkage would be a bit of a benefit and would be in fast and continual choppy sections where quicker smoother action under heavy, rapid fire compression and rebound becomes a little more critical due to a bit more limited travel of an XC bike. Frankly that same condition pummels other XC suspension designs where I am and just plain wigged out another companies compubrained unit. But I mention it to those that heard me talk about all mountain.

I’m happy to sacrifice the bit of extra smoothness for the overall better control and tracking that comes with the Zero Pivot design. Even then, it’s only because I’m asking an XC bike to do more than it reasonably should. If XC is your focus, you really loose nothing in the Zero Pivot system and simply gain tracking.

That the rear isn’t as incredible as the front is a compliment to the front not an insult to the back…
The Frame itself is solid. Full high Mod Carbon Fiber sits under the stock paint job.

I honestly wish they would show off the carbon a bit more, and a fellow weight weenie in Italy did enough work to give you a more clear view of what the co-mould frame looks like (along with modifying almost everything else on the bike)

The weight and stiffness that come with this package are a noticeable factor. Coupled with the SI cranks (and yeah, the top line wheels and race rubber) and it provides for an exceptionally quick platform that transfers power that is, in a word, “direct”. In fact, given the exceptionally light front end (and total package really), the geometry had me at times wishing I had chosen to be fit a little more forward and lower at the bars. Pulling the front end off the ground is easier on this bike than any other bike I have ever owned.

The frame here is stiff… Frankly I wish I could have this bike with a couple different forks just to do a better job of narrowing down exactly what’s what with regard to directional control. That said, I would not at all be surprised to find that the frame fork and rear end are each (stand alone) stiffer than competitive bikes in class.

Put the stiffness of these segments all together and unlike most things bicycle, “scalpel is a pretty damn appropriate name.

There’s so much feedback and so little slop anywhere that I’ve not been on anything else that handles like this bike. In fact I’ve been on dual suspension bikes with front and rear locked out that don’t react as quickly as the Scalpel does with its suspension fully active.
Not sure what else to say except that XC bikes in general are getting to be genuinely exceptional. There are a lot of great choices out there and lots of places to spend BIG money.

For me, after testing top line bikes from a few other companies, I’m not sure that there are more than a couple other bikes that rival the Scalpel Team. At the best part of $7000 it’s not going to be for everyone. It doesn’t look like an over the top amount of money when you look at the parts list and frame and fork spec, but this is a bike that simply should not be judged by it’s off the charts parts list.

The drawbacks are not many with the front end arguably the best in the biz and a rear end that moves more (up and down) and less (side to side) that anyone thinks it will. Mix in a who’s who of top parts and that leaves the only gripe I have sitting at the stem… I would LOVE for Cannondale to find a way to make this rig easier to swap stems, but a good dealer should frankly do this for you if they fit you a bit off and you need a change in the first month.

I would also like it more if a few other wheel manufacturers had lefty tech hubs. In fact it would be GREAT if Cannondale sold a slick hub set with a couple drilling patterns. It’s not like they lack the design and execution to do it!

The Scalpel Team is all about the way the frame and Fork operate and as you work down through the range, something less than the team is giving you the better part of all of its operational advantage, if not the cream0crop parts list.

29ers are the rage, but for ultimate quickness and control, there isn’t a 29er that behaves like this. Not everyone has the same flowing trails that allow 29 to shine. And while this bike has a slick enough, 100mm front end and good durability that allow it to take more tough things than lots of XC bikes should, make no mistake about it’s field of expertise…
T
he crazy part is that any day now you’ll see the next Scalpel… And while I am grinning from ear to ear about this one, there are proto forks in the works that will break the 1K barrier and still be more than competitive with stiffness. The frames are getting tweaked and suspension on the whole is getting better.

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2009 Cannondale Carbon Scalpel Team Large Fox RP23 BB30

US $1,500.00

18d

2009 Cannondale Scalpel 3 Medium

US $2,000.00

1d 6h 30m

Cannondale Carbon Scalpel 2010 Perfect Condition Large

US $2,199.00

1d 6h 34m

Cannondale Scalpel First Generation Composite Seatstay

US $99.99

12d 10h 49m

2009 Cannondale Scalpel Team XC Racing MTB Never Used

US $6,100.00

2d 14h 39m

New Cannondale Scalpel Seatstay Composite First Gen XC

US $79.99

2d 10h 28m

2009 Cannondale Scalpel LARGE NEW

28 Bids

US $1,225.00

2d 12h 45m

2009 Cannondale Scalpel Sobe Team Replica XL

0 Bid

US $2,500.00

3d 8h 7m

View Page:   1  2

For rugged terrain, many experts recommend all-mountain bikes. These bikes are sturdier and more rugged -- and have more suspension -- than traditional mountain bikes, but they are also heavier. In this category, reviewers say the Specialized Pitch Comp provides great value and good performance over rough trails. The Specialized Pitch Comp is based on the same frame as the Specialized Enduro SL bikes (*MSRP: $3,300 - $7,700), and riders benefit from much of the same technology without the hefty price tag. Tester feedback shows that the Specialized Pitch Comp performs well on all types of rugged terrain, including steep climbs and technical descents, thanks to nearly 6 inches of travel. Some owners feel the need to upgrade a few components, but they acknowledge that this bike is a good deal. Other reviewers would like to have a shock or fork lockout. If that feature is important to you, the Fuji Thrill LT 2.0 (*MSRP: $1,850) has a rear shock lockout, and it also gets good reviews.

We found a number of good reviews of the Specialized Pitch Comp. Mountain Bike Action and Bicycling include the bike in their 2009 buyer's guides, and Bicycling includes a lengthy write-ups based on tester feedback. Bike magazine also writes a recent review of the Specialized Pitch Comp, but it's not quite as detailed. There are also a good number of owner-written reviews on MTBR.com, which help confirm what experts are saying in the bike publications.

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Specialized Enduro Moutnain Bike

17 Bids

US $202.50

1h 18m

Specialized Sirrus Pro

8 Bids

US $102.50

1h 38m

2008 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Elite

16 Bids

US $1,202.77

2h 24m

Specialized S Works M5 mountain frame 17 inch

9 Bids

US $305.00

2h 25m

Gary Fisher Cake 2 Mountain bike size Large

13 Bids

US $455.00

3h 39m

2010 Specialized Demo 8 SAM HILL EDITION medium

US $3,300.00

4h 11m

2010 Specialized Sworks Stumpjumper 19

1 Bid

US $3,500.00

4h 44m

Display Model 2008 DK Xenia Complete Mountain Bike

0 Bid

US $891.00

4h 44m

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It's not the most rugged mountain bike, but reviewers say it's hard to beat the Trek 3900 for beginners on a budget. This aluminum-framed mountain bike is a hardtail bike, so there is no suspension in the rear, and only asmall amount of travel (just over 3 inches) in the front. The Trek 3900 is designed for light off-road use on dirt and gravel trails, and reviewers say you shouldn't expect to take this bike off jumps or over rugged and technical terrain. This mountain bike earns high marks for a rigid frame and smooth shifting, but experts recommend spending a little extra to upgrade to disc brakes, which offer more reliable braking in dirt and mud, on the Trek 3900 Disc (MSRP: $480). Overall, reviewers say this bike is a great value and a good fit for new riders looking to escape the confines of smooth pavement.

Although it's not designed for rugged terrain, experts say the Trek 3900 is a great choice for beginning riders looking to ride smooth gravel or dirt trails. The Trek 3900 is a hardtail mountain bike, meaning there is no suspension in the rear, and it has 80 mm (3.15 inches) of travel in the front. The Trek 3900 gets high marks for its rigid frame and smooth shifting, but experts say you should really spend the extra $40 to upgrade to disc brakes on the Trek 3900 Disc (*MSRP: $480). Disc brakes offer more reliable braking in dirt and mud, and owner-written reviews say this upgrade is worth it.

Overall, most owners are happy with the Trek 3900 and love the value. They caution, however, that you can't take this bike on rugged terrain or launch it off jumps -- it's not designed for these purposes. If you prefer a full-suspension mountain bike to a hardtail, experts say the Haro Shift R1 (*MSRP: $895) is a good choice. It's more expensive than the Trek 3900, but it can handle more rugged trails and offers a fork lockout to improve the ride on level trails.

Most budget mountain bikes don't receive much coverage in professional reviews, and the Trek 3900 is no exception. The best source of information on this bike comes from owner-written reviews on MTBR.com; most of these reviews are detailed and balanced. Buzzillions.com also compiles reviews from several different sites, but most of their reviews come from the Trek website. Although we normally don't give much weight to reviews posted on manufacturer websites, these seem relatively balanced. In addition, Bicycling magazine covers the Trek 3900 Disc, which is identical to the Trek 3900 except for the addition of disc brakes.

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2010 Trek Remedy Frame

US $1,500.00

1h 32m

1999 Trek VRX 500 Down Hill Mountain Bike

0 Bid

US $400.00

2h 16m

Trek Liquid Mountain Bike Custom

US $950.00

2h 40m

RARE Rotwild RR2 TEAM ERGON Frame Now in the US NEW

US $2,100.00

23d 6h 26m

Trek Mountain Track 800 Mountain Bike Used

7 Bids

US $26.00

9h 55m

2009 Trek 69er Singlespeed Mountain Bike Medium NR

0 Bid

US $899.99

10h 49m

Trek fuel ex 95 OCLV 110 carbon full suspension mtb

0 Bid

US $1,000.00

11h 8m

Haro extreme X1 Mountain Bike GT fox trek specialized

0 Bid

US $600.00

11h 29m

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Kona’s suspension bikes have always rewarded their fans with some of the longest lifespans around. The new 6in Dawgs are faithful friends in the most inhospitable terrain, but there’s deinitely no whippet in their bloodline.
Ride & handling: totally dependable long-travel cruiser that’ll take everything in its lazy stride
With its ultra reliable, chaos-calming suspension, plenty of cockpit room and relatively light weight, the Dawg will be a truly faithful backcountry friend for years to come. However, flexy wheels and steady character make it happier walking placidly to heel rather than chasing sticks.

While the sub-30lb weight is commendable for a 6in bike, the longer linkages make it more of an effort-eater than previous bikes. As a result we found ourselves clicking the ProPedal compression damping on for every climb and settling in for a slow wind upwards rather than sprinting for a win. The soggy, flexy feel of the FSA wheels further undermined any steering accuracy.
The longer stem and steeper 68° head angle also remove a lot of the playfulness and steering agility that were characteristic of last year’s Dawgs. It still goes where you want it to, and the increased travel means you can lean back and let it plough through pretty much anything in your path, but there’s no incentive to really push your limits.

Frame: strong, stiff and fairly light
Kona has worked hard to minimise weight in the Dawg frames. Scandium alloy has crept in from the Cold War arsenal to make extremely strong and stiff frame tubes. Kona has put a lot of effort into optimising the tube shapes too, with a curved coffin to hexagon section down tube, kinked teardrop section top tube and externally butted head tube.

To increase the travel by 1in in the rear to a rock-munching 6in, Kona has lengthened the rocker link and rejigged the linkages. The rocker link is magnesium to drop weight even lower, and modular drop-outs on the end of deep rectangular chainstays allow you to replace crash-damaged components or change to Maxle screw-thru axles. There’s plenty of tyre clearance too.
We miss the chromed chainslap-proof chainstay and, while the seat collar looks neat, it either lets the post slip or is so tight it won’t open or close without some persuasion from a rock.

The long-lived suspension bearings and minimal maintenance design make the Dawg family – and all Kona suspension bikes – favourites of MTB rental fleets the world over. Another reason why Kona riders display such loyalty to the brand is the inch-by-inch sizing, which ensures a great fit for everyone. For this year the Dawg is not only longer in travel terms, but also in reach thanks to a longer stem and longer front centre. Add a decent width riser bar and you’ve got plenty of room to get your pedal on and enjoy the view.

Equipment: basic groupset and pimped up finishing kit
Shimano’s everyman SLX chainset, shifters and front mech are the backbone of the Dawg Deluxe’s transmission, combined with an up-specced XT Shadow rear mech for showroom appeal. SLX disc brakes take care of stopping duties.

For 2009 Kona unveiled a raft of matching satin gunmetal finish own-brand bars, stem, seat posts and quick releases (QRs) to give that collar and cuffs finish. The perch is a WTB Rocket and the FSA hoops are shod with grippy Maxxis Ignitors 2.35 tyres.

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2007 KONA KING MTN BIKE

US $1,200.00

5h 33m

2006 Kona Howler frame with shock 155

US $350.00

8h 6m

KONA KING KAHUNA 18 29er Frame

US $578.54

9h 28m

Kona Stuff Dirt Jump MTB bike

US $893.10

16h 6m

Kona King Supreme 19 inch

US $500.00

23h 52m

Kona coiler frame and parts

US $500.00

1d 6h 23m

Kona Caldera Mountain Bike

5 Bids

US $188.78

1d 10h 5m

Kona Big Unit 29er New 2010 Components

0 Bid

US $1,550.00

1d 10h 34m

1