Price Paid:
$0.00
at Village Bike Shop, S Favorite Ride:
Country rodes around home Bike Setup:
Great Cannondale frame, P-Bone Headshock, Shimano Brakes, Deore LX rear, Nexave front deraillers, Pa Summary:
I had been looking around for some time at Mountain Bikes, was riding an old Diamondback Wildwood, and had tried a Raleigh M80, Trek 930, Schwin Mesa GSX, Cannondale F400 et al, and just did not feel comfortable. I did not need a bike that was set up that aggressively. I do not do any singletrack riding, but do ride some pretty rough country roads and wanted fat tires. Did not trust myself on a hybrid.
After looking at cheaper MBs, I gave the Cannondale F400 a try and was not that impressed and saw the Silk Trail and rode it and decided that this was the bike. The bike gave a great ride. Smooth, quick. Nice frame, good geometry for me, I am 6'3", 260lbs. The bike is fairly light and I love the gearing. I commute every morning and hit the hills in the afternoon. Wonderful ride. With a few modifications the bike could be set to do trails, like the F400, (changing the stem, handlebars, tires and seatpost and it would seem to do about as well). Strengths:
Frame, Fork, basic component level is good. Deore LX Rear, Nexave front. And yes, unlike many, I really like the quick shifting of the cheap Centcrea (spelling) gripshifts. Parallax hubs, nice rims (Weinman Zac 19-have done well, three crashes, and carrying my big butt. I do not stress them out on trails etc.) Weaknesses:
The IRC Advantagepro tires did not do well on the road, especially when I ran into chat/pea-gravel that was more than just covering the surface of the road. The tires have no edge and so if you get into a bit of gravel, 1 inch or 2 deep, the tire will slide out from under you. It has no edge. It is a comfortable, fast tire, but does not do well except on clean pavement. Changed the tires to Michelin Wildgripper Rock Similar Products Used:
Diamondback Wildwood, Raleigh m-80, Schwin Mesa GSX, Cannondale F400, Trek 930
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