Cannondale 1999 TS700

Favorite Ride:
anywhere

Bike Setup:
changed the front crank gears to get myself from a 30 gear inch down to a 19 gear inch granny also dropped top end down from 130 to 110

Summary:
The reason I got the bike was to be able to go from pavement to dirt without too much fuss and considering the things that I am asking the bike to do it is working out very well. Once I Have a few more trips with the bike I will be able to give a more detailed report. Hope to see you on the road.

Strengths:
nice combination of stiffness and for power and smoothness
with the long wheelbase. I find the frame really comfortable and stable during long rides, and the head shock does an excellent job of absorbing road shock whether on rough pavement or on dirt road. Being from the northern part of the province dictates that if I want a different ride I have to go on some of the many logging roads in the area or else I'm on the same paved road out and back in. It's a great way to get off the beaten path and see some interesting country. I've also gotten myself a B.O.B. trailer and after a little bit of fussing, managed to get it hooked up which saves the frame and the rack from too much abuse.

Weaknesses:
With the fat tubes you have to be a little creative when trying to put a rear rack and pull a BOB trailer ie; cut the front brace of the rack below the weld to get the rack flush with the frame but once you do that everything fits. The rack has to have extra extender to tie it to the seat stays because of sloping down tube, but it carries very little weight anyway so it doesn't matter too much. The brake shifters and the lx derailer work ok but for real serious stuff I would change to xt and bar-end shifters

Similar Products Used:
have an old Nishiki International that I rode for 10 years

Bike Setup:
Setup was OK except for the "unfixable" headshock.

Summary:
The TS700 is a potentially good bike, but the headshock is unreliable, and too complex for a touring bike which is often taken far from dealer service. Also, the headshock raises the head tube too high for comfort. After my experience, and owning 4 Cannondales, I won't buy another.

Strengths:
Usual good Cannondale frame,headshock gives a noticeably smoother ride,pretty good components for the money.

Weaknesses:
When I test rode the bike the headshock had a bad rattle which the dealer said was an easy fix. After 3 months and many visits to the dealer the rattle was lessened but still annoying there. Also, because of the shock the head tube was too high, making mounting difficult. In desperation I made a deal where the Dealer transfered all components to a standard T700 frame. This bike has been excellent but it was an annoying and expensive way to go. Seems to me Cannondale and the Dealer really didn't give proper support.

Similar Products Used:
Had a Cannondale T800 for 13 years. Currently have Cannondale R500, Bike Friday, Klein Pinnacle.

Favorite Ride:

LAKEFRONT

Summary:
GREAT BIKE ON LONG DISTANCE RIDES BUT HAD TROUBLE CLICKING IN TO ONE PEDAL. WILL PROBABLY REPLACE PEDALS TO SHIMANO BUT THAT THE ONLY PROBLEM I'VE HAD...LOVE THIS BIKE...AND WELL WORTH THE $900 PRICE TAG

Strengths:

FRAME WEIGHT
HEAD SHOCK

Weaknesses:

CODA CLIPS

Similar Products Used:

SCHWINN VOYAGER TOURING BIKE

Summary:


I bought the TS700 becasue of the HeadShock for riding on a Rails to Trails and for road riding to supplement my mountain bike riding. Overall I am very satisfied with the bike. The only problem I've had is getting clipped into one of the Coda 500 pedals. Otherwise it is a very comfortable, good handling, easy shifting smooth ride.

Strengths:
None

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
None