Cannondale Bike Demo Part 3

In the last two weeks I have demo'ed the 2007 Cannondale Rush 4 and Prophet 4 on the same trail with similar conditions to come to a conclusion concerning my next bike purchase. Both bikes were a lot of fun to ride and I am not comparing them to see which one is the better bike, but which bike is better for me. I have been watching the reviews for these bikes over the last couple of years and had decided to purchase a Rush based on the descriptions and conclusions of the reviews. So after riding each bike back to back I was surprised at the results. But first, in a nutshell here is what I found out.

The Prophet is a very versatile bike. The ability to change the head tube angle on the trail allows this bike to be ridden on a variety on terrain going up or down. It's stable in the rough stuff and a good pedaling bike. It feels comfortable to be in the saddle going up the hill. Heading downhill on the Prophet I felt as if I would never come close to pushing this bike to its full potential. But I also felt that way when I was riding a hardtail and rode my first full suspension bike. Of course my biggest concern was the weight of the bike. I believe with a wheel upgrade, which I already possess, and some other upgrades along the way I could get the weight down to under 30 pounds. This would be a reasonable weight for a trail bike and would not detract from its intended purpose.

The Rush on the other hand seems to be a bike designed for a specific purpose. It pedals and accelerates with ease. But as soon as the trail turns a bit bumpy, my confidence went way down. So the fun factor on this bike was low. And the difference in weight between the bikes is about 1.7 pounds. Not a huge amount and certainly not enough to justify giving up the confidence on the descents.

So what am I looking for? Well, I am a trail bike kind of guy. I have never raced, even though I would like to try a fun race eventually. And I certainly am not a freerider. I enjoy rolling over obstacles more than flying over them at mach 1. I know what kind of trails I enjoy but I have had limited experience riding different bikes. I do admire versatility in any gear I buy. I think the next bike I purchase will need to be able to adapt to a variety of terrain and conditions. From the 1 hour after work blast around my favorite loop to the all day epic Edge Loop in Fruita(one of my personal goals to accomplish).

While I was riding the Prophet I was thinking "How can I lighten this bike up a little?" and while I was riding the Rush "How can I beef up this bike a little?". I can set the Prophet up to be a good cross country trail bike that will handle the occasional big obstacle and in the event I want to meet some friends and ride at Keystone (which I would love to try), this bike would be able to handle that as well. Trying to beef up the Rush would be to take a great bike and make it something it is not. So for me I think the Prophet will suit my needs for a long time.

If I had the money I would probably have 10 bikes but unfortunately I need one bike to be versatile and handle anything I can dish out at it. I think the Prophet will suit me well. Now I just need to come up with the money. 5/16/07