pigmode

I'm looking for comments on either one in terms of handling, suspension, and components. The bike will be strictly for conservative singletrack riding--no jumping, air, or stuff like that. I'm leaning towards the Kona, although the Cannondale is available the shop I favor slightly, but the issue is not a deal breaker. I haven't ridden a suspension bike yet, my last and only MTB being a 90s Cannondale Beast Of The East.

a2psyklnut

Both are good bikes. It's really going to be a matter of which one feels better after a test ride or after several test rides.

I've owned several Cannondales, but never a Kona. I have ridden a lot of Kona though. I have always had Kona on my short list when it comes to buy a new bike, but always seem to buy another brand. Usually due to price negotiations.

I would buy a Kona today if the price were right (and I was in the market).

CrashVector

I currently have a Kona, and I used to own a Cannondale. I love my Kona, but my old Cannondale was bomb proof....something I am not comfortable saying about the Kona yet, but I haven't exactly put it through the wringer yet either.

I dont know the prices you have been quoted, so I cannot comment about that.

The F800 uses the Lefty DLR2 110mm fork. Some people shy away from the lefty because of its single leg. I have ridden one, and I cannot actually FEEL a difference in stability, and it CERTAINLY saves weight. Some people will be skeptical over durability of a single-leg fork, but if you read reviews from actual owners, none of them have had any signifigant problems with the forks beyond what you could normally expect. In other words, its a lighter fork with one leg, and it performs just as well as a 'regular' fork.

Not too fond of the Shimano LX components on the Cannondale., but otherwise, the F800 is a solid bike for how you will be using it.


I will assume the Kona is the 2007 model.
The fork is nice on the Kula. Rock Shox is a time-proven brand, and the Recon is a fairly lightweight fork. This should be a good, quick bike, but it wont handle any kind of hard abuse. The ratios on the Kula seem a bit high for a 'race' bike. It would do better with a 52/9 setup instead of the 44/11 that it comes with considering its supposed to be a competition bike.

$1500 MSRP seems a tad high for a hardtail with those components, but like I said, it should be a light, quick, fast bike.

Overall, I'd personally prefer the Cannondale, depending on the price. If the prices are the same, I would definately pick the F800. If the Cannondale was any more than about $1750, then I'd go with the Kona.

Bike Lover

I was able to experience the lefty yesterday for the first time. It performed flawlessly and much like my Super Fatty. No noticable effects from being a single sided fork and no stiction either.

And just think, air planes have been using one legged landing gear for many years.

Roxter

Wrong, its actually not that light. It weighs 3.5 lbs, the rock shox sid is over half a pound lighter

pigmode

Looks like I'm going to throw the Dawg Primo and Rush 800/1000 onto the short list. The more I research, the more I want something more "modern" so to speak. Need to do some testriding to see if I can live with rear end bounce.

CrashVector

The Rush bikes are VERY nice rides indeed. Seriously....if I had the money, the Rush 1000 would DEFINATLY be in my final 2 choices. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE my '06 Kona Dawg Deluxe, but the Cannondale Rush 1000 is a seriously nice bike.

The Dawg primo is a dawg deluxe with upgraded components (fork, shocks, switchgear, etc).

The Rush is a completely different bike. SRAM components Fox Float RP3 rear shock, Lefty Speed Bonded DLR2 110mm travel, Avid Juicy 7 hydraulic brakes.

Dawg Primo is Shimano Deore, Fox Float R 130mm fork (and one I am considering upgrading my Grand Fondo 1 RC to), Fox Float RP3 rear shock, Hayes HFX-9 hydraulic discs.


The lefty fork is an extremely good fork. It is very responsive, and very stable. Overall, I prefer the component set on the Cannondale.

mcoine

Lefty Speed Carbon SL...2.72lbs

pigmode

One thing I notice about the Dawg in a lot of different setups is that the bars are often higher than the saddle. It seems like the Dawg's frame is designed with a higher frontend. Is this a good setup for steep technical (slow speed) downhills? Wouldn't a high handlebar setup have a negative effect on efficiency, especially when standing on the pedals while climbing or even climbing in general?

Roxter

Apparently they don't use that shock anymore.... It's not on the site, nor any of their bikes for 2006.

CrashVector

You have to remember that your shoulders are a lot higher than your hips are. When actually riding, you actually lean forward slightly.

I was concerned about the very same thing when I saw the bike. I adjusted the seat about 1 inch higher than in the pic and its just about perfect for me.

The actual riding position is more upright than your average XC bike, but it is more forward than you think it is.

Like I said, you need to test ride one for yourself....the looks are deceiving. The Dawg Deluxe is a very nice bike. I should know...I just bought one after passing over various Trek and Specialized bikes.

mcoine

That spec is from the 2007 catalogue.

Roxter

Ahh, gotcha.