Curtis, you know me. I'm a roadie first, just like you. Still, I enjoy mountain biking on a very, well, almost "beginner" level. My bike is a '98 GT Zaskar, i.e. hardtail with a SID suspension fork. Nothing fancy. Yes, I used to race mountain bikes back in the 90's but that was so long ago.

Still, even though I don't take chances, sure don't try to get "air" and ride what I consider to be very conservatively, I recently (May 14th, 2016) crashed on an "easy" (i thought) descent on a Jeep road mind you, not single-track, bad enough to break a clavicle, bruise some ribs and get a mild concussion. Oh, and lost a lot of skin too. And it was on a Jeep road I'd ridden numerous times before.

I'm just saying . . . be careful out there! The biggest change I notice is that the surface we're riding is not solid. It can and does move. So that takes some getting used to. Yet, it is do-able.

Good suggestions above regarding your Cannondale bike. I would stay stick with it until your mountain bike skills exceed that bike's abilities on your local trails.

Rick / OCRR