Cannondale Flash 29er 2 Review

I got out this evening for my second outing with the new 29er. I went back out to Green Mountain, the trails where generally in good shape after the recent snow but there were areas where the run off had made some large "puddles" or bogs. The mud was fun! Breaking it loose and floating through, cross style. Nice

The bike was awesome! It climbs everything and simply rolls over large rocks and routs. It is so smooth. At times I would forget to unlock the fork because the ride was so good. That's not to say a suspension fork didn't make the ride better, it's just that the big wheels make a difference. The Lefty fork is simply butter! It is so sweet. It's nice and light so when you need to get that front wheel up, it's no problem. The Lefty is so much smoother than my previous bike's fork, it had almost 2x the travel. It gives you a lot of confidence on those bumpy descents.

The tires, Kenda small block 8, have been good in the dry but in the mud today they just held on to the mud. Increasing the weight of the wheels and decreasing traction. Most of my riding will likely be in the dry so it shouldn't be and issue but I may need to pick up a different set that shed the mud a little better.

So far I'm really pleased with the bike! It makes me want to get back on the trails. My last bike I just fought with. I would definitely recommend this bike. Cannondale has done it right.

I'm very excited for my upcoming mountain biking trip to Moab.

Pink is the new Bright White

Crap, I guess I got a little sun today. BRIGHT WHITE is now a little sun burned pink.
I should have been a Viking!

Census Form

When I filled out my Census form, I selected white as my race.

Because BRIGHT WHITE was not an option!

Nice to see the sun, sorry for blinding everyone out there!

Can't Say that I'm Surprised

There's been some news lately about a food additive that's found its way into so many of our foods. This particular food item was only introduced to our diets back in the 1970's, before this we used a natural product.

The additive, High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).

Recent studies at Duke University have shown that HFCS contributes to liver disease and/or liver injury.

CNN reported on a research group that gave HFCS sweetened water to rats over a six month period and showed that they developed more belly fat and a greater weight gain when compared to rats given natural table sugar. Also the rats given HFCS had an increase level of triglycerides, fat's chemical form in the body.

So do your self a favor, read the food labels on what you eat. You'll definitely be surprised by what's in there. Then opt for something a little more natural. Humans have been eating natural products since before the 70's. Just because the marketing people say it tastes good doesn't mean it's good.

Spring!

And yes, the kids have more bikes than I do.

The Ride Before the Storm

This was the mountain bike ride I hit yesterday before it snowed 12 inches today

The ride was amazing. The Cannondale Flash 29er just soaked up the bumps. The big wheels and extra tire volume make the ride sweet. The hard tail ensured all my power went to the wheels. The Lefty fork was so buttery smooth and easy to adjust. Can't wait for the snow to melt so I can get back out!
Should of stayed off Dinosaur ridge, the steep angle sand stone rocks were slick as snot and sharp!

Green Mountain

Finally got out on the new 29er! The ride was sweet.

Returning to Normal

Yesterday the family got out for a little ride around Boulder Res. The weather was fantastic. I was riding in shorts! Kailee rode her bike around the lake, she was a little worried about the dirt but did great, she even learned how to break down the steep hills. She was a little worn out by the last few hills but did great.
I road the new Cannondale Flash 29er, while it was only on a dirt road, it felt great.
After wards we went to the beach and played in the sand until it got cold. Then we took the tired crew home.




Saturday evening I brewed up a Honey Amber Beer. We'll see how this one turns out next month.

Cannondale Fan

Another sweet ride on the way?

Cannondale Flash 29er 2 Pre-Ride Review

So, I got my new mountain bike, Cannondale Flash 29er 2, a few weeks ago. We've had a lot of snow so I haven't been able to ride it on the trails yet. I've been meaning to put up some photos but the winter weather has kept me, unmotivated. Well, things are starting to warm up and I'm dreaming of hitting he trails on the new bike. So here is the pre-ride story so far and some juice photo's (even if they're not that good)

It appears that Cannondale is continuing to change what will be offered on this bike. Originally they had a set of specs on their web site describing the build but they've changed them. Funny thing is they haven't updated the photo so it still has the original components on it, look closely.

Basically the bike is a simple aluminum 29er with a green paint. The over-sized tubing on the main triangle and hydroformed tubes make it look very sweet. The SAVE chain and seat stays are designed to keep the ride comfortable. The tube shapes are impressive compared to what was available the last time I got an aluminium framed bike. I believe the bike is darker than the Cannondale website shows. It's more olive drab, but I think it looks a lot better darker. The frame is still made in the U.S.A., and I view that as plus during these economic times. I'm doing my part to help the recovery..... right?


The frame has a BB30 bottom bracket and the original spec had it coming with a lower end FSA BB30 crank. My bike came with some Shimano standard thing and I asked my great local bike shop to fix it. The FSA crank wasn't available so they upgraded me to the FSA afterburner crank. I was ok with that. With that huge down tube and the BB30, that baby is stiff! When they switched out the crank, they told me the difference was likely half a pound or more. Why would you buy a BB30 frame and then have a heavy adapter and low end crank on it?


The bike was spec'd to have all SRAM X-7 shifters and derailleurs but I ended up with X-7 shifters, X-9 rear derailleur and a shimano Deore front derailleur. The brakes are Avid Elixir 5's and work well. No issues when I ride it in the house or around the block. I think the drive train will be fine and if I have issues the components are easy to swap out and relatively inexpensive.

I added some Ergon grips and Shimano XT pedals. The crank bros pedals are great for cross but don't hold me secure enough during longer and rough rides. The handle bars came crazy wide and had to be cut down so the bike would fit through the doorway to get in the house. The Lefty fork looks sweet but may take some getting used to, its reviews are good and it's a full pound lighter than other high end forks. This fork is only 40g heavier than the next level up carbon Lefty (blew me away, the $ to gram ratio for that doesn't quite work). The wheels are solid, the are DT swiss rims and spokes. The bike was spec'd to have competition spokes but these are straight gauge. I asked Cannondale to fix this but with the crank exchange and the cost of a wheel rebuild they politely declined and said "the wheels will be more robust with straight gauge spokes." True enough but they will also be heavier. Perhaps I'll just need some good race wheels, or maybe not it only ~30 grams per wheel difference.


See some more photos below. I'll have an other post with a first ride review. I'm very excited.

Thanks for reading