Pale Rider
Legendary Member
Here it is, fresh from the shop earlier today:
It's a 2014 Cannondale Trail SL1 29er, medium frame.
The year is important because it was on clearance at £850 from my local bike shop, as opposed to the 2015 model, which is £1,399.
As ever the specs have been tinkered with for the new year, but 2015 loses the granny ring which I need, and adds through axles and tubeless ready, which I don't.
In this case the advice about looking out for last year's model has worked well.
Evans has my bike on clearance at £935, so my local bike shop has looked after me nicely at £850.
The bike was properly prepared and everything works, which is always a relief.
Speaking of prepared, it seems a shame to load the naked bike with accessories, but it was bought to do a job.
That job is half day or day rides, mostly on cycle tracks and bridle paths.
I've tried a hybrid, but some of the tracks are a bit ropey - and muddy at this time of year - which meant the narrower tyres and lack of mud clearance on a hybrid caused me handling and clogging problems.
Speed is neither here nor there, I spend too much time sitting around drinking coffee and shooting the breeze for that, and in any case early indications are the 29er tyres roll a treat.
I should be able to bowl along at about 10mph, which is enough on the paths when there are lots of other users about.
My trunk bag will hold my flask and sandwiches, and the carrier has a solid base so should double up as a mud deflector.
The Mucky Nutz short front mudguard is as much to keep the mud out of the steerer as anything else, the down tube Flinger will deal with the rest.
Multi-tool and puncture stuff is in the wedge pack, pump on the seat tube bottle holder, basic trip computer on the stem.
No plans to add anything else, although I do like prop stands.
The frame is Cannondale's Super Light, so the total weight of the rig is still reasonable.
I can't give an in-depth review from one ride, but I genuinely enjoyed myself on it earlier and I can't see why that shouldn't continue.
Particularly impressed with the comfort, which I'm told is in part due to the frame, which is a unique Cannondale design, as opposed to their cheaper bikes which now come with generic frames.
Here's the Evans links for the two bikes:
Mine: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/trail-sl-1-29er-2014-mountain-bike-ec053949
This year's model: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/trail-sl-1-29er-2015-mountain-bike-ec071444
It's a 2014 Cannondale Trail SL1 29er, medium frame.
The year is important because it was on clearance at £850 from my local bike shop, as opposed to the 2015 model, which is £1,399.
As ever the specs have been tinkered with for the new year, but 2015 loses the granny ring which I need, and adds through axles and tubeless ready, which I don't.
In this case the advice about looking out for last year's model has worked well.
Evans has my bike on clearance at £935, so my local bike shop has looked after me nicely at £850.
The bike was properly prepared and everything works, which is always a relief.
Speaking of prepared, it seems a shame to load the naked bike with accessories, but it was bought to do a job.
That job is half day or day rides, mostly on cycle tracks and bridle paths.
I've tried a hybrid, but some of the tracks are a bit ropey - and muddy at this time of year - which meant the narrower tyres and lack of mud clearance on a hybrid caused me handling and clogging problems.
Speed is neither here nor there, I spend too much time sitting around drinking coffee and shooting the breeze for that, and in any case early indications are the 29er tyres roll a treat.
I should be able to bowl along at about 10mph, which is enough on the paths when there are lots of other users about.
My trunk bag will hold my flask and sandwiches, and the carrier has a solid base so should double up as a mud deflector.
The Mucky Nutz short front mudguard is as much to keep the mud out of the steerer as anything else, the down tube Flinger will deal with the rest.
Multi-tool and puncture stuff is in the wedge pack, pump on the seat tube bottle holder, basic trip computer on the stem.
No plans to add anything else, although I do like prop stands.
The frame is Cannondale's Super Light, so the total weight of the rig is still reasonable.
I can't give an in-depth review from one ride, but I genuinely enjoyed myself on it earlier and I can't see why that shouldn't continue.
Particularly impressed with the comfort, which I'm told is in part due to the frame, which is a unique Cannondale design, as opposed to their cheaper bikes which now come with generic frames.
Here's the Evans links for the two bikes:
Mine: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/trail-sl-1-29er-2014-mountain-bike-ec053949
This year's model: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/trail-sl-1-29er-2015-mountain-bike-ec071444
, I've been looking at MTB's recently and being a fan of Cannondale this looks like a likely contender.
