Hustle and Flow: 2017 Cannondale Jekyll and Trigger 6

Two for the price of one - Cannondale finally makes their split personality design work with these fresh new and very capable trail/enduro bikes.

iceman2058
4/4/2017 9:24am
s1600 SpotA 814457
Related:
Cannondale
Enduro
Finale Ligure, Italy
6 comments

View replies to: Hustle and Flow: 2017 Cannondale Jekyll and Trigger

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DavidG
7 years ago
It bobs because the pivot is too low. It could be a little higher for a 30t chainring, for which it supposedely was idealized. But the problem is, 30t chainrings?? For both SRAM Eagle and Shimano 11-46 cassettes there is no need of such a small chainring. I run a 34t with a 9-42 cassette, so for those I would run a 38t at least. Which would make it bob even more because the chainline would be higher above the rear suspension pivot, compressing the shock with each pedal stroke. Besides, it's better for the pivot to be above the chainline than below, so they should have optimized the pivot location for the bigger chainrings riders might want, not the smallest.
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iceman2058
7 years ago
When you say "should have", that implies that there is a "right" solution, when in reality, it's a lot less black and white than that. Cannondale explicitly wanted to err on the downhill side of the equation with these new bikes, and then use a couple of other tricks to transform the bike for flatter or more pedally trails and for climbing. That was a design decision, not a mistake. A lot of people enjoy having less chain growth on a bike when pointed down the hill in rough terrain. In the case of the Jekyll and Trigger, they have other redeeming features that make them better climbers, such as low overall weight and steep seat tubes. We never felt like either of these bikes were particularly sluggish on the way up, despite a faitly significant amount of observable pedal bob in fully open mode. Just to conclude, what's right for you could easily be wrong for somebody else, and vice versa - it all depends on your style of riding as well as where you ride.
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jeff.brines
7 years ago
^^^ $$$ analysis. Its all trade offs. Which is why when I read about that new Polygon (threadjack) I sort of cringed in so many ways.
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DavidG
7 years ago
Optimizing the suspension for a 30t chainring is a plain mistake in my view. Looking at the transmissions they are offering with the bike, with Eagle the lowest gear (50-30) is equivalent to a 37t cog with a 22t chainring (37-22). Nobody needs a gear this light, especially considering that the heaviest gear with the 11-46 Shimano cassete will be a ridiculous 11-30, which is only good for the tightest singletrack, or maybe not even that. And while a chainring could be changed, they are extending this compromise to the frame. Seems like an excessively conservative move, fitting to a brand that lost its spirit and is just an empty corporate structure following trend charts. That’s my impression at least.
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jeff.brines
7 years ago
Good to see them move from the pull shock to something more standard. The rest? Well. It has me scratching my head a bit...
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