The Cannondale Prophet is an all-mountain full suspension bike. It’s designed to be versatile, and as such it is capable of handling just about anything thrown at it. Its geometry, specifically the placement of the rear suspension pivot, ensure that it climbs well without ‘bobbing’, as well as providing a plush ride on the descent seated or on the pedals.
As with all other Cannondale frames, the Prophet 800 is made by hand from Aluminum at Cannondale’s Bedford, PA factory. The frame quality is excellent, with finished welds, and production and engineering methods to ensure light weight and strength.
The Prophet 800 came well equipped with Lefty Max TPC front suspension, Manitou Radium rear shock, and a mix of Shimano XT and LX components. The Lefty Max performs well. The internal roller bearings provide a supple feel not possible in other forks, and also reduce the need for maintenance required by other suspension forks that have wearable plastic bushings. Less time in the shop and more time on the trail is always a good thing! The Lefty is definitely and interesting fork to ride, often attracting comments from other riders. The Lefty Max front suspension did not have the lock-out featured in earlier models of the Lefty and other HeadShok suspension products, but it did have a rebound adjustment knob within easy reach on the top of the fork. While the lock-out feature was rarely used in other test bikes, it was a welcome feature, especially for non-technical and paved sections where the stiffer, unsuspended bike provided greater speed.
The rear suspension is active and plush. The cartridge bearings and beefy mounting points ensure lateral stiffness, in which no play was felt or developed during the three year test period. The Manitou rear shock is a simple air spring shock, with limited rebound adjustment. The shock is easy to add or remove air from the spring chamber, providing the rider with an easy means of customizing the ride. As stated earlier, the cartridge bearings and pivot geometry ensure a plush downhill experience that still climbs well, even avoiding any ‘bobbing’.
The part spec is a mixture of XT and LX, along with Cannondale’s Coda brand components. The rear derailleur is mated with LX dual control levers. These dual control levers are initially unusual to ride with, but are surprisingly easy to learn. They were easy to shift while braking, and performed well with Shimano’s rapid rise rear derailleur. I found the Dual Control shifters worked well with the Rapid Rise rear derailleur. Rapid Rise derailleurs have been unpopular in the past because they reversed the shifting order associated with trigger shifters. As such, it was easier to accept the Rapid Rise derailleur because the dual control shifters required the rider to learn a new shifting paradigm. Rapid Rise derailleurs are supposed to provide more reliable shifting performance and the Dual Control shifter’s integrated design keep you in control.
Overall, the bike performs well. The hand made frame is durable and light. The Lefty front suspension held up and performed as advertised, being much smoother and laterally stiffer than conventional forks. The only improvement would be a water bottle cage mount within the frame triangle, and an improved rear shock. The rear shock could provide additional adjustments. The parts included are adequate, especially for the price of this ‘entry’ level model. As individual parts wear out, they could be replaced for higher end types. However, the components have been reliable and have performed well under all conditions.
See you on the trail!
As with all other Cannondale frames, the Prophet 800 is made by hand from Aluminum at Cannondale’s Bedford, PA factory. The frame quality is excellent, with finished welds, and production and engineering methods to ensure light weight and strength.
The Prophet 800 came well equipped with Lefty Max TPC front suspension, Manitou Radium rear shock, and a mix of Shimano XT and LX components. The Lefty Max performs well. The internal roller bearings provide a supple feel not possible in other forks, and also reduce the need for maintenance required by other suspension forks that have wearable plastic bushings. Less time in the shop and more time on the trail is always a good thing! The Lefty is definitely and interesting fork to ride, often attracting comments from other riders. The Lefty Max front suspension did not have the lock-out featured in earlier models of the Lefty and other HeadShok suspension products, but it did have a rebound adjustment knob within easy reach on the top of the fork. While the lock-out feature was rarely used in other test bikes, it was a welcome feature, especially for non-technical and paved sections where the stiffer, unsuspended bike provided greater speed.
The rear suspension is active and plush. The cartridge bearings and beefy mounting points ensure lateral stiffness, in which no play was felt or developed during the three year test period. The Manitou rear shock is a simple air spring shock, with limited rebound adjustment. The shock is easy to add or remove air from the spring chamber, providing the rider with an easy means of customizing the ride. As stated earlier, the cartridge bearings and pivot geometry ensure a plush downhill experience that still climbs well, even avoiding any ‘bobbing’.
The part spec is a mixture of XT and LX, along with Cannondale’s Coda brand components. The rear derailleur is mated with LX dual control levers. These dual control levers are initially unusual to ride with, but are surprisingly easy to learn. They were easy to shift while braking, and performed well with Shimano’s rapid rise rear derailleur. I found the Dual Control shifters worked well with the Rapid Rise rear derailleur. Rapid Rise derailleurs have been unpopular in the past because they reversed the shifting order associated with trigger shifters. As such, it was easier to accept the Rapid Rise derailleur because the dual control shifters required the rider to learn a new shifting paradigm. Rapid Rise derailleurs are supposed to provide more reliable shifting performance and the Dual Control shifter’s integrated design keep you in control.
Overall, the bike performs well. The hand made frame is durable and light. The Lefty front suspension held up and performed as advertised, being much smoother and laterally stiffer than conventional forks. The only improvement would be a water bottle cage mount within the frame triangle, and an improved rear shock. The rear shock could provide additional adjustments. The parts included are adequate, especially for the price of this ‘entry’ level model. As individual parts wear out, they could be replaced for higher end types. However, the components have been reliable and have performed well under all conditions.
See you on the trail!
1 comment:
Yo, B,
It's clean-up week and there's an old Raleigh on the curb down the block. Missing at least one wheel.
Ya wannit?
P
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