Cannondale at Eurobike 2013

Aug 31, 2013
by Richard Cunningham  

Cannondale Trigger 29 Carbon 1

Trigger 29 Carbon

Cannondale has yet to announce any plans for mid-sized wheels and has instead chosen to further improve its range of 29ers to fulfill the big-wheel role for its most technical riders. Enter the Trigger 29 Carbon, the big-wheel version of Cannondale's most popular 26-inch-wheel trailbike - but rendered in high-modulus carbon and outfitted with a stunning component selection. In Cannondale's inimitable style, the 130-millimeter-travel Trigger 29 Carbon 1 breaks more rules than it conforms with and yet, the result is a lightweight climber that can, with a flick of a handlebar remote switch, make short work of technical, high speed descents. Cannondale offers two versions of the Trigger 29 Carbon: The Trigger Carbon 1, with a SRAM XX1/X01 drivetrain, Mavic Crossmax ST wheels and a Lefty SuperMax Carbon PBR 130 'fork' at $8120, and the Trigger Carbon 2, outfitted with Shimano XT components, Mavic Crossroc wheels and the same Lefty SuperMax 'fork' for $6170 USD.


Cannondale's SuperMax Carbon Lefty 29 is configured to produce the correct
trail value for big wheels. Its Moto-inspired stone guard is as functional as it
looks. Mavic makes a Crossmax ST wheel specifically for the one-sided slider.
Trigger 29 Carbon 1 Details

• Dyad RT2 shock: 80mm to 130mm, on-the-fly adjustable rear travel
• Adjustable frame geometry: Switching to short-travel 'Elevate' mode makes the bike steeper and more nimble - lower and more stable in 'Flow' mode.
• Carbon frame: Using fibers developed by the military for ballistic armoring, this high-strength carbon construction process yields
a frame that’s lighter than aluminum and pound-for-pound stronger than steel.
• ECS-TC suspension pivots: Clamped, 15mm thru-axles in the shock linkage and swingarm pivot, as well as double bearings in the seat stay pivots eliminate flex and provide unmatched center-stiffness for complete control.
• Lefty Supermax front suspension: Reportedly, the most torsionally rigid suspension fork ever made, the SuperMax brings unheard-of levels of steering precision to longer travel 29’ers. Its 60mm offset helps increase both high-speed stability and low-speed agility.
• Sizes: SM, MD, LG, XL
• MSRP: $8120 USD

Suspension

Crowded as the 130 to 140-millimeter-travel suspension market may be, Cannondale chose its own brand of front suspension for the Trigger Carbon 1 - the Lefty Supermax Carbon PBR strut. With its dual-crown configuration, massively oversized carbon fiber upper tube, sophisticated damping system and a slider that glides on indexed needle bearings, the latest version of the Lefty can successfully challenge any of its two-legged rivals for torsional stiffness, steering precision and bump leveling skills. Rear suspension is equally unique, with Cannondale's Fox-made Dyad RT2 pull-shock providing either 80 or 130-millimeters of rear-wheel travel with a flick of its handlebar-remote lever. Dyad shock use twin damper assemblies that simultaneously increase the spring rate and shorten the shock's travel for climbing and sprinting - a feature that Cannondale's Jerome Clementz used to his advantage while bagging the Enduro World Series this year aboard a Dyad-equipped Jekyll.

Trigger 29 Carbon
  Cannondale securely clamps the hollow, 15-millimeter axles at each pivot location on the chassis. A look at the 12-millimeter X-12 type through axle and forged-aluminum brake caliper mount. Cannondale adapts its lightweight, Hollowgram Si crankset to a 30-tooth SRAM XX1 chainring.

Trigger 29 geometry

Jerome Clementz's EWS-Dominating Jekyll Carbon

Jerome Clements EWS series winning Jekyll
  Cannondale had the 26-inch-wheel Jekyll Carbon that Jerome Clementz used to win a number of events and the overall title of the Enduro World Series on display. Clementz is SRAM sponsored, so he rides a Blackbox RockShox Pike fork and he also uses Mavic Crossmax Enduro wheels and tires. Clementz switches the Jekyll's dual-travel Dyad Shock so often during a stage, that he has adapted a SRAM X.0 GripShift twist-shifter to the left-side handlebar for lighting-fast mode changes.

Cannondale

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Reviews and Tech First Looks Cannondale


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72 Comments
  • 381 10
 for $8120, they could at least throw in the other half of the fork
  • 19 4
 I heard they are going to be producing a longer travel (160mm+) Lefty in the near future...
  • 13 18
flag jaame (Aug 31, 2013 at 1:29) (Below Threshold)
 I had two Headshok forks back in the 90s (a DD60 and a Fatty 70). When set up well, it was streets ahead of telescopic forks in terms of action. Turning the bars didn't make any difference to it, whereas telescopic forks only work properly when the wheel is straight. That's still true of my Totem today unless I've just rebuilt it. Unfortunately, the bearings on the Fatty had a tendency to get misaligned and smash their way out of the bottom retaining collar. Flawed genius. Would I buy one again in 160mm travel? Probably not.
  • 8 1
 GatorLikesToRomp, i laughed more than i should! Big Grin Thanks!
  • 11 7
 160mm lefty flex fest, all mountain disorder. ''Go fast, turn Left''
  • 16 0
 I know I'll get bashed for saying this, but they are some of the stoutest forks (maybe skewers, or pencil is a better name for them) out there...it's just, when they go wrong, they go really, really wrong.
  • 20 6
 I personaly like the fact that they are there and that Cannondale made it happen in a working package. They deserve lots of credit for that. It is easy to sit in front of the computer and btch on something that does not look normal. It takes damn big balls and much more work to push such design. If I had the mo ey fpr a second premium bile I'd buy a Cannondale with a lefty.
  • 12 0
 Cedric Gracia used to race 4x on one
  • 2 1
 Had Fatty series as well 3 of them they only failed if they weren't serviced properly no where nearly required as much as a std fork of that era but were tricky and needed specist tools to do right, so based on that in terms of service and performance they were streets ahead of any conventional fork esspecially as a racers fork, nothing came close, had every other fork as well during that period and others had better plushness for example, Roxshox DH red lowers and the first Zocchy Z1 orange fork chromed crowns and big arch, but stiffness and tracking nothing beat a Fatty. Had 2 Leftys before the manitou cartridge and both flawless 100mm travel and that thing was better than most DH forks at the time. But times changed that was then 90s early 2000s they lead imo, by the time Fox brought the first Float and Van to market 32s 125mm travel, they slayed in trail forks back then, but not an apples for apples comparison, but imo it did kill the Lefty not for Stiffness but it was close enough that in other areas a conventional fork was easier better damped and easier to work on, looked right.
  • 3 1
 My dads bike (2000 Jekyl 1000) has a lefty and i would change it over to my frame in a heartbeat if i had the chance. It works so nicely on everything and the amount of stares you get riding around is priceless
  • 1 0
 The problem with mine was that a couple of the bearing surfaces inside on the squared tube didn't have the lip on the end to hold them in place, so they slipped down. I don't know how they got out of the factory like that but it wasn't ideal. I ended up gluing them on, but that made the action a bit tighter. The DD60 I had was flawless though.
  • 3 1
 i would actually buy a 160mm lefty. more travel less flex just pure perfection
  • 7 4
 Can't get much gimmickier than a Cannondale.
  • 20 1
 The people that call the lefty fork a flex fest have clearly never ridden one. *sigh* Welcome to pinkbike...
  • 19 0
 I'm holding out for a 'righty'
  • 4 2
 I rode a Trigger lefty at a demo a few weeks ago. That was the best handling bike I've ever ridden.
  • 2 1
 yeah cyrix you are correct... the lefties are pretty damn stout.. they need to make a slacker 29er all mountain hardtail with the 130mm lefty.. that would be sick... anyway the lefty is one of the stiffest and quickest responding fork ive ever ridden.. the trigger sounds nice for technical all mountain but it seems a lil steep for the head angle... guess i gotta demo one...
  • 1 0
 @h82crash...righties rule!
  • 64 8
 I'll never adjust to the Lefty look.. I can't help feeling sorry for it, it's like seeing a three-legged dog..
  • 28 59
flag kavika (Aug 31, 2013 at 0:17) (Below Threshold)
 If we all relied on looks, I'm sure you would have been put up for adoption at birth.
  • 58 4
 ... Your profile says 37, but I highly doubt that.
  • 7 1
 check out the comments in his profile, this guy never says anything worth hearing. Insults or attempts at appearing superior to anyone....
  • 8 5
 ^ C'mon now ladies, wheres your sense of humor...?
  • 3 0
 All aboard the banter bus!
  • 4 12
flag kavika (Aug 31, 2013 at 12:20) (Below Threshold)
 Thanks for stalking reach. Sorry you don't have a sense of humour.
  • 3 0
 Thanks for the entertainment!
  • 8 2
 I was put up for adoption... I'm that ugly no one wanted me.... Then I found DH. Where everyone is welcomed, regardless of the bike you ride, the clothes you wear or the money in your pocket! Downhillers are one big family. Smile
  • 31 2
 Not to start a wheel size debate. But notice how they didn't mention the Jekyll is a 26er. Gotta love the politics.
  • 5 1
 i was looking for that info too. how clever.
  • 5 1
 huh. hadnt even noticed til i read this. fucking pb drives me crazy with their bull es most days
  • 4 0
 probably because Cannondale are working round the clock to release a 650b version haha
  • 2 1
 They did the same thing forJared Graves world cup bike this year, as far as I can tell it is 26" but no mention is made that I can see, yet they are raving about Smith's 650b and Ropelato's 29r as if you have to have big wheels to be able to use less travel.
  • 3 0
 He must be super fast to win with slow outdated 26 inch wheels!! Hahaha
  • 3 0
 Fixed, made right, just for you dirttrailsociety. THX RC
  • 18 0
 Hell with these super slivers of carbon that the companies are putting out at eurobike, i'd be more shocked and amazed to see something that's actually affordable
  • 7 0
 I love the adjustable shock on my Claymore. Not just a gimmick, it actually comes in very useful. It also means I can use my beastly 180mm trail bike for commuting with no problem at all. As for the Lefty... hmm, not my cup of tea on the looks front but if it works for the serious racing crowd then fine Smile
  • 11 1
 that's quite a nifty contraption
  • 8 2
 What size wheels does "the fastest enduro bike in the world" have? What about the second fastest?
  • 4 1
 Blah blah blah...bitch bitch bitch. People just get out there and ride! I don't care if you have a lefty, Fox, Rock Shox...no matter. We all consist of a very small community and I know everyone has an opinion but damn. I rarely even look at the comments following VOD's, POD's, reviews, videos, etc because people seem to always bitch. It's ridiculous. I could meet some homeboy riding a Pacific straight from Wal Mart but hell, as long as he was having fun ripping trail with his 36 lb special, I couldn't hate on the guy. Mucho props to the Pinkbike members making light of the situation. Look, everything is marketing nowadays. Things aren't like what they used to be in MTB world, there's a spotlight on us now and money. I'll admit, the costs are ridiculous but damn, I'm happy with what I have and I have smoked people on bikes worth much more than mine. That's my way of dealing with it. F*@$ it y'all, do the damn thing!
  • 1 0
 ^^^ Superdave, you are a total trip my friend. Say it like it is bro...Preach it brother!!! Big Grin It is the rider that makes the bike, not the bike that makes the rider. People have totally forgot the true meaning of MTB'ing and it's deep core roots by far. It is all about money and who has the best ride these days. It getting to be disgusting out there now-a-days...."If's about fun and nothing but fun, and if you are dissing someone who is having fun, no matter what they shred or can afford to shred on in this expensive realm now-a-days, then get the F*@# off my dirt or flatland a-holes. GET A REAL LIFE YOU LOOSERS!!! Big Grin
  • 5 1
 I still ride my Prophet with the 140 mm Lefty. 18000 k of AM riding - no probs. This bike had th s--- beat out of it and is holding/ I wish there was a 29 with 160 lefty'
  • 1 1
 Prophet was my favorite bike for years (although I never owned one)... light, agile, playfull and superfast. Wink
  • 1 0
 Much fun with Carbon armament! That would be a material called Armaid or if you want a brand name Kevlar!

I hate all that marketing BS... a story for everything and most of these stories are so obviously wrong... maybe have somebody with brains and a little tech knowledge do your marketing?
  • 4 1
 I still don't like the fork, but I'm old enough to remember Cedric smashing plenty on a lefty.
  • 4 1
 Lefty tracks well, stiff, and is plush as hell. Don't knock it until you try it.
  • 5 1
 I like how they explained what carbon is.
  • 3 3
 Props to Cannondale they're slaying in EWS and haven't been another sheep and jumped on 27.5 just to sell bikes, not a big fan of CDale since the float on the market and motorcycle bullshite etc and sellout to whoever it got sold too, but having the results in racing and proven that not only is 26" not dead but given all things being equal e.g proper terrain and riders of elite level enough to show who is boss 26" slayed it, between Jerome and Jared no one even came close and if Jared hadn't crashed his brains out had a few Shimano failures some others may not even had taken a win on a stage let alone a round. Hope the Jecklly 26" stays, it alls proves in my mind that proper suspension setup is what provides stability muppets might still be better off on kiddie big wheels trainer bikes because they need roll over, but good riders don't roll shite they don't pedal where muppets pedal, they use terrain they boost off stuff and where they land they accelerate off terrain features without pedalling and conserve energy while going faster than mortals pedalling like muppets, its subtle and a secret most never see or pick and unfortunately most modern riders are missing this technique as well as others! Jecklly just looks right balanced its lie a F117 Stealth fighter, it may be retired but that was and still is the baddest fighter ever to grace the Jet age! 26" have evolved to the near perfect bike pity at the time the bike was nearly the one bike to rule them all, the industry is throwing out the baby with bath water for short term profits! So props Cannondale even the Trigger and Im not a 9er fan either looks well dialled!
  • 2 3
 Only one minor gripe CDale don't follow Specialised in how you route your gear and brake cables, its about time mtb manufactures learned how to do this properly! Down the top of the down tube, not underneath its cleaner it still allows quick and easy cable changes and protects the cables and the frame from cable rub better, they should be full length housing with carbon brackets allen key bolted on like Ibis use for example, or Nicolai, its light clean and easy to use. Chain stays routing should never come from under the BB again for protection but this is where the cable has to stretch the most so hence an underhang bigger than Ron Jeremys yaya! to allow for shock stroke and swing arm arc as the suspension cycles while being ridden, on top of the CS both sides so no kinks and no chance of damage by rocks roots or crashes and it provides a cleaner entry into the rear d and disc brake nano for no kinking, for RD less chance of ghost shifting something S are really bad for binding out of the CS, internal CS routing is even worse for this might look good but little else, exception the Demo 8 near perfect way to route gear brake cables! Cheers, Jeckyll routing was so close until it hit the BB for example! Most DH bikes get this right
  • 3 0
 I would prefer a " righty"
  • 2 4
 I really wonder if there were any 2014 model 26" Cannondales on Eurobike? I ask this because the dealer manuals from Cannondale do not show any 26" bikes model 2014 yet, no Trigger, no Jekyll, no F26 and no Scalpel 26.... It looks like they still have something up their sleeves for us. There is no big news yet from Cannondale for 2014 in the MTB series... the Trigger 29'er Carbon was showed about two months ago, and was announced last year...

I am really hoping for a 650B series bikes instead of the 26" ones and a Jekyll 650B with Lefty Supermax, I cannot believe Cannondale developed and produced a whole new kind of Lefty to fit on just one type of bike..........

Also, in my oppinion the Trigger 29'er carbon 1 is way overpriced.... just compare it to the Scalpel Team for 2014 for example which retails for USD 7000.- It also has a carbon frame, a carbon lefty, the same XX1 groupset, higher priced brakes (SRAM XX instead of Magura MT6) it does has a carbon handlebars (k-force) instead of the alloy ones on the Trigger, it has the same cranks but a way! more expensive Enve carbon wheelset instead of the Crossmax ST (which are OK but retail for about 1.5k cheaper). So please tell me Cannondale, what difference would explain the +USD 1100.- price diffrence beteween the two, the shock or the dropper? If you ask me the Trigger carbon one should have been cheaper then the Scalpel carbon team 29'er...
  • 1 0
 There where hardly any 26" enduros left at Eurobike.
I don't know why but for some reason the industry is forcing this at us with blunt force.
Its kind of weird, i was talking to a lot of the techies that where there and they all seemed to be unsure where to put the the bottom brackets for starters.... keep them around axle height and have a higher center of gravity or lower them to where the used to be on a 26? gear ratios? breaks? chain stay length? follow up and head angle? there ware so many questions that no one could answer for sure...

I asked around at several brands but not even the otherwise so talkative marketing folks had made up there stories yet...
I honestly wonder why this whole wheel size shit is going down?
I know somebody started it to be unique and now everybody is doing it because that way people can be talked into buying new stuff. but in 2 years? everybody who can afford to buy new bikes has it, because they leave you with no choice anyway and but the brands will have to develop everything in 3 different sizes so everything will get more expensive, right? great!

shops must hate this development as well... now they have to stock even more different tires, different rims... plays well into the hands of the big online guys as i don't think my local bike shop will have all the different types of tires in 3 sizes around?
  • 1 0
 Do lefty's work with fat people like me? Or am I likely to break the fork... And my face...
  • 2 1
 I dont think I could bring myself to trust a lefy... id always be thinking, oh crap the wheels going to come off!
  • 2 2
 Yep, can't do lefty. I really dig Cannondale's Jeckyll but i wouldn't have a lefty on it. No way. Give me a Fox/Marzocchi/Rockshox anyday.
  • 3 2
 rode a lefty for years. its stronger and stiffer than anything short of a dh fork
  • 1 3
 I for one would love to see pics or video of a lefty equipped bike hitting some doubles or landing from some good air. I know there's a lot of tech that goes into them but just cant wrap my mind around how they would handle a landing.
  • 2 1
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RIDmSaRUxs
  • 1 1
 They seem to have taken 'the bigger the wheel, the less suspension needed' literally.
  • 1 1
 Aaron Chase slayed the streets on a lefty years ago, and bike technology has developed by 10x
  • 1 0
 cannondale jekyll rocks!!
  • 1 1
 There was Jerome Clemetz´s Bike at Cannondale? Haven´t seen it today...
  • 1 3
 Reportedly, the most torsionally rigid suspension fork ever made... sure bro... half a 29er fork is torsionally stiffer than anything else on the market... Rolleyes
  • 2 1
 You have never actually ridden one, have you?
  • 1 1
 I just think it's impossible that a lefty is as stiff as a totem or a 40

EDIT: it says the most torsionally rigid fork ever made, they should have said the most torsionally rigid 29er fork or something like that so people can believe them when they say that...
  • 1 0
 Meh!
  • 1 0
 Double Meh!
  • 1 1
 Please do away with the custom rear shock
  • 1 1
 LOUD NOISES.
  • 2 4
 CrackNFail: now in carbon
  • 2 3
 damn !! Dat jekyll !!!
  • 3 6
 A cannondale that has a proper fork
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