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My brother is in a financial pickle and has offered to sell me his 2015 Cannondale F29 Carbon.
The F29 seems quite XC-focused by today's standards and it would be great to know if anyone's riding theirs as more of an all-rounder?
I had a 'Dale hardtail (with Lefty) for 7 years in the late 90s-00s with discs, risers and fat-ish tyres by the standards of the day. It was an all-time favourite.
I'd see me using the F29's frame and fork, but adding my own XT M8000 gear, trail-orientated parts and some better wheels.
Sticking better suited wheels, tyres, bar and stem on it may make it more capable, but its still going to be a carbon race hardtail with a steep head angle which will feel dicey on anything particularly technical
I had a similar type of bike (grand canyon cf) and it wasn't particularly versatial..thats not going to change no matter what parts you change
I have an f29 aluminium just recently had it powder coated and stealth'd , stuck a hope rear hub on with an arch Stans rims and Xt m8000 drivetrain and brakes, in summer I ride it for trails and Xc , i like it, it's fun to ride, it can be sketchy on some downhills, , uphill it climbs like a beast , although taking it up cutgate it felt like a pogo stick
In winter the narrow 2.1 tyres aren't great ..
Bars stem and wheels/tyres and you’ve got a very light and capable bike. It’s no 160mmm enduro bike but you’ll go places you wouldn’t think possible. A dropper would be handy aswell.
Depends on where you live, what terrain you ride as 'trail' and how you like riding that kind of bike.
I had a Yeti ArcC hardtail as my only MTB for about 3 years and it did everything from Chilterns, Exmoor and Quantocks, to a week with BasqueMTB. I still love it now even with having a full sus 29er.
If I lived in the Lake District it might not have been the right choice.
Hmm...
For reference, I've got a Transition Scout at the moment. I think the responses so far are confirming that a bargainous F29 would be really quite different.
People I ride with would definitely pin me with the "XC" tag as I'm good uphill and through windy singletrack, but totally pants at anything technical. My riding reflects these preferences / limitations. That said, I've really enjoyed the Scout; a bike undoubtedly more capable than me.
I only really have space for one MTB, but this situation is testing my resolve. The other option would be just to buy it and run it as a winter bike (probably singlespeed).
Unhelpfully, Google images' first result was my brother's exact model of F29 in this alternative set-up:
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Get it, chalk or cheese, I had a ride on a mates bike on wooded singletrack, I was blown away by the acceleration,
But I definately pick and choose the route if I'm riding this bike, on more techs downhills best suited to full suss I'd ride this uphil on them and vice versa, it adds variety, ride the same trails on a big suspension bike and it'll get boring quick, ride the same trail on this and you.ll have ridden the same distance is far less time