The Cannondale Slate : a barrel of fun!

The Cannondale Slate : a barrel of fun! 

Road the 2016 Ultegra Slate at a demo and loved it!  

First off: I've read a lot of nasty reviews of this bike.  I really think these people don't know how or where to ride a Slate. 

Road it on single-track at Durham , just outside of Toronto.  It absolutely devoured the single-track.  Granted, these were fairly simple trails, with minimal technical challenges.  So when I say devouring, I mean that the Slate is eating up all the small roots, rocks, and bumps it can and ripping along gravel.  I was much faster than many mountain bikers with this bike (on easy single-track and double track): I was flying!  

The big tires and mildly absorptive shock really help smooth out the trail. I compare it very positively to my CX bike which gets a lot more bucked around on single track.  Every darn root or small log can be problematic on a regular cross bike. Not so for the Slate.  So too, the Slate handles beautifully on gravel and rough double track roads.  

The handling credit goes to the Lefty fork with mere 30mm travel, and the 42c tires.  Despite the low range of travel, this thing takes the bumps really well.  I felt so confident bombing down trails: the bike was so stable and calm.  (Again, compared with my classic cx bike).  

I was quite enthused, even though the size I rode was a medium, one size too small for me.  

What not to like?  I have one significant beef with the Slate: just one.  The clearance isn't great.  The bottom bracket is not much more elevated that a road bike.  I suppose it's like a cx bike.  Why does this matter? Because I was regularly banging the pedals--on rocks and roots, and in turns.  The clearance is simply a deal-breaker.   Another slight issue?  The gearing's not low enough. (52/36 x 11/28, 11-speed).  It's good, but not a great climber on single track.  

I loved the Slate though.  I could see it as an absolute beast on Ultracross rides. 

Indeed the Slate got me very interested in front suspension.  One tremendously intriguing option: the Cannondale Quick CX, which does (I checked the catalog) have great clearance and only 50mm of front travel.  Add some drop bars and put some, say, Ultegra brifters on this bike and I think you have a real winner.