Noticed frames going cheap.are they any good?on par with stumpjumper or reign?
Cracking bikes, one of the first to crack the slack head/ steep seat angle geometry to give you something that climbed well and descended well.
I've just sold my MX, various minor reasons. I'd not have changed but I picked up an ex demo Cotic Rocket frame that is an amazing ride. I was looking elsewhere as I am slightly between sizes on 'dales so the med I had was a fraction small but large was well too big. That, plus the Prophet was never going to be RS Reverb compatibile and dropper seatposts are very much in my future, made me Rocket-curious and now I have it there is no room for Prophet as well.
I'd urge you to try one - if you don't like it then you can almost certainly move it on for what it cost you - but they are great bikes. I've had a lot of good times on mine.
bit long in the tooth, but i like it, good all rounder, get the MX version if you can.
ps gravity dropper 😉
My mate Simon loves his.
Thanks for reply seen em going for around £300 frame only I was thinkin stumpy but too rich for my blood at the mo but you say not compatible with a remote seat post,that is a shame I've fancied one for a while maybe not then ??any other alternatives around the same price bracket?
Very heavy?,compared to say a stumpy or heckler
Love mine, had it 4 years now and see no reason to swap it.
27.2mm seat tube is not a problem as I'm using a Gravity Dropper, which is simple and low maintenance - just like the Prophet's single pivot suspension (still on its original bearings). Great angles, 1.5 head tube so you can use a wide variety of forks.
Never ridden either but Stumpy will be lighter and the Reign heavier.
What about sizes fellas I'm 5.9 with little T. rex arms medium?small?
I'm 5'9", of normal proportions and ride a medium.
And here it is......
[img] 
[/img]
The frame design gets a bad rap,I like it. Thats nice.more pics please folks
Yep, I've got one, they're amazing value for money. I picked my (none MX) frame with headset front mech and RP23 for £280 back in August I think. Can't fault it, they have somewhat of a bad rep due too possible crackage, but right now, mine seems fine... I can't really complain, love the design, the choice of slack & single pivot simpleness, seems a bargain all rounder, I wouldn't choose anything else (for the money I spent) over this again. I very nearly got an older stumpy with one of the older floats. Pretty glad I didnt!
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
What I had in my hands but never really bought...
[img] 
[/img]
Had one for ages great do it all bike simple to maintain and with the lefty max not much maintaining to do.
I built one up to ride as a winter bike a few years ago, to save my s-work stumpy.
1x10, g-dropper etc...
It became my go to bike.
I stripped it last summer to build a covert, but built it up again in the autum, and again it became the bike I wanted to ride.
I use 150mm forks and the slackest setting which is 67.5.
The only slightly annoying feature is the seat tube which means you're stuck with a GD dropper, which I don't like when compared to a reverb.
Building a five now, so it will be really interesting to see how they compare.
I saw a post where someone had 650b wheels on theirs, could be interesting.
I'm going to hold onto my frame.
So in sort, I really rate them , great value frames. The did a shorter travel version 120mm as apposed to the normal 140mm.
You can pick up full bikes for between £600-£800.
I did wonder about the 650B wheels, but they only work in the XC geo setting, bugger that. The 120 SL's only difference was a shorter shock, same frame & can be even bigger bargains than 'std' one.
I have an SL which has been my only bike for about 6 years. I can see no reason to change it - it's a great machine. I've just upgraded the RP3 to an RP23 which has made a huge difference - the SL had a shorter shock as standard - and the next thing will be to find a Lefty Max 140 as the current fork is a Lefty Speed 110. Find a 27.2 dropper (best thing I've ever bought for any of my bikes) and you're set.
Sizing - I'm just shy of 6' and have a medium - I would try a med and a small to see what works. I come from a DH background so don't like long riding positions - you might be OK with a med and short stem.
I think the 650b option could be interesting, what about that with a 1.5 deg angle set to get the head angle back?
I only rode the bike once with on the XC setting, didn't like it, it felt really high, so I swapped it back quickly.
I've also got a 190x50 shock which might work with those wheels, and be a compromise between the two settings.
Can't use an angleset with a 1.5 steerer or lefty, which are my options, but the shock idea could be worth investigating.
I've actually so far only ever rode mine in XC setting, i'm pretty happy with it like that!
if you use a 190mm x 50 shock the tyre will buzz the seat tower on full compression with a 26"on the dh setting,you may get away with it in the xc mode but it will definitely clash with a 650b.
i did have one by the way and they are great fun bikes, stick a coil shock on it and a pair of 160mm forks,maybe even a pair of 180mm forks and you`ve got a great little mini dh bike. used mine for a couple of years over the surrey hills mainly and loved it!
Go well as a do it all bike as you can also run a 200*57 shock in the XC postion with some offset spacers for 160mm travel. Combine this with 160's up front gives about 67deg. Add a second pair of heavy duty wheels and your all set for the uplifts/Alps. Pop the aircan and lighter wheels back for all day goodness.
Sold it once and then bought it back as I missed it so much.
Got a Canyon AL+ at Xmas to replace it which isnt quite as capable but a few lb's lighter as I now also have a dedicated Big Bike. Can't bring myself to part with my frame again as it's got a couple of dents so wouldnt get what it's worth to me.
Love mine. Started life as a Prophet 3 but nothing on it remains as standard. Ran it with Pikes for a while, now 150 DPA Revs. Gravity Dropper obviously 🙂
I think the only original bit on mine is the seastpost clamp, I've changed everything else over the years.
Biggest improvements were swapping the Pike coil 409s for 2012 Dual air Revelations and the Float R shock for an RP23.
AlexD, please try the FR mode, don't limit your enjoyment of this frame by only ever using the XC setting. There a lot of fun
Come on all you Prophet lovers post up some pics!
Ok, ok! No need to nag 😉
[img][url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7221/6853947580_155f38fb35.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/86995884@N00/6853947580/ ]IMG_00000025[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/86995884@N00/ ]woldspinner[/url], on Flickr[/img]
Being used, not pampered... sorry for the rubbish, non-action photo's but you did ask..
With Lefty
[url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5031/7077734509_fa6433c1df.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15253377@N00/7077734509/ ]C'dale Prophet[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15253377@N00/ ]z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr
140 Rev's
[url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5055/5514375569_c415cb9f35.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15253377@N00/5514375569/ ]Bike & barge[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15253377@N00/ ]z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr
It's just a fun bike, lots of ppl have used them as play thing (160mm forks), other like me just enjoy them as great handling fun trail bike
Looks good in black Shifter.
Ta. With added dust:
[img][url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8535/8709081793_061e7be987.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/86995884@N00/8709081793/ ]DaleatDegla[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/86995884@N00/ ]woldspinner[/url], on Flickr[/img]
Bought mine cheap of e bay for a winter hack a couple of years ago and kitted it out with cheap kit, bits from the shed and Marzocchi 44 RLO's on the front. Has been a really good buy, even more so since changing from the xc setting.
[img] 
[/img]
Cant believe the response, this is a real favourite by the looks of it.I should have kept my mouth shut, the prices may go up now.someone mentioned cracking frames anyone had expetience with cracking on thier frame? I mainly ride trail centre due to being lazy and time constrictions, never dropping more than two feet or so.what set up would you suggest, forks, shock etc.and thanks for replys, great info
i have an manitou isx6 shock and rev 150s with a zero stack headset, corners like a dream, only prob is the trails feel too smooth 😉
Thats it im on the market in a few weeks, looking for one in black after seeing shifter's but at that price I can afford to powdercoat.are the decals easy to pick up? I want it to look showroom before I build it.
<braindump>
I've heard of some Cannondales cracking but not a Prophet. In 5 years I haven't needed to change the swing arm bearings but I've been through a few shock mounts. The Cannondale lower headset cup is a big old lump, a Hope reducer fits but you get reduced fork top to down tube clearance. I dumped the standard BB mount front mech for a SLX seat tube mounted double specific mech.
<endbraindump>
The Cannondale lower headset cup is a big old lump, a Hope reducer fits but you get reduced fork top to down tube clearance.
I ended up using a token reducer as the big old lump hope reducer seems to be discontinued;
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=38693
so far so good
[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/cannonfail-happy-if-mis-matched-ending-content ]They can crack[/url] but I've never heard of issue happening much (twice on here IIRC), adn there still a **** loads of them coming and going on ebay.
[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/show-me-ya-cannondale-prophets-and ]Old photo thread[/url]
[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/tags/prophet ]lots of prophet threads[/url] before tags got taken away from the masses.
As for colour, the raw ones are much better than the 'single' colour frames IMHO of course (don't mention the poo brown one!), but the only colour scheme I've been tempted with otherwise was this:
[img] 
[/img]
It just worked so well.
PS: they have a straight 1.5 steerer, so 1.5 or tapered fork bargains are the way ahead.
PS#2: [url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/sis.html;jsessionid=82B5DF5D8F3A86F365DE9283557301EF?_nkw=CANNONDALE%20mountain%20bike%20MTB%20decal%20stickers%20set&_itemId=110445632484#ht_1911wt_958 ]Ebay seller for graphics[/url] (there are probably lots of others)
I've got a Hope Step Down in mine with the deeper lower cup.
[url= http://qwertycycles.co.uk ]Qwerty Cycles[/url] are good for hard to find Cannondale bits and pieces.
Judging by comments you can run with a tapered stearer too? It just keeps getting better,what year did they stop making the prophet and what year was the mx?
Last "normal" ones were 2009. Don't know what years MXs were sold.
a link to a pic of my old one which i`ve sadly sold now!
http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/7326052/
I bought one on a whim a couple of years ago. £230 for frame, hope reducer headset, rp23 shock, xt e type front mech and postage. Utter bargain!
I also ran mine in the slacker setting and really liked the way it handled. I had 3 bike, a light weight carbon rush, steel hard tail and this prophet that I built up cheap. The prophet was always the bike I picked and the other two sat gathering dust.
I think it's pretty light weight and was doing 60k rides on a regular basis while I was training for a marathon.
It deals with rough, rocky and fast terrain really well and soaks up the bumps, where I felt that it was let down was on smoother undulating trails like spooky wood or berm baby berm at glentress, for these trails I just flicked the proposal on. It seemed to wallow a bit (im thinking that this could have been fixed by a custom shock tune) On all other terrain it was great, couldn't fault it.
I had it running rev u turns 120-150 and an x-fusion dropper post.
I stripped it and put everything on a newish cannondale rz120 but I'm thinking of going back to the prophet as it's so much more stable ion the rough stuff. Although I'm not using the prophet right now, I can't bring myself to sell it.
Anyone had their shock push tuned or had custom work done on it?
I think all the mtb mags gave the prophet perfect 10 scores too! If you're thinking of getting one powder coated or painted, think about a raw finish, they look amazing IMO.
Black is a good look for them 😉
[img] 
[/img]
Changed the shock
[img] 
[/img]
and my old blue one
[img] 
[/img]
Loving these pics folks,not sure about the whe lefty thing,I think they look weird,so do I go pikes or revs???
Here's mine, not used it loads yet but like it so far.
Dropper post going on it soon.
[img] 
[/img]
Last "normal" ones were 2009. Don't know what years MXs were sold.
Of the late batch, as well as the 1, 2 & 3, there was a Prophet X with 160mm 36s and chain guide mounts - worth keeping an eye out for.
Think the X was 2008?
2009 you could only get Prophet 1 (in red above) and Prophet 2 (white/green, like mine).
They are great fun to ride, run mine in slack setting with 150 revs and dropper post.
What year did they stop producing them in the USA? I forget what year mine is, but its the last year of that batch... All solid white with white transfers. I'm not overly keen on my colour scheme. But its the least of my worries when i'm on it having fun, lets be honest...
They were all made in the USA and they stopped production in 2009. Muppets!!
I have the last one imported to Europe. Awesome bike and I would love to get a second one as my bike in Slovenia bike. 😀
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/cannondale-prophet-1-2009
Have this one for sale, had it from new great bike just had chance of a new bike
They're brilliant bikes! I've had three (one MX, two 'normal' Prophets.) Raced XC, the Mega, done mutli-day trips... awesome.
Never cracked or broken, but my MX did go through shock bushings VERY fast, which was annoying.
To answer an earlier question: I got the shock pushed on the MX. It felt good - I felt it had been bottoming out too easily prior to that.
I'm about to strip a large 2009(?) frame to sell if anyone's interested... 😉
My Rush (same swingarm) is running 650b. No mods.
Really wanted cotic rocket but by the time I priced the build I wanted it was out of my range, not to bothered about wheel size so took out Norco sight 2 in the Evans Sale really liked it had a moment and paid just over 2 k for it bargain
I always wondered what bike I will replace mine with. Just put some wider bars on mine and some hope hoops and do not see the need to change at the moment.
I do have a mx frame/bike I am selling back in the UK though if any body wants one.
Same here George, I've had mine 3½ years now and I really can't see any need to replace mine either.
Here's my 650b 2006 (I think?) prophet. Only thing original really in the frame and lefty. I have a 1x9 set up [img] http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r313/67vdubya/IMG_13040680712716.jp g" target="_blank">http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r313/67vdubya/IMG_13040680712716.jp g"/> [/img] stans tubless wheels with project 351 hubs. Rear clears fine with it in free ride mode. I even rode a nevegal 2.25 rear tire for a while and it cleared fine as well. ..,everyone says it doesn't clear but it does. I even ran it with the stock front derailleur and no issues. Now with a 2.1 rear it has even more clearance. I love my bike. I'd like a lock out front fork and maybe a better rear shock but no issues with what I have.
[img] http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r313/67vdubya/IMG_13040680712716.jp g" target="_blank">http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r313/67vdubya/IMG_13040680712716.jp g"/> [/img]
[img] 
[/img]
Swapped mine for a carbon stereo and I'll admit I miss it, only went for £180 on the bay and it had the best anodised type paint I've ever seen on a bike!
Stick a coil shock on it and its a gem
I love mine, Its now 1x10.
[url= http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2892/9049193207_a7b739e442.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/37582372@N07/9049193207/ ]IMAG0135[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/37582372@N07/ ]scottgolfgti[/url], on Flickr
Quick prophet sus question, if you pick the bike up from the top tube just below the saddle and you can feel a slight looseness is that the shock bushings or something more serious, it is only slight just a click of slack
shock bushings, My CP is 5 years old and have never done the main pivot bearing but have done the rear shock bushing 3 time and the front once. So my guess would be rear shock bushing. You should be able to see or feel it when lifting the bike like you said.
Fitting a heavy duty shock mount to the lower eyelet helps. TF Tuned sell them.
+1Fitting a heavy duty shock mount to the lower eyelet helps. TF Tuned sell them.
Llamaknob, sent you an email,I've got a medium Prophet MX frame up for grabs,in the West Kids .
That's in the West Mids 🙂
How does the Rush compare to the Prophet? Both single pivot but the Rush looks nicer (to me) and is also available quite cheap from time to time.
Andy I've had both. The Rush is excellent for long XC rides where efficiency is of prime importance. Very comfortable over long distances. It was also very capable over technical terrain but the prophet has the edge here. I've raced XC on it, marathons and even an Alps trip where I was following (slowly) DH bikes.
The prophet is a bit more of a hooligan. It does well on XC rides and it doesn't stop you putting in the miles but it's really designed for more techie steeper terain. I felt more comfortable doing jumps/drops on the prophet but that was probably due to the build kit. I've done several 60k+ rides on it but it was more effort and I was slower on it than the Rush.
If I could only have one, i'd have the prophet. But that's just me.
I still love my prophet though I am thinking of building something bigger so I don't kill it now I have picked up the courage to do bigger drops.
[img] 
[/img]
After seeing all those great Prophets I think my MX's a keeper!!!
I was looking for a secondhand Bandit, but if one of these came up in a small, I would be very tempted. How do the two bike compare?
I looked at replacing my prophet about 18 months ago but couldn't fine anything liked better. Rode bikes from, Scott, Spesh, Cube & Cannondale. I ended up just upgrading the prophet now I love riding it even more.
https://www.rootsandrain.com/photos/535052
Great pics Scott,looks like you were enjoying giving the Prophet a good ragging around Eastridge,one of my favourite riding spots!
Can anyone remember what the special edition they did was called? It had slacker geometry and a little more travel if I remember right? Saw one once on eBay ages ago and should have bought it!
MX or X versions came with warranty for 160mm forks (same 140mm rear) & so a slacker head angle than the std 140mm. No changes to the actual frame geometry, extra iscg mounts, butting round head tube for extra stress & bolt thru rear end on the MX versions
I have a normal prophet in Sweden and an MX frame in the UK. It is for sale 🙂
[img] https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Vy8jG6PyZNUiGqkH5S7NnD-G0WnKbgFp5SUhAHqvBGA=w903-h677-no [/img]