Viewing 17 posts - 1 through 17 (of 17 total)
  • Calling all Cannondale Slate owners..
  • slimjim78
    Free Member

    My inner magpie spotted a shiny Whyte Glencoe recently, so having spent hours of obsessive info hunting I’ve decided that my life isn’t complete without one.
    At least, as long as its a Cannondale Slate.

    I’m a total sucker for Dales and I love the idea of a roady type 1×11 set-up with big volume tyres – even more so with the natty Lefty Oliver up front.
    I’m looking for something that’ll eat up paths/roads/light off road (SDW) for good 30-40 mile routes and i’m nearly convinced that this is the bike to do it.
    Theres a couple of 2017 Apex versions floating around at circa £999 which seems pretty decent, although, i’d love to source a bargain lefty version.

    So tell me all about yours and how much its changed your life for the better – and made you a more attractive person etc plz.

    wildc4rd
    Free Member

    Its made my commute a lot more fun. Its close to as quick as a road bike, with the option of fire roads and bridleways opened up. The stock gearing (on the 105 at least) is stupid, and the tyres are pretty thin.

    New tyres (Panaracer Gravel Kings), med cage mech and an 11-32 cassette though, and its brilliant.

    monkeysfeet
    Free Member

    Love mine. Great for Cumbrian lanes full of poo/mud/potholes
    Stock apart from Saddle and Hope XC hoops.
    My go to bike, fast fun and a joy to ride.
    Mine is the 105 version.
    Had to go a frame size up (usually a medium in everything, got a large as it felt better tow ride)

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    jonnyboi
    Full Member

    JUST.LOOK.AT.IT

    http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/cannondale-slate-my-ride

    As a bike it kicks ass, fast, nimble, stable and comfortable. Find another bike where you can keep up with roadies, ride down steps, bunnyhop everything, take the scenic route up and over etc.etc.

    To quote cannondale, it’s Next Level Shit

    scaled
    Free Member

    I keep looking at them, there’s a lovely shiney one in the Evans across the road.

    the thing that puts me off though, surely full guards are a requirement for a bike like that?

    st
    Full Member

    I went through this a couple of months ago and ended up with the Apex version.

    I’d have liked the suspension version but wanted the 1X set up and for what I wanted having the rigid fork was the lesser compromise.

    So far it’s been great. I’ve worked up a local 20 mile loop which takes in equal amounts of road and off road and it’s worked out really well.

    I even ended up doing a usual off road night ride with my usual group when my MTB was out of action and it went better than expected.

    I immediately fitted WTB Resolute tyres (tubeless) but they cost nearly 50 quid each.

    I’ve also fitted a USE suspension seat post which is nice but only because I had it in a box.

    The 1X will be under geared if your main focus is road but mine isn’t so I’m happy to spin out more that I would on a full on roady.

    wildc4rd
    Free Member

    @scaled, full guards would fall off/be broken off if using it correctly!

    scaled
    Free Member

    Pah! – had full guards (chromoplastics) on my Escapade and they lasted pretty well. I snapped them off a few times on drops where I caught the front/back wheel but they always clipped back on!

    salad_dodger
    Full Member

    I have one and love it. Only negative for me is the lack of a decent variety of tyres.

    seifahmad
    Free Member

    Love mine (slate cx1) and have done everything from Delamere gravel riding to completing the rapha Manchester to London on mine. Running schwalbe g ones now but have some compass babyshoe pass on my next buy to replace the stock tyres (too fragile)

    Perfect bike for the state of the uk roads especially this time of year.

    imnotverygood
    Full Member

    I’ve got the Ultgra version & I love it. Agree about the gearing & it needs decent tyres*. The Apex version doesn ‘t have a suspension fork, which would be a drawback for me.
    *WTB. Resolute

    darkcove
    Full Member

    I’m now on my third. Not because there that good, maybe I’ve been unlucky, but they’ve all been faulty.

    First 105 I had the rear triangle was completely out of whack, if I’d have fitted off road tyres they’d have buzzed the seat stay. Off back it went without even been ridden.

    Second 105, a replacement for the first arrived exactly the same. That one didn’t even get lifted out of the box. Money refunded. To be fair to the shop in question (Start Cycles) they were excellent through out.

    Today, prompted by a email from Evans for an extra 10% of I’ve bought a Ultegra version. Got it home, what’s that noise? Oh the cranks and B.B. are so lose in the frame they are moving even when just bouncing the bike on its rear wheel. Oh dear, straight back to the shop. They’ve fixed it but it feels like the B.B. has to much preload on, maybe it’ll loosen up when ridden. If not the shop is only a mile away. At least it’s straight!

    So as yet I’ve still not ridden one. Won’t be this weekend as I’m on call Saturday and working Sunday. Once I have hopefully it’ll live up to the hype.

    The Ultegra one was a bagin though, £1800, got a code for 10% off, got a further 8% off that through a work scheme that allows us to buy Evans vouchers at a reduced rate and had £130 of cash back in my account so it cost me £1370. Cash-back!

    rumbledethumps
    Free Member

    I’ve got the Green 105 one and so far its great. As others have testified the stock tyres aren’t great. I’ve only had it for a few months. My rear punctured on the 3rd ride so going to go tubeless soon. Only done half a dozen rides so far, but so far so good. Compared to my old Salsa Warbird it replaced it feels quite light considering the carbon lefty attached.

    I don’t see the point of the rigid lefty, as you are tied into Cannondales hub choice then for no real benefit from a standard carbon fork. I’m happy to be corrected on that though.

    Large frame 5’10” 32″ inside leg.

    Rolls suprisingly well. The lockout on the oliver works well and just the right amount of suspension.

    Yeah I like it.

    Cheers.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    “Find another bike where you can keep up with roadies, ride down steps, bunnyhop everything, take the scenic route up and over etc.etc.”
    Specialized Diverge

    benp1
    Full Member

    I wanted one in XL, but none were available at a good price. I would only have one with suspension, otherwise it’s not really any different to my Arkose (with hydros and 1×10)

    The only thing is that the headtube is limited in length, so for a XL its a bit low

    slimjim78
    Free Member

    Theres a lovely XL just been listed on ePay. In black (no purple bits though?).

    postierich
    Free Member

    Loving mine great bike packer and making dull trails in the Lakes come alive

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/22GK5Rv]27337366_10156216103721474_7588141846129503804_n[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/FWaH7y]27540154_10156216104066474_6696286051385658941_n[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr

Viewing 17 posts - 1 through 17 (of 17 total)

The topic ‘Calling all Cannondale Slate owners..’ is closed to new replies.