Previewed: Cannondale Rize and Moto

Introducing the Cannondale Moto

Brraaaaap
You can take the motorcycles out of the bike company, but apparently there was still some moto left at Cannondale.

So what do you do when you can’t make motorcycles anymore? You design a 160-millimeter bike for aggressive all-mountain riding, and because you’re not allowed a motor you make it as light as possible.

Meet the Moto, a 30-pound (with primo build) big-mountain gobbler.

To hit its stiffness/weight design goals Cannondale makes ample use of the gooey black gold, building the Moto’s front frame triangle out of carbon fiber with a seven-bladder process (where most other monocoque designs use four). The triangular link plates that attach to the top of the shock also are made from carbon, as are the braces that sandwich the lower-pivot and bottom bracket junction to keep up stiffness at the cranks and support the lower shock mount. Rounding out the stiffness requirement, the bike has optional 12-millimeter Maxle dropouts.

In order to free the frame from a top-tube shock mount, which in a carbon fiber application could get dicy with a lightweight/aggressive-use bike. Cannondale drives the shock with a linkage that is suspended off a structure built onto the downtube.

This spreads forces across the downtube and into the massively gusseted 1.5-inch- headtube that Cannondale engineers call “The Diablo,” for its 66.6-millimeter outside diameter.

Cannondale says the floating shock design (not to be confused with floating pivot), combined with the “Hatchet Drive” linkage layout break seal stiction faster and make better use of the bike’s full travel.

All those links add up to a falling rate linkage, which combined with an “optimized” main pivot located above and in front of the bottom bracket make for a useable 160 millimeters of travel.

The Moto's floating shock linkage

We didn’t get a chance to really test the Moto’s climbing ability, but in our 5,000-vertical-foot-decent shuttle it handled itself with dignity on some fairly rocky trail.

As my luck would have it, I drew the "experimental" straw when it came to pick up our test bikes. That's code for "we're thinking about making an aluminum version." An alloy version would bring the price down a bit. Currently the three carbon versions of the Moto are slated to retail in the U.S. for between $3,899 and $6,499, and Cannondale is still looking into the prospect of making an alloy version. We're are looking into the prospect of getting both a Rize and a Moto sent out for a test as soon as possible, and this next season look for a Cannondale Demo Center to try one out for yourself.

Previous Page 1 2 3

Reader Comments

Posted Wed Mar 5, 2008, 4:50 PM — By andy weenink

Im very impressed with the idea.I was thinking about purchasing the RUSH CARBON,and then cannondale wows me with the RISE.I trully hope your write up is going to be very specific and lots of tech notes.Im a Prophet lefty owner and would like to hear more on the Rise.This is one bike id sell my kid for (ha ha). Thanks for all your hard work.I would like some pre info on the Rise, if you could.

Posted Thu Mar13, 2008, 11:16 PM — By Cam

To me it looks very much like a Yeti 575 with 15 mm less travel. Will the Lefty PBR internals fit other Cannondale Leftys? I have a 2006 Prophet 2000 that was *supposed* to have travel management but didn't; C'Dale promised me a free upgrade when the parts arrived - but now it looks like my 140 mm Lefty Carbon Max will drop to 130 mm.

Posted Wed Mar26, 2008, 7:27 PM — By Juan Toro

I will like to know if in the near future a version of the Rize ussing the sort of top notch components as per the current Rush Team Replica will be available.

Posted Thu Mar27, 2008, 6:11 PM — By Alan

The Rize shown above is pretty blinged out, very close to the build of the Rush Carbon Team (which I own) It has the Mavic wheels, Juicy ultimate brakes and upgraded Si Carbon cranks (I think with ceramic bearings. My Rush only has Al cranks with standard bearings). About the only difference is the XTR rear derailleur, instead of X.0, the matching shifters, and the bigger tires (X.0 vs. XTR is basically a personal preference). You'd be hard pressed to do much better than that...

Posted Mon Mar31, 2008, 5:15 PM — By Maver

Where i can buy this Tyres ?? please send info in my email ...

Posted Wed Apr 9, 2008, 2:32 PM — By jar jar binks

hi everyone i want know how much a bike like this is going to cost me because i cant find the prices for the rize or the moto carbon and really want to get a bike like this...

Posted Wed Apr 9, 2008, 2:56 PM — By jar jar binks

please write me back if you guys can provide me with an answer. and if you know of any other good bikes please let me know...

Posted Wed Apr23, 2008, 10:44 AM — By jedi

The Rize will come with two frame options across five different models ranging from $1,799 to $5,499. The two high-end models feature carbon fiber front triangles, and all of them have the backbone, forged yoke and carbon seat stays.

Posted Sun Jun15, 2008, 6:09 PM — By spikes

I�ve just completed my first week on New RIZE ONE here in New Zealand. First impressions are it�s light, fast. She drives like a hard tail but floats like a plane. Those cranks provide turbo power on demand down below. The lefty does the business up front while delivering that precision steering you only get from a single leg fork. Rear end seems as stiff or loose as u like. First major ride showed this bike has it all....up the hill, down the hill ...through the sticky tricky forest. Rooty, Bumpy. I was wondering what i would have to give up for 130 mm of travel. The answer would appear to be nothing really ? I will race this bike in next year�s Coppermine Epic www.coppermine.co.nz - But in the mean time i will thrash it to death on every track in the town. Maybe other manufactures have bikes as good as this one � but i find that hard to believe.

Posted Sun Jul27, 2008, 9:24 PM — By ski laxer

As a dealer from CT, I've rocked some saddle time in the '09 Moto and Rize. The Moto Carbon 1 runs and bangs like a Rush on steroids. It drives up rocky New England river beds with speed and agilty. The new hatchet-drive-linkage works and you get spoiled with top of suspension with needed adjustability. You almost forget your floating on six inches of travel until you start ripping downhill. The Moto absolutely rips down hill, almost too fast for its light-weight carbon frame. In weight savings, you sacrifice stability. The Juicy carbons schreeched to a hault after I shredded the tubeless rear tire off a lil' rock drop, proving my Co2's useless. Honestly the MOTO is fuck'n amazing.

Posted Sat Aug29, 2009, 8:27 AM — By nick popham

I Recently got a Rise 3, as im not totally convinced on the carbon bike v rocks, so this is the best Alu with some Carbon rear stays, its been stripped n XTR 2009 full range with rapid rise n paddle shifters fitted, SLR Mavic £1000 Red hubs wheels fitted, to the PBR 130 lefty, Easton ec90 stem and bars, it weight is under 26 so up with the rise SL1 range though with shimano prices £7000 price tag? sometimes money not important its getting the best ride, ive got same bike n spec on a 2003 jeckle 2000. So far is fast , very agile n very light i weigh only 10 stone

Posted Sat Oct31, 2009, 4:19 AM — By cheap gucci handbags

good website ,good gucci handbags