First Look at the ALL NEW Cannondale Habit HT | beSPOKE ep. 3

[@scottshipp2980]

It’s awesome to see more information online like this video when new bikes come out. Finding the HT1 on the EU Cannondale site is a great discovery. Eager to hear more. OTOH I think it is a bit of an overstep to make statements about how the bike is going to ride without qualifying it somehow such as saying “Based on my experiences, this could mean…” I’m skeptical of even the most experienced rider making determinations without direct riding experience. I’ll look forward to a ride report in the future before trusting that

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

I appreciate the skepticism! I did my best to regularly repeat that I haven’t yet ridden the bike, but am making comparisons of the geo/components listed online to the dozen or so modern aggressive hardtails I’ve had the privilege of riding. My goal was to make it clear that this was a first look, not a review, sorry if it didn’t come across that way!

[@Krasputin6719]

This frame is one of the cheapest branded frame for sale. I recommend if if you really like this bike just buy the frame and build it with parts that you prefer and it will pretty much be cheaper but with good parts.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Good call!

[@jefreyshelby9519]

Do not recommend this crap Sir ,this is not a frame is an abomination ,I got a ht 1 nice deore transmission etc ,is just crap heavy at 16 kg!! I got cheap Rockrrider 13 kg that handles better!! Connondale first and last time ,they should be suid for this ,I send it back money back.Toyal crap

[@michaelrieser9928]

So I built a beautiful Ragley mmmbop. My wife pretty much has taken that bike for her own! That’s ok if it gets her out on the trails more with me. I’m now looking for a budget hardtail frame to build another one. I stumbled on this habit ht 2 and your video. Your exactly right this needs a deep dive. 130 fork can be fine for a lot of stuff, 76 seat tube angle I think is more modern then most. I want the chainstay shorter but it’s got a lot of other good geo, great stack. I think say the middle child is one of the best bikes for a lot of reasons, but the stack is really short, the seat tube is 74, the front wheel gets jittery at speed. The geo of the middlechild is not as modern as some bikes coming up recently. But not many can do what the middlechild can. So I’m open to wanting to see what the ride is on this habit ht. The gurilla gravity pedal head has a 435 chainstay and it got high marks. I think they are going to release a habit ht one, with a better fork. Even if you tested the habit ht 2, you could feel that geo. I think Cannondale needs a call from you!……I’m just adding this, I hadn’t watched your whole report. I just caught the stuff about the Europe habit better build. Your amazing finding that! Going to go back and finish watching.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Haha awesome to hear your wife is stoked on riding! I think this bike would work great for a rider who was more focused on speed and stability over playfulness and airtime, but of course sometimes bikes have a different feel than what the number look like on paper. If Cannondale is willing to send me a test bike you know you’ll see it here 🤙

[@madysenparker1189]

have had the HT2 for a year now, 1200 miles on it and replacing the complete transmission to Sram axxs. dropper post is garbage and will be replacing that too. But it is a very fun bike to ride on gravel, small root terrain. It rips though on a flat or downhill flowing trail.

[@ktipuri]

I took cinnamon HT1 in Croatia few days ago for 1500euros, was on dirt track..It was awesome on drops. I like how it looks

[@worshipingIAM]

My 2019 cannondale cujo 2 frame cracked at the welds where the seat stays meet the seat tube. Cannondale offered me 20% off wholesale for warranty and I decided on this (habit HT 2) bike before I saw this vodeo. I'm excited to recieve it and in a couple of weeks hopefully I'll have my bike and I'll post a video review on it when I get it.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Nice man, let us know what you think of it!! Love the user name by the way 🤙🤙

[@Brotha_J619]

Always a good breakdown Josh💪🏽

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Thank you man 🤙🤙

[@ondrejmanych5688]

Not only you can get the best beer here in Czech republic, we also have Cannondale datasheets first. Whoa, what an awesome country I live in, ahahhaa

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Hahaha nice man!! That Habit HT 1 looks awesome! Stoked to hear from you 🤙

[@MichaelRobibaro]

FYI, the Giordano Intrepid has a 437 long chainstay...also an29er.... swapping to a 26x2.4 made it fun and still climbed like stock

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Right on, thanks for sharing!!

[@RobbyNowell]

Rode one, just in the parking lot. One size too small. It felt very planted, not playful, rode well, looked nice. It was just a touch lower spec than I wanted and maybe too slack for my needs. I ended up buying a Trek Roscoe 7 as an all around hardtail.

[@RotormanMTB]

yep.. better all round bike - good call.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Nice! Ya I think it’s gonna be a real tight niche that the Habit HT will be the best bike for. But props to them for doing something a little different!

[@TwoWheelKing]

I think 130mm or less makes sense for a HT. One thing you have to keep in mind is, unlike a full suspension, a HT’s geometry gets steeper as the fork compresses. Therefore, if you got a 64 degree head tube angle with a 150mm fork with 30% sag, your effective head tube angel will be steeper, especially when it’s compressed in corners where you want it slack the most. Therefore, less travel means less negative geometry change as the fork compresses.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

True, which is why most guys riding long travel hardtails run 10-20% sag. I personally think the limiting point is closer to around 150mm though.

[@coltonschwister1782]

i think im going to buy the ht3 because it on sale for 879$ on sun & ski sports. it will be my first mountain bike but the price is so good i can always sell it if i dont like it.

[@RobBlazoff]

I have my hands on one. I'll be dropping my review shortly

[@michaelrieser9928]

Looking forward to it. I’m intrigued with this frame. I want to buy just the frame and do a build. The build has some strong points but the fork and crank need to be alittle better.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

I really wish they sold it as frame only! Hopefully soon!

[@gr8fulride]

My first fs bike was a bad habit. It was a 27.5 + bike size xl. A good deal on a demo bike. Very confidence inspiring. Cracked the frame on some small drops. Cannondale replaced it with a habit fs frame. It was stronger, lighter, stiffer, slacker ht, steeper seat tube , so naturally I sold it while it was basically a new bike. Wish I would have kept it. It was a great all rounder trail bike. The ht habit looks interesting. I'd like a test ride in it, but would ride the stock forks until they wear out and replace with a Marzocchi bomber or a lyric .

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Nice! I remember the Bad Habit, I wanted that bike back in the day! What do you ride now?

[@gr8fulride]

@ridingwithjoshandwendy got a brand new wrecker from evil to build this weekend. Been riding Santa Cruz Hightower lt. And a v3 nukeproof scout I built from frame up last year.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

What a collection 🤙 Which do you find yourself taking out most often?

[@gr8fulride]

@ridingwithjoshandwendy I switch. Mostly every other ride. The scout rocks, but the Hightower is better in the steeps and rough stuff. I did mostly hardtail on my marin nailtrail last year because the fs was down for a bad hub and I was away from home to get the scout.

[@JasonScottCarter]

My local Cannondale dealer has these in stock. Pretty competitive price point. Looks to be competing directly against the Specialized fuse.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Ya, but with a bit more aggressive geo and at a better price for the spec. I’d say it’s most direct mainstream competitor right now would be the Marin San Quentin; which also has a 64 degree HTA and a pretty comparable price. The Habit HT 3 is kinda in a class of its own for having through axels front and rear and a dropper post for less than $1,200!

[@JasonScottCarter]

@@ridingwithjoshandwendy Marin is still doing 27.5 though. A lot of people have moved on from the 27.5 bandwagon. Marin would be wise to tweak it and put out a 29er version of the SQ.

[@_drawkward_]

@@JasonScottCarter Mullet. They could just go with a mullet hardtail at a decent price - a lot of people would want to check that out.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

I’m personally a big fan of 27.5” wheels, and I think they’re the best option if you’re wanting a more dirt-jumpy feel. But yes, I would be surprised with Marin releasing a new 29” hardtail since the El Roy didn’t do so well

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

I currently have my SQ3 set up as a mullet and it rips! Check it out here kzbin.info/www/bejne/joKtlZyca8-BbbM

[@John316-xp4wk]

On sale at REI thru 8/14/23 1158.99 great bike . I put z1 bombers air on it couldn’t be happier!

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Nice!!

[@Jose-sy1je]

Does that mean you put an air fork on the HT3? I'm not sure if that's even possible to change the fork

[@Dpr1sales]

HT 1 made it to Pittsburgh Pa. I picked one up in the Cinnamon color last week. Can’t wait to get it on the trails.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Dope!! The HT1 looks awesome! Let me know what you think of the bike once you take it out!

[@DavidMTurner]

It's been quite a while, but how has the HT1 performed for you? I'm also located in PGH, so curious about your experiences on familiar trails. I'm between the HT 1, Roscoe 8, or settling for an HT 2 and upgrading components down the road.

[@DJSavini]

I own the cannondale habit ht 3 an im loving it so far. I'm not sure if I got tubeless ready tires or rims but I would like to upgrade the fork for sure an maybe some grippier tires for corning but other than that this is by far the best bike I've ever bought an looking forward to getting a full suspension someday

[@drzlb]

Buying HT3. Thank you! Yes, insane value!!

[@psychoholicracing837]

It’s nice to see major brands finally updating their geo on Hardtails. The BB is actually high for a short travel 29. Most 29 130-140 Hardtails do -65 drop.

[@TheHuester44]

I really hope they bring the one here soon like next week 😊

[@YongPark-g3h]

It took me only 3 rides until I blew Judy fork seal that came with Specialized Fuse. It's ok for xc type of riding but it's not sturdy enough to do any kind of jumps. If you like going down jump trails then you kind of have to upgrade the fork right out of the box

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

My thoughts exactly!

[@nateandrachelledell2240]

Here in Ecuador I found a Giant Fathom 1 hardtail. Geometry looks similar but honestly I don't know the front travel spec. My fork is definitely beefier than the one on the Habit2 and 3. It would be fun to test the two side by side once you can find one to ride.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

The Fathom 1 is a great bike! It’s probably the only other thing on the market that might be topping this in terms of value

[@mybadvideos]

About time but I don't understand why they didn't just release this in a modified form as a second-generation of the circa 2016 Beast of the East...

[@mellissanash7517]

Pipedream Sirius comes close, which is designed around 110mm-140mm. Geo is sag corrected. On the other hand it cost much more than the Habit of course.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

True!

[@joshdesj]

interesting and actually nice looking bike... like the geo for the most part but sort of confused with the fork size/selection as well as the short dropper. I'd probably look at about 10 other similar-priced ht's before going down the cannondale road. my first mtb back in the mid-90's was a Cannondale, pretty fun especially after i basically stripped it down and replaced most of the components and turned it in to an actual serviceable mtb when i was exposed to real mountain biking in Ashland! great video Josh, as per usual!

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Thanks man! Ya, really wish there was a frame only option. Curious to see what the HT 1 model looks like when it gets to North America too

[@tigerbalm666]

I remember my Diamondback Silver Streak BMX! Chromoly was king...

[@andrewhernandez1529]

After watching all the budget hardtail videos you posted I was dead set on a COMMENCAL META HT AM, but i hadn't checked local shop. Guy at the local shop went through all my options for my price point this is what stuck with me after i slept on it.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Nice man! Which build are you going to go with?

[@andrewhernandez1529]

@@ridingwithjoshandwendy I went with the HT2. Also thanks for all the informative videos, you've educated me in a tremendous way!

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Thank you man, that means a lot! Let me know your thoughts on the bike, super curious to hear!

[@kenny_kaos]

Co-worker of mine picked up the purple one(more eggplant in person) and it’s decent bang for buck, though yeah the forks on both models are meh but aside from that pretty decent right out of the box.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Nice! You’ll have to try it out and tell us how it rides 🤙

[@johnnyd614]

The only thing on a bike the matters is the frame/geo. Everything else you can change. You can’t change the frame, and this is a good one!

[@Qlicky]

Depends where you live. Where Im from getting parts separately and a frame would cost double what you would pay for a similar factory made spec.

[@rezanspeaking]

I bought frame only and built it from scratch. UDH ready so easily installed GX T Type + Marzocchi Bomber 150mm Z1 coil. Also it’s not 64° as per actual measurement. It’s 65°.

[@cgreenleaf7291]

Kinda glad I found this video. I’m basically a newbie to the MTB world (rode a long time ago) but have a lot of trails where I live in Virginia. Went to the local bike shop today and this is actually the only bike they had in my price range (want to stay below $1500) Any recommendations for a 29r that would be more friendly to someone getting back into riding and around the same price point? Thanks!

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Check out the Norco Torrent A2! It has great geometry for aggressive trail riding, and a pretty dang good spec, especially given the sale price of just $1,500 on Jenson right now (usually $1,900). If you end up going with this option it would help us out if you purchase it through our affiliate link: jenson.sjv.io/3edy4B

[@JM-ke2kx]

Just picked up the HT2, REI has them as well as shimano 4 pot brakes on sale. Marzocchi has the Z2 20% off. Look forward to putting it all together.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

That's gonna be rad!!

[@93goodolboy]

Sun and Ski Sports has them!

[@armandoromero7348]

I’m a casual rider would the 3 be a good bike for me? I will be riding on dirt and asphalt . I’m an older rider so I am cautious about getting to crazy

[@marcinmitek]

Habit HT 1 made it to Europe, but there is no sign of the matte black one with Pike (at least in my region), even though it's been used in promo shots for the website. There are two colours available - mercury (raw) and cinnamon with RS 35 Silver fork - which is a kind of a bummer :(

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Right?! Must be a yet to be released model. Hopefully we'll get to see it soon!

[@nathanmitchell9588]

I just ordered my HT 1 today in the Cinnamon color and that is the weakness I saw. I already have a set of I-9 enduro 305v3's that I am going to put on it. I'm more of an xc / light trail guy and I think this one will fit the bill well. Plan on some bike packing too.

[@10coltesc71]

this or the canyon stoic? for a begginer who wants to upgrade long term

[@mrarizonamtb]

This bike and the Spec Chisel are both super similar to the SC Chameleon. I put a 140 fox on my Chameleon and it rides great.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Pretty different geo on these three bikes, they’re going to feel night and day different on the trail! I believe the Chisel has a 68 degree HTA and this has a 63.

[@randomite]

Is this successor of F3 bike? How does it compare to that? I had F3 and loved how light weight it was.

[@tjdsports9174]

There is the 3 and 2 at boardwalkbikes in myrtle beach

[@we_pro7898]

I think the bike that is a little similar is the Rocky Mountain growler 20 because they both have a 130mm fork with 64 head tube angle and have 29 wheels?

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

True! I think the other models have 140mm forms and the 20 has a 130, so it’s probably a hair steeper. It’s also a pretty good value comparison to, the Growler 20 also has a great spec for less than $1,200

[@jeffpower6473]

Steve at Hardtail party has a whole video on this bike

[@alexflosho]

You know what I find weird about this? The HT 1 has a Rockshox 35 on it, and only comes in silver. The weird bike pictured has the Pike Ultimate and comes in black. That's not even the HT 1. Maybe there'll be a Habit HT SE?

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Ya, definitely some bikes yet to be released, that look like they'll rip!

[@bmo72]

I am still using a 1993 super v900 with a headshok.

[@gesundheitstips2197]

The BTR Ranger has less travel and is as I think slacker and playful. ;) But it’s of course no mass product.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Haha what a bike! I’ve seen the Belter, but never the Ranger! That thing definitely looks similar geo wise, I love BTR 😂

[@gesundheitstips2197]

@@ridingwithjoshandwendy You got 3 bikes in one. A dj bike, a xc bike and of course a trail bike. At least, its the only price to justify the investment for the frame. ;)

[@weesh4010]

the rocky mountain growler 20 is specced similarly. 130 xcm, long chain stays

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

True! Which would you take between those two?

[@weesh4010]

@@ridingwithjoshandwendy trick question, San Quentin.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Haha that would be my answer too 😂 Gotta have those 27.5” wheels!

[@weesh4010]

@@ridingwithjoshandwendy i have a rockey moutain growler right now, and am shortening the cranks to 165 (stubby legs) and going to put on my 27,5 wheel set and see how it does. I'm worried about the BB height, but if it all works out, it will be a fun bike. would be cool to make the MSQ vs RMG 27.5 comparison

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Nice! Ya with the MSQ it was already 27.5, so mulleting it actually raised the BB. The RMG doesn’t have a particularly low BB, so I think you’ll be okay with those shorter cranks

[@ondrejmanych5688]

Well, this bike is meant to be upgraded. Its the same with Poseidon Norton. It is meant to be upgraded gradually if you dont have much money, but it will get you going meanwhile. I think it is a genius marketing.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Good call! And since the frame seems pretty legit it would definitely be worth putting the money into!

[@mertersun]

So after Habit HT1 is now on the market, what is your opinion about it?

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

I’m still a bit weary of the geometry to be honest, but I still have yet to ride one so take that with a grain of salt. But the part spec and value looks great!

[@tomassanesson902]

Sooo awesome beautiful bike

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Really is! And a killer price point for the spec!

[@rexxstone4320]

What would you recommend for an upgrade on the fork with out breaking the bank??

[@Jose-sy1je]

What hardtail would you recommend from REI? They are limited when it comes to brands, but I do like their service and dont know so much about bikes at this point. Having said that, I would like to go for a better hardtail with a good fork and hydraulic brakes.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

These Habit HTs are pretty rad!

[@Jose-sy1je]

@@ridingwithjoshandwendy They have different versions tough. Do you have one in particular? Looked at the Habit HT3, but it doesn't seem to have an air fork.

[@alirence865]

whats the suggested travel fork for this frame? here in manila they sell frame only. planning to build a new bike

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Nice, that’ll be a sick build! The bike comes with a 130 and Cannondale says you can run it with anything from 120-140

[@franciscobamboo6566]

Yes I have one❤

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Nice!! Which model? And how do you like it so far?

[@HonigMacher]

great bike!!!

[@Jose-sy1je]

The HT2 or HT3? I didn't really understand what he said about the tire width. Are wider tires (2.4-2.6) better?

[@tjdsports9174]

Any good fork recommendations for the ht 3 for a 180 lbs rider?

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

What’s your budget? Id say a Rockshox 35 Gold, Marzocchi Bomber Z2, or SR Suntour Aion 35 would all be good options for around $400.

[@phil5073]

With that 64 deg HTA and by putting a 150-160mm fork, can it handle enduro tracks?

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

I’d say! I think the biggest limiting factor on the HT 2 and 3 is the fork, and if you want to carry significant speed through rough terrain you’ll want to replace it early on

[@phil5073]

@@ridingwithjoshandwendy thank you. Do you think MT420 brakes is enough for that purpose?

[@xxsunnythemasterxx9067]

Hey! Can u recommend me any hardtail thats for under 1.5k and is able to cover trails with jumps? Thanks

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Check this video out! kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3i6YqSJlqekoLcsi=JdbOK5D20j4P4xpJ

[@kenny_kaos]

Though the HT 2 actually came with Maxxis(highroller ii rear, minion dhf front).

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Good to know; their spec said otherwise but I’d seen pictures of it with Maxxis rubber so I wasn’t sure

[@dadbod4life]

Slacker than my 2022 chameleon. 130mm is perfect on a hardtail. The spec is not great on these, but the price reflects that at least.

[@franciscobamboo6566]

I have one ,it's very good bike, strong, stable, and very comfortable

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Good to hear, thanks for sharing man 🤙

[@joeclift4094]

has to be the most elusive bike this year, no ride reviews anywhere, bout ready to just buy it in mantis green.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Right?! I’ve even had trouble finding one at any local shops here in Oregon to test ride

[@WheelieBroe]

hello i have just bought my cannondale habit ht3 for 770€ the only thing i hate is the fork that comes with the ht3 it's around 3,7kg like what😮 so i'm upgrading to a rockshox 35 gold rl with 150mm of travel, i know it will change the geo but i have heard that the hta is actually 65 so it would make it around 63 and the 35 gold is around 2,2kg so it would bring the weight down from 16,4 to 14,9kg which isn't light but it's better 😅

[@WheelieBroe]

what do you think of this upgrade

[@WheelieBroe]

16,4 kg is 36 pounds and the fork is the suntour xcr 34 coil around 3,7kg

[@dadbod4life]

Looks like the HT 1 will offer the raw aluminum color and a Rockshox silver 35 fork. But I cant find it available with a price. So maybe its not released yet?

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

It’s available in Europe right now, so hopefully in the states soon! I talk about it at 5:00

[@thomaswebb9410]

Longer chainstays will make the bike feel way more balanced, not even that long compared with my on one hello dave

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Haha your Hello Dave has the longest chainstays of any hardtail on the market, and I think this just took second place. But yes, there are definitely some pros to longer CSL that I talk about in the video

[@onceuponareset-ho7fg]

Can anyone confirm whether or not a longer dropper post will fit/work in the size medium frame? Like would the 130mm dropper post from the large, actually work in the medium frame? Thanks for any intel.

[@BicMichuM]

How is this weird? Its around $750 now on this ine website..not too bad imo..maybe decrease the fork to 120mm? Maybe for us casual riders its ok compared to the bike experts...i wont really know the difference lol..i mean i use a schwinn axum stock on trails and its fine lol

[@Brandovibe]

Where's the link to the ht1?

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

It hadn’t been released in the U.S. yet, but is now! www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/mountain/trail-bikes/habit-ht/habit-ht-1

[@davidperry7266]

Looks like here in the UK we get the HT1 in raw, but only in raw.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

How’s the price on that? I really hope they release that in the states soon!

[@davidperry7266]

@@ridingwithjoshandwendy £1500 for the HT1 in raw. The 130mm dropper on a large seems a bit out of touch with the geometry. Would have been better to simply not fit a dropper and spend the budget elsewhere on the bike.

[@marnig9185]

It seems to me it is a mtb tourer;)❤that thing

[@palashpulsar]

I noticed that the ETT is too short. Rider might feel cramped when seated.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

That’s what a steep STA will do for you; I’m personally not a fan, but if you like up-sizing bikes it’s a must

[@vinskieyt7976]

Not good for 140mm travel?

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

What do you mean by that?

[@RotormanMTB]

I genuinely think Cannondale failed here. Poor overall - 64HTA with a 130 fork - that's just plain weird. It's like they put 30% effort into this. Sure, Boost spacing they got - but that's the standard and expected. Much better bikes out there in my view. The frame does look fantastic though.. but any brand putting a Judy\30mm stanchion fork on a bike like this means they just missed the brief - that's assuming there was a brief. Looks like a complete afterthought of a bike. The Habit FS bike on the other hand, lovely and proper. Big pass for me... Cannondale did themselves a disservice on this one and they are better than that.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Honestly it’s mainly just the fork that erks me, and possibly the long chainstays. The rest of the spec, geo, and frame features are pretty solid! Wish the sold it as a frame only, I bet you’d see some pretty rad builds!

[@michaelrieser9928]

Yes, I can get any of the new 2023 geo Ragley frames for $620 delivered to my door. The new geo Ragley geo’s are very unpredictable. Don’t know if the ride would translate. But the habit ht looks promising, I would pay $620 to do a build. Could I buy the habit ht 3 for $1175 plus tax and sell enough of those entry level parts, I don’t know. I don’t think so. Even with those parts new, would anybody want them?

[@RotormanMTB]

@Riding With Josh and Wendy like you said.. even with a 140 fork.. the HTA would be very agreesive (angle headset to pull it back but again.. it then becomes not a price competitive at all) and limits the all round approach to a HT like this. I ride a Merida Big Trail and a Norco Sight (64HTA). I wouldn't want my Merida that slack..it's 65.5 as is with a 140 fork... plenty slack to keep my out of trouble.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

I had the same thought 😂

[@johnnyd614]

This is a great bike for the price!

[@PuffinPass]

Good looking bike, but that fork choice...wtf? I know Cannondale has always followed a weird path with their bike designs, the Lefty comes to mind, but that is a really odd choice and I wouldn't be surprised if that Judy costing them sales especially when at that price there are other HCHTs out there with better fork options. The fact that they are offering it overseas with a 150 makes me wonder what angle they are trying to push in the NA market. The WTB wheels are decent hoops but if they are using the Novatec hubs then regardless of width they aren't worth using except while saving or looking for a replacement set, if they are using the WTB Serra hub then just go ahead and factor in new wheels when considering the purchase as part of the total cost.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Ya, definitely seems like they put out a solid (albeit unique geo) frame with a pretty questionable spec. But for the money it still seems like a great, upgradable package IMO

[@PuffinPass]

@@ridingwithjoshandwendy Yeah I like that frame design. Would be a nice frame to build up or ride as is and upgrade as you go. BTW I like your review style it feels like a very balanced perspective.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Thank you man, I appreciate it!

[@dragoschisavu]

Damn, really dissapointed with this bike. Anyway can you belive the new Stoic 4 was on sale at just 1445 euros? pike select, 12 spd deore, 4 pot deore, dt swiss wheels, dropper.... and i got one for myself. Really can't beat what u get for the money.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Killer deal!! Just wish the seat tube wasn’t so tall otherwise I’d probably own a Stoic by now 😕

[@dragoschisavu]

@@ridingwithjoshandwendy on the size M its 430mm. At 178cm it fits me well. But i started to think maybe the frame is not as high quality as scout or meta ht? It comes close to 15kg and the scout in similar spec is almost 13kg. Wondering why there’s such a big difference in weight

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Sadly the L is 460 and XL is 500. And it could be, could be different sizes that the weights are given for too

[@franciscobamboo6566]

I HAVE one its amazing ❤ I 👍👍

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Nice!! Glad you like it!

[@jefreyshelby9519]

Finally some sane people around here ,I did a stupid thing 😮 just bir the ht 1 in deore nice brakes and transmission,dh wheels it seems ,but my God what an abomination they create ,frwme is crap not xc,not trail ,not enduro 😮chainstay to long , doesn't wheely ,just bada and weird ,I paid a tousand ,last 30 min on it and I ask money back ,worst crap hardtail not worth a penny ,I got cheaper bikes that put smiles on face😮,firs and last Cannondale,they should stop making bikes

[@kenrafferty2347]

Get your head out of your ass. I manual mine all day, just because you don’t know how to ride a MTB don’t blame it on the bike. I hate when people look at specs and think that’s why they can’t do something. Go back into your basement, and find something else you can’t do.

[@jefreyshelby9519]

😮dude really the Judy is not the problem is just too heavy for hardtail, geometry everything is wrong with this ,I got Rockrrider that does better than this at half the price and 3 kg less

[@jurisx85]

So pretty! But a Judy? What a hell…

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Ya, it’s really a bummer. Rockshox Recon or even 35 would have been a much better option

[@karlkrause6679]

Throw a 140mm fork on it and it suddenly becomes an aluminum Marin El Roy.

[@partypartida]

130mm Judy fork. I'm out.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Ya, it’s really a bummer. Rockshox Recon or even 35 would have been a much better option

[@typedeaf]

Actually doesnt sound like a fun bike at all. It sounds ...safe. Something like the old Trek Stache was a super playful, poppy, fun, hardtail.

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

Yeah, definitely not the most playful bike! But fast can be fun too!

[@scottzreality3061]

So you’re reviewing this bike without riding it🤷‍♂️

[@MountainDooo01]

Canondale always seemed like a bad brand when it comes to anything other than XC

[@ridingwithjoshandwendy]

I think the Habit FS is pretty rad!