So, a few months ago some fool ran off with my Giant VT. Good for him. At least it gave me a reason to get a new bike. After a few weeks of looking, I decided to get a Cannondale Prophet. I went to a shop I used to work at and they gave me a sweet deal on a 2005 Prophet 1000.
I am about 5'9"-10" and 180 lbs- the medium fit me great. I switched out the stock stem for a 10mm shorter one, which I think is the stock stem on 2006 models. I also changed the stock FSA bar out because I wanted something that was wider and had more room to move brake levers and shifters around. Right now I have a Holzfeller bar on there, which is borrowed from my DH bike. At first it felt a little too wide for XC, but I got used to it and like it now. In fact, now high rise EA70s feel too narrow. Only other thing changed was the tires- High Roller USTs to Michelin All Mountains.
So far, the bike has been awesome. If I could only have one bike for XC to DH, it might be something like a lightened up Prophet MX. It descends better than I thought a 5.5" travel bike could. I felt almost instantly confident. I race DH and descents are what I live for, so that's a good thing for me. The suspension design is simple and stiff. It moves a bit under pedaling, but only if you get out of the saddle and hammer or use a really crappy pedal stroke while seated- like most modern full suspension bikes. I run a good amount of sag, but I have only really bottomed the rear suspension 2 or 3 times. It seems that the shock really ramps up in the last few mm of travel. The Lefty has done pretty well so far, but could be a bit plusher to match the suspension. It's certainly not as plush as the last XC fork I had (TALAS RLC). The SPV might keep the fork a little less plush than it could be.
I've been running the bike in the slacker HA position, but might switch back. Very easy change and it really does slack it out (67 deg., I think). The tradeoff is pretty straight- slacker bike means more stability with a slight penalty in quickness and climbing. The stability of the bike is maybe its best attribute, even in the steeper setting. Rocks, roots and speed don't unsettle it easily. I feel like the descending ability of the Prophet is going to get me in trouble some day. On the flip side, the climbing is only so-so. I think my old VT was a better climber, in part because of a slightly less active suspension and lower bar height. I am not sure what it is (could be my current fitness level...) but it seems that the Prophet is not that great a climber. It's a bit slower and harder to keep the front end down than other bikes. Not that it is a really bad climber, just not as good as other offerings in the all mountain/trailbike category.
The parts selection on the 1000 was very good. It is a pretty good deal (especially for what I paid!). Juicy 7s are excellent. I'm usually a Hayes guy, but these might be better. No split perch on the '05, but there is one on the '06 (not that this is a big deal with lock on grips anyway). The Cannondale stuff (post, hubs, stem, grips) is fine so far, if a bit heavy. No problems with cranks, pedals or drivetrain.
One item I did not like is the tires. The High Rollers were Super Tacky, which I think is a bad idea for a trailbike. They are fine in the weight department, but they rolled like bricks. I have some short pavement connectors in my usual rides, and they were painful on those stretches. Grip was okay, but not as good as I expected given the rolling resistance. They would probably be better for a drier climate or time of year as well. At least they inflated easily. Luckily, I already had a spare set of tires that were meant for my VT (Michelin All Mountain UST 2.2). They are one of the best all-around tires I've used. They were a bit of a pain to get inflated and a bit heavier than other offerings, but once I got them on they proved reasonably fast rolling, very predictable and very grippy. They don't roll as well as my last UST tires (Vertical Pro 2.3) but they grip better and drift better. The tread is an odd combination of a mini-Comp 32 and Comp 24.1/Hot S. Odd, but it works. They seem to be a true 2.2, maybe a little bigger. I think that's basically the perfect size for a trail tire.
In all, I am very happy with the bike. I am not sure if I am, on the whole, faster on it than my VT, but I am almost certainly having more fun. For me, the stability in the air and on the ground and the great suspension make up for a slight weight penalty and some lost efficiency.
Problems:
-Stock handlebar had very little room to move brakes inward.
-The rear hub is heavy and pretty slow. This is the first thing I would upgrade.
-On the day I bought it, the rebound adjuster on the fork stopped working. I went to the shop, we replaced the fork with one off the floor but because it was off a different size, we had to swap fork springs as well. After this was done, there was a slight knock in the top of the travel. We tried everything to get it out, but it wouldn't leave. I can only feel it while riding when the fork is in the very top of the travel and is taking tiny hits that barely compress it. Annoying, but not enough for me to do anything about it.
-A spoke nipple cracked, which I think might have been caused by the crappy factory wheel build. After a few rides, the spokes lost tension like crazy and I think they were all under-tensioned from the factory.
Sorry, no wok or anything. I have actually been avoiding the really muddy spots and days here to minimize trail damage. It's just that I don't have a hose, so washing the bike...well...doesn't happen much. I hope you like the ugly-ass couch I found in a friend's garage.
Here are my other bikes just for kicks.
Just put her together for the season today!
I have beaten this bike like you would not believe, but it will not die. All the components are from '98 or so.
edit: I don't know how to deal with images. this is the best i could do.
I am about 5'9"-10" and 180 lbs- the medium fit me great. I switched out the stock stem for a 10mm shorter one, which I think is the stock stem on 2006 models. I also changed the stock FSA bar out because I wanted something that was wider and had more room to move brake levers and shifters around. Right now I have a Holzfeller bar on there, which is borrowed from my DH bike. At first it felt a little too wide for XC, but I got used to it and like it now. In fact, now high rise EA70s feel too narrow. Only other thing changed was the tires- High Roller USTs to Michelin All Mountains.
So far, the bike has been awesome. If I could only have one bike for XC to DH, it might be something like a lightened up Prophet MX. It descends better than I thought a 5.5" travel bike could. I felt almost instantly confident. I race DH and descents are what I live for, so that's a good thing for me. The suspension design is simple and stiff. It moves a bit under pedaling, but only if you get out of the saddle and hammer or use a really crappy pedal stroke while seated- like most modern full suspension bikes. I run a good amount of sag, but I have only really bottomed the rear suspension 2 or 3 times. It seems that the shock really ramps up in the last few mm of travel. The Lefty has done pretty well so far, but could be a bit plusher to match the suspension. It's certainly not as plush as the last XC fork I had (TALAS RLC). The SPV might keep the fork a little less plush than it could be.
I've been running the bike in the slacker HA position, but might switch back. Very easy change and it really does slack it out (67 deg., I think). The tradeoff is pretty straight- slacker bike means more stability with a slight penalty in quickness and climbing. The stability of the bike is maybe its best attribute, even in the steeper setting. Rocks, roots and speed don't unsettle it easily. I feel like the descending ability of the Prophet is going to get me in trouble some day. On the flip side, the climbing is only so-so. I think my old VT was a better climber, in part because of a slightly less active suspension and lower bar height. I am not sure what it is (could be my current fitness level...) but it seems that the Prophet is not that great a climber. It's a bit slower and harder to keep the front end down than other bikes. Not that it is a really bad climber, just not as good as other offerings in the all mountain/trailbike category.
The parts selection on the 1000 was very good. It is a pretty good deal (especially for what I paid!). Juicy 7s are excellent. I'm usually a Hayes guy, but these might be better. No split perch on the '05, but there is one on the '06 (not that this is a big deal with lock on grips anyway). The Cannondale stuff (post, hubs, stem, grips) is fine so far, if a bit heavy. No problems with cranks, pedals or drivetrain.
One item I did not like is the tires. The High Rollers were Super Tacky, which I think is a bad idea for a trailbike. They are fine in the weight department, but they rolled like bricks. I have some short pavement connectors in my usual rides, and they were painful on those stretches. Grip was okay, but not as good as I expected given the rolling resistance. They would probably be better for a drier climate or time of year as well. At least they inflated easily. Luckily, I already had a spare set of tires that were meant for my VT (Michelin All Mountain UST 2.2). They are one of the best all-around tires I've used. They were a bit of a pain to get inflated and a bit heavier than other offerings, but once I got them on they proved reasonably fast rolling, very predictable and very grippy. They don't roll as well as my last UST tires (Vertical Pro 2.3) but they grip better and drift better. The tread is an odd combination of a mini-Comp 32 and Comp 24.1/Hot S. Odd, but it works. They seem to be a true 2.2, maybe a little bigger. I think that's basically the perfect size for a trail tire.
In all, I am very happy with the bike. I am not sure if I am, on the whole, faster on it than my VT, but I am almost certainly having more fun. For me, the stability in the air and on the ground and the great suspension make up for a slight weight penalty and some lost efficiency.
Problems:
-Stock handlebar had very little room to move brakes inward.
-The rear hub is heavy and pretty slow. This is the first thing I would upgrade.
-On the day I bought it, the rebound adjuster on the fork stopped working. I went to the shop, we replaced the fork with one off the floor but because it was off a different size, we had to swap fork springs as well. After this was done, there was a slight knock in the top of the travel. We tried everything to get it out, but it wouldn't leave. I can only feel it while riding when the fork is in the very top of the travel and is taking tiny hits that barely compress it. Annoying, but not enough for me to do anything about it.
-A spoke nipple cracked, which I think might have been caused by the crappy factory wheel build. After a few rides, the spokes lost tension like crazy and I think they were all under-tensioned from the factory.
Sorry, no wok or anything. I have actually been avoiding the really muddy spots and days here to minimize trail damage. It's just that I don't have a hose, so washing the bike...well...doesn't happen much. I hope you like the ugly-ass couch I found in a friend's garage.
Here are my other bikes just for kicks.
Just put her together for the season today!
I have beaten this bike like you would not believe, but it will not die. All the components are from '98 or so.
edit: I don't know how to deal with images. this is the best i could do.
Do they have that ad down souf?