Review

Review | The Cannondale Tramount 29er 1

17.06.2015
by

While Cannondale now boast a pretty decent portfolio of e-bikes, their E-MTB contingent remains on the small side – in fact, they only have one model. But such a small choice doesn’t necessarily reflect a lack of expertise. After all, Cannondale aren’t known for producing poor quality bikes, are they? We’ve taken a closer look at the Tramount 29er 1 and wanted to see if this hardtail with the super cool Lefty fork was able to profit from its unmotorised brother.

Cannondale Tramount 29er 1, 19,2 kg schwer und 3.799 € teuer.
Cannondale Tramount 29er 1, weighing 19.2 kg and costing 3,799 €.

Shaded in black and grey with some subtle white detailing, the 19.2kg Cannondale Tremount 29er 1 emits a rather cool look. Cannondale’s own Lefty fork, this time with 100mm travel, has evolved into the brand’s trademark and more than boosts the bike’s image. As the name hints, the bike has 29” wheels, consisting of WTB i23 rims, a special Lefty hub at the front, and a Shimano XT hub at the rear. Both the shifting, the levers and the 180mm disc brakes stem from Shimano too, while the rest of the components are all Cannondale’s own. The carbon seatpost is a standout highlight, as its distinct form allows for a certain amount of flex, thereby effectively working over bumps.

Ganz in Schwarz, Weiß und Grau gehalten ist das Tramount unauffällig aber schick.
Chic but discrete in shades of B&W
Die Lefty ist trotz des einen Stand- und Tauchrohrs ausreichend steif und überzeugt mit guter Performance.
Despite just the one stanchion, the Lefty is still sufficiently rigid and high performing.
Allgemein kann das Cannondale mit einer rundum guten Ausstattung punkten.
The Cannondale scores well with a decent all-round spec.
Der Aufkleber irritiert etwas: Von DT Swiss sind hier nur die Speichen. Die Schwalbe Nobby Nic sind eine gute Wahl für ein E-MTB-Hardtail.
The sticker is misleading as DT Swiss only provide the spokes here. The Schwalbe Nobby Nic tyres are a wise choice for E-MTB hardtails.
Nettes Detail: Die Carbon-Sattelstütze bietet mehrere Millimeter Flex und sorgt so für spürbar mehr Fahrkomfort. Allerdings braucht man, wie in der Zwischenzeit bei vielen Mountainbikes zum Verstellen der Sattelhöhe einen Imbus.
Nice detail: The carbon seatpost offers a few millimetres of flex and so provides tangible added comfort. But to adjust the seat height you will need an Allen key.

The first thing you notice about the Cannondale is the height you’re riding at – and this isn’t just due to being a 29er, as the geometry results in a stack of 648mm. The resulting feeling is more as though you’re on the bike, rather part of it, but because of the really long stem, your position is pretty stretched-out rather than overly upright. Needless to say, we don’t feel super comfortable. Although measuring 700mm, the bars feel overly narrow and for such a high 29er, any rider would benefit from wider bars.

Der 700 mm schmale Lenker will nicht gefallen – an einem 29er wünschen wir uns ein noch etwas breiteres Modell Der Vorbau muss aufgrund der Lefty leider so lang ausfallen.
Not overly keen on the 700 mm narrow bars – for a 29er we’d prefer wider bars. The stem unfortunately has to be that length given the presence of the Lefty.

But we don’t let these factors get us down, and set off cross-country in a good mood. After all, a bike is made to be ridden. On gravel tracks and forest trails the Tramount is great fun despite its high and front-heavy seat position. It particularly shines on descents and the Schwalbe Nobby Nic tyres boost our confidence when cornering. But as soon as the first trail is behind us and we’re climbing, then the fun is a thing of the past. The Lefty fork might be well rigid and effective, but the steep head angle of 70.5°, the riding position and the narrow bars give the Cannondale Tramount 29er 1 a really twitchy handling style. Agile it might be, but agitated above all. In short, the Tramount’s geometry doesn’t seem ideal for climbs.

Sieht gut aus, ist aufgrund des hohen Schwerpunkts und dem steilen Lenkwinkel aber ein gar nicht so einfacher Balanceakt.
Looking good, even if bombing through the valley isn’t its home turf.
Ganz schön steil der Lenkwinkel – vor allem wenn dann noch die Gabel einfedert.
A rather steep head angle – and even more so when the fork is compressed.

Retailing at 3,799 €, the Cannondale Tramount 29er 1 comes with a well considered spec, winning us (and fellow riders) over with its distinctive look and cool detailing. Despite a spec that includes some really decent mountain biking-specific components, it definitely feels more at home on steady paths – if not on pure urban terrain. This is where its agile nature works to its strengths, as its steep geometry has its limitations on technical trails.

For more information visit cannondale.com

Words: Andreas Maschke Photos: Klaus Kneist

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