EXCITEMENT: Cannondale's new race bike is designed to fill the niche between the "Scalpel" and "Prophet SL".
The neon green phosphorescent lettering on the bright yellow paintwork catches the eye even from a distance. The real innovations on the "Rush" are far less obvious. Only the trained eye will recognise that the bike has been redesigned from the ground up - assuming you have the rest of the Cannondale model range in mind. The main frame is reminiscent of a "Scalpel", the swingarm of a "Prophet". But only in terms of the rough shape. The material, butting and details are new. For example, the swingarm has an elaborate, hollow forged part in the bearing area, which is intended to reduce weight and increase rigidity. In contrast to the "Scalpel", the top tube has a continuous wall thickness, i.e. it is not butted, and should therefore better withstand the high damping forces. According to the company's philosophy, the "Rush" is built for cross-country racers for whom the "Scalpel" has too little suspension travel, and for marathon riders for whom the "Prophet" has too much travel.
We can confirm the latter: with its sporty, stretched seating position, long wheelbase and relatively flat angles, the "Rush" has excellent directional stability, which marathon riders will appreciate. The climbing ability of the "Rush" is also impressive - despite the relatively high cockpit. The softly tuned suspension almost provides an enduro feeling both uphill and downhill. Cross-country racers, on the other hand, will only be happy with the "Rush" on very few courses, as 110 millimetres of suspension travel seems very generous for this area of use, and the bike is not exactly a cornering artist. Tight bends - common in cross-country races - require physical effort. The suspension is also not up to scratch in all situations: the "Rush" cannot deny a slight pedal kickback on the small blade. On the other hand, 100 per cent efficient propulsion is achieved on the middle blade.
CONCLUSION:
The Cannondale "Rush" is not bursting with innovation. And that's exactly what makes it special: Because the developers have used tried and tested ingredients to create a bike that touring and marathon riders will have a lot of fun with.
