Cannondale Slate

I've always been on the lookout for that one perfect bike, or quiver killer as it's sometimes called. Essentially, this is a bike that could replace all the mountain, road, and cross bikes in my stable. Well, I'm happy to say this past winter I purchased a 2017 Cannondale Slate 105 and I couldn't be happier. This is truly the one bike to rule them all.

I'll avoid posting a lot of technical specs, only because you can simply find them on the Cannondale website. Instead, I'll add some photos and give a brief overview of my thoughts so far. The main point I want to make is that this bike is perfect for someone looking to only own one bike and still ride a variety of terrain. It truly is an all-terrain bike, even though most industry snobs would call it a gravel bike or alternative road bike.

Maintenance

So far, I've put about 700 miles on the bike and have had minimal maintenance issues. From a wear and tear perspective, the only thing that's happened is a scratch in the paint. Unfortunately, the matte green paint scuffs very easily. I've also adjusted the shifting once or twice, but that's to be expected on a new bike anyway. Other than that, no complaints.

Ride Quality

I've owned a couple of cross bikes over the years (Bianchi Volpe and Lemond Poprad) but the Slate handles far better than any of them. The acceleration is snappy and the stock wheelset rides just as well as my old Mavic Ksyrium Elites. The large 650x42 Panaracer tires smooth out the jagged New England roads up in my neck of the woods. They also do a remarkable job off road, which is surprising because they're really just slicks. It's the wide grip that seems to really help. Just be careful, they will slip out on wet rocks and roots.

Ride Report

Here are a few photos I took while out gallivanting in 90 degree heat on the Slate in the Easton/Sharon area of Massachusetts. I think they demonstrate some of the Slate's best qualities:

Pre-ride Portrait

She did well on a the mud and sand of this trail to the right. The Slate can sometimes slip in the mud, but it's more like a stall where the wheel spins out, if that makes sense. It's fairly predictable so if you have any mountain bike experience, it won't be an issues. In my opinion, it's better than getting stuck in the mud with overly knobby tires.

Bombin' through the suburbs. The Slate is great on the road, but don't expect to hang with the A Group on your club ride. Instead, impress the B Group with your lefty fork and prepare to field questions about whether it pulls to the left.

Loose rocks and sand are probably the least favorite terrain of the Slate. It gets through, but the rocks sometimes kick up and hit the frame.

The Slate loves a good bridge or two.

The most surprising feature of the Slate is that it handles rocky singletrack remarkably well, even with the stock slicks. I can't believe the things this bike can get over sometimes.

The best terrain, of course, for the Slate is gravel. The 42c tires fly over loose to hard gravel.

From the cockpit, grinding the gravel.

Taking a break.

Back at it, on the gravel.

Going uphill.

You know me, I love these shots.

Hanging out around Moose Hill (don't get lost, this place is big).

Heading back home after a fun (hot) day.














Summary

Like I said before, the Slate is an amazing bike and incredibly fun. Like all bikes, it does have some drawbacks. The biggest one for me is the saddle. The saddle feels great for about 20 miles, but after than it really loses its hold. It might fit better for other people, but for me it's very uncomfortable.

Some people complain about the gearing, but I've actually gotten used to it over the past couple of months. Pushing 42c tires with a 50 tooth chainring is tough. However, it makes switching from road to offroad riding better, in my opinion. Unless it's gravel, I almost always drop down to the small chainring when I'm offroad. If I were to change anything, it would probably be the top chainring and saddle.

Overall, this bike is amazing and I look forward to riding it for years to come. Oh yeah, and the fork. I have never figured out why bike companies didn't actively develop suspension forks for road or cross bikes. It's amazing. I no longer feel like I'm riding a jack hammer around town. Suspension forks on non-mountain bikes is the best idea and I'm glad that Cannondale developed the Lefty Oliver without a real weight penalty. I simply cannot say enough positive things about this bike and I hope that you seriously consider buying one and riding one too!