Cannondale Jekyll 4
Autor: ferlin | Publicado: 2012-05-28T09:06:00-07:00



        

            Cannondale Jekyll 4 – Tested                    



                        May 28, 2012 
                        

    

        
        
        
            

                       

    



        

            
        


          
        



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&nbsp;&nbsp;Ken
 Wood launches the Cannondale Jekyll 4 over the rocks at the top of Ted 
WiIliams. The 150-millimeter all-mountain chassis proved itself at the 
Southern California DH training ground. Ian Hylands photo 


Cannondale’s
 single-pivot suspension and big-tube aluminum chassis has been around 
for a long time, but just when the industry is ready to declare it dead,
 the engineers there seem to be able to squeeze more performance from 
the design. The 2012 Jekyll, which has been competing successfully on 
the European Enduro circuit, bears witness to Cannondale’s magic. In 
this feature, we test the remarkably affordable Jekyll 4. The $3000 
All-mountain/trailbike bristles with features, like the remote-actuated 
Fox-made twin-chamber Dyad RT2 pull-shock and a travel-adjustable 
RockShox Sektor TK fork that give the bike gravity-bike plushness on the
 downhills and XC freshness for climbing. Stripped to its elements, the 
Jekyll 4 provides a cash-strapped enthusiast with a modest, but very 
capable component selection, showcased by a beautifully-executed 
150-millimeter travel frame that is worthy of expensive upgrades in the 
future. The Jekyll 4 is available in small, medium, large and X-large 
sizes. The weight (sans pedals) for our medium-sized test bike was 31 
pounds even (14.09 kilos).


&nbsp;&nbsp;Cannondale Jekyll 4 Highlights:-Frame: Manipulated aluminum frame tubes, 150mm travel, 1.5 head tube, Syntace X 12 thru-axle, ISCG-05 chainguide tabs-Fork:150/120mm stroke, RockShox Sektor TK Dual-Travel, 15QR through-axle-Shock: Cannondale/Fox Dyad RT2-SRAM X.7 three by ten drivetrain-Sizes: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large-Weight: 30.1 pounds (med)-MSRP: $3000 USD


Ian Hylands photo
Construction HighlightsCannondale’s
 Jekyll chassis sports a huge-diameter down tube that widens to three 
inches at the midpoint to support the pull-shock rocker linkage. The 
hollow rocker link is welded from two halves to boost stiffness and it 
clamps 15-millimeter tubular pivot axles designed to provide 
over-the-top torsional rigidity to the rear suspension. A pair of sealed
 ball bearings at each dropout pivot location ensure that the Jekyll’s 
rigid suspension will not be defeated by bearing slop. The rear dropouts
 are also welded box-sections that feature a Syntace X-12 through-axle 
and a beefy derailleur hanger. A forked top tube keeps the bike’s 
stand-over clearance to a manageable height and its underside has 
screw-in housing guides for a dropper seat post. Down low, Cannondale 
uses an oversized-axle BB30 bottom bracket that incorporates an ISCG-05 
chainguide flange. Finally, the direct-mount front derailleur is mounted
 to the swingarm so that the cage follows the chain as the suspension 
cycles to ensure optimum shifting in the rough. Aside from its 
full-length housing and hoses, the Jekyll’s frame is remarkably free 
from clutter – an evolved and purposeful looking design.Cannondale Jekyll 4 Geometry





About That SuspensionCannondale
 teamed up with Fox Racing Shox to produce the Dyad RT2 shock, which 
looks farm more complicated than it is in actuality. The pull-shock has 
three chambers. Two of the chambers are air springs with floating 
pistons. The center chamber (the pull shock part) pumps fluid into one 
or both of the air springs, depending upon where you set the handlebar 
remote lever. When both chambers are open, the Dyad RT2 shock achieves 
full travel and a more linear spring rate. When the remote lever is 
activated, (elevate mode) the pull-shock pumps fluid into only one air 
chamber, which reduces the suspension travel to 90mm and increases the 
spring rate because there is not enough space in the one air spring to 
accept the full volume of fluid that the pull-shock can pump.


&nbsp;&nbsp;Fox
 Racing Shox builds Cannondale's Dyad RT2 pull-shock. Follow the 
instructions on the seat tube and you'll be tuned and ready to ride in 
five minutes. Push the Dyad's remote lever (right) to reduce the 
suspension travel from 150 to 90mm and boost the spring rate. One tap of
 the silver button on the tip of the lever releases it and opens the 
suspension to full travel.  Ian Hylands photo


Each
 chamber has its own low-speed rebound damping clicker, so technically, 
you must fine-tune two dampers before you can ride. Getting it right is 
quite easy and Cannondale provides easy-to-follow set up instructions 
that are printed on the frame near the business end of the Dyad RT2 
shock. Fox Racing Shox also has a dedicated Dyad page which details tuning and setup as well. Component Check     Allocating
 a sizeable share of the Jekyll 4’s sticker price to its premium frame 
and shock should have led to cost cutting everywhere else on the bike, 
but Cannondale managed to fill out its components quite well. The tires 
are super grippy 2.35” Schwalbe Hans Dampf on moderately wide, Sun 
Ringle’ Inferno 25 rims. Shifting is SRAM X.7 with a non-series triple 
crankset and brakes are Avid Elixir 3 with 180mm rotors on both ends. 
Cannondale was a first-adopter of the 1.5 head tube and the Jekyll gets a
 clean-looking internal version of the big headset.


&nbsp;&nbsp;Cannondale
 puts a pair of ball bearings in each dropout pivot to ensure the 
suspension stays tight. The Syntace X12 through-axle is a plus for 
stiffness and a minus for quick wheel changes. Schwalbe's Hans Dampf 
2.35-inch tire is the knobby of the moment. For an inexpensive 150mm 
fork, the RockShox Sektor TK fork puts in a good performance. Ian Hylands photo 


The
 fork is the coil-sprung RockShox Sektor TK with the Dual-Travel option 
(150mm/120mm) and a 15mm Maxle quick release through-axle. The cockpit 
is all Cannondale house-brand, with a 75mm stem (good), clamp-on grips 
with aluminum end-plugs (good) and a narrow, 620mm handlebar (not good).
 Incidenal, but nice is a smooth-acting seatpost quick release lever 
which blunts the fact that this very capable machine lacks a dropper 
post.Cannondale Jekyll 4 Trail TestWith
 its three-barrel pull-shock and massive frame tubes, the Jekyll 4 was 
an imposing sight for test riders, who shied away from the Cannondale in
 favor of bikes with more conventional profiles. After riding the Jekyll
 4 a few times, however, the red and white monster became the go-to for 
almost everyone. Its handling grows on you, and once you learn that you 
can trust it, the Jekyll 4 becomes a hoot to ride. The odd-looking Dyad 
RT2 damper kills it on the long-travel mode and, in the ‘elevated’ 
short-travel setting, the Jekyll 4 climbs steeps with an ease that 
defies its 31-pound weight figure. The steering feels a tad steep, but 
that doesn’t seem to hinder its technical ability. During the downhill 
phase of testing, one of our test riders was happily launching road 
gaps. In short, the Jekyll 4 got the ‘all-mountain’ stamp of approval 
well before the testing was done.


&nbsp;&nbsp;Stylin' it off the boulders - Ken chills on the Jekyll with another 35 feet to go to make the transition. Ian Hylands photo


Set-up notes:
 The Dyad pull shock can’t be read for sag unless you have a friend 
around to measure it (the shaft retracts at rest, so an O-ring indicator
 won’t work). Otherwise, it was the easiest bike to get right. Follow 
Cannondale’s printed negative and positive pressure recommendations 
printed on the seat tube sticker (or visit Fox’s informative Dyad tech 
page). Up front your options are slim - verify your fork sag (printed on
 the Sektor’s stanchion tubes), set the rebound and you are good to go. 
The Sektor’s coil spring must be preloaded internally with spacers if 
the sag is more than recommended (spacers included by Cannondale).Pedaling/Acceleration:
 Even with the unlikely Hans Dampf knobbys, Jekyll riders could easily 
spin the big ring on fast, smooth dirt and pavement – thanks in part to 
the shock’s short-travel mode and the fork’s lockout setting. Still, it 
is a relatively heavy bike and that can be felt anytime one is forced to
 brake and re-accelerate strongly. With all the aids switched on (shock 
and fork shortened), the Cannondale can be pushed hard up and over 
rollers and out of flat corners, but it lags a bit with the first few 
pedal strokes when accelerating from a dead stop. In its favor, the 
Jekyll’s frame is famously stiff feeling in torsion, which can be quite a
 morale booster when trying to reel in an opponent, because you can be 
certain that you are not wasting leg power on mushy suspension and a 
flexible frame.Climbing: On the dirt, 
with its suspension set hard, the Jekyll 4 makes good time uphill. When 
the trail got exceedingly steep, lowering the fork was a welcome help to
 keep the front tire planted on the ground. That noted, it doesn’t feel 
overly energetic, it just makes its way upwards effectively and without a
 fuss. While this ‘feel’ is typical of almost all bikes in its class, 
the Jekyll’s overall climbing speed is at least a gear faster on smooth 
surfaces.With its grippy Hans Dampf, knobbies and slightly 
steeper steering geometry, the Jekyll negotiates tricky climbs with 
surprising dexterity. Add its thankfully low, 22-tooth chainring and its
 rider can maintain long pitches of murderous steps and ruts without 
triggering a pulmonary event. I often clicked the shock into 
short-travel mode, because it raises the rear end about a degree and 
gives the bike better balance – especially when climbing touchy 
switchbacks or slickrock.


&nbsp;&nbsp;The
 Jekyll 4 and its aggressive Hans Dampf tires managed to find traction 
almost everywhere on the gravelly, hard-pack soil - and when it did let 
loose, it drifted smoothly. Ian Hylands photo


Technical handling:
 Cannondale’s choice of a coil-sprung Sektor fork was a deal breaker for
 heavier riders who complained of brake dive while negotiating steeps 
and drops. Riders under 169 pounds, however, reported that the Jekyll 
felt secure in similar situations. Cannondale packs plastic fork spring 
spacers to preload the fork and help solve this problem – and if that 
doesn’t work (it did for us), RockShox offers three spring options for 
riders who are lighter or heavier than the national average. With its 
67.8 degree head angle, a competent rider can take the Jekyll down some 
tricky descents and during the downhill phase of the test, riders raved 
about the bike’s cornering and tire selection on the dry, unpredictable 
surfaces. Still, with the soft fork, a little brake dive can turn that 
68 degree head angle into 70 - and we all had one ‘Hail Mary’moment.Downhill:
 Initially, I felt less confident dropping down untried sections aboard 
the Cannondale, but after four rides, I learned that the Jekyll was much
 more trustworthy than first apparent. Once I got off the brakes and let
 the Jekyll go, I discovered that it was quite smooth through the 
corners and stable when I got the wheels off the ground. Armed with the 
grippy Schwalbe tires, I could drop the wheels into substantial ruts and
 it would pop right out, which inspired confidence while scouting 
unfamiliar routes. Experienced downhillers in the test did not 
have trouble acclimating to the Jekyll and spoke highly of its cornering
 and ability to change direction. I learned to put a foot out when I 
really pushed the bike around flat corners because when it let go, the 
Jekyll was quite a drifter (a trait that at least one rider raved 
about). While on the subject; the Jekyll’s Avid Elixir 3 brakes were a 
sore point, with a squealer up front and pads with an indistinct feel 
that once locked up, required almost a complete release at the lever to 
unstick the tire – not an optimum condition for steep sketchy chutes. It
 should be noted here that the sticky brakes may have been caused by an 
improper bleed. 


&nbsp;&nbsp;Suspension
 trials at Teds. Trail builders constructed oversize chatter sections on
 the course specifically to test fork and shock tunes. The Jekyll's 
Dyad-powered rear suspension surprised us with a relatively smooth ride 
on the higher speed bumps. Underline 'relatively.' Ian Hylands photo


Suspension action:
 Surprisingly, the Cannondale suspension was a top performer, We didn’t 
have much initial faith in the Dyad RT2 shock, but it delivered in the 
rough, taking the biggest hits without a fuss. Not saying that the 
Jekyll is as plush as a big bike – it absolutely isn’t – but it can take
 a lot of punishment and hold a line. With a fork upgrade, the bike 
could be pushed much harder still. In short travel mode, the feel of the
 Jekyll is that of a short-stroke XC rear end. It pedals easily and 
takes the dullness out of the drivetrain. The Sektor fork took a
 lot of oomph to set into the short-travel mode. The fork must be 
compressed 75-percent of its stroke to set the travel, and that is not 
easy while climbing technical ascents. Because of this, we often gave up
 and slogged up steeps with a sketchy steering fully extended front end –
 not a big worry, but still, having the option and not being able to get
 it is a pain. Opened up, the RockShox fork was pretty plush feeling and
 relatively sensitive while cornering at speed over rough surfaces. Good
 stuff from a value-priced fork. Component report:
 Small details, but important ones, appeared on the top and bottom of 
our love list. Aluminum endcaps on the lock-on grips were sweet, the 
bars were never plugged with dirt, so neither was the car, the living 
room or the shop where dirt harvested by other handlebars usually ends 
up. The fit of the frame and seatpost was smooth, the action of the 
well-made quick release seatpost clamp was butter smooth and the full 
length of the post could slide into the seat tube for DH runs. All
 was not wonderful, however. We like Syntace’s quick release through 
axles, but the Jekyll’s Syntace X12 rear axle was a hassle to operate. 
The axle required a shove to get the threads started – which was nearly 
impossible to do with one hand, because the Allen wrench required to 
tighten it slipped into the hollow axle. By contrast, the RockShox Maxle
 Lite up front was always a breeze to operate. One upgrade that we’d 
love to have is a double crankset (22 x 38 or 36) with a bash ring in 
place of the third sprocket. We rarely used the big ring on the dirt and
 always bashed it on something. Finally, wide handlebars please? The 
consensus was, at least 720 millimeter width bars for the Jekyll. Pinkbike's Take: 
Somehow,
 Cannondale turned its ordinary single-pivot suspension design into a 
star performer. For $3000, the Jekyll is a sweet deal for a capable 
bikehandler that wants a do-it-all trailbike. It is no surprise that the
 elite level Jekylls are ripping it up on the Enduro circuit - and the 
Jekyll 4 shares the same frame numbers and suspension. Out of the box, 
Cannondale put together a true all-mountain bike for an affordable 
price. Add a more capable fork and some hard-stopping brakes and the 
Jekyll 4 would be tough to beat at any level - which is the unspoken 
sell of the Jekyll 4. At its core, the frame and suspension is a truly 
elite level chassis, so investing in expensive upgrades like a more 
capable fork and a dropper seat post would be money well spent. - RC