Cannondale F4Z vs Specialized Rockhopper Expert

ipaintbikes

Hi.
I'm 39 and looking to broaden my current fitness programme (I run and do light weights most days) in the form of getting off road. I live in the Cotswolds and there are plenty of trails to take advantage of.
A friend has a '07 Rockhopper Comp and I tried it and loved it. The Expert appeals as it obviously has a better fork and it's in my price range. Do all bikes in this price range feel this good?
Simply can't believe how good these modern bikes feel and I need to get one sharpish!
My last bike was a Raleigh Max (1996) so you get the picture of my level of experience.

However I also love the look of the F4Z as the Caffeine frame sounds the business.

Basically it's difficult for me to get to 'try them all out' as I live in the sticks but would appreciate some further advice. I just want a nice light bike (max £850) to hit the trails on and put a smile on my face.

You guys must get sick of these type of posts but some feedback would be great.

llamafarmer

Technology has come on leaps and bounds since 1996, so it's no surprise you've noticed such a massive difference. IIRC air forks and hydraulic discs would have only been on the very top spec bikes back then if at all, now they're commonplace.

Both the Rockhopper and the Z4 are quality bikes and you won't be disappointed in either. Try to get at least a quick test ride on them before you buy because you'll more than likely prefer one to the other and at the end of the day it has to feel right. The Hopper has the better spec, but Cannondale frames are pretty tasty!

supermonkey

Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo?

waddlie

I have a Rockhopper Expert 2009 and I'm really pleased with it - have used it for everything from multi-day to touring to hackig round gnarly woodsy singletrack.

A Specialized Rockhopper is a bit like a Ford Focus. You see them everywhere and they're not really that sexy. But they're quality, well specced choices and good VFM, if a little bit uninteresting. The Cannondale (which I know nothing about) might get more nods of appreciation from others on the trail, but the Rockhopper does everything you could reasonably expect from a bike at that price point and has no nasty surprises.

KulaBen

I can certainly recommend a Kona Kula, great geometry and a cracking bike to ride. There's a review by the What MTB on here too! I also looked at the Cannondale and the Rockhopper, both good bikes. It's worth trying a few and going with what fits best

ipaintbikes

Thanks for the replies!

Llama - Like I say I tried the 'Hopper (albeit not the expert) and loved the geometry of the 17" (I'm 5'9"). As far as the Cannondale goes, it would be 'on a wing and a prayer' purchase. Nobody stocks them anywhere near me. Maybe not a good idea. I think I'd still love it though

SuperMonkey - Already considered the HKEK. Same problem as the Cannondale. Lovely spec though. Good weight.

Waddlie - "Nods of appreciation" Really? Hmmm dunno if I'd like that Cheers for the rec on the Expert. I love the black 09.

KulaBen - Ben, you've just thrown a hand grenade in the room. I've looked and looked and LOOKED at the Kula (but not ridden it!). The 08 seems like a great buy at the moment. I prefer the colours to those on the 09 too. At a sniff over 26lbs and with the Recon fork it may well have just come back into contention. There are some cracking reviews of it on the net. This one recs the 09 very highly:

http://www.konaworld.com/documents/WhatMTB_Kula.pdf

Blimey this is hard!

A very nice decision to have to make though.

The final decision is very close.....

Thanks again...

waddlie

You might also want to have a look at the Scott Scale 60? It was my second choice but a bit more racy than the Rockhopper...

ipaintbikes

Another interesting suggestion Waddlie.

Went to my LBS today and most surprisingly left discovering I am in love with Giant's XTC range in general. The 18" felt too big. The 16" felt perfect. Very surprised as I would have opted for the 18" unridden.

Rode a 16" XTC3 and promised I'd be back (yeah right!) He wants £750 for it.

I think I'm leaning towards an XTC of some form or variation.

In (an unbelieveable) 16"

Oh. And the Kula 08.

And probably a few others....

blablablacksheep

also consider wiggles black forest, it has easly the best fork out of all the bikes you tried, the fork alone costs around 500+ and the bike around 750 mark.

though downside is you cant test ride it properly, though wiggle do have a "7 day test ride option when you buy", though it worth looking into.

i gt a rockhopper, and the bike feels great, the frame is very light and really good for 90% of everything.

just remember to set aside some cash for extras like SPDs, backpack, shoes,hydration,tools,cleaning,gloves ect ect.

.blitz

If it's any help I just got a HKEK for mrs.blitz. The other bikes on the shortlist were the XTC3 and Trek 6500. Of course I had to test them all and (IMO) the Giant was the worst of the three. Dull, boring and lifeless it kind of sucked all the energy out of the ride. There are some low spec parts on it as well compared to the Trek and the Fisher.

The Trek was a great bike but slightly too racy for the mrs so the HKEK was the winner. Lovely, lively frame (same as the Big Sur), Recon fork, Juicy3s, workmanlike Shimano/SRAM throughout and Bontrager finishing kit.

Maybe worth trying to get a test ride on a Big Sur - they seem more popular. The Tassajara and the Pirahna don't have the same frame and are definitely in a different category.