$1600
31.4 pounds
5.5 inches of rear wheel travel
Cannondale, (800) 726-2453
Full test: September 2007 (Click here to order this issue)

Highlights: Cannondale's proprietary Ã'Hot Box" is a CNC-machined hollow-core swingarm pivot that has a metal plate welded to it. Cannondale claims the Hot Box saves weight and delivers great lateral stiffness at the same time. The swingarm's stays are what Cannondale refers to as a 3D bend construction. These relatively thin arches require no welding or hydra forming. Two shock mount options on the swingarm allow the Prophet rider to choose between two effective frame geometries: a cross-country mode (67.5-degree headtube angle) and a black-diamond mode (69-degree headtube angle).

Best quote: "It loves tight and twisty trails (even with the wide bar), and it goes where you tell it to and sticks. The Lefty is a torsionally stiff powerhouse of a fork and the IRC tires are more than up to the job of backing up the fork's performance"

Bottom line: The Prophet 5 feels most at home on tight and twisty trails. Throwing in long or short, steep climbs is all the better. The Prophet will eat them up. This is a comfortable bike that will feel familiar to a wide range of riders and is especially welcoming to riders just getting into mountain biking. Since it was bred in the slimy conditions of the Northeast, it is a good choice for riders who don't want to spend a lot of time servicing their bike. It leans heavily towards the cross-country racer side of trail riding, with its quick handling and like feel. A great trailbike for the rider not looking to push the downhill speed barrier, but who likes to be in the lead group at the top of the climb.