| 05/03/2001 |
Cannondale’s
Jekyll wins Bike Of The Year by Velo Vert Magazine
Cannondale’s Jekyll 4000 SL has been voted the
2001 “Bike Of The Year” by Velo Vert magazine, France’s leading mountain
biking publication. The full-suspension, disc brake-equipped Jekyll is featured
on the cover and in the pages of the magazine’s current issue.
The Jekyll was chosen from an initial field of 35 eligible bikes that was
in turn narrowed to four finalists in a vote by the magazine’s readers.
The ultimate winner was determined after three days of riding in Southern
France by a jury consisting of six Velo Vert readers who had been selected
in a lottery, seven Velo Vert editors and three guest cyclists that included
former pro road racer Frederic Moncassin of the GAN team and Olympic gold
medalist Edgard Grospiron.
In rating seven performance characteristics (handling,
comfort, stability, climbing efficiency, braking, aesthetics and overall
performance) among the four finalists, the competition’s judges gave the
Jekyll top marks in six of the seven categories, and second-place in the
seventh category.
To determine the final winner, the magazine then combined the performance
ratings with the results of a mathematical formula based on component spec
and price. As indicated by its dominance of the performance ratings, the
American-made Jekyll had the most advanced technology, and it therefore
carried a correspondingly higher price. And although points were deducted
from the Jekyll’s final tally due to its higher price, the bike’s dramatically
superior performance more than made up for the price-related penalty.
Velo Vert’s publisher Didier Coste was rather surprised to see a bike priced
at $5,500 (U.S. dollars) win the competition, but after pondering the outcome
he concluded that “Pure pleasure is priceless. And speaking of pleasure
the Jekyll is a true joy... The word ‘ludic’ adapted to mountain biking
– such a success that it relegates price considerations to the background.
Would you blame a Porsche for costing as much as 12 Renaults?”
This is the second straight year that the Jekyll has won Bike of the Year
honors from a major cycling publication. Last year the Jekyll was also named
Bike of the Year by the U.S. magazine Mountain Biking.
The Jekyll’s frame is TIG-welded from 6061-T6 aluminum, and has a unique
adjustable geometry. By threading the Jekyll’s rear shock fore or aft within
its mounting collar, riders can quickly change the bike’s head angle and
bottom bracket height. Positioning the shock absorber farther forward lowers
the bottom bracket and lessens the head angle for high-speed descending.
Threading the shock farther back raises the bottom bracket and steepens
the head angle for quicker handling and more cross-country-oriented riding.
The Jekyll 4000 SL also features the innovative HeadShok Lefty Carbon ELO
fork, which has a single, lightweight, telescoping carbon fiber leg. The
Lefty Carbon ELO has 85 mm of travel, which can be quickly deactivated for
sprints and climbs with a unique handlebar-mounted ELO (Electronic Lock-Out)
switch for bob-free sprints and climbs.
www.cannondale.com
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