Not so happy with my Cannondale mountain bike

This winter and spring, I have been keeping pretty good tabs on my improvement each week on getting faster times. A few weeks back I had to stop riding my Cannondale Trail 6 mountain bike. When I got home from a typical weekend morning ride at one of my favorite mountain bike trail parks, I set the bike up on the repair stand to wash it for the next days ride. 

I started applying water and soap to my bike like I always do and start with a sponge. Going around and getting the dirt off the rims and where it accumulates on the bike. Rinsed it off and began to towel dry it. That is when I came across a black line on the top tube, at the base of the seat tube.  I took my finger and ran it across it a few times. It happened to be an area where the paint along with the weld was coming apart. I wasn’t too happy. It canceled all my rides for the rest of that weekend.  The bike and frame were only about four years old. 

Wanting to get it checked out and see what the warranty from Cannondale would do. After bringing it to a local Cannondale dealer here in Arizona, they talked with Cannondale to see how to proceed. After getting frame and serial number info, Cannondale responded saying they would honor the warranty and give me a replacement frame, or a discount on another one of their bikes. The newer year model of my frame has changed, so I would need to purchase extra adapters and different wheels for the frame to work. 

I took this past weekend and took all the parts, seat, brakes, front fork, handlebars, etc. off, just leaving the frame to have the local bike shop send back to Cannondale. 

Let’s see what happens. 

For now I am trying to get back running, even with the heat, staying riding using my road bike and doing resistance band workouts. 

Did it, but barely.

I finished the 100 miles of cycling I had set out for my goal last week.  With about 25 miles to go, I came down with a cold, so the rest of the goal was tough. 

I did 12.5 of the miles on mountain bike.  

On an evening road ride, I was 8 miles into what was planned at 10 until a severe rear flat. The flat was a pinch flat or blow out, I can't tell exactly. The ride ended abruptly having me walk home about  a mile. I was in a good groove and pace and the weather was cooling off from the daytime heat. 

I turned around the next day and finished up the last day with an easy three mile ride around the neighborhood on a different bike. 

The summer heat is for sure here.  I have a series of four videos coming out, and will link them back to my blog here.  The videos are about different products that will help keep riders cool in the summer. They keep you outside and on the road as opposed to riding indoors on a boring trainer. Stay tuned.