Model/Year: 2011

Pros: Good geometry
Tires are surprisingly good on dry

Cons: Durability
Components
Tires on wet

Recommendation: I rode this bike for 2 months and had to replace the following: front deraileur, rear deraileur, cassette, chain, rim, and pedal. Plus, I've never had the front deraileur (original or replacement) stay properly adjusted for an entire ride no matter who I had adjust it. When everything is together and working right, this is a decent bike. I now use it to get around town, or to trailer my newborn. For singletrack, I use bikes that can actually handle a trail.

Model/Year: 2011 Trail SL 4

Pros: good geometry, wider bars

Cons: Weight, coil fork, components

Recommendation: I have ridden one of my buddies Trail SL 4 a fair amount and was reasonably impressed for a low level 29er hardtail. The geometry is a little more upright, but it is comfortable. The components are pretty low for the price point though. They are not good at all.

Model/Year: 2011 Trail SL 29'er

Pros: Weight, frame, Kenda small block tires, love the handling and 29'er upside, has improved my climbing significantly. Fun bike on the flowing sand based trails around me.

Cons: I've had it 5 months- so far warped rotor, general brake issues (promax), suspension lockout had issues early now does not work (RST Deuce), 2 bent front rims, stock pedals have very little surface area, upgraded to easton flatboy.

Recommendation: My first 29'er hardtail after riding a full suspension for a number of years. I would have been dissapointed to pay full MSRP on this ($800-$900), but I picked it up for $400 and have put about $300 of upgrades and repairs in. I really enjoy this bike but if I did it again I would have gone with upgraded components to start.

Model/Year: 2011 Cannondale Trail SL 29'er 4

Pros: Frame
Geometry
Ride
Brakes
Tires sorta
Weight

Cons: Pedals
Tires sorta

Recommendation: Bought the bike from a friend who bought it brand new. It sat in his garage unridden for two months before I got it. It had a total of 5 minutes of riding on it at that point. Got it home, aired up the tires and the front valve stem disintegrated. That could have happened to any bike and any tube so I don't hold that against it. However, on my first ride 1 mile in the rear derailer exploded. That was a little aggravating. Went ahead and put a upgraded derailer on it and all is well now.

Pedals... I wear a 14EEE shoe and I don't like nor can I find a comfortable clipless shoe. The pedals are just to small for my gaint claud hoppers.

Tires.. The tires are AWESOME on dry anything. If the surface is slightly damp forget it. They are supper quiet and have no rolling resistance but I just don't trust them in the damp.

Can't go wrong with this bike. Its not perfect but for what you get, you can't beat it with a stick.

Pros: Just got one of the trail 4's and love it so far. Already upgraded the grips but other then that this bike works great, handels well and takes on almost any trail with ease.

Cons: Grips, tires

Recommendation: Great bike for the money

Pros: Light weight great climbing power great bang for your buck.

Cons: Hands Grips are garbage along with the Tires are not that great.

Recommendation: Great starter bike cool color scheme and very comfortable ride. The Grips will need to be replaced along with the tires, the tires do not have the greatest grip on the trail especially when its time to climb. Besides those minor issues the bike is an overall great bike can handle trails and has great power I recommend the Trail SL4 especially if you get a super deal for it like i did.