Cannondale Lexi 2 (2014)

Middle of the road women's mountain bike

Pros

- Quality frame and components
- Good choice for smaller women

Cons

- 26" wheels are becoming old school

Review

The Lexi mountain bikes from Cannondale are true off-road performers specifically designed for women cyclists. The frames benefit from technology found throughout Cannondale's vast range, for example: BB30, SmartFormed alloy frames and a 1.5" headtube.

The Lexi 2 is designed around a very simple single pivot suspension design (or OPI backbone to use the market speak) which reduces complexity and helps keep the weight down. This is a good choice if you don't want to spend time caring for multiple pivots and bearings. It does also reduce the effectiveness of the suspension in certain circumstances, and may be a turn-off for someone looking for a more supple ride.

Elsewhere the components are top notch with a healthy mix of SRAM drivetrain and braking products. No weak links here apart from the use of a non-SRAM chain which could affect chain-cog smoothness. My biggest criticism would be the use of 26" wheels. I assume this is to allow for smaller frame/rider sizes and I can understand that thinking, although the new standard for smaller bikes is becoming 27.5" more and more. I think the performance would be hardly affected speccing the smaller wheel diameter, but it does change the level of kudo's. 26" is so last decade....

That said, I would recommend the Lexi 2 to any women mountain bikers looking for a solid, quality trail bike for weekend rides and even the odd marathon race. It features a good mix of gender specific components, design, and a light weight, simple ride.