Super Vs - why so unloved?

[BlackCat]

Surely one of the most iconic of all mountain bike designs, even to present day.

Can well remember the envy I felt as a teenager when some hopeless middle aged sort, who’d attached himself to our little ride group, showed up with a matt blue one.. blue Maguras too, come to think of it..

Annnyway.. how come no one seems to love them here? Where are all the 4000 DH build threads? Where are the hushed pms trading rumours about the whereabouts of a Fulcrum? Where is the debate over best swingarm? Headshock v Moto? Nope? Nothing?

For such a ubiquitous (and long running) bike, support seems fairly underweight around these parts.

Seems odd.

(I mean, no, before you ask, I don’t have one either. Just starting to feel like I should)

 

[Magpiegifts]

The super v 4000 is an amazing bike. There's not many DH bikes that I'd say look attractive as such. But the 4000 DH is pretty funky.

They were very expensive if memory serves me correctly. But you are right Blackcat there doesn't appear to be a lot of visible love for the super v in general.

 

[ferrus]

Nothing to add sorry, except I remember the lovely Saskia Stock, Cannondales European marketing woman promoting the ‘Super Wee’...Soo cute!

 

[tangent]

Had lots of fun times around Leigh Woods, Bristol on a Super V2000 , (inc. Coda labelled magic motorcycle crankset) which I christened the ‘Sinister Mellow 2000’…for reasons now obscure.

Fun riding , and pretty cool looking

 

[BlackCat]

I remember the one time boss of Chain Reaction, Chris Watson, having a V 4000 DH at one point, back when CRC was a tiny one-room LBS in a village called Ballyclare in NI - and when he was probably no more than 20.

What a machine. Used to sit just inside the door of the shop - they were Dale dealers at the time.

Last time I saw one ridden in anger was at an Innerleithen uplift a decade ago. Some clown was using a rock to batter out the axle on a set of boxxers that evidently served as an upgrade to the Motos..

 

[markoc]

The Raven was surely the batmobile of MTB's...

 

[BlackCat]

They still seem to be highly collectible and fetch high prices. Maybe less so around these parts, but they remain sought after. Not so the poor old Super V..

 

[mk one]

There are quite a few 4000 DH threads on here, though quite a rare bike and dh bikes in general are not that collectable amongst members, most being newer models, though the threads are there. Used to have a lot of them bookmarked as quite a few of the rare M1's are owned by members on here.

Anyway, here is some reading to ease your woes

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/show-us-your-cannondale.32700/

 

[yakboy]

I too never understood the apathy in Retro circles for the Super V. For me the sight of Missy throwing the 4000DH and also the Super V carbon downhill and in Dual Slaloms was a formative memory from the 90's

 

[old_coyote_pedaller]

I have a team blue Super V 1000SL. Got it off someone on here. Always wanted one but couldn't afford or justify the cost when new.

When I bought the frame it had a Headshok and the cast and glued aluminium swingarm that was prone to cracking and it was cracked. Got a CAAD4 swingarm from a Jekyll off eBay and a Titanium 100mm Lefty including Lefty wheel too also off eBay. No problem fitting the Lefty or Jekyll swingarm, they are both direct replacements. Frame already had a decent airshock so when built up with Hope Original M4 disc brakes with 100mm travel both ends it was a good light XC bike that could take some DH abuse.