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Cannondale debuts latest iterations of Jekyll and Trigger

The enduro and all-mountain bikes get revamped for model year 2018

Cannondale Jekyll

Two high-performance, long-travel mountain bikes by Cannondale, Jekyll and Trigger, have been updated. The Jekyll is the company’s enduro rig, while the Trigger is all-mountain riding.

“This is an exciting new start for both bikes,” says Peter Vallance, global director of product management for Cannondale. “The goal was to stay true to the technological advancements of previous models, but push the performance envelope with simple but powerful features like our new Gemini shock, Ai offset drivetrain and LockR pivots. We even designed the frames to accept a full-size water bottle in the main triangle.”

Cannondale collaborated with Fox on the Gemini shocks that feature on both bikes. Each Gemini shock has two settings: Hustle and Flow. Hustling requires less travel, so on the Jekyll models you get 130 mm of travel in Hustle mode and 115 mm on a Trigger. The setting also keeps a rider higher in the stroke for snappy response on climbs and rolling terrain. Flow mode drops the ride height, giving you full travel: 165 mm on the Jekyll and 145 mm on the Trigger. Each bike comes in four models. The two top-tier rigs feature Fox Float X shocks, while the low-tier models have Fox DPS shocks.

“The Gemini’s ability to reduce travel on the fly, without diminishing its sensitivity to bumps, is a huge advantage,” says Jeremiah Boobar, director of suspension and component development at Cannondale. “It not only improves traction and efficiency on the climbs, but lets you pump harder and carry speed through smooth sections of the downhill so you descend faster as well.”

The Jekyll and Trigger also get new, more aggressive geometries improving stability and agility. Head tube angles are 65 degrees for the Jekyll and 66 degrees for Trigger. Cannondale says the steep seat angles put you in a power position on climbs. The Asymmetric Integration (Ai) offset drivetrain allows for short, 4200mm chainstays, which improve traction and the sprightliness of the bikes.

Cannondale riders have been racing prototypes of the Jekyll and Trigger for more than a year. In February, Cannondale Enduro Team’s Jérôme Clementz notched the new Jekyell’s first win at the 2017 Andes Pacifico enduro on his prototype machine.

“I knew from the first couple of rides that the new bike was good,” said Jérôme Clementz. “I had a lot of success and a lot of fun on the old version. When I started beating my best times and taking KOMs right away on the first prototype I received, well, you just know they’ve got it right. I feel like it just gives me a little something extra everywhere on the course. It’s fast.”

Cannondale Jekyll is available in four models, with a price range of $4,300–$10,500. Cannondale Trigger is available in three models and one women’s-specific model, ranging in prices $5,300 – $10,500.