I ride a 2012 Cannondale Trail SL5 hardtail 29er. It has Shimano components with a triple on the front and a 12/34 on the rear with disc brakes. The only thing upgraded on it is the set of Stan's No Tubes Arch wheelset and Maxxis 2.35" Ardent tubeless tires.
I bought this bike to do a trail race and it sat in my shop for about 6 or 7 years before I started using it for bikepacking. It is like this bike was made for bikepacking!
Bags: Relevate Designs Sweet Roll handlebar bag, a Relevate Designs frame bag and a Rockwheel saddlebag with a rear stabilizer for the seat bag. I also run Moosetracks feed bags on the handlebars.
The bike it outfitted to haul up to 7 bottles of water and takes advantage of anywhere mounting water bottle cages that work like a champ.
The thing I Iike best about this bike is it climbs great with the triple! It also has low rolling resistance with the tires compared to a fat or plus bike, but it is not well at handling rocky or sandy terrain.
Factory Specifications from Cannodale Website
Product
Cannondale Trail SL5 29er
Model Year
2012
Riding Type
Cross Country
Rider
Unisex
Sizes and Geometry
M, L, XL View Geometry
Wheel Size
29"
Frame Material
Aluminum
Frame Material Details
Trail SL 29'er, Optimized 6061 alloy, SAVE, 1.5" head tube
Rear Travel
Hardtail
Fork
RST Deuce 29 TNL, 80mm, coil/elastomer, hydraulic lockout, 1.5"
Head Tube Diameter
1.5"
Headset
Tange 1.5 Custom
Handlebar
Cannondale C3 riser, 680x20mm, 6061 alloy
Stem
Cannondale C4, 1.5", 31.8, 7 degree
Grips
Cannondale alloy locking grips w/closed end
Brakes
Promax Mechanical Disc, 160/160mm
Front Derailleur
Shimano Altus
Rear Derailleur
Shimano Acera
Cranks
Shimano FC-M311, 42/32/22, 175mm (M,L,X)
Bottom Bracket
Tange Seiki LN-3912
Pedals
FPD Platform
Chain
Shimano HG40, 8-speed
Cassette
Sunrace M66 12-32, 8-speed
Rims
Alex DC4.5 29'er, double wall, 32 hole - Upgraded to Stan's No Tubes Arch 29er
Hubs
Cannondale C4 front, C4 rear
Spokes
Stainless Steel, black, 15g
Tires
Kenda Small Block 8, 29x2.1" - Upgraded to Maxxis Ardent Tubeless
Saddle
Cannondale Stage 2
Seatpost
Cannondale C3, 31.6x350 (M), 400mm (L,X)
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