Cannondale Trigger 3

£3,799.99 The new Trigger is a double-barrelled trail blaster

Cannnodale’s Trigger trail bike is a distinctive, well-shaped, feature-loaded all-rounder, but it needs careful tuning to get the best from it.

The frame

The Trigger looks similar to the Jekyll enduro bike but the head tube ‘box’ is shorter and the tube shapes of the ‘BallisTec’ carbon mainframe are subtly different too. Because the mid frame carbon linkage now drives a conventional shock, there’s room for a bottle where the old Trigger’s pull shock used to be. It also means you get a modified Fox Float X damper, not a totally proprietary design as before. Cannondale co-invented the 30mm axle standard so there’s no surprise the Trigger has a PF30 bottom bracket (BB). It also uses their ‘Ai’ offset stays and a 148mm hub to keep things tight out back.

The kit

The Fox ‘Gemini’ shock is matched with a Fox 34 fork, which is near the top end of its travel range at 150mm. While 29mm WTB rims bulk up the 2.35in Maxxis tyres to 57mm wide, they also square off the carcass for a slower, less supple roll, and the whole wheel pack is relatively heavy. Overall bike weight is fairly hefty too, though the 30t ring fitted to Cannondale’s SpideRing cranks helps offset this.