Not-so-retro-spective: The Cannondale Jekyll

Cannondale is an authoritative mainstay in the historical timeline of mountain biking, but the brand didn’t even make a bicycle until 1983 and introduced its first mountain bike a year later, which at the time was simply categorized as an “all-terrain bicycle,” boldly proclaiming it was not just another reconditioned beach cruiser from the 60s and marking that mountain biking was here to stay.

Laying Down the Tracks

While the Cannondale brand history could be a novel in itself, we are here to explore the past and present of one of the most demarcation-pushing bikes the brand has produced, the Jekyll. As its name suggests, this bike is not just one thing, and in this case, the duality is to be celebrated. Since 2001, the Jekyll has explored the potential for one bike to adjust and adapt to riders' unique demands with what is, essentially, the early stages of modern-day flip-chips.

Cannondale has never been one to shy away from trying something new and different, and this point is made time and time again throughout the brand's long history in off-road cycling. Bikemag does not have the original reviews for these early Jekyll bikes to share now; we are working to digitize and share these iconic archived pieces with you all soon!

“ ...A threaded, pivoting collar is used as the attachment point for the rear shock. By threading the shock absorber fore or aft within the collar, a rider can quickly change the bike’s geometry and handling characteristics….The rear wheel travel on the Jekyll is a full 120mm, regardless of where the shock is positioned in the collar. Some Jekyll models use Fox rear shocks equipped with compression adjusters which can be used to stiffen the rear suspension for a more race-oriented ride. ”

- Cannondale Jekyll Owners' Manual 2001

2013 Jekyll Carbon

It wasn’t until 2013 that we saw the Jekyll land on a digital format for Bike Mag, and this 2013 Cannondale Jekyll Carbon left quite the impression on every test editor that swung a leg over it. Good thing they all rode the same size because the head tube angle ranged from 67 degrees on the size small to 68° on the XL.

This 26” wheeled, 150mm travel-equipped machine came with a bit of an identity crisis that it really owned up to. The DYAD rear shock that Cannondale designed in partnership with Fox was something of a marvel and held true to the duality-pushing ethos of the Jekyll name. This pull shock was designed to offer two bikes in one; with the push of a lever, the rider was able to change from 90mm of rear travel to 150mm, but this capability did not come without its share of hang-ups. A proprietary shock is not always the best move, especially when it demands a bit more knowledge and fiddling on the consumer's end, but this doesn’t stop Cannondale.

2015 Jekyll 27.5

In 2014, the world was treated to the anticipated release of the 2015 27.5 Jekyll after a banner year under Jerome Clementz in the Enduro World Series. Cannondale put 26” wheels to bed and woke up the travel numbers from 150mm to 160mm, along with their thought-provoking Lefty fork.

The new Lefty SuperMax fork paired with the DYAD rear shock made for an incredible conversation starter, but how well did this conversation translate into riding? For starters, the needle bearing design of the single-sided fork required about 7 hours of ride time before it started to feel like a conventional fork, but the hurdle of the visual aesthetics having a perceived effect on performance and handling is another thing entirely. This new era of the Jekyll also saw an updated set of geometry numbers and standardized the head tube angle at 67 degrees across the board for all sizes.

What Happens Next?

The Jekyll platform remained relatively unchanged for a couple of years and was ultimately cut from the Cannondale catalog altogether in 2017, along with the shorter travel Trigger , as the brand seemed to be more focused on its road and XC offerings. This left many of us wondering what was happening with the previously award- and race-winning Enduro platform. Was it gone for good?

The Jekyll Returns for 2018

In 2018, the Jekyll triumphantly returned to the world stage with a smattering of new features and a fresh makeover while the winds of time carried away the Lefty and DYAD shock. The all-new Jekyll came out swinging and was aimed at aggressive enduro riders and all-mountain chargers, but Cannondale held steadfast with the chassis' duality and equipped this rendition with the new Gemini shock—a less complex system that achieved relatively the same goal as the DYAD, albeit less of a drastic change on paper.

Developed in tandem with Fox, the Gemini was a step-child of the Float X and DPS family but added a bit of hustle and flow to the equation with a remote switch that changed the travel from 150mm in flow mode to 130mm in hustle mode. This new era of the Jekyll was very well received, with its slacker head tube angle of 65 degrees, 469mm reach for a size large, and 75-degree seat tube angle that brought the Jekyll up to speed with the enduro geometry standards of the time.

It was not without its share of intriguing design choices with the emergence of Cannondale’s Asymmetric Integration, or “Ai” required a proprietary dish for the rear wheel to accommodate its “super short” chain stays (420mm) that could still manage to fit large tires, which at the time was of benefit to the rider, but an extra step for anyone in the local bike shops service department if someone wanted to swap their own wheels onto the chassis.

2019 Cannondale Jekyll 29”

In 2019 the trend of 29” wheels hit the Jekyll . This was a welcomed option for those who had fully hopped onto the wagon wheel train, and I can personally attest to how refreshing this bike was to ride. The 29’er Jekyll was a touch more tame than the 27.5” rig, as the travel was slightly reduced to 150mm front and rear from 170/165 (f/r), the reach was reigned in from 469mm to 462mm on the large, while the chainstays grew from 420mm to a much more stable 442mm. The changes were minor, but the effects were noticeable in my back-to-back testing, and I attribute my own acceptance of 29” wheels to this generation of the Jekyll.

2021 Jekyll | Bucking the Trends

The world did not see an updated Jekyll for a number of years until whispers of a new bike from Cannondale were heard, and images surfaced of riders on what would surely be a new downhill bike with an idler pulley and a suspension design that is very on brand for Cannondale. Alas, it was not the brand's return to downhill.

It was, in fact, what would become the newest Jekyll . This was a departure for Cannondale. Where was the wild proprietary shock? How can this be considered a true Jekyll? A welcomed change in the eyes of many, the new Jekyll bucks the trend of its ancestors and keeps things relatively simple, but not without a few things to keep it very Cannondale. Unfortunately, the Ai offset remains, and the striking position for the shock keeps things interesting and tucked inside the twin spar downtube, but the marketing focus seems to have changed drastically.

The previous Jekylls were touted as capable climbers and descenders, grappling with an identity crisis and playing into the Jekyll name. The new Jekyll is firmly focused on the way down rather than the way up, thanks to its 64° head tube and 475mm reach, but in no way is this long and low rig a slouch on climbs. Has this repetition of the Cannondale Enduro bike lost its identity, or are we seeing the logical progression? Depending on who you ask, this looks to be more of a Mr. Hyde.

During the process of writing this, I found myself digging through the halls of MTB history, scrubbing through old catalogs, and scratching my head at some of the decisions Cannondale has made throughout the years, and I’m sure I am not alone. The transformation this bike has seen since the early aughts is quite impressive, and I can only think of a couple of other bikes that have seen such dramatic changes over their lifespan. After so many renditions over the last two decades, I know we’re all looking forward to the next chapter in the Jekyll novella.