2006 looks like gap-filling year at Cannondale. The company will be delivering beefed up and slimmed down versions of existing bikes plus new derivatives of its single-pivot platform in order to occupy a few more bike niches.

The “all-mountain” Prophet goes both ways. The Prophet MX looks to be aimed squarely at the Specialized Enduro market, with 140mm of travel at the rear from a Fox DHX5.0 Air shock, a Fox 36 up front (cheaper models get RockShox forks) and a twin-and-bash Truvativ crank setup. Meanwhile the Prophet SL runs a lighter spec and shorter, lighter shocks, cutting travel by 20mm but losing a dollop of weight.

Approaching a similar niche as the Prophet SL but from the other direction is the new Rush. It’s a 110mm travel bike, with a frame that’s clearly in the Prophet style but less hefty – there’s one less tube in it for a start. You don’t get the Prophet’s adjustable shock mount to tweak the head angle – it’s set at 69 head/73.5seat. It’s designed for endurance racers – expect to see Tinker Juarez on one. There’ll be eight models, including one women-specific one.

Fancy something with a little more travel? OK, make that a lot more travel. Cedric Gracia gets a signature bike, a sign of true stardom. The Gracia is evolved from the Gemini, packing 220mm of rear travel from the new Marzocchi Roco rear coil shock (Fox DHX and Manitou Swinger shocks feature lower down the range). The DH model gets a Marzocchi 888 fork and the FR models a Fox 40 or Manitou Travis. The big new thing is the Shock Link, which is intended to reduce any unwanted flex and allows the designers to better control the properties of the suspension travel. It’s claimed to be supple off the top, with a stable pedalling platform in the middle and a progressive rampy bit towards the end for bigger hits. All models have a floating brake arm.

Cannondale’s are also extending its clothing range, with some great looking designs and some funky new material names – Quade Carbon Fabric, anyone? More on that later – in the meantime take a look at www.cannondale.com for more details.