First Look: Cannondale Scalpel-Si

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

There will be, yes. Pretty much full range to look and drool at if I have my facts straight. 

You!? Fact?! It's all gumpf - what do you know!? I want your credentials. 

[Iwan Kemp]

You!? Fact?! It's all gumpf - what do you know!? I want your credentials. 

 

Hehe

[raptor-22]

Agreed fully. That integrated stem system was always a funny one for me. It looked good, but tbh only allowing a min 90mm length stem was a bit ridiculous. Now with the 1.5" system you've got a lot more options. 

 

Also - longer! Guess what we've been saying about longer bike & shorter stem isn't just a fad. Wow. Who woulda guessed, eh? Even Cannondale accepting that it's the way forwards.

 

The opi stem was a weight saving effort. ,ore headaches Han it was worth. The 90mm limitation came from the lefty. Before Lefty 2.0 the offset came from the forward position of the strut. This allowed a simpler forging for the lower leg and axle. When they changed to the lefty max design the axle was already position more forward to achieve similar offset with the slacker head angles of the Jekyll and trigger. The strut itself could now be shifted more rearward thus allowing shorter stems on the XC bikes. Since before the F-Si the geometry was more moderate this 90mm limitation was not an issue.

 

But as you know the last few years Xco courses have become more technical and surprisingly more trail riders are taking to Xco for the technical and well as race challenge. With this comes the need for more of an emphasis on a more stable bike for descending. Hence longer top tubes.

For XC most riders are already riding the smallest possible bike so stems are not getting shorter for the pros. The appeal is more to cater for where the mass start event riders are coming from and that is from the trail scene. Those riders are looking for a familiar feeling bike so the manufacturers are applying some trail bike thinking to Xco race bikes as well.

 

If you look at most pros bikes the saddle is slammed forward, the bars low and stem is around 80-100mm long because that's how they get their weight forward for climbing performance.

 

So it's probably just a fad as the industry has been here before around the end if he last century and then again the mid point of the previous decade and here we are again.

That sounds like a fad or more politically correct "current thinking"

[MarcBurger]

I believe many of you misunderstand the true point of pricing model: Don't complain that it goes all the way up to R200k, because that's the table you show you wife when you "only" get the R70k one.

Wife: "Gee hubby, what a logical and sensible idea."

['Dale]

Really nice, but how is that price tag justifiable? 

 

Business principle

 

Supply & Demand

 

Cycling is a sport for those with good moola

 

What a machine 

[TheJ]

What was the first word that came out of your mouth when you saw those prices?

 

Mine is unprintable...

 

Mine was something like this.

 

http://addtext.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Yao-Ming-Blank-Funny-Meme-Template-241x300.jpg

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Mine was something like this.

 

http://addtext.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Yao-Ming-Blank-Funny-Meme-Template-241x300.jpg

http://www.lolhome.com/img_big/puh-lease.jpg

[kosmonooit]

Business principle

 

Supply & Demand

 

Cycling is a sport for those with good moola

 

What a machine 

 

 

Why should be a sport for those with good moola? a bike a frigging bike, we should be doing more to bring in others less fortunate, not be making it more elitist with R200k bikes, sorry that is just off the value scale. Guess these would be the same guys who paid R200k to go for a bike ride with Lance A when he was here a few years ago.

 

I can't see these ace machines taking any of the 'dale boys onto the UCI XCO podium, if they do its because they are up for it, not the fancy bike, and they might be lucky with one or two podium visits this season imo.

Edited May 3, 2016 by kosmonooit

['Dale]

Why should be a sport for those with good moola? a bike a frigging bike, we should be doing more to bring in others less fortunate, not be making it more elitist with R200k bikes, sorry that is just off the value scale. Guess these would be thew same guys who paid R200k to go for a bike ride with Lance A when he was here a few years ago.

 

I can't see these ace machines taking any of the 'dale boys onto the UCI XCO podium, if they do its because they are up for it, not the fancy bike, and they might be lucky with one or two podium visits this season imo.

In the ideal world no

Anyone should ride a bike

 

It's about 50 bucks for a tube

And several hundred for a decent tyre

That just the rubber ????

 

The phrase 'Good moola' excludes those that are working-class (whatever that means ????)

[Hennie VR]

I am still amazed by the comments about bike prices.If you cannot afford them just be happy for those who can.Calling wealthy people fools is really poor taste.I wish I could afford the new bikes but alas so I will just dream.

 

So what must we call them if they spend their wealth foolishly? 

['Dale]

.... And yes, kosmos', I agree with you ????????????????

[NotSoBigBen]

So what must we call them if they spend their wealth foolishly? 

 

'foolishly' by whose standards?

[Hennie VR]

'foolishly' by whose standards?

 

Ummmmm. By the person who think the guy is spending a foolish amount of money on a bike? 

[Shebeen]

Now that the price of the highest spec, uber model has been discussed to death we can get around to talking tech.

 

Worth mentioning:

• Old stem is out, std 1.5" now
• Internal routing with option for dropper and di2 with battery stashed in Top Tube (quite clever I'd say)
• Straight seat tube allowing for shorter chainstays
• Slacker head angle
• Rear brake mount moved to chainstay
• Off set front hub on lefty creating better trail & rake 
• Better cable routing around lefty so no "lefty rub"
• XS, S will be 650b, M and up will all be 29er
• Ample tyre clearance even with 2.25 tires
• Removable front der mount
• Routing "grommits" mean any combo of routing can be run and still be neat and tidy

That's quite a bit crammed into a new bike and based on first looks it looks very well executed. What do you guys reckon?

so what do the leg length/height has nothing to do with wheel size crowd think about that one?

[raptor-22]

Firstly Iwan has made a small error probably due to being given incomplete information.

The sizing is xs, s and m in 650b. These are marketed in the woman's range.

Then m, L, and XL in 29 marketed in the men's range. There is a small in the men's range as well in 650b but with a men's saddle and slightly wider bar.

 

The only difference between the "men's" and "woman's" bikes is saddle and bar width. The geometry is exactly the same across the range. No woman's specific crap as cannondale sales have shown the woman's specific range is not very popular among women.

 

Cannondale s market research has shown that in the sizes available, the smaller riders prefer the smaller wheel. This is especially prevalent in Europe.

 

Quite where this leaves omnico is a mystery because they are not fans of the 650b wheel. ( hence no GT full suspension bikes)