Spark vs Scalpel

[Fitbull]

I am in the market for a new bike and have finally narrowed it down to these 2 bikes.

 

Scott Spark 910 or Cannondale Scalpel Si 3

 

They are similarly priced and have a very similar spec with the Cannondale have an XTR drivetrain over the XT for the Scott.

 

The main thing that puts me off the Cannondale is Lefty shock.. perhaps someone can give me positive feedback on it that will help me over come this. If it had a Fox fork my decision would be made already.

 

What I dont like about the Lefty shock is it limits your wheel options and I already have 2 sets of spare wheels.. but if I were to damage a wheel in a multistage race I think, could be wrong of course, it would be far easier to source a "normal" wheel than a Lefty wheel to continue.

 

Is there no twisitng of the fork under braking on the Lefty?

 

What I like about the Cannondale is the lifetime warranty on the frame, this is important to me seeming as every MTB I have had thus far I have had a claim on the frame for cracks. Spark only has a 5 year warranty which is ample because IMHO the lifespan of a MTB is about 5yrs.

 

I do long rides/races and multiday events. So want a bike that is easy to handle and comfortable for long distances. The Cannondale I think is more of a 1 day racer but I could be wrong?

 

I am a heavy rider - current weight is 98kgs although trying to get to 90kgs but cant see myself ever going below this....

[Grease_Monkey]

Not speaking from personal experience at all so take this with a grain of salt (and someone correct me if I am wrong). I have heard that at stage races/events you do struggle with lefty wheel and suspension parts.

 

As for personal opinion I wouldn't consider the lefty coz of flex issues when compared to a "normal" suspension - but I'm fat! So if you are a bit lighter this may be a non-issue.

[Pulse]

The geometry of the new 'dales have changed a bit, and is not as aggressive as before. The lefty doesn't flex under breaking, but generally speaking people either love it or hate it - no middle ground.

 

If I could afford another bike, I would be on the Cannondale

[Prince Albert Cycles]

I have 2 Leftys .

Flash , hard tail and a Scalpel .

The Flash is 4 years old and the Scalpel 3 yrs .

I weigh 85 and do riding similar to what you do .

I never had a single problem with wheels or flex of the fork . Read up on those forks they are designed not to flex .

Your point as to having a spare set of wheels for emergencies is valid though .

Buy yourself a lefty hub and convert one of your extra wheels .

And Leftys require much less maintenance than what the anti Lefti brigade will tell you .

Go for it !

[Hennie VR]

I own a Spark 910 and it's a awesome bike. Handles well and climbs well. I like the suspension setup with it's 3 settings but I would seriously consider the new Scalpel SI. I have not had a ride on the new model but if it's better than the old one it will also be a very competent race bike.

 

I have not experienced flex on the lefty on the older model but have heard that some wheelsets tend to flex to much and can cause a problem........I do however think that having your wheels built by a professional wheel builder will almost eliminate all your problems with regards to your wheels.  

[Scalpel]

There is no flex on the Lefty. In the 12 years I have ridden with Lefty's I have never had an issue. Maintenance is as per normal conventional fork. If you already have spare wheels you can always rebuild a front wheel with a Lefty hub so that you have your own spare. The Scalpel is a very comfortable multi day event bike. I have done many Epics and other stage races on a Scalpel. No issues at all.

['Dale]

My LBS owner is a big dealer in the Scott brand in the Western Cape.

He's got quite a palmares in MTB over many years of competitive racing at the highest level.

 

His bike of choice

Scalpel ????

[Fisan]

Lefty's flex - but all do forks do - even rigid ones. It's just difficult to get real numbers on the interwebs.

 

Try to get a test ride on the bikes. Both bikes will put a smile on your face, the question is just which one will give the biggest smile.

 

And you can always put a fox fork on your Scalpel, but that's just blasphemy. 

['Dale]

With my positive bias now as a Si 2 owner:

 

The new Scalpel is seriaasly well designed

Massive improvement on an already Lefty fork

 

The dominant bikes of choice at the recent Wine2Whales was Spaz and the new Scalpel

[NelAndre]

Cannondale all the way.

 

Like other's have stated, build a lekker set of wheels for your weight (I weigh the same as you and had wheels built 2 years ago by Spokeworks and NO problems ever since) and make an extra one with a lefty Hub.

 

Enjoy

[dave303e]

Most of the top motorcycle suspension has moved to seperate function fork, ie one fork is the spring one is the dampening system, the theory being two forks multitasking between spring and dampen is not = to two forks where one is just there to house the air spring and one is there to dampen. We all know that multi tasking doesn't work, as much as the mrs claims she can.

With this theory in mind you need to ask is a lefty really better seeing as it only has one fork doing both jobs.

and that is my 2c, take it, don't take it, makes no difference to me...

[madbradd]

From those two... I'd go the with the 'dale and get them to change the crest rims to something more suitable for your weight. It's just so damn sexy!

[splat]

Are you looking at Spark RC (Fox 32 forks with 100mm travel) or Spark (fox 34 forks with dropper seatpost and 120mm travel) and comparing it against 2017 Cannondale Si ?

 

There was no shortage of Scalpels at W2W. I was quite amazed at how popular they are.

[Fitbull]

Are you looking at Spark RC (Fox 32 forks with 100mm travel) or Spark (fox 34 forks with dropper seatpost and 120mm travel) and comparing it against 2017 Cannondale Si ?

 

There was no shortage of Scalpels at W2W. I was quite amazed at how popular they are.

 

I have just seen that the RC only comes with a 1x and I am more keen on a 2x so I suppose I am limited to the 120mm.

[JeremyCPT]

I weigh 90kgs and ride the 2016 Scalpel. I do marathon events but I also enjoy bombing more technical single track.

The Lefty is the best "fork" I have ever ridden. Previous bikes have had Reba, SID and Fox 32. Less flex then these and a plusher/smoother feel with a good mix between small bump absorption and not smashing through on larger bumps.

Lefty hub is a bit limiting for spares.

 

My wife recently bought the Scalpel Si 4. she is a featherweight but she is so happy with the bike. giving her so much more confidence on tech sections.

 

If I was buying another MTB I would immediately go with the new Scalpel.

[Cav']

Cannondale.

 

 

 

The end.