Field Test: 2021 Cannondale Scalpel - Deceptively Fast
PINKBIKE FIELD TEST
Cannondale Scalpel Hi-MOD Ultimate
Words by Sarah Moore, photography by Margus Riga
Cannondale Scalpel Hi-MOD Ultimate
Words by Sarah Moore, photography by Margus Riga
The Scalpel has been in Cannondale's line-up for almost twenty years now, with the first version launched in 2001 and the latest update to the frame happening back in 2016 - right before the Olympic Games in Rio. While it didn’t see podium success there, the timing of the latest bike's launch in May was obviously planned with another Olympic cycle in mind, and with hopes that Cannondale Factory’s Henrique Avancini could win a medal for Brazil in Tokyo. With those dreams postponed, Cannondale settled on Pinkbike’s cross-country Field Test instead. Or something.
With a 68° headtube angle, the Scalpel is a degree and a half slacker than the previous generation, designed with the increasingly technical World Cup courses in mind. Other key geometry numbers include a 74.5° effective seat-tube angle, a reach
Scalpel Hi-MOD Ultimate Details
• Travel: 100mm rear / 100mm fork
• Carbon frame
• Wheel size: 29" *all sizes*
• Head Angle: 68°
• Seat Tube Angle: 74.5° (effective)
• Reach: 435mm (size M)
• Chainstay length: 436mm
• Sizes: S, M (tested), L, XL
• Weight: 21.97 lb / 9.97 kg (w/o tool)
• Price: $12,000 USD
• www.cannondale.com
• Travel: 100mm rear / 100mm fork
• Carbon frame
• Wheel size: 29" *all sizes*
• Head Angle: 68°
• Seat Tube Angle: 74.5° (effective)
• Reach: 435mm (size M)
• Chainstay length: 436mm
• Sizes: S, M (tested), L, XL
• Weight: 21.97 lb / 9.97 kg (w/o tool)
• Price: $12,000 USD
• www.cannondale.com
Cannondale has engineered their own on-the-frame storage stash into the Scalpel, there's room for two water bottles, and tube-in-tube cable routing should make maintenance easier. Cannondale also employs their “Asymmetric Integration” offset drivetrain to give more tire clearance by moving the drivetrain 6mm to the right. Additionally, the left-side dropout on the rear wheel is open, meaning you don’t need to pull the thru-axle out to remove the wheel, thereby saving you time if you flat. Pretty clever.
There's also a 120mm down-country version of the Scalpel (with a RockShox SID fork instead of the Lefty Ocho) that Mike Levy rode, so stay tuned for that Field Test video.
Climbing
When you first sit on the Scalpel, with its relatively short stem, wide handlebar, and slightly more upright position, it feels closer to a modern trail bike than a race-y cross-country rig. It doesn’t have the super-aggressive, stretched position that we've come to expect from cross-country bikes in the past but, as it turns out, stretched doesn't always mean fast. While this more upright position (that can be altered with a different bar or stem, of course) makes it a touch harder to navigate through the tight trees and corners on our test course, it was no slouch on the climbs. In fact, I had my fastest ascent on it!
The quick time was likely because, while it might not be quite as easy to choose your line initially at slow speeds, the rear suspension is much more forgiving if you don't end up on the ideal line. Although it doesn't feel like a thoroughbred racehorse chomping at the bit on the climb, it's easy to get it to claw up technical ascents, even when you're fatigued and have come to a near stop. There's also no rigid, abrasive climbing feel that we've come to associate cross-country bikes (I'm looking at you, Lux), and that means you can stay in the seat and pedal for longer on climbs and across rough traverses without being bounced off line. The Scalpel proves that a bike doesn't have to feel harsh to be fast on the climbs.
Descending
On the descents, the 68-degree head tube angle means it doesn’t feel like you’re going to fly out the front door at the slightest mistake. The modern cockpit and wider handlebar also help with confidence and create a stable feeling coming into steep sections with more speed. The handling feels much more confident on steeper descents since you're further behind the front wheel. That being said, I didn't gel with the handling on the Scalpel as well when cornering. The bottom bracket sits 7mm higher than the Epic, and 11mm higher than the Supercaliber, which could be part of the reason why it felt like I was sitting on top of the bike rather than in it. That sensation made it harder to really push into and rail corners.
When the trail gets rough, the Scalpel's 100mm of rear suspension works well, and it was much less exhausting on descents than the 60mm-travel Supercaliber or 100mm Canyon Lux. It absorbs the bumps instead of making you absorb them with your body. The active suspension is the plushest feeling of the cross-country bikes I rode for this Field Test, and it would make it a great choice for long days in the saddle, without sacrificing anything on a shorter Olympic cross-country distance. In other words, the Scalpel is impressively well-rounded.
Timed Testing
Our timed lap for the trail bikes was just shy of 20 minutes long and split into three sections. First, we powered up a smooth section of switchbacks before starting up a more technical, twisty section of trail that tested the bike's slow-speed handling and traction with tired legs. After that, we evaluated how the bikes maintained speed on a short bumpy traverse before the main descent, comprising of a small rock roll before a series of rough, suspension-testing corners and straightaways. Nothing too rowdy, but representative of the terrain the trails these modern cross-country bikes were intended to see.
Don't forget that timing is just one of many ways to judge a bike, and fast doesn't always mean it's the best for everyone.
Sarah Moore: "This was the fastest bike on the overall lap and the climb. 5.75% faster than the second-fastest bike, and 3.4% faster on the technical climb. It was 0.3% back from the Specialized on the descent."
Pros
+ Capable on demanding descents thanks to modern geo & cockpit
+ Relatively forgiving 100mm takes less out of you on longer rides/stage races
+ Very fast despite surprising well-roundedness
Cons
- Cornering not as intuitive as other bikes
- Doesn't feel as fast on the climbs
- People ask about Lefty all the time (jokes, relax everyone)
The 2020 Pinkbike Field Test was made possible with clothing, protection, and support from Giro. Control tires provided by Schwalbe, and power meters provided by SRM. Filming took place at The Backyard pub in Squamish.
Photos: Margus Riga
Video: Jason Lucas, Cole Nelson, Max Barron
Author Info:
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Con: Feels slow on climbs
Me: "mkay"
It is in Dh anyway, I have owned fast feeling bikes that have not been fast (Older Commencal suppreme, Turner DHR), but have owned a fast bike that doesnt feel fast (Santacruz V10.5)
That feeling that the you push it harder but it still can go faster as you dont feel fast "the world just slows down" as it so composed. I love that feeling.
If you're trying to judge other bikers, you only need to ask yourself two questions:
1) Are they needlessly endangering themselves or others?
2) Are they having fun?
If the answers are "No", "Yes", then they're mountain biking the right way .
As to your second point, about power transfer efficiency, or lack thereof, due to tire casing flex, I am curious if you have seen any data on that topic. From personal experience, I have certainly felt less responsive sensation when running fatter, lower pressure, tires, however I have yet to see anyone quantify that. I am cautious about making any blanket proclamations as rider perception can be misleading in this regard, as the old Zipp/Silca data on fat/low pressure tires on cobbles indicates. Its a bit like frame and crank stiffness data, where most companies tout it, but no one will actually tell you how many watts it will save, even in this age of quantified aero figures. Intuitively, I have felt a difference when really stomping a big gear and leaning the bike with each pedal stroke, that suggests something is slower with a fat low pressure tire, but the clock has yet to confirm it, outside the normal error margin that other variables introduce.
"However, aerodynamics is just one part of the equation: tyres also have to exhibit low rolling resistance and wider tyres roll better.
With this is mind, is there a point where aerodynamics becomes more of a factor in a tyre’s performance than rolling resistance?
Ballard has combined rolling resistance measurements on rolling roads with the wind tunnel and explains:
“We see this point to be roughly at around 30-35kph. This is only important for the front wheel. For this reason, for time trial and triathlon, we recommend a 23mm tyre on the front and a 25mm tyre on the rear.”"
My scapula needs to heal so I can ride bikes instead of post on the internet. RIP sanity.
Be smooth to be fast is something that applies to the machine as well as the rider.
To further compound this, at slower speeds, you “float” over the terrain less, so your narrow tires are even less efficient.
It’s not all about the tire’s pure rolling resistance. I agree, most modern tires are super supple and roll well in a lab. However, any road bumpier than a perfectly smooth surface will suck your energy away, more so with narrower (and hence higher pressure) tires. If you’ve ever tried riding on a broken, ridiculously bumpy road, you’d see that you instantly slow down by 5-10km/h because of the bumpiness. Not to mention rider fatigue as well.
In this case you get a carbon fiber single sided fork. Less weight, less unsprung mass.
I know your comment was a joke. But Id wish people accepted things like this. Working innovation to this degree is what the industry needs. Not wider hubs.
And before you ask, no, I dont get invited to parties
Looks cool though. I'd love a Panigale, but instead I ride a Suzuki and mountain bikes. Not a bad trade off.
Guess I'll have to spend that extra $2000 on slick jerseys, tiny shorts, power meters, and N'air.
Also, lol @ Canadians saying “decal” er, deckle I guess...
I kid of course, but carbon rail saddles seem the norm on an XC race bike, though Cannondale and norms are rarely synonymous I guess...
I believe is 56mm so, a pretty reactive(twitchy-ish?!) fork.
I never find the big versions of the lefty to be very good on the jekylls and triggers I've tested for years in a row but found it to be sublime on every model year scalpel I've tested from 2014 until 2018.
But the bearing reset issue wasn't an issue. It was an easy process on the 1.0, even easier on the 2.0. I did eventually have a lower seal go out after several years, but it didn't puke all over, just a weep. The fact that it was so difficult to get serviced might be a part of why that happened. Damping on mine was wonderful, but I can't speak for anything other than mine.
Yikes
Anyway..have a great day. Cheers!
Wouldn't know anything about the places like Green Mountain or NTM but I imagine those down hill segments are great XC bike territory.
I am so so sorry. . . I will leave now
Looking forward to these reviews every day.
Really well done Sarah and Mike...and team.
Thanks.
Also, Lefty freaks me out, but I'll take one on a $12K bike...if I have too.
It also means it's not compatible with standard-chainline cranks. This limits options for not just cranksets, but chainrings and power meters.
I really like AI, it makes for a super-strong rear wheel. If you're looking to buy a bike and leave the crankset and wheels alone, then have at it. I doubt it affects most people; probably the worst thing most shops see is someone bringing in their race wheels/beater wheels from a previous bike which rub horribly in the AI frame they just bought - I'd hope they re-dish on the house and send them on their way. But for some people it's going to be a deal-breaker.
Canadians do not give up Poutine or Maple Syrup.............
1. Is it me, or do they seem much more stoked about these bikes than they were about the trail/enduro bikes they tested earlier this year. They were also much more stoked about the "budget" bikes they did than those enduro/trail bikes.
2. The Canyon Lux has been mentioned in both videos so far. Tipping their hand about which will be the winner of the group?
3. "Not as terrified on the descent..." As ringing an endorsement of XC bikes as I've ever heard.
"Why should I buy this over a trail/enduro bike?"
"Well, you see, it's way lighter, AND you won't be as terrified on the descent as you would on some of those other light bikes."
hopefully this is a continuing trend on pinkbike.
top work.
Yes there are cheaper builds, but this is more expensive than all the other builds here by many thousands of dollars that it is getting compared to.
We just aren't comfortable making value judgements on high end XC bikes. They're weird rocket ships from the future, and not one of them is a sound financial investment. My wallet isn't your wallet, and everyone views value differently.
That said, on our budget bikes reviews we need to get better at including value judgements—stay tuned for that.
IMO you guys do a really good job on assessing value, much more than you all get credit for. Everyone complains about price when a review bike is $10k and then everyone complains about poor spec when it's $3k, lol you can't win.
This bike just really stuck out to me because I view super-bike, top-end builds as being around $10k and don't think I've ever really seen a bike above $11k until now.
Specializied S-Works Epic = $15,000CAD
Trek Supercaliber 9.9 AXS = $13,800CAD - $14,450CAD depending on which paint you want (the black in the review cost $700 more than the base price)
I mean, it seems like the Cannondale is evenly priced compared to it's competitors. Trek and Specialized are using their in-house wheels and cockpit, whereas Cannondale is using ENVE.
If my asset portfolio wasn’t getting hammered right now I’d put this on my list of Maybes.
Cannondale made this choice back ~2016, before most XC bikes went long and slack, as a means to counteract what they saw as the ponderous handling that comes with a slack HT. But since then, virtually the entire industry has decided that more steering trail is good, since it makes bikes much more stable at high speeds and rough conditions.
Now that they're down at 68° HTA, they still have a fair amount of trail compared to a traditional XC bike, but definitely way less than their rivals (90 mm compared to 106 mm on the Epic). I think it's peculiar that Cannondale sticks with this contrarian design against the conclusions of the rest of the industry, and after their own move towards slacker geometry seems to acknowledge the benefits of increased trail.
Which is pretty sad since I have owned at least 6 of their bikes pre-dorel that never had any issues.
I guess I don’t huck too much anymore either, so I’m rarely worried about casing gaps in an awkward position, are rough landings part of the concern?
@DanTae:
The more power you put out, the more leverage is lifting your body up off the saddle, and thus the further back you need your butt to counteract this. the next time you're on a steady climb, spin easy and feel the pressure on your hands. Then smoothly crank up the watts, and feel your hands get light and the weight come off the seat.
Also, 15% sag from 100mm of susp. leave you with 85mm travel left.
30% sag from 130mm leave you with 91mm travel left.
Basically, that difference in actual suspension used at sag makes a huge difference, thus making actual seat angles more alike, even though 100mm xc race bikes rarely exceed 75-75.5 degree(at least for now) while the current norm for trail bikes and above is around 77 or even 78 degrees, both in effective seat angles.
I think you mean "upright doesn't always mean slow"... because this bike is more upright, so it can only prove what upright means. It can't prove that stretched out is anything, because it's not stretched out...
Is it just me or have high end bikes gotten incredibly expensive?
www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/mountain/cross-country/scalpel/scalpel-carbon-3?sku=c24401m10sm
Why? How? Never before heard anyone say the stretched out XC position helps tight stuff...
I have a friend that has a small shop. He ordered the new scalpel for himself and the first thing he did was to drop the lefty and put a 32sc instead. A happy man with a happy bike.
(my office) You get braces, you get braces, everybody gets braces.
Don’t believe everything you think.
Cannondale = best!
Also offset is a convenient way to tune front center independently of trail. I.e. if you want more trail but don't want to increase front center, you can use a short offset fork rather than a slacker headtube. So, it's a useful parameter.