Cannondale is “that other American brand”. Frankly they’ve always done a better job designing and building bikes than they have at marketing them. That’s a bold statement coming from a goober like me, especially when you consider that, along with prototype testing or R&D, a company’s marketing guys usually run the media show… Continue reading →
Submitted by
jplamere1
a Cross Country Rider
from Plymouth, MN, USA
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2009
Strengths: Light, top of the line components, the Lefty
Weaknesses: The Lefty makes the bike pull to the right.
Bottom Line:
My brand new 2010 Scalpel Team size Med weighs 21.6 actual pounds with new XTR pedals, bottle cage, real tires, rim strip wraps around the rear stays to protect them, and lots of Stans fluid in the tires. It is an epic bike that is so fun to ride, but there is only 1 thing I don't like about it, which is that going no handed on it is problematic- the bike pulls to the right big time, because of the Lefty, but I don't mind that much because the Lefty works so incredibly well and is the best front suspension system on Earth. When I get on a regular front shock now, I can't stand that differential feeling, and I've ridden all the top of the line standard shocks, they all have that differential frumpiness. You would think the Lefty would pull the bike to the Left, but no, if you pick the bike up in the air, the weight of the Lefty on just the left side makes the wheel turn to the right, so the bike pulls to the right big time.
Favorite Trail: Poaching Skyline above Woodside, CA
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$7100.00
Similar Products Used: Cannondale Taurine, Jamis Dakar Pro 2005
Bike Setup: Riser bars, XTR pedals, lots more air in the Lefty than what Cannondale recommends.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
spartan23
a Cross Country Rider
from San Francisco, CA. USA
Date Reviewed: September 15, 2009
Strengths: FAST, LIGHT, DURABLE, CLIMBS EXTREMELY WELL !!! did i mention its a superfast bike. sub 22lbs right out of the box. Lighter than most HT's
Weaknesses: none so far
Bottom Line:
This bike is superlight and superfast. It climbs extremely well. You can fly on this bike climbing, flats etc specially if you can master spinning the 2x9's.
I will not go with a tripple after seing the speed benefits of the 2x9. The lefty 110 is trully an amazing bike.
The Scalpel Carbon Team Replica is really something else.
Im not much of a long travel FS so this bike fits me perfectly. If you are a HT lover, check this bike out.
Strengths: Lightweight race weapon even with stock components(sub 22lbs/10kgs). To some it may seem expensive but very good value considering spec. Slackish head angle (69.5deg) for a XC bike gives confidence downhill. Much higher bottom bracket height compared with previous Scalpel. Stock components are tried and tested and work well together. Lefty OPI model is their best yet.
Weaknesses: Minor cable slap when the going gets rough; can be fixed with a cable tie, but Cannondale should be able to improve in this area...Fizik Tundra saddle should have been specced with carbon braided rail, mine has a magnesium rail at a 30g penalty...Lefty OPI fork has a known seal leak issue which you should discuss with your LBS before purchase. Once fixed the fork is sweet...Juicy Ultimate brakes lose pressure when not used for a few days (known issue).
Bottom Line:
It was just too good an opportunity to walk in a buy a sub 22lb XC race machine off the showroom floor...The bike is amazingly light and quick, I cant believe how fast I can move on it! When pushed it can handle most technical sections with ease. It climbs very very well. The BB30 bottom bracket and 29/44T crank combination is amazingly stiff. I swear by the double ring set-up now.
Bike Setup: Completely stock 2009 Team model, I haven't changed a thing; XO rear der + shifters, XTR front der and pedals, Cannondale SI stem and 29/44 crank with BB30, Thomson post, Fizik Tundra saddle, FSA carbon bars, Crossmax SLR wheels with Conti Race King, Juicy Ultimate brakes.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
AlbertoJara
a Cross Country Rider
from Brasilia, DF - BRAZIL
Date Reviewed: May 5, 2009
Strengths: Speed, on everything from short-course XC to ultra endurance. Nimble, stable, FAST, FAST!!
Weaknesses: None so far besides the price.
Bottom Line:
Incredibly fast and controlable. If you can only settle for the best go for the team replica!
Submitted by
Robert
a Cross Country Rider
from Nashville, TN, USA
Date Reviewed: September 4, 2007
Strengths: Extremely responsive bike, softail takes out just enough of a trails roughness, great for long rides. Lefty works as well an any double shock made, but with less maintenance. Relatively lightweight. Perfect for racing.
Weaknesses: OK, here is where I rant. Over the last 3 years I have broken the "frog" suspension linkage 3 times. In August 07 I cracked it a 3rd time, but Cannondale told me they had the piece on backorder till mid November 07! That is crazy, what company doesn't stock replacement parts? So I cannot ride for 3 months - heck no - I took it to my buddies machine shop for some aluminum bracing and welding until the new linkage comes in the Fall. What good is a lifetime warranty if no parts are available? Also, while in the bike shop originally there was a Scalpel with a cracked frame at the headset and 4 weeks later it was still there. Hmmmm.
Bottom Line:
I am ashamed of Cannondale and sad, because it really is a great bike design. Even the customer service people (friendly on the phone) agree that the parts should be available and they commented that it was a problem. Luckily my aluminum braced welding is still holding up. You may think I'm a downhill huckster, but I do adventure racing, 12 hour races, and offroad centuries. Not a big fan of downhill or anything over 18". Haven't needed a truing of the original rims over a 3 year period. Would love to support the bike, but cannot because of my experience. I really just want to enjoy riding my bike, not chasing down replacement parts.
Bike Setup: Sram, WTB Hub, Woodman Hub, Mavic, Raceface, etc.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Johannesburg
Date Reviewed: April 20, 2007
Strengths: Solid terrain hugging performer
Weaknesses: None evident so far
Bottom Line:
Have ridden 3000km on this bike in the last three months including 12 days of racing (one 8 day event) and this bike hasn't presented any issues at all. Chain has never popped off. Every time I have asked the SRAM kit to do some work it happens flawlessly. Lefty lock out is simple and effective. Don't bother locking up the rear shock as there is no perceived bob. Sure footed on the down hills and a great climber. Serious Cross Country riders (serious money) will love this bike. Looking to soften up and dump your hardtail for a full sus bike - this is a great machine as you get the full benefits of the suspended ride without feeling like you are pumping your energy into the bob. Price is an issue however. Don't sell your house if you still use it. If not it would be a great swap!
Strengths: sound package, sram, singular function-to go fast. Form and Function baby!
Weaknesses: none yet thankfully. Except retail...its a bike people!
Bottom Line:
Very good bike. I've been riding/racing a Scalpel 2000 very hard for the past 2 years (reviewed on this site)and love just how quick and responsive it is so I elected to get the Top-end bike to save some weight and to use just for racing. The now quite beaten up Scalpel 2000 has become my main training bike. These really are fantastic xc race bikes. Compared to the 2000 the team bike is better but not in a night and day sense, At 23.8lbs for the medium it is 2.2lbs lighter than the scalpel 2000, a bit more spirited and I can certainly hold a slightly quicker pace with it. The components are terrific and aestheticly beautiful. The Sram XO shifting is crisp and sure unlike the xt dual stuff I've been accostomed to. The magura marta sl brakes are nice and the crossmax sl wheels are a thing of beauty and sheer speed. However for me the best feature has been the Lefty speed carbon terralogic fork. This thing is excellent. On climbs and pop-ups I can stand and crank as if its a rigid singlespeed with no bobbing what-so-ever and when it gets rooty or rocky the thing responds at once to take the edge off. Just perfect. So in all a great light semi-full sus rig which is just all about speed. I really do think that these bikes are they best xc racers out there. Also FYI, as a rider I'm 145lbs and I like my wheels on the ground and I like to go as fast as I can, big jumps, huge logs and super steep drops give me the heeby-jeebies so if you moonlight as a freerider look elsewhere but if you want to win on Sunday a Scalpel (any of them really) may be for you.
Similar Products Used: almost everything out there
Bike Setup: stock except for Tompson Masterpiece post, Stans rotors, Maxxis ignitor 1.95 ust
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Brian Freeze
a Racer
from Houston, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: March 11, 2006
Strengths: My review is not for the Team Scalpel but the new 2006 Rush. This bike Rocks!!!! I have not found any weakness in it.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
I just finished my first ride on my custom 2006 Cannondale Rush and what comes to mind is, “WOW”. This is by far the best bike I have ever ridden (I have been racing since 1992). It is so plush and complaint. Fox’s new Pro Pedal mated with the new Terra Logic is the perfect combination. The extra bob you would think you would have with a long travel bike does not exist. I have been a Scalpel rider for years and even though the Rush is a little over a pound heavier it well worth the trade off for the stiffer rear triangle and the added travel. If you are in the market for a race or trail bike you are crazy if you do not give this machine a test ride. This is also my first bike with Sram. I chose the XO with the OX triggers and I must say Shimano better look out. The shifting is flawless and super smooth. I another great component is Cannnondale’s SI integrated BB and Hollowgram cranks they are super light and equal stiff.
If you live in the Houston area you can checkout all the latest Cannondale’s at Webster Bicycles in Clear Lake but unless you are a Roadie save yourself the time a buy the Rush. You can reach them at 281-332-2419.
Bike Setup: FSA carbon bars and seatpost, Juicy carbon brakes, OX rear derailleur and OX triggers, XTR front derailleur, Cross Max SL wheels with an XTR rear cassette, SI Hollwgram crank, Triple Ti Egg Beaters
Strengths: Light and fast, only 24lb for a large. customer service
Weaknesses: the orange leather of the seat(saddle) start pelling off af6er the second right. talk to cannondale and they gave me a new :) right away. but for a top of the line 2006 team replice i think that shouldn't happen. Great customer service for cannondale.
Bottom Line:
Excelent bike, I'm in love. sram works great. alll you need for racing. It is like a soft tail but ever thought off that it feels way better than the epic.
Weaknesses: this bike is not a true "full suspension". it is more of a softail.
Bottom Line:
for racing the bike is fine. in fact, it seems to be the bike of choice. however in the woods the bike is not fun. the short travel makes you feel like you were just violated. many people swear by the lefty fork, personally i'm not a big fan of it. it seems to have too steep of an angle and i find myself going over the handlebars in situations when i'm in full control of the bike. i'm not sure about the specs on this web page. the team replica does not come with any shimano products. it is equipped with sram x.o and magura discs. all of which are sufficient. while racing i usually use the scalpel. while in the forest it stays at home
Similar Products Used: kona king kikapu, gary fisher, trek, bontrager, c-dale jeckle, titus, blur
Bike Setup: stock set up minus the tires. i run the ust python
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from Concord, CA
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2005
Strengths: Climbs like a goat and Im able to carve downhill faster than any other bike i've ridden. Rode a friends airborne titanium hardtail this weekend - the Scalpel is faster on the climbs, tons more comfortable, and down hill isnt even close
Weaknesses: I broke the xtr titanium cogset a couple of weeks into - shop replaced for free and no trouble since. If it breaks again, will probably go to xt or new SRAM cogset
Bottom Line:
I don't bomb downhills with lots of air, do mainly xc on single track and some fire roads - this bike has made me so much faster, its hard to believe. Acceleration is instantaneous.
Don't buy if you are looking for an all purpose trail bike unless you ride only XC like myself. Too light and not built to take the abuse of lots of air or jumps.
The bottom line is that I enjoy my rides much more(very comfortable bike and geometry), Ive seen tremendous gains in speed and these two put together have enabled me to ride faster and longer.
Absolutely no regrets on this bike - the price is a bit steep but then again, the team replica is spec'd out exactly as I would have spec'd if I had built a custom bike.(only thing I will change is going to eggbeaters).
Similar Products Used: Looked seriously at blur, epic, truth - test rode after racing at Sea Otter this year and fell in love
Bike Setup: SRAM XO drive train, Magura discs, carbon lefty w/ fox inertia, dt swiss shock w/ lockout - awesome spec by Cannondale...Lefty rocks!
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
John Jones
a Weekend Warrior
from Laguna Beach, California
Date Reviewed: June 8, 2005
Strengths: Basically...none.
Weaknesses: EVERYTHING, I rode this piece for about 2 weeks and it fell apart. After about 3 jumps the crank broke, brakes just sucked, popped BOTH tires, frame seemed extremely weak and brittle, and the shocks were not very good.
Bottom Line:
I would NOT get this. May sound odd, but it is a piece. A piece of s***. Wayyy too expensive for the quality of this bike.
Strengths: 1. Light and simple. After 1 full race season, I'm looking forward to my second year on this bike. 2. It's a time-proven design (about 4 years old now, I think), and there really aren't many shortcomings in the frame. 3. The plastic rear triangle is surprisingly durable, and the lefty fork is great; relatively light and long travel. 4. Nice spec on the parts.
Weaknesses: 1. The remote lock-out for the rear DT shock was terrible (the clamp mechanism couldn't hold the bar without slipping, and it would activate suddenly when I wanted it locked out). Spent an overpriced $30 for the DT manual lock-out lever mounted directly to the shock, and no issues since. 2. The SI crankset creaked at first; removed, relubed, reinstalled, and no problems since. 3. If you have to pay full retail for the bike it's overpriced; it's not worth $5k. 4. Idiosyncracy of mine, but if I'm paying for a top end bike, I don't want to advertise for Siemans, Hutchinson, etc.... in other words, too many logos and stickers...
Bottom Line:
The relatively short rear travel and overall light weight definitely means the Scalpel is for XC racing. That said, I really think the bike helped me to improve as a racer last year; it smooths out the descents, but not so much that you get lazy and sloppy. The XTR disc brakes are awesome (except for the fast pad wear), so you can control the extra speed. It climbs well, and I really never felt that the suspension hurt my overall efficiency.
This bike would be a great choice for someone moving from a high-end hardtail for racing purposes (still want to race, but the old back has other ideas...), or for someone with a general full-sus bike that wants a bike with more of an XC racing focus.
Similar Products Used: Came from a top end Specialized hard-tail; also briefly demo'd Sugar, Blur, Giant NRS, Epic, Intense Spyder. (side note: I actually liked the Spyder better, but purchased the Scalpel because of price; a friend who purchased the Spyder couldn't race it for half the season because of issues with the bushings)
Bike Setup: Stock 2004 model (all XTR, not SRAM/Marta set-up like on the '05), with egg beater pedals.
Found a 2008 Scalpel Team Replica @ my local Cannondale dealer. I currently own a Scalpel 3000 and was wondering if the new Carbon Frame is as durable as my 3000 frame.
I crack Read More »
I've done a little research but would like to talk with other scalpel owners. I've found what I think to be a pretty good deal and before I pulled the trigger I wanted to hear som Read More »
Picked up a new project today. One of the snowiest day in Seattle this year...but worth the trip to pick it up. Now a couple of issues to fix, so let me know your thoughts.
[b Read More »
