get a demo bike
that said, all bikes should be bought based on the rider. buy the bike that feels right for you and make sure it is designed to do what you want to do. in this case, it seems like the scalpel may be just the ticket for you.
a lot of other ppl before you chose the scalpel after coming off a hardtail because it feels similar while still providing a little suspension. and as you move up the suspension chain (like into the 4" range) every bike will feel slower.
my advice: go to your LBS, ask them to get a demo scalpel, and spend a week with the bike. you'll really get a feel for the suspension and you'll be able to make a better decision. if you can, also get another bike that is made for racing (ie geometry, rising rate suspension, etc), with a little more travel. see which feels better.
talking from experience, i've had a rocky mountain carve (4-bar), and currently a titus racer-x (4 bar with horst link). suspension travel on both is almost identical (around 100 mm), the horst link gives the racer-x a definite edge, and the suspension is much stiffer out of the saddle. i've tried my friends scalpel, which is not designed to have rising rate suspension, and comparitively i get a lot more bob out of the scalpel (this was with both bikes with their fox rp3's in full open.)
i'm not a scalpel rider, but i am a bike mechanic, and my shop carries cannondale.mhopton said:
that said, all bikes should be bought based on the rider. buy the bike that feels right for you and make sure it is designed to do what you want to do. in this case, it seems like the scalpel may be just the ticket for you.
a lot of other ppl before you chose the scalpel after coming off a hardtail because it feels similar while still providing a little suspension. and as you move up the suspension chain (like into the 4" range) every bike will feel slower.
my advice: go to your LBS, ask them to get a demo scalpel, and spend a week with the bike. you'll really get a feel for the suspension and you'll be able to make a better decision. if you can, also get another bike that is made for racing (ie geometry, rising rate suspension, etc), with a little more travel. see which feels better.
talking from experience, i've had a rocky mountain carve (4-bar), and currently a titus racer-x (4 bar with horst link). suspension travel on both is almost identical (around 100 mm), the horst link gives the racer-x a definite edge, and the suspension is much stiffer out of the saddle. i've tried my friends scalpel, which is not designed to have rising rate suspension, and comparitively i get a lot more bob out of the scalpel (this was with both bikes with their fox rp3's in full open.)