Waa 100mm of Travel Waa, but Only 22lbs Yaa
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It is a Cannondale Scalpel with XX1 drivetrain.
I have a second option. This one is a new 2022 Scott Spark RC Comp. The Spark has 120mm travel f/r but weighs 28lbs. It is $4000.
But here is a catch. The Spark has an unknown delivery date. It could be anywhere between December and June. The Cannondale I can get now. I do not have a fs bike currently either.
I have a second option. This one is a new 2022 Scott Spark RC Comp. The Spark has 120mm travel f/r but weighs 28lbs. It is $4000.
But here is a catch. The Spark has an unknown delivery date. It could be anywhere between December and June. The Cannondale I can get now. I do not have a fs bike currently either.
Buddy has a Scalpel of that vintage. It is a light and quick bike, but firmly in the old skool geo camp. It is twitchy and unforgiving. The level of proprietary stuff on that bike makes my eye twitch. But if the character works for you and you aren't put off by the proprietary kit, I say why not.
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For the $1k price difference you could go with the Cannondale and use the money saved to overfork it to 120mm which would slacken the HTA by roughly 1° bringing it a bit closer to modern geometry. Of course the reach will be relatively short unless you size up or are on the short end of the frame size range. Save the old fork to swap back in when it's time to sell.
Are we now unable to adapt to minor changes / regression in geometry? If we have good foundational skills, it hardly matters does it?.
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161 Posts
I ride a 2018 scalpel. Its pretty good, overall, but I made a bit of alterations to make it more of a "Downcountry" bike. I added a dropper post and slacked the HTA by 1.5degrees to 68 degrees among other things. I love my rig and its tons of fun. HOWEVER, I would avoid the 2016. The HTA is a super steep 71 degree head angle!!! I have ridden them, and they are twitchy as all hell. Also the 100mm suspension on these bikes have a very hard tune (good for XC racing).
Another thing to consider is while the lefty shock are fantastic, the 2016 will require servicing and its expensive and you typically need to send it in (2mo wait without a fork). My bike has a RockShox SID fork which is a lot more manageable.
If what you are looking for is a super aggressive XC racer, this bike is a good option (although $3k is a bit steep). But dont be tempted by weight... my bike started at 24.5lbs and its sitting currently 27+ lbs with all my alterations.. and its much better for it! I compete in some light racing, but more or less enjoy my local trails. I wish I had a bit more squish, but its a great bike.
If it were me, I would spend my money on the Scott Spark, or keep looking.
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On the keep looking front, I spent a few months earlier this year searching local, pinkbike, etc. and was about to drop $6k on a new trek top fuel when a 2019 santa cruz blur popped up for $3.2k. It's not the highest spec (GX, no dropper) but it's still a big step up from my old giant hard tail. Diligence with a bit of luck will likely turn up some better options - eventually. This time of year should see better pricing in the used market unless you're somewhere warm. Well, maybe not this year with the crazy bike market, but you never know.
In general XC bikes back in 2016 worked really well. But they durable they were not! If the bike is brand new then you can expect about a year before it starts having issues, if it has been ridden expect them right away.
Probably the biggest change in XC bikes in the last 5 years has been a significant improvement in reliability and durability.
Probably the biggest change in XC bikes in the last 5 years has been a significant improvement in reliability and durability.
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Been mountainbiking since 2013, would never trade my $1000/2021 bike for a piece of history .. even budget bikes are just better because of geo itself.. and with $3000 you can get a very good bnew bike..
A2PM said:
For the $1k price difference you could go with the Cannondale and use the money saved to overfork it to 120mm which would slacken the HTA by roughly 1° bringing it a bit closer to modern geometry. Of course the reach will be relatively short unless you size up or are on the short end of the frame size range. Save the old fork to swap back in when it's time to sell.
For the $1k price difference you could go with the Cannondale and use the money saved to overfork it to 120mm which would slacken the HTA by roughly 1° bringing it a bit closer to modern geometry. Of course the reach will be relatively short unless you size up or are on the short end of the frame size range. Save the old fork to swap back in when it's time to sell.
The top suggestion is very good, and well...a million people have done that already anyway, not like it's original. For the reply, there are pros out there that can take an old-school XC bike, maybe even with 2x or 3x, and absolutely shred a downhill trail, I've seen the Strava numbers and what they were riding. But for us mortals, the head-tube angle really does matter, it does make the bike noticeably more stable and confident. And for the most part, faster. Not always, but most of the time if the overall decline is 4-5% or more. So the term foundational skills...well if someone is really talented/experienced, yes they can overcome a steep-angled bike and shred a tough downhill segment. But "we" are for the most part not "them". For us, it's the bike, not the rider.
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1,364 Posts
With normal supply chain, I deliver 22lb XC bikes under $3000 all the time
In fact, it’s not hard to build that for $2000
When stuff is available
I sure wish customers would go back to putting weight as a major decision making element
Building new light bikes at a low price is easy and fun
In fact, it’s not hard to build that for $2000
When stuff is available
I sure wish customers would go back to putting weight as a major decision making element
Building new light bikes at a low price is easy and fun
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