Cannondale Scalpel
Wheel Size: 29’’
Travel: 120 mm rear / 120 mm front
Geometry Highlights:
- Sizes offered: SM, MD, LG, XL
- Headtube angle: 66.6° (🤘)
- Reach: 475 mm (Size Large)
- Chainstay length: 442 mm (Size Large)
Frame Material: Carbon fiber
Price: Complete bikes starting at $4,000 USD / $5,455 CAD
Intro
The Cannondale Scalpel has been a fixture in the brand’s lineup since 2002, when it was first launched as an early example of a full suspension Cross Country race bike. With race courses getting more technical, the Scalpel has evolved again to meet the needs of the modern XC racer — so what has Cannondale cooked up? Let’s dig into the details of the overhauled Scalpel range.
The Frame
Cannondale emphasizes that the reimagined Scalpel is a product of the Cannondale Factory Racing team’s feedback, but the updates leave a lot for mile-munching trail riders to look forward to as well. Suspension travel has been increased to 120 mm front and rear (from 100 mm front and rear) across the range, with that increased squish coming via a linkage-driven shock and a flex pivot at the chain stays. A number of the higher-end models also get Cannondale’s iconic Lefty fork, which we’ll discuss more in the Builds section, but with more availability through the European models — North Americans are limited to the Lefty only being offered on the ultra-flash LAB71 model.
Speaking of the LAB71 version of the Scalpel, it also gets the fanciest carbon layup of the range, using Cannondale’s “Series 0 Carbon” construction whereas the rest of the models get the “Series 1 Carbon.” Based on the prior Scalpel, which used a higher modulus carbon for the top-end “Hi-Mod” frames, the “Series 0 Carbon” spec on the LAB71 version likely gets a higher grade carbon material with a lower frame weight — a practice that we’ve seen from other manufacturers as well (Yeti with their TURQ grade carbon, Santa Cruz with CC grade carbon, etc.)
The Scalpel’s suspension uses a similar rocker link and flex pivot arrangement to a whole lot of modern XC race bikes (Yeti quipped that their new ASR “looks a lot like everything else / works a lot like nothing else”) and it’s interesting to see how widely that general layout is being adopted in the class, even by companies (e.g. Santa Cruz, with the Blur) who use a very different suspension design on their longer-travel offerings. Cannondale calls their interpretation of this layout “Proportional Response,” referring to the customized kinematics that vary by frame size to optimize the ride for different size riders.
Another arguably unfortunate trend across the industry is the move toward headset cable routing. The Scalpel packages all but the front brake line through the headset, with higher-end models getting Cannondale’s new SystemBar XC-One, a one-piece carbon bar and stem combo that also serves to guide the cables down into the headset in a clean package.
As a final note, readers won’t be surprised to hear that the Scalpel has joined the ranks of bikes using the UDH derailleur hanger standard, which makes it not only compatible with SRAM’s Transmission but also makes sourcing a derailleur hanger in a pinch both easy and inexpensive.
Fit & Geometry
The new Scalpel is the latest in a list of Cross Country bikes that have gotten the longer and slacker treatment. The Scalpel sees its head angle brought back to 66.6°, a number which wouldn’t have been out of place on longer travel Trail bikes just a few years ago but now seems fairly common amongst Cross Country race bikes.
While the head angle signals the new Scalpel’s more capable intentions, Cannondale has also gone the extra mile to make size-specific geometry across the range. While the headtube angle remains steady across the size range, Cannondale varies the chain stay length and actual seat tube angle to help promote consistent body positioning and front-to-rear balance across all sizes.
Note that the geometry chart above is for the non-Lefty-equipped Scalpel; the Lefty fork runs a 50 mm offset whereas the non-Lefty models come with a 44 mm offset. This doesn’t materially affect geometry in most ways aside from lengthening the wheelbase very slightly, but would likely result in some slightly different steering characteristics on the trail.
The Builds
Cannondale has done well to provide a wide range of build options to suit a range of budgets, from the $4,000 USD Scalpel 4 to the eye-popping $14,000 Scalpel LAB71. North America and Europe get slightly different builds, with the common model being the range-topping LAB71 build, and the various options getting a mix of SRAM and Shimano parts depending on the model. Interestingly, the LAB71 model is the only Lefty-equipped model in the North American market, whereas Europe sees more of the range equipped with the Lefty Ocho 120 Carbon, along with a Lefty Ocho 120 Alloy on some of the more wallet-friendly builds.
The full suite of North American builds is as follows, and it’s great to see Cannondale including dropper posts on every model across the range. Additionally, all models get 2.4” wide Maxxis tires which are a bit wider than the norm in the Cross Country realm.
- Drivetrain: Shimano Deore M6100, w/ Shimano M8100 derailleur
- Brakes: Shimano MT501 (180 mm front rotor, 160 mm rear rotor)
- Fork: RockShox SID (120 mm)
- Shock: RockShox SIDLuxe Select+, 2 position adjustment
- Wheels: Stan’s NoTubes Crest S2 rims, Shimano TC500/MT410B hubs
- Dropper Post: Cannondale DownLow (SM: 125 mm; MD-XL: 150 mm)
- Drivetrain: Shimano XT M8100, w/ Deore M6120 crank
- Brakes: Shimano Deore M6100 (180 mm front rotor, 160 mm rear rotor)
- Fork: RockShox SID Select (120 mm)
- Shock: RockShox SIDLuxe Select+, 2 position adjustment
- Wheels: Stan’s NoTubes Crest MK4 rims, Shimano TC-500 hubs
- Dropper Post: Cannondale DownLow (SM: 125 mm; MD-XL: 150 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM Level Bronze Stealth (180 mm front rotor, 160 mm rear rotor)
- Fork: RockShox SID Select+ RL (120 mm)
- Shock: RockShox SIDLuxe Select+, 2 position adjustment
- Wheels: Cannondale HollowGram XC-S 2, carbon
- Dropper Post: Fox Transfer SL Performance Elite (SM: 125 mm; MD-XL: 150 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM XO Eagle AXS Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM Level Silver Stealth (180 mm front rotor, 160 mm rear rotor)
- Fork: Fox Float Factory 34 StepCast (120 mm)
- Shock: Fox Float SL Factory EVOL SV
- Wheels: DT Swiss XCR 1501 Spline One, carbon
- Dropper Post: Fox Transfer SL Factory (SM: 125 mm; MD-XL: 150 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM XX SL Eagle Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM Level Ultimate Stealth (180 mm front rotor, 160 mm rear rotor)
- Fork: Cannondale Lefty Ocho 120 Carbon (120 mm)
- Shock: RockShox SIDLuxe Ultimate, 2 position adjustment, TwistLoc Ultimate remote dual lockout
- Wheels: DT Swiss XCR 1200 Spline, carbon
- Dropper Post: RockShox Reverb AXS (SM: 125 mm; MD-XL: 150 mm)
Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About
(1) The Scalpel has always been race-focused, but how much do the new version’s significant geometry changes increase comfort and capability in rough terrain?
(2) Short travel bikes like the Scalpel can feel a whole lot different based on the suspension kinematics, so where did Cannondale place the new Scalpel on the spectrum of all-out efficiency versus comfort on rougher terrain?
(3) How does that Lefty Ocho 120 fork stack up against the familiar options from RockShox and Fox?
Bottom Line (For Now)
Cannondale’s updated Scalpel strikes a clean silhouette that looks fast sitting still, and the geometry updates bring the bike onto a new level of versatility that seems promising for racers and non-racers alike. It will be interesting to see how the Cannondale Factory Racing team gets along with the new Scalpel during the upcoming World Cup XCO season. We’ve got one on the way too, so stay tuned for a full review to come.
Looks fast and fun. A bit disturbed by the broken frame reported during the press junket.
Hello, I am interested in the scalpel, I have a workshop and I sell parts!! I would like to know if you could give me a price on the scalpel 2 2024 with lefty? I am leave in pr!!