[Closed] New Cannondale Scalpel SE 1

Doesn't it have specific offset rear wheel?

And for less money this: https://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/scott-spark-920.html

or this:

https://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/giant-trance-advanced-pro-29-2-2020.html

or I'd be very much looking at this:

https://www.yt-industries.com/uk/cat/index/sCategory/73662

I have a 2018 Scalpel SE which is pretty much what you described (although has Sram GX), it does have an offset rear wheel but not really sure why that matters unless you like to swap wheels about which I don't.

Mines very good as an all-rounder.

The only things that I don't like about mine is that my GX rear mech doesn't index great anymore (as described on a recent thread) but as the bike you described has Shimano that doesn't matter. And the bearings in my frame and headset were rubbish. I've replaced them recently with Enduro BO one's which are apparently the best but we'll see. Bearings were pretty easy to change and the Cannondale instructions are easy to follow. Oh and the top coat lacquer can chip quite easily. Got mine in the sale too for £2900 with a set of pedals thrown in, which was nice.

Reviews of my one moaned about the seat angle being too slack but I just pushed the saddle forward on the rails.

Also my bike was a different beast with a decent front tyre on and running the forks and shock with more sag and rebound than recommended.

I've had a few people comment on it's good looks.

I've even done a cyclo-cross race on it.

Op, if you're a medium, there is a 2019 SE at Tri UK in the sale. For £2600, at that price you could strip off and sell the Sram GX and put on xtr, replace the bearings on the frame and still be under £3k! I'm 5'11" and went for a large, fits well. I tried out an Anthem X and a Whyte T130 but the Anthem was too xc and would need a stem, bars and tyre change plus the addition of a dropper. The Whyte was a fair bit heavier due to the frame having an alloy rear triangle. looked at Sparks too but didn't like the look of them nor the pricing.

Doesn’t it have specific offset rear wheel?

It looks right up my street, but this would put me off. Unnecessary. All other manufacturers get equally short chainstays without resorting to non-standard components.

Orbea Oiz TR?
Intense Sniper Trail?

Clink, you have heard of Cannondale before haven't you?

They are well known for doing non standard (or innovative if you want to use a more accurate word). Like using aluminium as a frame material, oversized diameter thin wall frames, bigger bottom brackets, bigger headtubes, lefty fork, headshock fork to just to name a few off the top of my head.

I hope they carry on pushing for more innovative designs, ones that work of course.

Another thing to add is I don't even know what is a standard anymore. And Its pretty much certain that if you bought a bike today and and kept it for 5 years there would be something about it that would be seen as out of date.

Who knows, off set rear ends could be on all bike in a few years.

i think the cannondale has an offset rear end because it uses flattened flexy chain stays instead of a chainstay pivot - lighter and less maintenance, but you need more space.

OP - have a look at the top rockrider on decathlon - similar weight and style of bike, way cheaper

They are well known for doing non standard (or innovative if you want to use a more accurate word). Like using aluminium as a frame material, oversized diameter thin wall frames, bigger bottom brackets, bigger headtubes, lefty fork, headshock fork to just to name a few off the top of my head

And whilst all this is good, when one of those thing breaks or goes wrong you have less availability of spares etc in some cases hence the comment about the rear wheel.  It’s not about swapping it regularly, it’s about convenience should it break.  Some people are happy with that, some aren’t, everyone is different.

After doing a bit of research I've found that the rear wheel offset is a whopping, ginormous, unbelievably ostentatious 6mm!!!

Or about half an hour in a wheel jig 🤯

Although Cannondale say it increases stiffness by 60%. Bulshit? Maybe? Even if it was half that I'd say 6mm offset is an easy and decent way to achieve a stronger wheel.

It's funny because I remember talking to an architect about my idea of making a selection of standardised house materials and designs to reduce the cost of the house, reduce time to build it and to increase quality. He argued that it stifled design and would make everything look the same.

It's funny now I'm arguing for the opposite 😂

I ride the same trails as you OP and have an Oiz TR - same price as this Scalpel but has the bonus of remote twin lockout for both shocks.

I've got a scalpel, the 6mm offset wheel is no issue, but that couples with the fact you have to use AI Offset cranks, of which your choice is XX1 or X01, not cheap, the Truvativ fitted, or Cannondale Hollowgrams, which is still a choice, but not a big choice

Never noticed that about the chainset. Cheers for the heads up.

I'm not too fussed to be honest though as I've always fancied a hollowgram chainset as they're meant to be amongst the lightest and stiffest you can get, shame I got a truvativ one with my bike but then I haven't had any problems with it nor the press fit bottom bracket.

I do have Shimano chainsets on most of my other bikes (and probably on all my previous bikes too come to think of it) but then I have managed to break a few of them and my four bolt 105 chainring on my road bike isn't very clever as it restricts after market chainrings and you need to be careful not to strip the threads in it. Plus I remember an XT chainset I had that had an aluminum granny ring which was one of the stupidest design ideas I've ever seen!

I'm in the same position. Last bike I bought was a TallBoy 1 in 2010. It had the disbonding issue, got a V2 warranty, and another when I broke that one. Just passed 5k miles on my latest frame. It makes it hard to look past a Santa Cruz due to the support I've had from them.

There is:
Santa Cruz Blur TR
Orbea Oiz TR
Intense Sniper
Kona Hei Hei
Cannondale Scalpel SE
Specicialized Epic Evo (new one rumoured to not have brain)
Scott Spark (still good geo, nude shocks can be problems)
Canyon Lux (too old skool)
NS bikes Synonym (bit of unknown, support and spares unknown)
Mondraker F podium

And more (giant, cube, focus, etc)
And yes, I'm overthinking this.
I dont want anything too propriety, and something that will have support for a long time. I didnt like the blur due to the weird shock size, but it looks like more aftermarket options are coming. And as before, I want something that lasts.

Op, if you’re a medium, there is a 2019 SE at Tri UK in the sale. For £2600, at that price you could strip off and sell the Sram GX and put on xtr, replace the bearings on the frame and still be under £3k!

Nah, I'd need a large thanks - my mate bought the last of those larges from Tri UK. And the Ai wheels and cranks don't really worry me, I'm not intending to upgrade it.

Oiz TR looks interesting, thanks, as does the Spark, although whenever I've had bikes with lockout I've barely used them. Some Oiz reviews do mention rather a lot of cables and levers!

I had kinda settled on the Blur TR, but it seems much worse value than the Scalpel, Oiz or Blur. I've never liked the sound of the Epic Brain (but not ridden one), if a new one has no brain then that would be very interesting.

Just wait and buy the top of the range Scalpel from Paul’s next year for ½ price 😀

I think the normal epic (100mm) will have brain, Evo (120mm) won't, although all new launches have been delayed due to C19, and Olympics been delayed.

if a new one has no brain then that would be very interesting.

Literally a no brainer then

I was also considering a Salsa spearfish when I was looking for a long-legged xc full susser.

I'd ways wanted a Scalpel but now that itch has been scratched

If I was buying the same type of bike again though I think I'd get an Orange 4 as I loved my 2009 5 but found it a bit dull if I wasn't riding flat out. The 4 looks like it has the perfect amount of travel along with nice geometry.

I got my eye on the SE too. But interested to see what other makes come up with. Pinkbike is working on both an XC and "down country" field test, where the Scalp is featured in

Down country? Not heard that before. love it how marketing can literally reinvent types of bike.

Had a neighbour lecturing me on my choice of bike saying that she doesn't ride mountain bikes much anymore as now she predominantly rides 'gravel!'
I enquired about where abouts this 'gravel' was that she talked about.
My view of gravel is the long stretches of unpaved roads you see in the press, often in places like Sweden or America for example. There isn't anything like that around where we stay that I know of (I've been riding my bike around where I stay for 15 years and have scoured maps looking for trails and footpaths). I assumed that there was some new routes that have been built or I must have missed, but no. She then goes on to tell me about these amazing gravel trails which are in fact NCN paths.

I'm happy that she's riding her bike along with others but I'm pretty sure that people have been riding all sorts of bikes along lots of the routes that are now labelled gravel for a long time.

Sorry about the rant, I think I'm getting worse as I hit my mid forties.

although whenever I’ve had bikes with lockout I’ve barely used them.

The current Spark's Twinlock is a game changer IMO.  Not just a lockout, the middle/traction mode makes a huge difference on Trail and climbs, and the bike itself is very plush for a 100mm bike completely open.

Most people that experience it love its current iteration.

Pinkbike is working on both an XC and “down country” field test, where the Scalp is featured in

I'd really like to read that!

I had a couple of original 1st gen Scalpels, quite different to the current version but great bikes. I much preferred their own custom 2 chainring chainset (radical as at the time everything was 3x). The carbon flexing chainstays were faultless. It used to snap shock mount bolts, but you could just buy a replacement from a DIY store as it was just a 6mm bolt IIRC.

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/8/8349197_1f2db43737.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/8/8349197_1f2db43737.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/JMVF ]Cannondale Scalpel 2000[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/181/454571489_50f3bce7a4.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/181/454571489_50f3bce7a4.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/GaNgt ]My latest Scalpel[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Nice bikes Footflaps, what you riding these days?

The current Spark’s Twinlock is a game changer IMO. Not just a lockout, the middle/traction mode makes a huge difference on Trail and climbs

Oiz has the same, plus a natty integrated dropper rocker lever on the same mount.

Nice bikes Footflaps, what you riding these days?

Not ridden an MTB for years although I do have a 10 year old Scott Spark somewhere in a shed..

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/8177/8038517501_ba87ab7aea.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/8177/8038517501_ba87ab7aea.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/dfkvck ]My Steed, Scott Spark RC[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Mainly ride this now..

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49050786196_93766b26b6.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49050786196_93766b26b6.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2hJs6Qh ]Scott CR1 Pro[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Right enough, I saw your Scott Spark in another thread (or was it this one 😲). It's nice, always had a soft spot for them as they looked like proper race bikes, even the logos. Your road bike is nice too. Would like to try aero wheels but living near to the coast in Scotland I'm not brave enough, or rich enough come to think of it 😄