Cannondale Scalpel HT Carbon 4

Description

The Cannondale Scalpel HT Carbon 4 is not just fast, it's comfortable too. And with advanced gemetry it handles beautifully. If you don't want to compromise, then this is the bike for you.

Progressive geometry
The heart of the new Cannondale Scalpel HT Carbon 4 is its beautiful carbon frame. The slack head angle make it feel stable on technical trails and the handling is precise. Because of the stiffness of the frame and the flexzones in the rear triangle, the Cannondale Scalpel HT Carbon 4 is not just stable, but comfortable too.

Awesome front suspension
The Cannondale Scalpel HT Carbon 4 features a Rockshox SID Select + fork with 100mm of travel. This light, high quality fork gives you good control over onstacles and through TTF's.

Durable parts
The drivetrain performs better than one would expect, based on the specs. The Cannondale Scalpel HT Carbon 4 might not feature the most attractive parts from Shimano's stable, but the Deore parts combined with an XT derailleur shift smoothly and precisely. The 12 speed 10-51 cassette, combined with a 30t chainring up front, gives you all the gears you need, even on steep, technical climbs. The brakes are also shimano and offer sufficient stopping power and good modulation. Some might think 160mm brake discs are on the small side for a fast hardtail.

In general, the Cannondale Scalpel HT Carbon 4 has decent parts that fit the rest of the bike. It has WTB rims, light aluminium bars, stem and seatpost, and Schwalbe Racing tyres, which offer low rolling resistance and good grip, provided that it is not muddy.

All that makes the Cannondale Scalpel HT Carbon 4 a fast and reliable mountain bike.

Technology

Proportional Response Geometry
The rider position is exactly between the wheels for optimal handling and grip.
Lazy head angle
The lazy 66.5-degree head tube angle gives a lot of stability and confidence on steep descents and at high speed.
Flex zones
The flex zones in the chainstay, together with the low seatstay, absorb the biggest impacts for more control and comfort.