Cannondale Scalpel Carbon 2 (2023)

Cannondale Scalpel Carbon 2 - Race-Fully with one of the lightest frames on the market

The name says it all: The Scalpel cuts sharp as a knife over the trails. The race-Fully in the Cannondale line-up is packed with high-tech. The driving force behind its agile handling is the approximately 1900 gram lightweight carbon frame with the unique FlexPivot rear suspension. But that's not the only innovation. In combination with the also unique Cannondale Lefty suspension fork, the system tickles 100 millimeters of travel out of the chassis. Thus, sporty CrossCountry riders have a lot of fun on winding trails. For the 2023 season, the geometry has been revised and made even more aggressive with slightly modified steering and seat angle. The equipment of the Scalpel Carbon 2 is of the finest: A Fox Float DPS Performance Elite damper provides a sensitive rear end. For gears and brakes, nothing else but Shimano XT comes into question in this class. 100 percent precise and low maintenance. The spearhead are sprinting wheels with carbon rims.

Carbon frame with unique FlexPivot suspension

Thanks to its innovative strength, the US forge has always been known for constantly pushing the boundaries in CrossCountry and Race. The best example is the full-suspension carbon frame of the Scalpel. In principle, the rear triangle is a classic four-bar linkage. But Cannondale goes a step further here and replaces the joints at the rear dropouts with flex zones. A smart move, because the ball bearings normally sitting there are exposed to high loads and perform only small radii. Flexzones, on the other hand, are perfectly suited for this job - and are also stiffer and lighter than ball bearings. And you no longer need to worry about maintenance intervals