We haven’t done a story about a specific bike in the Reserve newsletter, but not for any particular reason. It just hadn’t occurred to us (up until now we’ve been understandably very focused on wheels) and happily so. Then a particular test bike came through our doors that elicited so many questions, it seemed appropriate to make it the first: the new Cannondale Scalpel. The Scalpel is an interesting bike, not only because it was piloted to a bronze medal in the 2024 Olympic mountain bike race, but because it is one of the new school XC bikes that has geometry that fits squarely in the downcountry category.
I’m going to start by telling you that I’m a sucker for an XC bike like the Scalpel. Back when I was doing Tomac-bike things we did two single pivot linkage flex stay bikes, the Carbide XC and the Supermatic (boy they look ugly in 2024), and the current Santa Cruz Blur is one of my favorite bikes of all time. The Cannondale folks have taken the flex pivot concept to new levels, basically replicating the benefits you get from a Horst-style link at the axle (aptly named the Flexpivot).
The Tomac Supermatic
Also, I actually have a long history of riding Cannondales. Back in the day Cannondale actually let me race a NORBA National on Myles Rockwell’s personal Super V DH race bike (I posted some pretty fast times on it even though it tipped the scales at close to 60 pounds), and when I was working at Mountain Biker Magazine, my daily bike for parts testing was a Super V 900. I loved it.
The Myles Rockwell DH bike was something special at the time
The moral of the story isn’t that I am old (which I am), rather that when the new Cannondale Scalpel came out, for all these reasons, I had to have one. I saw it in prototype form about four months before it hit the market when Cannondale mountain product manager Scott Vogelmann came out for a visit, and basically from that point forward I planned to buy one when it launched. The bike appealed to me for multiple reasons. First, it was a Cannondale. Second, I was super interested in the Flexpivot and the benefits in performance it could possibly provide.
A detailed shot of the Scalpel's Flexpivot
The Scalpel
Today’s Scalpel is quite a bit different to the previous model. For starters, all of the models have 120mm of travel, as opposed to the previous iteration which was split into a 100mm racing-focused version and an SE model that had 120mm of travel with slightly more trail-oriented intentions. Considering how gnarly the World Cup courses have been in 2024, it should come as no surprise that XC bikes are getting longer legs. Most good XC race machines like the Scalpel can basically be classified as downcountry bikes.
To go along with the longer travel, the head angle is slacker, the reach is longer, and the seat tube lengths are much steeper & shorter to accommodate the longer-travel dropper posts. The head tube angle is now a little over 65.5 degrees and the seat tube angle is at 75.5 degrees. The Scalpel has also switched over to a threaded bottom bracket from the PF30 standard that was previously spec’d. Additionally, the Scalpel has size-specific chainstays, starting at 434mm on the small and going up to 446mm on the XL in 4 millimeter increments per size. It’s a nice detail that they are concerned enough about balance for different sized riders that they would take the extra time to do this.
The Scalpel has size specific chainstays for each size bike
The version of the Scalpel I’ve been riding is the 2 model. I picked the 2 for two reasons (appropriately). First; as much as I wanted the Lab71 model, I couldn’t afford it. Second; I had a Lefty fork and wheels from a previous hardtail project build, and I wanted to try the Scalpel back to back with a traditional fork and a Lefty fork. The Scalpel 2 model features a SRAM GX Eagle T-Type wireless electronic 1x12-speed drivetrain, RockShox SID Select+ suspension both front and rear, and Cannondale’s own brand HollowGram XC-S 27 wheels. In many ways it’s a pretty straightforward build, but has a lot of fine details–like an integrated headset and bar system–that make it unique at the same time.
This is the Scalpel 2 model, $6500 MSRP
Versatility
Before I received delivery of the Scalpel I had a notion of what an XC race bike with trail geometry would deliver, but my mentality changed significantly the more I rode this bike. If I were asked to sum up my experience on the bike in one word, I'd say that the main thing the Scalpel delivers is versatility. Over the course of riding it, I made some fairly significant changes to the bike from the stock build to where it ended up with a shorter stem, wider handlebar, more robust Reserve 28|XC wheels, knobbier tires and of course, a Lefty fork.
When I first hopped on the Scalpel (spring of this year) I was pretty happy with how it felt out of the box, so for the first few weeks, I rode it as delivered. It comes as a pretty standard XC build, with Maxxis Rekon Race and Aspen 2.4 tires front and rear respectively, and a relatively long (for me at least) 75mm stem with a 760mm flat bar.
The Scalpel 2 doesn't come with this fully integrated bar|stem, but the stem interface looks the same
With this set up, the bike felt wickedly fast on the local fire road climbs and surprisingly capable on some of the moderately rough descents. I actually kinda liked the feeling of being more stretched out with the longer stem, reminding me of the old XC racing position I remember from the good ol’ days. At the same time, when it got steep, I definitely felt like my weight was too far forward and I was pushing the limits on the tires.
As summer quickly approached and things started to dry out rapidly around here, the trails that were pretty smooth with a bit of moisture and the associated grip became beat down and skatey. As a result, I figured the first step I would need to take to improve things pertained to the tires and the stem/handlebar set up. I installed a 2.4 Maxxis Forecaster on the front, but kept a relatively short knobby Recon Race in the bag, being careful not to change how fast the Scalpel felt. I installed a shorter OneUp 50mm rise stem and a 20mm rise, 760 width Santa Cruz riser bar and a set of Reserve 28|XC wheels. This was the point when I realized just how versatile the Scalpel is.
This is V2 of my Scalpel, ready for some rougher terrain
With these simple changes, and dropping the rear shock pressure by 10 PSI and the fork pressure by 5 PSI, the bike changed from an XC-focused race bike to a highly capable downcountry category bike. The Forecaster obviously provided the grip I needed to start pushing the bike harder in corners and under braking, and with the change in my body positioning, with my hands higher and my body positioned more rearward, I felt way more comfortable on the steeper, rougher trails. I know this seems intuitive, but it really felt like I was riding an entirely different bike–versatility engaged.
Maybe it’s because I know the feel of the Reserve 28|XC wheels so well after spending most of my riding hours on my Blur with them, but the addition of the wheels seemed to really add to the bike’s capability. The 28|XC wheels felt both vertically and laterally stiffer than the stock Hollowgram wheels (which makes sense because they are about 60 grams heavier), which made those moments when I overcooked a section slightly more comforting. We definitely lived up to our reputation of being the “strong wheel guys.”
v3
For most of the summer, I rode the bike in its v2 state, but with shorter days incoming, I decided it was time to make another shift for the Scalpel: installing the Lefty Ocho 120mm-travel fork. For some context, I have ridden Lefty forks quite a bit over the years, but almost entirely on hardtails. I had a Santa Cruz Highball for a period with the Lefty, and though it felt good and I liked it, I was still riding a hardtail, so it was hard to gauge the fork's true capabilities.
V3 Scalpel in all it's glory
Well…I feel a little bit disappointed with myself in retrospect, because the Lefty fork was honestly a game changer on the Scalpel. Yeah, I know: It looks crazy, and just based on looks alone, it should not work super well. But…and I gasp to say this, I think the Lefty is amazing. Yep. Not good, not great, AMAZING. Just a note here: the Lefty is also about 100 grams lighter than the stock RockShox.
In all honesty, I kinda wanted not to like the Lefty, and I tried to find ways not to like it, but I was unable to do so. It’s smooth, it’s controlled, it’s stiff, it’s easy to set up, it’s easy to adjust (okay, so maybe the compression adjuster is a little tight to turn) and it basically just instills confidence with every descent. At the risk of going on and on about how great the Lefty is, I will just tell you, I am a believer because it significantly improved the performance of the Scalpel.
Overall Versatility
Finishing this up, I would say my main takeaway from riding the Scalpel is that modern XC bikes like the Cannondale are so versatile and capable–much more so than their historic counterparts. With relatively minor changes, I was able to change the entire dynamic and feel of the bike. The Scalpel can be raced at the highest levels (again, witness the bronze medal in 2024), but it can also take on much, much more. It’s one of those bikes that makes you think that you really COULD just have one bike for everything.
Scalpel 2 Overview
- 120 mm travel rear, 120 mm fork
- 29" wheels
- Carbon frame
- 66.6° degree head tube angle
- Size specific chainstays
- Sizes: S, M, L, XL
- 1780 gram frame (Lab 71) / 1980 g (Series 1)
- Price: $6500 USD
- cannondale.com
Scalpel 2 Stock Specs
Frame: Scalpel, Series 1 Carbon construction, 120mm travel, Proportional Response Suspension and Geometry, FlexPivot Chainstay, full internal cable routing, 73mm BSA, 1.5" headtube with 1-1/8" upper reducer/internal cable guide, 148x12mm thru axle, 55mm chainline, UDH, post-mount disc – 160mm native
Fork: RockShox SID Select+ RL, 120mm, DebonAir, 15x110mm thru-axle, tapered steerer, 44mm offset
Headset: Acros ICR
Rear Shock: RockShox SIDLuxe Select+, 2-Pos mode adjust, adjustable rebound, 190x45
Rear Derailleur: SRAM GX Eagle AXS, T-Type
Shifters: SRAM AXS T-Type Pod Controller
Chain: SRAM GX Eagle T-Type, 12-speed
Crank: SRAM GX Eagle T-Type, 34T
Rear Cogs: SRAM GX Eagle, 10-52, T-Type, 12-speed
Bottom Bracket: SRAM DUB BSA 73mm MTB Wide
Brakes: SRAM Level Bronze Stealth, 4-piston hydraulic disc, SRAM HS2 180/160mm rotors
Brake Levers: SRAM Level Bronze Stealth
RIms: HollowGram XC-S 27, 27mm inner width, 28h, tubeless ready
Hubs: (F) HollowGram, 15x110mm thru-axle / (R) HollowGram w/DT Swiss 350 internals, 12x148mm
Tires: (F) Maxxis Rekon Race WT, 29x2.4", EXO Protection, tubeless ready / (R) Maxxis Aspen WT, 29x2.4", EXO Protection, tubeless ready
Handlebar: Cannondale 1 Flat, Carbon, 31.8mm, 9° back, 760mm
Stem: Cannondale C1 Conceal, Alloy, 31.8, -6°
Saddle: Prologo Dimension NDR, STN rails
Seatpost: Fox Transfer SL Performance Elite, 31.6, 125mm (S), 150mm (M-XL)
-Joel Smith