The Lightest Hardtail I've Reviewed - The 2022 Cannondale Scalpel HT Hi-Mod 1 XC Race Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 เม.ย. 2022
- Cannondale Scalpel HT Hi-Mod 1. XC race courses are changing, and so are xc race bikes. Today we take Cannondale's brand new Scalpel HT out to see what it rides like in this review. I'm excited about the extremely light weight, the lefty ocho, the modern geometry, and the advertised compliance of the frame. Today we see what it's all about.
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Zipping around on a really light bike with fast rolling tires is another type of fun to be had.
I have the Scalpel HT Carbon 4. Pure race machine which push me constantly at the limits, fast as hell. I love it, fits perfectly my trails and fire roads in the Belgian woods.
I was one of those riders who bought a light race bike because of the weight. In '94 my first upgrade to a premium MTB was a 20lb rigid Marin Indian Fire Trail. It was an absolute rocket that climbed like it was running from a fire. Within the first 4 months I bent the seat rails, the seatpost, cracked the bars and trashed both wheels. After replacement with parts that fit my 200lb mass, it weighed in at 24lbs, still the lightest bike I've ever owned, but tough enough to hold up to full-on trail riding. That bike has changed hands a number of times, but last I heard (very recently) was still seeing use as a dirt-ready commuter. It's Easton 7005 aluminum frame was and still is a work of art: light, strong, springy and lively. It is the frame by which I still measure all other hardtail frames. I've never ridden another aluminum, or a carbon frame that comes close, and only very well designed premium steel frames capture that beautiful balance of liveliness, lightness, and compliance. I, for one, remain a fan of well built, light and racy XC bikes, and still prefer "old school" geometry.
Great review. Glad to see a xc bike on the channel! Would love to see more racing bikes reviewed. Thanks for the great videos 👍
For some reaon they're tough for me to get for review. But I'll continue to try.
had the opportunity to ride this with a dealer recently, it accelerates like a road bike it is insanely impressive.
Where are you? From what I've seen these are only available in Europe so far so if you're state side I really want to know!
You have great, thorough, and direct reviews. Thanks!!
Thanks for the kind words Tim. I try to be thorough so those contemplating a bike can know what it's like. Party on!
Great review. Half way through I was hoping you would get experimental with the cockpit, and then boom, you covered it. 👍👍
great review, that loop looks like a blast. when I lived in AZ I always shied swag from Sedona because I got the impression it was all super gnarly and beyond my skills, but this looks premium for the type of riding I enjoy.
I just got a 2021 FSi so it was great to hear an in-depth review of its ever-so-slightly rowdier brother.
Love the car metaphors! Keep up the good work!
Thank's for your review! I just put on a 50mm stem and a One Up handlebar on my Scalpel. It absolutely transformed the bike. Feels like a very light trailbike, so fast and nimble.
That was incredible 🤙🏾 great riding and review 💪🏾
Love your reviews!
We were having the "XC go-fast bikes feel best at 10/10ths" discussion at my LBS just the other day. One of the shop employees asked me what I thought of my XC bike because her husband was getting the same one, and my assessment was; you have to ride the thing like it's meant to be ridden to really get the most out of it. Be active, choose good lines, commit to riding hard and they're pretty enjoyable, but the moment you don't feel like that sort of ride, find a trailbike and enjoy. Flip that mental switch though, and it's game on!
100%
Good to see carbon compliance being built into the chainstays, it makes the future look good for the hardtails. Thankful for another review.
Cool bike! Thanks for the video!
This just got me more pumped for mine, thanks for the awesome review! From what you said about it I feel like I've made the right choice, sounds like Cannondale designed exactly what I'm looking for.
I'm thinking about putting a slightly shorter stem on mine as well when it comes in as that's what I usually do on a large frame bike, I'm at a height where I can technically ride medium or large but slightly biased towards large. I'm coming off of a medium frame Cannondale from 12 years ago and was thinking maybe I should shorten the stem a tad to make it slightly more similar in length to my current setup. It's good to hear from someone who has actually ridden one that you think a 60 mm stem would be good on this bike.
I totally agree on your comments about going 'too short' on a stem. My bike came stock with a 50 mm stem and I swapped on a 35mm stem. I totally did not expect how much I'd hate it. It took too much weight off my front tire, it was much less confidence inspiring on the turns (would tend to wash out the front). Happily swapped back and I'm sticking with the 50mm.
I did the same thing. Definitely noticed the loss off grip on the front end. It's fun to experiment, but I ended up going back to the longer stem to weight the front tire better.
@@rossimessi1 Yeah, you're probably right. Everything fitment does kinda depend on the bike and you, however, I don't think there'd be any case where going to a shorter stem would not take weight off the front wheel. Yeah, you can compensate by leaning over your bars more, but it really does change the feel of your front wheel substantially IMO. Some bikes just have a lot of flexibility in fitment with very useful geometry :)
Great review as always. You could always try to find a take off Lefty online, but the con there is you'd need a wheel with the lefty hub standard used.
Great review 👍 that is definitely a bike I'm looking at.
More budget reviews!… just kidding. I would love to see a review on a Blacksheep Klunker, or Vassago Moose Knuckle. Seeing dream bike reviews helps to give me more perspective on what I really want in a bike. Thanks for doing what you do!!
As a Cannondale fan I appreciate this review.
Love your content; more xc please!
Big thanks for running a channel dedicated to hardtails. These days I feel like many people hunt for fullsus bikes without really knowing why or if they really need them... they just need to have the cool toys people around them have, only to then use them at a fraction of their potential. HTs are horribly underappreciated. Thumbs up for not succumbing to social pressure and taking pride in riding HTs :)
Thanks! Hardtails are awesome. I have FS bikes too, but my true love is hardtails. I felt like people needed a champion of the hardtail, rather than shame for not being on a FS.
Zat ist phallus bike zee riders are hunting for!
Yes I remember that 90's hunched over xc race feel. I also remember launching over the bars a few times on technical stretches of the trail. I'm happy to have left those days behind. This bike is like an Alaskan Husky, a working dog, born to race. It has its place, and does it well. If you need or want a shorter stem, or rise bar, just get a different bike. Don't try to use a Husky as a retriever. Anyway, wow, for the aspiring racer this would be top notch!
Great review
Interesting review on the Cannondale XC race hardtail. You said it was the lightest hardtail you have tested but I recall you also tested the Yeti A.R.C which is waaay light too and in my opinion a much more capable XC bike than the "Down country" bike which it was originally pitched as. I managed to get my A.R.C. down to 20lbs with Fox SC34 forks fitted and similar spec to what Jared Graves rode when he raced XC. Would be great to see more XC race bikes reviewed and a look at some of the past bikes you have tested that could be adapted to XC race to see how they perform against a pure XC race bike.
This bike is WAY more racy than an ARC. I believe my arc for review was around 25 lbs
Cool bike! I have a couple carbon pure XC hardtails right now and they are super fun for how and where I ride in Colorado. I have the Rainier dropper on my ICT and I am really happy with it, works great in the winter. May do one on the Trek Procal too later in year.
Have you had the chance to ride the Scalpel HT and see how it compares to the Trek Procaliber?
@@skylarrubalcaba525 I have not ridden the Scapel. Still really enjoying the Procal though.
Thanks for this review. I was worried at first, thinking that Your trail-bike bias might get in and You'd rate it lower, but this wasn't the case at all. I think people still don't quite get what xc bikes are in the light of how little percentage of the sales volume they occupy (still, broad trail bike genre is just larger) but You described it very honestly and realistically. I appreciate it as a XC-only rider :D
Right on, thanks Xc bikes rock... When used for their intended purpose. Despite a lot of people's impressions, I'm not anti xc at all. I just don't think an xc race bike makes for a great trail/all mountain bike, and I want to help educate newer riders about what they're good and not good for.
Good review. It IS a cool bike.
It isn't a bike for casual rides.
Agree 100% 👍👍👍
Very nice review, very informative, as always. I would love to hear your opinion on the BMC Twostroke Series of Bikes if it was possible for you to get your hands on one.
Me too, that bike really intrigues me
Can you review the Kona Unit X 2022. I have one and wonder how it would fare compared to the bikes you have tried. Love your videos! Thanks Steve!
Great review thanks! Aside from reach, this bike is slacker than my 2012 Honzo. And like 9 pounds lighter. How times have changed. This seems like a great ht for slower speed riding (thinking windy new england stuff) too.
Awesome review. I live here in houston and all our trails are xc
I know the Trek Supercaliber is "technically" a FS/soft tail, but could you try and get a review on that bike as a race bike and compare it to the Spot? Love the channel and I always look forward to your videos. Thank you for all you do!
hmmm maybe if you wanted to do an experimental episode with this to make the bike more trail-worthy ( even tho I agree it would be a disservice). perhaps try putting similar components of the spot rocker. I am really interested if you can control a very light bike on descents with more complaint wheels like the Nuke-proof Horizons or even your Zip Motos as rear-wheel options. perhaps a compliant bar and crank may help as well?
anyway, I love ur vids! keep up the great work
The only components that would be significantly different would be a 60mm stem and the step cast 34 fork.
The f-si this replaced was just unbeatable, even denk couldn’t design a bike that rad!
Would love to see Specialized Chisel and what you think of it.
I think what you are saying about stem length is very interesting, because i absolutely hate short stems of XC race bikes, no matter their headtube angle. XC is my primary discipline and I really struggle to keep the frontend planted on the steepest of climbs and comitting enough on the descents to notice any benefit.
Man I've been loving the specialized tires. Rocking a butcher / eliminator combo and it's just so good in the dry Tucson conditions.
Ground control, eliminator, and butcher all seem do do exceptionally well in az
New style Ground Control Grid front and Fastrak Grid rear is a a wicked fast combo that had handle rocks too.
In Florida I run Slaughter on front and back... super fast! Do run the butcher/ eliminator combo on another bike and are a lot of fun!
I cramp up sometimes and having a dropper helps me change my position to work those Kinks out.
I can't believe that someone out there couldn't tell a difference in different bikes of the same genre. Even I can tell a difference and I have 1% of the experience you have riding different bikes, different models, and brands. I was looking at geo charts myself when I was test riding several different bikes and even though they were very close, they rode and felt totally different. Believe me I am no expert and still trying to get a grip on bike geometry, getting better, but still learning.
Great review, super informational as always. I just wonder who this bike is for, as it seems like modern day XC tracks are a lot more rowdier & mostly dominated by short travel full suspension bikes if I'm not mistaken.
Depends on the race. Plenty of pros are still sending it hard on hardtails at xc races.
I would love to see a Santa Cruz highball review! It's on top of my list.
Hi, great review. Can you tell me your height and the size of the bike tested please?
Converting this to a Single Speed would be interesting and fast.
I wonder how large a tire would fit in the rear.
Great review
This is a very Hardtail-Party-comment 😂
+1 for this idea 🙃
officially, it's only cleared for a 2.35. i definitely wouldn't go above that on the rear tire of mine
I wish the larger bike companies would do more interesting colors. This year we have new shades of black, white and silver!
I do appreciate specialized for this on their gravel and road selections, but for whatever reason they don't do it as much on their MTB models.
my current bike is light green
my newest bike xc hardtail has 29x2,40 wide tires on 25 mm wide wheels
I am a Cannondale fanboy, nice to see a Lefty out for review. To eliminate that annoying internal routing rattle, pick up a roll of Jagwire Housing Damper and your ride will be silent.
Yes, i have a roll, but on a $6k bike that shouldn't be required.
@@hardtailparty Shouldn't. I build a lot of bikes that are well north of 6K which we add "silencing" materials during the build. I look at it as extra value for my customers.
Great review! Do you see more XC bikes going in this direction with slacker frames? There are a number of “downcountry” full-suspension bikes on the market, but not nearly as many hardtails (I know this is not DC but a dedicated race bike with updated geometry). I wonder how the Scalpel HT would compare to something like the Norco Revolver 120 HT, which seems like a XC race bike loaded up with trail parts.
I tend to stray away from using the term "downcountry" in my reviews since it confuses more people than it helps. XC race bikes are the last ones to get modernized, and i predict well see some companies modernize them, and others keep their sketchy geo
I'd be interested to see you test out the new 120mm Rockshox SID. I have 1 mountain bike that I use for bikepacking, trail riding, racing, and it looks like a good option to both race and ride trails on. I just haven't seen that many reviews of the 120. I currently have the Bomber Z2, which I like for its value, but it's just noticeably heavy.
I have a 120mm Sid. Review coming soon.
Beware. I killed the bushings in a SID 35 (march 2021 version with this issue supposedly fixed) in about 6 months. No warranty help, only offered to sell me $300 lowers that weren't even in stock. On a DVO now. Extra 200g is made up for with quality, customer service and insane small bump compliance. New 34 stepcast would be a good choice too
Like to see a review of the Norco Revolver HT1, interesting geo, and looks nicely spec bike for XC/trail but no reviews out there on this 🤔
4:48 Those two tiny clouds are cute
cool vid; since you compared to Chisel, any review of that one coming along? ;)
Sadly no. Specialized is especially difficult to communicate with.
@@hardtailparty Thanks for the reply, keep those awesome videos! I'm wondering how it compares to the Marin; the geometry is nearly identical! (front triangle at least...)
Have a good one!
I'd be curious to see you get experiMental with that lefty, not so much the frame. Would love to see you push it and see where that lefty really shines.
I wish i could have kept that lefty, it's cool. I feel like a fox sc34 can be pushed harder and has a bit better performance, but the lefty really isn't bad.
Hey Steve long time viewer. Will you or have you ever reviewed or built a drop bar rigid MTB? I'm about to convert a entry level mtb just for fun because I find myself getting too rowdy on my gravel. Looking for some info on this. Another great review! Shame about the dropper being blocked by the bolts though. As a shorter guy I appreciate those kinda frames. Cheers
I have a Cotic Cascade, which is pretty close to an MTB with drop bars. I'll be talking about it more. One huge difference is that you need a MUCH shorter reach with drop bars or it'll be too stretched out.
As always another awesome review by steve.
How can i get some of your sweet stickers?
I sell my stickers over on patreon
@@hardtailparty do i need to be a patron for that & could the stickers be shipped to The Philippines?
One other reason that this will feel different to a hardtail with similar geo, but with a more typical Fox or Rockshox fork is because of the fork offset of the Ocho. This gives it less trail. It is part of Cannondales 'out front' geometry
Great review !
Just one correction , xc races are win on the uphill and lost on the downhills !
Saludos from 🇨🇱
I haven't heard that one. I like it
Any chance you can review the Ribble hardtail next. Seeing a lot of Facebook ads and the steel mid range looks tasty and thinking of pulling the trigger
That's up to Ribble at this point. I've tried to get one for years. No luck
Dream bike 😮
I build a specialized chisel whit a 120mm fox performance but cheat and put a dhf 29x2.3 on front, leave the rekon race in the back trying in the front but its suicidal, feels that the chislel is in the line between XC and trail
A part of me wants find the frame only to make into a rigid xc bike. Do you remember what the max chainring it can handle? Do you think a 36t would fit?
I have a soft spot for cannondale. My first good mountain bike was a cannondale. Growing up I always wanted a cannondale 4 wheeler and could never afford one.
Jagwire housing foam works well for damping internal cables.
Agreed, but on a $6k bike that shouldn't be required.
@@hardtailparty Knowing Cannondale they'd probably put the tubes outside the frame 😆😆
Would you rather ride something like this or something a little more relaxed/slack and heavier for a big epic ride on blue trails (40+ miles in a day)? It's something I've always thought about...aggressive, fast climber, less enjoyable on the descent vs comfortable, slow climber, but better descender.
The riding position of this bike would tire me after an hour. This bike wants to be ridden at 10/10ths all the time. It wouldn't be comfortable just spinning along on an epic ride (in my opinion). Something like a Marin team Marin 2 or sherpa would be much more pleasant all day.
@@hardtailparty That's exactly what I've been thinking. Unless I was in full on race mode (and shape), I feel like an xc race bike would be rough for a really big ride.
I rode 80 miles on my trek remedy 8. 160mm travel and very heavy. You can do it!
I would love to see the Marin san quentin haha
10:05 do you have review of Specialized chisel, im curious about your opinion
Not yet, sorry.
Any chance you’ve had the chance to ride a Trek Procaliber? I’d love to hear how the 2 compare. Primarily how the geometry and compliance designed into the Scalpel HT compares to the iso speed on the procaliber
I haven't had the chance to put a procaliber through its paces yet, sorry.
I don't know I'm kinda intrigued by this bike. My company offers something like called Company Bike where you can basically lease this bike and pay have the price which is a great deal. The problem is I live next to the German/Austrian alps so a lot of non-stop climbing but there are also a lot of non-technical trails down. Watching your reviews this doesn't sound like the bike for long distance riding and long climbs.... Still looks like it would be a lot of fun to ride :-)
Looks like if you just invert the inverted stem or use the 60 mm that you mentioned with a bit of a raiser bar the bike would be ideal for marathonian loooooooong rides!
I'm not so sure about that. It has a very different riding position than any other bike I've ridden.
Longtime cyclist, but 100% casual... if I don't care about cost and just want a high-quality ultralight bike to ride in an urban environment, is this a bad idea? I do want to use it for its intended purpose on the weekends, but most of the usage would be as a commuter/city bike.
Great review. Makes me feel good that I didn't sell a kidney. But 22 lbs is crazy light. Now when can we get some trail bikes that light lol
Hi, Currently looking for a fast climber hardtail but fun to ride in my pyreneus mountains. I'm not a racer but i was in the 90's. Im' looking for scalpel HT carbon 3 but i hesistate because of the mountain and rocky playground. Do you think it's a good solution for me ? what could be a good alternative to have fun in downhill and quite fast climber? thanks
Wow, that long stem looks pretty weird compared to your usual bikes :)
What do you think to the base model? (Scapel HT 4)
What was the original stem length? Might have missed it, but don't think you mentioned this?
I put heavier tires on my Ibis Exie and it made the bike far more predictable and capable on the trails I ride (Dissector 2.4 and Recon 2.4).
It comes in at 24.7 lbs with my Time pedals, bottle cages and sealant. So just a pound more, but you get 120 and 100 mm of travel.
I find I’m riding my Ripmo less and less. With the tire change I’m just faster on most trails I ride.
My son says this is the rocket ship of bikes, like a Saturn V.
good bike
I have 175mm cranks on a Paradox with 27.5. Talk about pedal strikes
I'll bet!
What is everyone’s opinion on Cannondale’s quick release thru-axles?
I like xc race bikes
I wonder if you would like the down-country bike better.
What trails is this man?looks like sedona
Couldn't you flip the stem and/or adjust the stack height to take some weight off the front?
Yes, but the length would still put a lot of weight on the front.
I like the 27.2 seatpost because then the droppers are that much lighter. I'm a racer... obviously lol
Makes sense.
Pinkbike field review tests highlight how insightful your reviews actually are. After watching HP for so long, those reviews felt so incomplete.
Agreed. They can't seem to suss out the details of hardtails very well.
Thanks for the kind words guys. They do try hard, don't they. :) Just kidding, they doña great job, they just haven't ridden many modern hardtails.
How was the dropper installation on this frame? Did you have to take out the pressfit BB?
I did not have to remove the bb
@@hardtailparty That's awesome to hear! Any tips for the cable routing? Did you use a string and a hoover? Or any other way?
How does this scalpel ht compares to the team marin ? Thanks !
Team Marin is a lot less aggressive in the riding position. It's more playful and fun. The Cannondale is more serious.
I ride in Sedona often, but I don't recognize this loop or area. What is it so I can find it and ride it myself?
It's about 4 different trails near cultural park
@@hardtailparty thank you!
My Ibis Ripley is tube in tube and still rattles. The tube is too big to stop the rattling and too small to slip a foam isolator over the hose. Tube in tube is not the be all end all. My other bikes are not and are all quieter than the one that is.
Also, with that small of seat tube, a long dropper is asking for trouble. XC racers are probably only going to put a 80mm on there anyway due to the weight.
- friendly comment to help the algorithm :)
At this point, I think droppers should be standard on all mtb’s- Even XC bikes
it's a same cannondale trail sl 1 or 2 for example but more expensive and another frame materials?
No
@@hardtailparty but looks very the same
You like the Eliminator on the front?
Yes
A dropper with only 100mm is better than nothing but not by much. Definitely a XC Race bike to climb up faster than the rest in your class. As we know XC races are won on the climbs.
Wonder who owns cannondale now
Thanks for content .
I can’t get past the fork. .
Once you ride a lefty for a while it's hard to get away from them, I'm pretty much a Cannondale loyalist because of that fork.
@william nguyen yup, and I've had my current one for 12 years. Only bike I own, same as the day I bought it. No servicing needed, they're practically immortal.
Is this the lightest because it's missing 1/2 a fork?
That definitely helps
Have you ever ridden a surly karate monkey? How stiff is it?
Not for an extrnsed period of time, just parking lot rides. Half my viewers say it's super stiff, the other half say it's super soft.
@@hardtailparty that's what I seem to find on the internet also. I would love to see if you could track one down to ride because I don't know who the heck to believe 😵💫
Steve you rock replying to comments all the time.
@@SWFBrickbox I've been trying to get a km and a krampus in for years. No luck.
@@hardtailparty I figured sadly. Hopefully one day.
POV footage with the lefty fork looks so strange
I know, it looks like a 360 camera glitching out and clipping half the fork out of frame hahaha. That’s just a joke tho, HT Party has absolutely bomber POV footage.
It's a trip to be in the cockpit. It takes some getting used to.