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EB16: Cannondale Bad Boy urban commuter is back, badder than ever

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2017 Cannondale Bad Boy urban commuter bicycle with 650B wheels and integrated lights

The Cannondale Bad Boy was introduced in 1999 and was an outgrowth of the Volvo-Cannondale team putting 700c wheels on their 26″ disc brake mountain bikes. They loved it so much that Cannondale turned that mashup into a production bike. Over the years it’s morphed into an ever more dedicated urban bike, and now it gets a total refresh.

It’s built around 650b wheels and 40mm tires, which was decided after they saw how fun the Slate adventure bike was. That lets it carry speed but also be very nimble for whipping through the city. And when it turns dark? That’s where the bike literally shines…

2017 Cannondale Bad Boy urban commuter bicycle with 650B wheels and integrated lights

Head and downtubes are forged from a single piece, using the same technology as their SiSL cranks. It creates a seamless one piece tube that’s then gussetted to create the bottom of the head tube, which has a forged logo indent.

2017 Cannondale Bad Boy urban commuter bicycle with 650B wheels and integrated lights

The top tube has a built in 3M bumper material they call Urban Armor. It has a bit of give to it and protects the frame when leaned against street signs and poles. It’s also hyper reflective, and other reflective graphics are spread around the bike, too.

2017 Cannondale Bad Boy urban commuter bicycle with 650B wheels and integrated lights

2017 Cannondale Bad Boy urban commuter bicycle with 650B wheels and integrated lights

On the top two models, a new Light Pipe Lefty runs a LED light strip all the way down the fork. A removable, USB-rechargeable battery slots into the top of the fork leg. In the back, LED lights are built into the seat post for an ultra clean look.

2017 Cannondale Bad Boy urban commuter bicycle with 650B wheels and integrated lights

2017 Cannondale Bad Boy urban commuter bicycle with 650B wheels and integrated lights

A frame break and sliding dropouts let it run the Gates Carbon Belt Drive system, or any internally geared rear hub.

2017 Cannondale Bad Boy urban commuter bicycle with 650B wheels and integrated lights

A trick two-piece stem sandwiches the upper Lefty mount and looks very sleek.

Three models are coming to North America. The Badboy 1 and 2 get the integrated lights ($1,840 / $1,620), and the 3 without the lights ($840). One additional base model will be available in Europe.

Cannondale.com

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31 Comments
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Tom
Tom
7 years ago

I like everything but the 650b wheels.

onion
onion
7 years ago

Perfect opportunity for a generator hub…

mmmfriedrice
mmmfriedrice
7 years ago
Reply to  onion

Does anyone even make a lefty dynamo hub?

CommuterFred
CommuterFred
7 years ago

No fender or rack mounts. How is this considered a commuter bike?

yard dog
yard dog
7 years ago

I am vehemently against 650B so this is a no-go for me.

mmmfriedrice
mmmfriedrice
7 years ago

It’s deeply amusing that people are hating on 650b–presumably because of the recent mountain bike trend–when 650b has been a go-to utility/touring size in certain regions for years. Posting a one-liner about “I HATE 650b wheels rawr” and not justifying your position is the functional equivalent of knee-jerk downvoting someone on an internet forum. I’d like to know why you hate 650b for utility cycling.

What would you rather have? Old-school Euro 635mm (700A) tires?

Side note: 650b is a neat way to add fat tires to old-school sporty-ish (25-28mm tire)road bikes with short-reach brakes.

Antipodean_eleven
7 years ago
Reply to  mmmfriedrice

I’m right in the middle of a project of converting a mtn HT frame into a bitumen mashing road bike. 650 wheels are the last addition. Funnily enough, 650 haters clearly have never sat down and done the math, where 650 with the right tyre choice gives the same rolling size as some road wheels but with a lot more comfort with no loss in anything else.

Ignorance is bliss for some.

Richard Durishin
Richard Durishin
7 years ago

That’s the piece everyone misses: 650b wheel with a tire whose section is large enough to give a near 700c rolling distance…and a wee bit of road smoothing…

Dinger
Dinger
7 years ago
Reply to  mmmfriedrice

Re: “Side note: 650b is a neat way to add fat tires to old-school sporty-ish (25-28mm tire)road bikes with short-reach brakes..”. What kind of caliper would allow for a smaller diameter rim on a 700c bike?

Timb
Timb
7 years ago

650b has been around road and urban bikes since the 50’s. Longer than 700c

badbobmk2
badbobmk2
7 years ago

have to LOL at the 650B hate, “vehemently” what a laugh! thanks for the cheering me up!

Marin
Marin
7 years ago

Looks pretty neat but few things stick out.
That head tube weld is ugly, head tube in one piece welded to top and down tube would’ve been prettier, or at least polish that weld so it’s seamless.
650B tires for commuting urban bike are kind of pointless. Severely limits tire choices and bumps up the price and has no advantage only disadvantages such as reduced comfort and speed.

Is the Supernova lefty suspended like on the Slate? If it’s rigid, it’s a silly idea just for the sake of being different when regular carbon fork would’ve been lighter and smoother not to mention easier to work with and service (headset).

Tim Guarente
Tim Guarente
7 years ago
Reply to  Marin

Reduced comfort and speed? 650b lets you run bigger tires at a given chainstay length than a 700c wheel would on the same frame with the same or nearly the same effective diameter. This lets you get a more comfortable ride, and the lower pressures are faster on all but the smoothest roads. Also consider that it’s not the sheer number of tire choices that matter, but the quality of those options. Most people only use one set of tires on a bike each year, and as long as they can get a good one for their purpose, they’re happy. 650b has choices available for pavement, gravel, or trail, and you can find somewhat cheap to super-premium versions.

Marin
Marin
7 years ago
Reply to  Tim Guarente

With 700c with decent clearance you could run 25-28mm for more racy and 35-40mm tire for more comfort if you wanted.
Those tires cost half as much online than 650b ones.

It’s not like you’re going to use 2.35″ 650b tires on this bike.

If 650b was faster, road bikes wouldn’t be using 700c…

Fred
Fred
7 years ago
Reply to  Marin

“If 650b was faster, road bikes wouldn’t be using 700c…”
That line ASSUMES that road bikes have been optimized over the years and not limited in design by the UCI…roadbikes have a long, long way to go before they are even close to ideal! Seat angles are way too slack, head angle is too steep, top tubes are way too short, etc, etc.

gatouille
gatouille
7 years ago

No fender mount ?
I prefer with a front suspension.
With excentic BB it was not better but cleaner. Ok for sliding dropout.
Easy to charge batteries ?

Tyler durden
Tyler durden
7 years ago

Awesome.

ascarlarkinyar
7 years ago

There has to be a certain amount of cross over in parts with me and all of my bikes. A big reason I have zero 650b bikes is that it makes no sense to me. Less bump compliance, less traction, fewer wheel and tire choices. The only advantage would be less weight, but that is soo small it does not count against all the draw backs.

This is a bad direction for cannondale just like the non selling slate that nobody wants.

I put 700c road wheel on an old cannondale f1000 with a lefty and it rocks. Can handle cx tires as well.

BBB
BBB
7 years ago

The ONLY valid and argument against 650b size on a commuter/tourer etc. is relatively limited choice of slick tyres. Other than that there’s lots of BS from people who clearly don’t have a clue what they are talking about and never tried supple fast rolling 650b tyres in 40mm ish width.

Greg
Greg
7 years ago

I like the stem from an aesthetics point of view, but seriously what a pain it’s gonna be for a shop to dial in someone’s fit.

DerSnap
7 years ago

I miss the days of perfect welds on Cannondales. Such a shame what hack jobs they post now.
Where is a full carbon version and an actual suspension lefty. I run my 2009 still, made up with Chris king hubs, on 650b tires at 2.1. Best ride every on this bike. Now on a 40 tooth chain ring 11 speed cassette.
Did the 26, 700c, X cross tires and this is the best ride so far. No speed loss.

If I had a wish for my bike it would just be carbon frame, same geometry, lefty carbon fork.
Bike pics on my site thebadboystories.com

Bill on the Hill
Bill on the Hill
7 years ago

Road 650B was around in Europe in the 50s and 60s. It faded around the time 27 inch road faded. Now, thanks to Kirk Pacenti, 650B wasted no time in coming out with high quality tires as the 650B road bikes were high value bikes and so were the customers. Ritchey nailed it back in the 90s when he said that 650B should be the standard. You haters sound like the same haters when 29ers came out. Just cuz you don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s wrong. You’re just another niche in the market. And there are a lot of niches in the market. Scratch your niche…..

Blake
Blake
7 years ago

What exactly is “hyper reflective” ?

Ryan
Ryan
7 years ago

I like pretty much everything on this bike except the head tube welds. What were they thinking when they made THAT decision? I mean, really…WTF? What made that seem like a good idea? That’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen done on a Cannondale. Like seeing a swimsuit model picking her nose. Ruins an otherwise beautiful picture.

Funkytown
Funkytown
7 years ago

Take a look at Compass Cycles tire offerings in 650B, particularly their Babyshoe Pass Extralight. These are as good as it gets.

https://www.compasscycle.com

Richard Durishin
Richard Durishin
7 years ago

Pro: Cannondale Train Station logo.

Con: Needs a Lefty shock (or you could rattlecan a Slate until they make a Black Inc, version)
Those welds!

maitan
maitan
7 years ago

why they don’t use a solo rigid fork instead this lefty?

Ron Allen
Ron Allen
6 years ago

I just bought the bad boy 1 and love this bike .,, everything is top quality. It’s for someone who wants a cool, unique bike ..great hybrid bike with simple gearing..I live near the beach and like little maintenance. Highly recommend!!

A. PHARAOH
A. PHARAOH
6 years ago
Reply to  Ron Allen

Are those rivets holding the brake adapters to the fork. I see silver bolts or rivets. Also, is there other rivets on the fork.

James
James
6 years ago
Reply to  Ron Allen

Hi Ron, I just picked one of these up but can’t see how you charge the lefty light? Cheers

Dare
Dare
6 years ago
Reply to  James

Use a L key to unscrew the front light

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