Once again, Vlad Sabau is putting his previous season’s Cannondale race bike up for auction. After Sabau lost his mother to cancer he decided to personally take action, and began auctioning off his race bikes each year with all proceeds going to help others who are fighting cancer. This 2017 Cannondale Scalpel-Si 29er is the sixth bike Vlad has sold so far.
All of Sabau’s auction bikes sport pink accents or frames, as pink is the color internationally associated with breast cancer awareness. The auction provides a unique opportunity to buy a professional rider’s race-ridden bike, while donating to a good cause. Every penny from the bike’s sale will go directly to a foundation or individual (of Sabau’s choosing) that helps someone in need fight their battle against cancer.
The Bike:
With the support of Cannondale, Ashima, Sapim, Tune, Sram, Ryde and his other sponsors, Sabau put together this carbon Scalpel-Si. While his last few auction bikes have been hardtails, Sabau raced last season on this full suspension setup. Sabau’s custom ride bears a pink chrome paint job, and graphics that feature some custom touches. As usual, he’s put together a very colorful steed!
The 29” Scalpel-Si is matched to Cannondale’s Lefty 2.0 Carbon XLR fork, and runs a Rock Shox Monarch XX rear shock. Sabau’s fork includes the 2018 2-spring upgrade, and was recently serviced by Cannondale. The bike boasts Sram’s Eagle XX1 drivetrain (with the flashy gold chain and cassette), and Level Ultimate brakes.
Tune provides their carbon Turnstage flatbar, carbon railed Komm-Vor saddle, and a Starkes Stuck seatpost. Other notable bits include Xpedo XMFo8 clipless pedals with titanium spindles, Michelin Wild Grip’r Advance 2.25” tires on Ryde Trace 22 rims, and a pair of purple ESI chunky grips.
Just to add a little collector’s appeal, Sabau’s frame is signed by Cannondale’s superstar racer Manuel Fumic on the top tube. One important thing to keep in mind is since this is Sabau’s personal bike the frame only comes in his size, and he rides a Large. Also, the frame does have some scratches from being raced all season, but the bearings have all been cleaned, lubed or replaced.
Auction details:
This year’s auction began on July 22nd and ends on July 29th at 11:59pm CET. Instead of setting a reserve bid himself, Sabau let people pre-bid before July 21st and took the highest offer as the starting point for the actual auction.
This year the reserve was set at €2150, and Sabau says the retail price of all the bike’s parts would add up to over €7500. The winning bidder must make a full payment within seven days of the auction closing, which can be done via bank transfer or Paypal.
The buyer will be responsible for covering shipping costs and customs fees. Shipping within the EU is simplest, but those outside the EU can still bid- Just send a message to Sabau before bidding to determine if shipping is possible to your country, and how much it would cost.
To see more photos of Sabau’s 2017 Scalpel-Si, lay down your bid or keep an eye on the auction action, click here.
