One of the nice things about the Urban PressCamp held just prior to the National Bike Summit was that the brands present brought out their commuter bikes rather than the high performance race rigs we usually post.
Save for the Quick CX, Cannondale had a variety of bikes that weren’t actually new, just updated for 2011, but likely ones that you’ve rarely seen or heard much about.
Above, the Quick Carbon is a full carbon commuter based on the technology of their carbon road bikes. It has SAVE stays, BB30, a full carbon fork and compact road gearing. Sticking with the road theme, it uses compact V-brakes (with no disc brake option, sadly). Seat stays have a frame break that works as the rack/fender mount, but also allows you to install a belt drive. Weight is under 20lbs.
Check out the rest, including their mini-bike, the Houligan, and blacked-out Bad Boy, plus links to some killer Cannondale concept bikes, after the break…
The Quick Carbon’s frame is more than just a carbon-tubed bike. It’s heavily shaped with aero influences, internal cable routing and stealth bomber angles. In person, it’s really sharp, and it does indeed feel like it weighs under 20lbs like they claimed.
The SAVE stays give the rear end a bit of bump compliance, just like on their high-end bikes like the Flash.
The regular Quick line (black bike on right) is their road going fitness line. It’s like a flat bar road bike that’s made for the path. Quick handling, short chainstays and their SAVE stays that have flatter chainstays and curved seat stays to offer a bit of bump absorption. Models range from about $500 up to $2,500 with higher end models getting a lighter frame and carbon forks, but the carbon forks start at the $600 level!
Quick CX (red bike on left) is part of their recreation line. It’s a mix of a mountain bike and upright comfort bike or commuter. Geometry is fast and fun, but with pretty tall front ends to keep riders in a comfortable position. All Quick models with standard suspension fork have a straight 1.5″ head tube for stiff steering, higher end models have a new Headshok DLR50 with 50mm travel and coil/elastomer internals. Coils are tuned for the size of bike, so an XL bike will have a stiffer spring. This minimizes maintenance and doesn’t require the rider to mess with air pressures. This is a new model for 2011.
Women’s Quick versions available with shorter reach and taller head tube. This one gets a new frame for 2011 with more SAVE features.
The Cannondale Houligan was developed for the London market when they introduced congestion pricing for driving. The compact size made it easy to bring in the tube (subway, metro, what-have-you), wheel into the office and maneuver around town. It’s available in the U.S. now, too.
The Bad Boy has been around for about 10 years. It started as a mountain bike frame with 700c wheels, but morphed slightly to be a full-on city bike but with the aggressive geometry of a MTB. Now it has more tire clearance for up to 42c tires and can add fenders. All of them are matte black, and higher end models get more and more of the components in matching matte black.
Decals are reflective, as shown above when using the flash. Available with headshock, too, with adjusted geometry to keep handling the same.
CONCEPTS
Over the years, Cannondale has shown plenty of sweet commuter and city bike concepts, too:
