The Cannondale Bad Boy range of hybrid bikes could hardly be more iconic. But can they perform - can they deliver what the mean good looks promise?
In the beginning,
hybrid bikes were the result of applying mountain bike ideas to road bike frames, to produce a go-anywhere machine equally suitable for off- and on-road riding.
Cannondale have started from the other end - turning a mountain bike into a road-friendly machine - the Bad Boy. The 26" wheels with wide tyres and the disc brakes I think are evidence of this.
How then do the various models compare?
There are some common features throughout. Hand built 6061 aluminium frames, finished in a sophisticated matt black are common to all. The front forks are similarly all aluminium with lugs for disc brakes.
The frame and the forks are designed in such a way as to be able to carry either 26" or 700mm wheels. Cannondale stress that it is their intention that wheels can be chosen to suit the sort of riding you want to do.
All carry the same flat handlebars and run on black rims fitted with Schwalbe’s custom Bad Boy tyres. This makes for a very distinctive appearance to all Bad Boy bikes.
The first model in the range is the Al V26. Fitted with V-brakes as you would suspect, but with a fork that will take a disc brake system if you choose to upgrade at a later date. The drivetrain uses basic Shimano components, giving 27 gears. The tyres are a very wide 50mm, but are semi-slick to give good low rolling resistance on the road. This bike should do anything a good hybrid ought to.
Changes to the brake system is the only difference in the Bad Boy Al. It has Tektro disc brakes, resulting in extra braking power and a more efficient off-road performance as grit and mud is kept away from the braking surfaces. This is a useful upgrade if you can afford it.
The next model, the Bad Boy Deore is fitted with better gear components from the Deore range from Shimano. Still 27 gears, but should be more reliable and with smoother gear changing and selection. This model has narrower rims and 35 mm tyres. Still wide enough for the bridlepaths but a bit quicker on the road. The rest of the specs are the same as the Al.
The R-SLX is the next up the Cannondale Bad Boy range. The drivetrain is now Shimano SLX, which should make for still greater gear selection performance. The chainset is only a double, rather than the triple fitted to the lower models, meaning that you now have 18 gears. So this is perhaps a bike emphasising on-road speed, the move reinforced by the other major change with this model, from 26” to 700mm wheels with 28mm tyres. All the other aspects are unchanged.
Top of the range is the Bad Boy Ultra. There's a major change from the R-SLX and that's in the front fork and suspension. The Stealth SL Headshock from Cannondale is a simpler and lighter alternative to a conventional suspension fork in that it has just a single shocker element above the fork legs. The fork is fitted with a lockout which is engaged for greater stability when you need it. In all other respects, it's identical to the R-SLX. The Ultra looks to be the ultimate street machine.
The Cannondale Bad Boy range looks to have a bike for everyone. Don’t dismiss the more basic models, there appears to be quality right through the range. However, the pricier models have features well worth finding the extra for.
