Cannondale Bad Boy Range

Fatty R9 – R6 – R5 – R4 – DL50

Once seen, never forgotten – the Cannondale Bad Boy range of hybrid bikes have an appeal that sets them apart from the competition. With their matt black finish and mean good looks they certainly look the part, but do they have the performance to deliver on the promises?

I suppose that the philosophy behind hybrid bikes is usually to import ideas and components from the mountain bike world and turn a road bike into a go-anywhere, easy-ride machine that’s  equally at home on the commute to work, out-and-about on the lanes and also on towpaths and trails.

With the Bad Boy range, Cannondale have set out from the other end – take a very MTB look and equip it for the road. To me, this is evident from the low geometry frame and the disc brakes fitted to all members of the range. In contrast to 2011 however, all now feature 700mm road wheels (some models last year had 26 in MTB wheelsets) fitted with 28c tyres – great for the urban environment, but perhaps a little less capable off-road.

The Bad Boy range seems more built for speed this year.

How then do the various models compare?

First of all it should be said that there are various features which are carried throughout the range. All are built around hand-made 6061 Aluminium frames, enamelled in matt black with smart reflective decals.

All the frames feature SAVE technology (which probably stands for “Shock And Vibration Elimination” or something similar). The idea is that the carefully shaped and flattened seatstays and chainstays flex and absorb shock and vibration, while maintaining torsional and sideways stiffness. Cannondale seem to be using the idea all through their road and MTB ranges nowadays.

The front forks are likewise all aluminium (with some variation as far as suspension is concerned, see later).

As already mentioned, all the Badboy models for 2012 have disc brakes, of either mechanical or hydraulic operation, acting on 700mm road wheels fitted with 28c Schwalbe Kojak Race Guard tyres – smooth faces for low resistance but adequate grip for the grass and looser stuff.

They all have triple chainsets, giving 24 or 27 gears, and handlebars are all flat for a comfortable riding position and secure control.

The look is uniform and beautifully distinctive throughout the range.

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Bad Boy Fatty R9

The entry-level model is the Fatty R9. Fitted with mechanical disc brakes by Tektro ( to keep up  the braking efficiency in the wet) together with fairly basic (but still solid Shimano) gear mechs to give you 24 gears. This bike should do anything a good hybrid ought and is a great entry to the Bad Boy world.

Read the full review of the Fatty R9==>

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Bad Boy Fatty R6

The Fatty R6 is the second model in the range and features a couple of changes:-

- Shimano hydraulic disc brakes which give you much smoother operation and greater control over the power that discs can offer, and

- Gear components upgraded to Shimano Alivio and Deore. As is sensible, the investment in Deore goes into the rear mech (which does most of the work)  for smoother, more reliable changing between the 27 gears.

Read the full review of the Fatty R6==>

Bad Boy Fatty R5

Next up the range is the Fatty R5. A further upgrade to a Shimano Deore Shadow rear mech should give you somewhat more reliable performance, and is one of the three changes from the R6.

The handlebar and stem are now forged as a single unit for strength, and the hubs are improved somewhat.

Other than that, there’s not a great deal more to the R5 than you would get from the R6. The brakes are still hydraulic discs from Shimano of course, and very nice too. But frame, forks, saddle and pedals are unchanged from the cheaper model.

The differences in spec are undeniable, but I think it’s open to debate as to whether they warrant an extra £100 of your hard-earned cash. See what you think though…

Read the full review of the Fatty R5==>

Bad Boy Fatty R4

Next up the range is the Fatty R4, the the top rigid-fork model in the Bad Boy range.

Here there are significant upgrades I think. Most apparent is the front fork; beefed up legs and a 1.5″ steerer in a head tube housing an integrated headset bearing.

The front mech is  Shimano Deore and the rear an SLX Shadow, operated with Deore shifters. So a further investment in quality where it matters.

The handlebar and stem are still the single unit – using OPI, or One Piece Integration (engineers and marketing men, a marriage made in heaven…) The aim is to reduce weight and complexity, while increasing strength, by forging the two components from a single piece of aluminium. All very clever and sleek.

As far as saddle, rims, tyres and hydraulic discs are concerned, it’s as you were with the R5 – except that you get aluminium pedals now.

Read the full review of the Fatty R4==>

Bad Boy Fatty DL50

Top of the range is the Fatty DL50. Three changes from the R, the most obvious and significant is in the front suspension. Cannondale’s own DL Headshok fork has its suspension/shock absorbing module above the fork legs – a simpler and lighter alternative to a conventional suspension fork. It’s fitted with a lockout which you can engage for stability at speed on the smooth tarmac. The SAVE 6061 aluminium frame is modified to fit.

Another upgrade on the DL50 is to the brakes. German-made Magura MT2 hydraulic discs replace the Shimano units on the R5. Reputed to be  powerful, reliable and virtually maintenance-free, these are highly-regarded indeed.

The saddle, on an alloy post, is improved to a Fizik Pave CX with its own LED light built in.

Otherwise with 700mm road wheels, 27 gears from the SLX drivetrain, alloy pedals and the Bad Boy black livery it’s the same as the R4. The DL50 looks to be the ultimate street machine.

Read the full review of the Fatty DL50==>

In Conclusion

So the Cannondale Bad Boy range, priced from £600 to £1200 has something for everyone.

Don’t overlook the more basic models; the R9 is a great introduction to the range – disc brakes, Bad Boy frame and forks,with decent components, while the hydraulic brakes on the R6 are good value for the extra.

At the top of the range, the R4 with its ultra-Fatty forks and Deore/SLX Shadow gears is a good package for the money I think, while the suspension fork and Magura brakes on the DL50 are really nice if the extra £300 is not too much for you.

As already mentioned, I’m not sure about the R5. It doesn’t seem to fit in to me – personally I would be tempted to save the £100 and stick with the R6, or to save up and get the near-ideal R4.

All of them are not half beautiful though…

It’s worth mentioning that the Bad Boy compares very closely with the Giant Seek (see our review). In terms of design ethos, specifications and price, both ranges are aimed pretty directly at the same sort of rider. See what you think.

I’ve summarised the models in the table below:-

	Bad Boy Fatty R9	Bad Boy Fatty R6	Bad Boy Fatty R5	Bad Boy Fatty R4	Bad Boy Fatty DL50
Frame	Bad Boy 6061 Alloy 1.125" Head Tube SAVE Technology	Bad Boy 6061 Alloy 1.125" Head Tube SAVE Technology	Bad Boy 6061 Alloy 1.125" Head Tube SAVE Technology	Bad Boy Stealth 6061 Alloy 1.5" SI Head Tube SAVE Technology	Bad Boy Stealth 6061 Alloy Headshok SAVE Technology
Fork	Cannondale Fatty Disc 1.125" Steerer	Cannondale Fatty Disc 1.125" Steerer	Cannondale Fatty Disc 1.125" Steerer	Cannondale Fatty Disc OPI 1.5" Steerer	Cannondale Fatty Headshok DL50 OPI 50mm Travel, Lockout
Front Mech	Shimano Altus	Shimano Alivio	Shimano Alivio	Shimano Deore	Shimano Deore
Rear Mech	Shimano Alivio	Shimano Deore	Shimano Deore Shadow	Shimano SLX Shadow	Shimano SLX
Shifters	Shimano M310 RapidFire Plus	Shimano Alivio RapidFire Plus	Shimano Alivio RapidFire Plus	Shimano Deore RapidFire Plus	Shimano Deore RapidFire Plus
Chainrings	48/38/28 T	46/36/26 T	48/36/26 T	48/36/26 T	48/36/26 T
Cassette	Sunrace 8-sp 11/32T	Sunrace 9-sp 11/32T	Sunrace 9-sp 11/32T	Sunrace 9-sp 11/32T	Sunrace 9-sp 11/32T
Gears	24	27	27	27	27
Brakes	Tektro Novela Mechanical Disc	Shimano M445 Hydraulic Disc	Shimano M446 Hydraulic Disc	Shimano M446 Hydraulic Disc	Magura MT2 Hydraulic Disc
Hubs	Cannondale C4	Shimano Acera RM66	Formula DC20	Shimano M525	Shimano M525
Rims	Maddux C3 Urban 700mm, 32 H	Maddux C2 Urban SL 700mm, 32 H	Maddux C2 Urban SL 700mm, 32 H	Maddux C2 Urban SL 700mm, 32 H	Maddux C2 Urban SL 700mm, 32 H
Tyres	Schwalbe Kojak Race Guard 700X28C	Schwalbe Kojak Race Guard 700X28C	Schwalbe Kojak Race Guard 700X28C	Schwalbe Kojak Race Guard 700X28C	Schwalbe Kojak Race Guard 700X28C
Handlebar	Cannondale C4 Alloy Flat, 620 mm	Cannondale CHB 3.0	Cannondale Bad Boy OPI 620mm	Cannondale Si Urban OPI Stem/Handlebar, 620 mm	Cannondale Si Urban OPI Stem/Handlebar, 620 mm
Saddle	Cannondale Bad Boy Urban	Cannondale Bad Boy Urban	Cannondale Bad Boy Urban	Cannondale Bad Boy Urban	Fizik Pave CX ICS Light
Sizes	S, M, L, XL	S, M, L, XL	S, M, L, XL	S, M, L, XL	S, M, L, XL
Colour	Matt Black	Matt Black	Matt Black	Matt Black	Matt Black
Price	£600	£700	£800	£900	£1200

Alternatives you might like to look at:-

• Giant Seek

• Scott Sportster (Part 1)

• Scott Sportster (Part 2)

• Specialized Crosstrail

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