Cannondale Scalpel adapts to modern World Cup XC courses with new Si

In response to changes in World Cup courses over the years, Cannondale has now revealed a new iteration of the Scalpel in the Si.

“Over the last few years, cross-country courses have been changing. The climbs are getting steeper and the descents are getting nastier. There’s no room for error and to win at this game, you need more than just light and stiff, you need capable and stable handling. Cannondale’s engineers and designers took this challenge head on by pairing visionary geometry with our System Integration design approach to deliver the performance needed to tackle new course paradigm. Scalpel-Si is literally built for the world stage,” said Scott Rittschof, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Product Development for Cannondale.

The full-suspension race build, which was unveiled in Italy today to international media, makes some bold claims.

Based around the brand’s System Integration approach to design, where key components like cranks, fork, and frame are all developed together, the designers have delivered what they say is the shorest chainstay in mountain biking, resulting in both incredible traction and agile handling. This comes apparently without a sacrifice to tyre clearance or limiting the rider to single ring.

With the combination of these super short chainstays, an evenly dished Ai-offset rear wheel, LockR locking axles and the brand’s BallisTec Carbon construction, Cannondale has delivered what they say is the lightest, stiffest and most durable full suspension cross-country bike on the market.

Furthermore, the model sees the introduction of OutFront Steering Geometry, which pairs Scalpel-Si’s 69.5 slack head angle with a custom 55mm fork offset found only on Lefty. This proprietary technology gives the rider the best of both worlds: a slack head angle for the stability to attack the new generation of technical courses, as well as a tight “trail” measurement to keep the handling quick and XC-nimble everywhere else.

The two women’s Scalpel-Si models are built around 27.5 wheels and bring the same crush-the-racecourse attitude in sizes all the way down to XS. With the same proprietary system integration and Ai drivetrain, the two models feature Lefty forks and a carefully selected parts package to optimize the experience for female riders.