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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?
The philosophy behind hybrid bikes is generally to make use of ideas and components from the mountain bike world to turn a road bike into a go-anywhere machine just as at home on the journey to work and on towpaths and trails.
With the Bad Boy range, Cannondale have started from a very MTB look and fitted it out for the road. The 26" wheels with wide tyres and the disc brakes I think are evidence of this.
How then do the different models compare?
There are different features which are common right through the range. All have hand-constructed 6061 aluminium frames. the finish is a smart matt black with reflective logos and details. The front forks can all be fitted with disc brakes.
The frame and the forks are designed in such a way as to be able to carry either 26" or 700mm wheels. It's one of Cannondale's design ideas that you can change the wheelsets on a Bad Boy to suit your riding needs.
All models have the same flat hybrid handlebars. The wheels are black, shod with specially designed Bad Boy tyres from Schwalbe. So all Bad Boy bikes have this great distinctive look.
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 semi-slick 50mm tyres are a good blend of low rolling resistance and shock-absorbing for off-road. This bike should do anything a good hybrid ought to.
The Bad Boy Al is just the same as the previous model, except for the brakes. The Tektro disc brakes are better for off-road riding as they stay clear of the mud, and give all-round higher braking power. This is a positive upgrade if you can afford it.
The Bad Boy Deore is the next model up the range and features gear components upgraded to Shimano Deore. You should get smoother changing between the 27 gears with these mechanisms. The bike features narrower rims and tyres, at 35mm. Should be quicker on the road, but still able to manage the grass and gravel. The rest of the specs are the same as the Al.
The R-SLX is the next up theCannondale Bad Boy range. Better gear performance should result from the upgrade to Shimano SLX components. Replacing the triple chainset with a double means that you now get only 18 gears. So this is maybe a bike emphasising on-road speed, the move reinforced by the other key change with this model, from 26" to 700mm wheels with 28mm tyres. All the other aspects are unchanged.
The Bad Boy Ultra is the top of the range. There's a major change from the R-SLX and that's in the front fork and suspension. Rather than a conventional suspension fork, the Cannondale Headshock fork has just one suspension module, above the two fork legs. This is both simpler and lighter. The lockout control can be activated to give you greater stability at speed or when descending. Other than the fork, it's unchanged from the R-SLX. The Bad Boy Ultra must be the last thing in street riding.
So whatever you want from a hybrid bike, theCannondale Bad Boy range looks to have an option for you. Even at the more modest end of the range, the quality is apparent. But spend a bit more and you end up with a truly remarkable bike.