Bikeradar gallery

First look: Cannondale's 16.56lb Flash Carbon hardtail

It may look strange, but Cannondale's test labs and racers have shown consistent results.

  • The 2010 Cannondale Flash Carbon Ultimate hardtail will be available in November 2009.
  • The high modulus carbon fibre top tube and seat stay junction is continuous, maximises carbon fibre's properties, weighs less, and gives tremendous efficiency.
  • The top tube tapers flat at the seat tube.
  • The miniscule rear carbon brake bridge and straight seat stays boost lateral stiffness for improved rear wheel tracking.
  • Alloy, not carbon dropouts.
  • The chainstays use Cannondale's shared platform Synapse Active Vibration Elimination (S.A.V.E.) technology for damping trail buzz without taking away lateral stiffness.
  • Cannondale pioneered the BB30 oversized bottom bracket shell, the perfect housing for its light and stiff Hollowgram SL crankset.
  • The proprietary carbon seatpost also uses S.A.V.E. technology.
  • Plenty of mud clearance all around, with room for up to a 26 x 2.35-inch tyre.
  • Cannondale worked with SRAM to develop an XX-compatible double chainring spider for its Hollowgram SL crankset.
  • Direct-mount front derailleur, compatible
  • FSA carbon bars and Cannondale's proprietary one-piece forged stem.
  • The Lefty double-clamp fork brace.
  • It may look strange, but Cannondale's test labs and racers have shown consistent results.
  • Inverted double clamp design that runs on 88 needle bearing technology, just 2.56 pounds with 110mm of travel.
  • Schwalbe Furious Fred 26 x 2.1 EVO folding tyres.
  • New 2-piece lockout lever allows for shorter stems and makes bearing resets easy.
  • Custom Lefty-compatible front hub
  • Yep, that reads correctly: 16.56 pounds without pedals for an 18-inch frame.
  • Somewhere in a Park City, Utah conference room...
  • The 2010 Cannondale Flash Carbon 2 29er hardtail.

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It may look strange, but Cannondale's test labs and racers have shown consistent results.

© Gary Boulanger