World Cup winner Charlie Aldridge has turned the spec on his Cannondale Scalpel upside-down for the curtain raiser to the 2026 World Cup in South Korea.
Aldridge has replaced the Scalpel's mechanical in-line shock with an aggressive electronic one, and an electronic dropper post with a mechanical alternative.
Aldridge is a big rider at 1.84m, and aggressive too. His full-suspension Scalpel build reflects that. As the 2026 World Cup kicks off in South Korea, we took a closer look at the bike the most recent XCO winner is competing on.
Aldridge shot to prominence as the XCO U18 and U23 world champion before winning his first Elite XCO World Cup at the final round of the 2025 season in Mont-Sainte-Anne.
Cannondale Scalpel and Lefty fork
Cannondale’s Scalpel has 120mm travel and a 120mm Lefty fork. Aldridge confirmed the frame is a size-XL production Scalpel to suit his tall physique, with a 510mm reach and 1,251mm wheelbase.
Aldridge’s Lefty Ocho 120 Carbon fork has a custom tune on the chamber damper and uses the TwistLoc Ultimate remote, which enables him to lock out the fork for maximum efficiency when climbing.
Fox Transfer mechanical dropper
Despite the high-tech Shimano XTR Di2 wireless electronic shifting and futuristic Fox Live Valve electronically controlled rear shock, Aldridge is not using an electronic dropper post.
While the Fox Transfer Neo wireless electronic dropper is supplied on the top-spec Lab71 Cannondale Scalpel, Aldridge has opted for a mechanical Fox Transfer cable-actuated post. He explained that the electronic post is heavier and the electronic remote more difficult to fit under his handlebar, which is already busy with the Live Valve controller and TwistLoc fork lockout lever.
When asked why he wasn’t using the XC-specific Transfer SL dropper, Aldridge explained he prefers the stiffness of the Transfer over the SL, despite the weight penalty.
Fox Float X Live Valve rear shock
Where the top-spec production Lab71 Scalpel has a Fox Float SL with mechanical lockout, Aldridge’s bike has been upgraded to the electronically controlled Float X Live Valve. The Float X has a piggyback reservoir to increase oil volume, which adds weight but improves heat management and damping consistency, especially on longer descents.
The Fox Live Valve system does away with the mechanical lockout of the stock bike and the cables themselves, and can be controlled wirelessly from the handlebar.
In addition, we can see Aldridge has Fox Live Valve sensors fitted by the brake calipers. This gives the shock the ability to change modes automatically according to feedback from the sensor, which tells the shock whether the rear wheel is experiencing a bump.
This future tech enables Alridge to put the shock in auto mode, which remains relatively firm for pedalling efficiency, and switch to descend mode, opening up the compression damping for a softer, more comfortable feel when he hits the rough stuff or starts belting downhill.
Aldridge says the Float X Neo is “top class for grip and support when climbing”.
The £1,500 shock uses a rechargeable battery, which Fox claim lasts for approximately 15 to 20 hours of riding – more than enough time to complete an XCO race, which typically lasts around 90 mins.
Carbon Reserve wheels
Where the production Lab71 Scalpel uses carbon FSA rims, Aldridge’s bike gets carbon Reserve rims instead. He is running the Reserve 30|XC wheels, rather than the narrower Reserve 28|XC – wider rims can offer increased tyre stability and toughness, with a small weight penalty.
Back in 2019, when I was a mechanic for Aldridge as an U23 rider, he was running tyre inserts front and rear for added stability.
Aldridge’s bike is pictured here running a pair of Schwalbe Rick Race Pro tyres.
XTR trail brakes
Aldrige’s Scalpel uses the latest Shimano XTR M9220 quad-piston brakes instead of the lighter XTR M9100 twin-piston XC option for “a bit of extra power on the descents”.
He uses 180mm front and 160mm rear rotors, but these appear to be the Shimano SM-RT86 rotors instead of the supplied XTR RT-MT905 with Ice Tech Freeza technology heat-dissipating wings.
