First look: Cannondale’s 16.56lb Flash Carbon hardtail

The carbon weight war, taken to new lows

Published: July 4, 2009 at 12:01 am

After 18 months of development, Cannondale are introducing the 16.56lb Flash Carbon Ultimate hardtail, a dramatic departure for the Connecticut company known for fat aluminium tubes and full-suspension rigs.

Taking a page from the development of their race-proven, full-suspension Scalpel, Cannondale’s aim with the Flash was to create the lightest, stiffest and strongest – it comes with a lifetime warranty and no rider weight limit – carbon hardtail on the market.

The 950g Flash Carbon frame uses the same high modulus carbon layup seen on Cannondale’s SuperSix road frames, raced by Team Liquigas.

The continuous top tube/seatstay junction saves weight and adds stiffness, while the seatstays are straight – a major departure from the hourglass shaped stays found across the board at Cannondale for the past decade. Research and development director Chris Peck says this has been done to boost lateral stiffness for improved rear wheel tracking.

The high modulus carbon fibre top tube and seat stay junction is continuous, maximises carbon fibre’s properties, weighs less, and gives tremendous efficiency.:

Gary Boulanger

The chainstays – as well as the 27.2mm diameter carbon seatpost – feature Cannondale’s Synapse Active Vibration Elimination (SAVE) technology, which is designed to dampen trail buzz without taking away lateral stiffness. The dropouts and disc brake mounts are alloy, not carbon, due to the intense heat created under braking.

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.:

Gary Boulanger

The Flash Carbon has a BB30 oversized bottom bracket shell, and comes with Cannondale’s Hollowgram SL crankset – the lightest on the market – and Lefty monoblade suspension fork.

We gave the Flash Carbon 2 a shakedown ride in Park City, Utah. First impressions? Plenty of comfort and performance packed into a technologically advanced frame which will certainly force Cannondale’s competitors to revisit the carbon hardtail design approach. We’re especially looking forward to the 29er version.

Somewhere in a park city, utah conference room…:

Gary Boulanger

The Flash Carbon platform will come in three spec and pricing models:

Flash Carbon 2

Lefty Speed Carbon DLR 110
DT Swiss XCR 1.5 wheelset
FSA V-Drive BB30 44/32/22 crankset
SRAM X-7 shifters, X-9 rear derailleur
Avid Elixir R disc brakes
US$3,749

Flash Carbon 1

Lefty Speed Carbon SL 110
Shimano XTR wheelset
FSA K-Force Light BB30 44/32/22 crankset
Shimano XTR shifters/derailleurs
Shimano XTR disc brakes
US$6,399

Flash Carbon Ultimate

Lefty Speed Carbon SL 110
DT Swiss XCR 1.2 carbon wheelset
Schwalbe Furious Fred 26 x 2.1 EVO folding tyres
Cannondale Hollowgram SL BB30 42/28-tooth crankset w/ custom spider for SRAM XX
SRAM XX groupset
Fizik Antares carbon-rail saddle
US$9,599

Availability will be November 2009 for the 26-inch wheeled version pictured above, although MonaVie-Cannondale racers Tinker Juarez and Jeremiah Bishop will most likely race on pre-production models this season. A 29-inch version (below), the choice of many marathon racers, will be available in December.