If there is travel in 2024, it will be 120mm. Most, if not all, modern cross-country bikes let their hair down and embrace the finer aspects of racing. Cannondale tiptoed into the XC Plus or Downcountry category with the last iteration of the Scalpel with the SE. Gives your bike more travel and life than between tapes. The 120mm option was so popular among the Cannondale crew that it made it to the big show, but a few tweaks were made for cross-country racing to make it purely Cannondale.
The new Cannondale Scalpel will be the horse on which riders like Mona Mitterwallner chase their Olympic dreams. It's the bike that will lead his 2024 podium-winning campaign for Cannondale Factory Racing. But most importantly, it looks like a fun, fast bike that you'll really want to ride on your local trails.
29 U LAB71 Female – BPT
Latest News — Cannondale Female
Cannondale's updated Scalpel comes with several updates, so let's take a look at them one by one. The philosophy behind the updated design is not to redo the platform, but to continually improve it.
The first Scalpel was launched in 2002, and each version leans further into the ever-changing cross-country racing scene. The latest products meet the demands of making everything lighter, while still offering the ability to feel like an extension of the rider and accommodate more technical features.
Updated frame with compatibility
The updated Scalpel frame moves away from press-fits and is now fully BSA threaded. The new design maintains the same 55mm chainline as previous iterations and adds a UDH hanger for easy swapping.
Cannondale also includes two water bottle mounts for each size from S to XL. For the last version of the Scalpel, Cannondale did away with his Ai-Dished rear wheel and is keeping that design change for the 2024 model. Oh, and it also fits perfectly on 2.4 race tires.
More movement and less material
The new Scapel has 120mm of front-to-back travel, but the weight doesn't increase much from the previous version. The design team credits Cannondale's FlexPivot technology, which is nearly identical to that used in the Cannondale Moterra SL e-bike. The frame features flexible carbon sections in place of the traditional Horst Link pivot.
Ultra-lightweight 4-bar linkage design eliminates the added weight and maintenance of chainstay pivot bolts and bearings. Additionally, it mimics the rigidity and simplicity of a single pivot.
How does it feel? Cannondale says: “Because FlexPivot is a true four-bar system, it retains all of the precise anti-rise/anti-squat tuning characteristics that mountain bikers love. That means it comes with a lifetime warranty.”
We agree, but will wait for the final verdict until our review model arrives. Sounds like a clean design, but the 120mm of travel could encourage extra submissions from down-county folks and some extra work for its carbon 4-bar design.
proportional response
Suspension and feel are hallmarks of the new Scalpel, so the design team wanted to maintain a uniform feel across the line, regardless of size. Cannondale customizes the suspension kinematics for each frame size (five total).
Updated female geometry
I'm sure you know where this is going. Cannondale loosened the new Scalpel head tube and Slayer approved his 66.6 degrees. This choice was made to create overall stability. The new head tube angle compliments his steep 75.5-degree seat tube angle and size-specific chainstay lengths. Cannondale says this combination is tuned to be the most efficient possible, whether you're going uphill, downhill, or anywhere in between.
The new Scalpel is available in five small and extra large models.
Lefty Ocho 120mm Fork
The Lefty Ocho, 120mm fork spearheads the top new Scalpel offering. Launched nearly 20 years ago, its unique design remains popular with those looking for a combination of lightness and performance. Ocho uses the latest needle bearing design to minimize friction, internal rotation and wear. All this to ensure smooth travel and ultra-long service intervals. I haven't ridden his Ocho, but I expect his Scalpel for review to be completely broken down when it arrives.
SystemBar XC-One Cockpit
To round out the Olympic year scalpel modernization, Cannondale introduced the SystemBar XC-One Cockpit. It's lightweight, looks great, and from what we understand, doesn't require maintenance of cables or hoses.
The new SystemBar XC-One cockpit is 760mm wide with 0 degrees of rise, 8 degrees of backsweep, and 5 degrees of upsweep. Stem lengths are 65 or 75mm and the entire unit weighs a nominal 235g. Even better, I've heard that the 1.5-inch top and bottom headset cups make cable routing super easy. The new Scalpel's internal cable routing passes through the headset. 1.5 inch bearing size makes wiring easier and faster.
The SystemBar XC-One bar is standard on the Scalpel Carbon Lab 71 and Scalpel Carbon 1. If you want to upgrade your ride, the Lefty Ocho 120 and SystemBar XC-One bars are available aftermarket.
29 U LAB71 Female – BPT
cannondale 2024 female model
To improve supply to customers, Cannondale offers a variety of scalpels that differ from the North American and European markets. The European market will have more lefty options, while the North American market will only have one top-end lefty-equipped bike.
What could be the alternative to being left-handed? For some, it's the Fox Step-Cast 34. Otherwise, it will be Rock Shox SID (both 120mm). The Lefty Ocho 120 will be available in Scalpel Carbon Lab 71, Scalpel Carbon 1, and Scalpel Carbon 2 Lefty models (Europe only).
LAB71 Female
LAB71 Female
The LAB71 model comes with all the top-end bells and whistles a cross-country racer could want, including new DT-1200 wheels. Cannondale selected his DT-Swiss for Scalpel's bike specifications. This also means a custom DT-Swiss Lefty compatible front hub.
female carbon 1
The Carbon 1 model has top-end gearing, but swaps out the Lefty Ocho for a Fox Factory SC 34 120mm fork, shock, and dropper. The drivetrain is his SRAM Transmission XO with DT-Swiss 1501 wheels.
female carbon 2
The Scalpel Carbon 2 features a SRAM GX transmission, Hollowgram carbon wheels, and a Rock Shox suspension package.
female carbon 3
Scalpel Carbon 3 is the first Shimano pec'd Scalpel product in the 2024 lineup. The Carbon 3 features Shimano XT-12 speed, Stans Crest wheels, and Rock Shox SID suspension.
female carbon 4
Scalpel 4 is an entry into this line, but it's by no means entry-level. The Carbon 3 comes with a Shimano Deore drivetrain, Stans No Tubes rim laces and Cannondale hubs, and a RockShox SID suspension setup.
cannondale female price
LAB71 Female: $14,000.00, CAD $19,095.00 Female Carbon 1: $9,500.00, CAD $12,960.00 Female Carbon 2: $6,500.00, CAD $8,865.00 Female Carbon 4: $4,000.00, CAD $5,455.00
Availability — Cannondale Female
The Cannondale Scaple is currently in stock and shipping at Cannondale dealers.
We will be receiving our demo bike for the upcoming cross-country season, so stay tuned for our full review.
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