Is the Canondale Bad Boy any good?

[AC43]

I'm signing up for flexible benefits at my new work and if I understand it correctly I might be able to get my new employer to allocate £200 toward a CTW voucher. So I could get an £800 bike for £600 and then save the tax on that.

The thing is my 20 year old Diamondback Ascent does the job very well. The (steel) frame is whippy and absorbent and the groupset (Shimano Deore XT IIRC) is seemingly indestructible.

Now and again I wander into an Evans store and see a Bad Boy and fancy getting one. It ticks a lot of boxes in that there is no suspension, 26 in wheels with fat(ish) tyres and MTB geometry. I'm not interested in road bikes and not that interested in more typical hybrids - I just wand a more up to date version of what I have.

So is the Bad Boy a harsh-framed, poorly specced triumph of modern marketing over substance that will cost me a fortune in servicing and disintegrating groupsets when repeatedly hammered to and fro across London?

Or is it the best idea I've ever had?

Or is there a steel-framed equivalent of which I'm just not aware?

Any thoughts much appreciated.

[uncinqsix]

It was on my shortlist when I was buying my hybrid. By all accounts it's pretty good, but for me it lost out to the Giant Seek 2. The Badboy I was looking at (the 9 IIRC) had an aluminium fork (steel on the Seek), and mechanical disk brakes (hydraulic on the Seek). The Giant was a little cheaper too.

I would imagine that the badboy would serve you perfectly well and cope nicely with daily use.

[gazza285]

Good work with the Diamond Back, my Ascent is still going strong as well. I've tried other MTBs, but I just don't like them as much.

[AC43]

uncinqsix said:

It was on my shortlist when I was buying my hybrid. By all accounts it's pretty good, but for me it lost out to the Giant Seek 2. The Badboy I was looking at (the 9 IIRC) had an aluminium fork (steel on the Seek), and mechanical disk brakes (hydraulic on the Seek). The Giant was a little cheaper too.

I would imagine that the badboy would serve you perfectly well and cope nicely with daily use.

Thanks will have a look at the Giant. And looks like the Seek is worth a look.

Edited by AC43 on Thursday 6th June 10:08

[AC43]

gazza285 said:

Good work with the Diamond Back, my Ascent is still going strong as well. I've tried other MTBs, but I just don't like them as much.

I've tried a few new bikes but only for short trips up and down a smooth county lane so it's hard to draw a comparison as to how they'd handle my commute. The only clear conclusion I can reach is how much better the brakes are on a modern bike.

I've looked at online reviews of Bad Boys and the biggest negative for some is the harshness of the ride - not sure if this the frame or the tyre/rim combo or both. Some guy in Edinburgh gave up commuting on his because of the cobbles. I got into (steel framed/fat tyred) MTB's in Edinburgh in the 80's precisely because they were very good at that sort of thing.

I think I've answered my own question; if I get a new bike get something in steel, without suspension.

OR get an aluminium-framed full sus MTB for proper off roading.

[gazza285]

Put some Tektro CR720 cantilevers on, far better than the Shimano offerings.

[AC43]

gazza285 said:

Put some Tektro CR720 cantilevers on, far better than the Shimano offerings.

Yeah, the brakes are the weak point.

Maybe that's what I'll do - give in a full service, scrape off the London grime and bring it more up to date with decent stoppers.

Saves buying new - and in any case I called Evans and the store I spoke to to could only offer two steelies - a Breezer (which was out of stock and had front suspension) and a Koni Unit (which had 29 inch wheels and was a single speed.)

I called Evans, btw, because the voucher would be through them.

As an aside I used to use a couple of Evans shops for servicing (near my old office) and the mechanics always told me to enjoy what I had on the basis it was a great frame and that the groupset on an £800 bike would be much more fragile than the one I have.

The salesmen, meanwhile, generally tried to sell me what they had, oddly enough. Can't blame them. And I've got odd taste. Or at least taste from 20 years ago.

[gazza285]

[uncinqsix]

AC43 said:

Maybe that's what I'll do - give in a full service, scrape off the London grime and bring it more up to date with decent stoppers.

Looking at Gazza's picture of the Diamondback, that's exactly what I'd do. Give it a proper strip down, replace any components that look vaguely worn, maybe powdercoat the frame a snazzy colour. It'll be fun and you'd end up with a great bike at the end of it.

[AC43]

gazza285 said:

]

Excellent. Has that got the black finish with a sort of purple starburst on the headstock? If so it's the exact same as mone.

[anonymous-user]

I think the badboy looks great with the lefty fork and kojak tyres. I wouldn't feel happy leaving it locked up anywhere though, it looks like a magnet for thieves.

[Kell]

My partner at work had a bad boy (also bought through CTW - when it was worth doing) and loved it.

His was an 07, and he commuted with it every (work)day for about 4 years. He's just got rid of it to replace with a Roadie.

From an observer's POV, it looked pretty good and I don't remember him ever saying it was harsh to ride.

[AC43]

Kell said:

My partner at work had a bad boy (also bought through CTW - when it was worth doing) and loved it.

His was an 07, and he commuted with it every (work)day for about 4 years. He's just got rid of it to replace with a Roadie.

From an observer's POV, it looked pretty good and I don't remember him ever saying it was harsh to ride.

Ta

[AC43]

el stovey said:

I think the badboy looks great with the lefty fork and kojak tyres. I wouldn't feel happy leaving it locked up anywhere though, it looks like a magnet for thieves.

It's the looks that get me every time.

Reminds me of the first Canondale MTB I saw in Notting Hill in 1995-ish.

[aka_kerrly]

I simply cannot believe Cannondale make a bike called "the bad boy"