First Look: Cannondale’s 2016 Fat CAAD fat bike
Cannondale brings their CAAD aluminum frame to fat bikes for 2016 (click to enlarge).
Cannondale Fat CAAD
Cannondale’s revered CAAD series of aluminum road bikes has been around since the CAAD 3 in 1997 (according to Wikipedia) and that model designation is still in use today with the CAAD12 series. For 2016, Cannondale is bringing their CAAD heritage to the dirt side with the all new Fat CAAD fat bike.
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| Olaf ’s wider clamps and inset axle offers the largest tire clearance of any fork. (click to enlarge). |
The CAAD series of road bikes has reached almost cult-like status for it’s ride qualities, durability and race-readiness. The Fat CAAD is no XC race bike, by any standards but it is interesting to see Cannondale bring their premium aluminum frame to this category. The geometry of the Fat CAAD is designed to keep the bike nimble and fun, even with fatties on and the short chainstays also help achieve this goal. The Lefty Olaf maintains the great tracking qualities of the standard size Lefty but also adds in a good bit of fork rake to keep things agile without resorting to steep head angles (which causes unwanted characteristics elsewhere). This means the Fat CAAD won’t handle like a plow even at low speeds. The Olaf has 100mm of travel, Cannondale’s PBR isolated damper technology and 60mm of offset.
One of the key feautres of the Fat CAAD is the 120mm BB30XL bottom bracket that is Cannondale’s own spindle mated with their custom offset chainring(s) and the Si crankset allows them to move the crankarms further inward without sacrificing chain clearance. This creates a fat bike with the narrowest Q-factor on the market (198mm for 1x, 204mm for 2x) which provides a more natural stance and pedaling platform.
Check out this highlight reel featuring the Fat CAAD ripping it up on both snow and dirt.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=S00fa8p5HSQ
The Fat CAAD 1 (shown above – black w/green highlights and Lefty Olaf) is spec’ed with SRAM’s X01 1×11 drivetrain, SRAM Guide disc brakes, Sun Ringle MuleFut rims, DT Swiss spokes and Schwalbe Jumbo Jim 26×4.8″ snakeskin tubeless tires.
The Fat CAAD comes in five sizes (XS, SM, MD, LG, XL) and 2 models. The Fat CAAD 1 is the top-of-the-line with the Lefty Olaf and retails for $3730.00. The Fat CAAD 2 (below) comes with a Fatty-Fat rigid fork and SRAM X5/X7 2×10 drivetrain with a retail price of $2130.00.
Equipped with a Fatty-Fat rigid fork and SRAM 2×10 drivetrain, the Fat CAAD 2 is a less expensive option (click to enlarge).
To learn more, visit www.cannondale.com.
This article is part of Mtbr’s coverage of the 2015 Interbike trade show in Las Vegas. For more from Interbike CLICK HERE.
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