Cannondale releases longer and slacker Habit as do-it-all alloy or carbon trail bike

Cannondale has officially unveiled its new Habit after teasing the bike on its website last month.

The new trail bike is available in two configurations – the Habit, which features a 140mm front fork and 130mm of rear suspension, and the Habit LT, which has a 150mm fork and 140mm of rear suspension.

Both versions are built around a new frameset, in either carbon fibre or aluminium, featuring size-specific geometry.

The bikes are available now.

Cannondale Habit frame details

The Habit Alloy will use an inline shock. - Cannondale

As with the previous model, the Cannondale Habit is available in carbon fibre or Cannondale’s SmartForm C1 Alloy, which is the brand’s premium aluminium frame material.

Similarly to Yeti’s SB140 and SB140 LR, the new Habit is available in two build options that feature different amounts of rear travel as well as component choices.

Cannondale says the new Habit is for riders looking for an evolution of the previous model, while the Habit LT is for those at the wilder end of the trail-riding spectrum.

The Habit LT has space for a bottle cage and tool carrier. - Cannondale

As well as the change in suspension travel, the Habit LT features wider 2.5in tyres compared to the 2.4in rubber on the Habit, as well as 200mm brake rotors instead of 180mm.

Habit LT models will also use piggyback rear shocks, while Habit models will use inline shocks.

The bikes are available in five sizes, from XS to XL, with the smallest using 27.5in wheels, which Cannondale says adds more security for smaller riders.

This also means we may see mullet builds down the line.

Both the carbon and aluminium frames feature down tube protection. - Cannondale

Both versions feature new down tube protection to prevent rocks from damaging the frame, as well as a full-length chainstay protector that should provide quieter descents compared to the previous model.

The carbon models feature Cannondale's StrapRack carrier, which bundles tools and a tube together under the frame's top tube.

The StrapRack is Cannondale's on-bike storage system. - Cannondale

There has been an update to the linkage, with one of the pivot mounts moving from the seat tube and sitting deeper into the frame.

Like many new mountain bikes, the Habit has adopted SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger and will use post-mount brakes.

Cannondale has also followed wider trends by giving the bike a threaded bottom bracket.

Cannondale Habit geometry

The Habit LT 1 features internal cable routing with removable down tube protection for easy installation. - Cannondale

The new Habit has had a full redesign, featuring a more aggressive geometry than the bike it replaces, with a slacker 65.5-degree head angle, as opposed to 66 degrees on the previous model.

The front-centre measurement has increased on the new model, up from 743mm to 767mm for a medium-sized frame. This should make the bike more confidence-inspiring when going downhill because the front wheel is positioned further forward.

The Habit LT features an even slacker geometry, with a 64.7-degree head angle and a 770mm reach measurement.

Cannondale has given both bikes what it calls Proportional Response size-specific geometry, which sees chainstay lengths increase through the bikes' sizes.