The big news from Cannondale at Eurobike was a new Carbon Scalpel, and a new pricing policy: more for less.
For 2008 Cannnondale say they are putting an emphasis on upping the spec and lowering price. A neat trick, if you can do it. Cannnondale say they have pulled it off by slimming down the model range and capitalising on the economies of scale that comes from producing fewer types of frame and speccing a more targeted range of components. It also makes for clearer choice for buyers.
Speaheading the effort is a lighter, faster, stiffer version of Cannondale’s flagship cross-country race bike, the Scalpel. They must be doing something right because the latest Scalpel, two years in development, got off to a winning start at the Worlds less than two weeks after launch with Dane, Jakob Fuglsang piloting one to victory in the under 23 cross-country race at Fort William.
There will be three bikes in the Carbon Scalpel range, with UK prices from £2,799 for the carbon 2 to £5,249 for the Carbon Team Replica. There are also plans for a Carbon Ultimate, prices on that are still to be confirmed.
Sitting just below the Carbon Scalpels are two versions with aluminium front-ends. Materials aside, the technology is identical to the carbon versions. UK prices will be £1,899 and £2,399.
The Taurine is another model to see an upping of spec levels for 2008 along with a drop in price. At £1,500 for the entry level model it looks very competitive against similar carbon hardtails on the market. In the UK a Taurine 3 will cost £1,499 rising to £4,199 for the Team Replica version.
Cannondale have twigged that some people will do anything for a sticker, so the latest version of their Perp freeride bike comes with a sticker sheet so that you can decorate it in your own individual style, well, using their stickers. Here's one they did earlier.
The deal is all Perps come in plain pearlescent white, when you go to pick it up you'll be given a set of decals to decorate the bike as you wish. Cannondale are doing similar things with some of their urban bikes too such as the new Hooligan.
Perps start at £1,499 in the UK for the Perp 1 and rise to £3,199 for the Perp 3.