Should I be wanting to buy Bad Boy 8 ??

bikesr4riding
bikesr4riding Posts: 53
edited July 2009 in Commuting chat
Hi there,

I'm seriously considering buying a Cannondale Bad Boy 8 http://gb.cannondale.com/bikes/09/ce/model-9BR8.html. I love the idea of simplicity and having ridden it for a go, the Alfine hub gears work very nicely. Intending to use this bike as my commuter (30 miles round trip) a few time a week, replacing my current hack bike which is an old Kona CinderCone with skinnies.

Any alternatives?
Any advice?
Pro's?
Con's?

Any advice from owners would be appreciated as well as from those who decided against getting one.

Thanks
Paul
My training blog, videos and other bike related stuff,
www.bikesr4riding.com -- Twitter Feed
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Comments

  • lardboy
    lardboy Posts: 343
    Looks like a thief magnet! Clapham Evans tried to talk me into one, but my open disdain and my insistence on drops might have put them off, and I stated that I would be leaving it outside ion central London every now and again.

    It'd be nice and easy to repair a front P* though.
    Bike/Train commuter: Brompton S2L - "Machete"
    12mile each way commuter: '11 Boardman CX with guards and rack
    For fun: '11 Wilier La Triestina
    SS: '07 Kona Smoke with yellow bits
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    I was in Evans the other day and they are attractive bikes, I must admit. That's the sum total of my contribution to this thread.
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • Jamey
    Jamey Posts: 2,152
    One of the other cyclists who sits near me at work has a Bad Boy Ultra and he loves it. It does seem to be quite a simple bike in some respects (hub gears need little maintenance, internally-routed cables, etc) but you do have disc brakes which are slightly more complicated than rim brakes if you need to fiddle with them.

    Seems like a nice bike if you don't want something with drop bars.
    My photography // My helmet cam videos // My bike
  • MrChuck
    MrChuck Posts: 1,663
    Evans in Brum has a really nice white Bad Boy in- sounds all wrong but looks really nice! That said, I don't think I'd buy one for commuting (not even a black one!)- like Lardboy said they look like theif magnets, even in that stealthy paintjob.
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,440
    MrChuck wrote:
    Evans in Brum has a really nice white Bad Boy in- sounds all wrong but looks really nice! That said, I don't think I'd buy one for commuting (not even a black one!)- like Lardboy said they look like theif magnets, even in that stealthy paintjob.

    That thing is gorgeous! I wouldn't leave it locked anywhere. Infact I wouldn't buy it! Too expensive for a commuter and too commutery for anything else.
    Saracen Tenet 3 - 2015 - Dead - Replaced with a Hack Frame
    Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
    Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
  • MrChuck
    MrChuck Posts: 1,663
    prawny wrote:
    MrChuck wrote:
    Evans in Brum has a really nice white Bad Boy in- sounds all wrong but looks really nice! That said, I don't think I'd buy one for commuting (not even a black one!)- like Lardboy said they look like theif magnets, even in that stealthy paintjob.

    That thing is gorgeous! I wouldn't leave it locked anywhere. Infact I wouldn't buy it! Too expensive for a commuter and too commutery for anything else.

    Exactly!
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    MrChuck wrote:
    prawny wrote:
    MrChuck wrote:
    Evans in Brum has a really nice white Bad Boy in- sounds all wrong but looks really nice! That said, I don't think I'd buy one for commuting (not even a black one!)- like Lardboy said they look like theif magnets, even in that stealthy paintjob.

    That thing is gorgeous! I wouldn't leave it locked anywhere. Infact I wouldn't buy it! Too expensive for a commuter and too commutery for anything else.

    Exactly!

    Gorgous? Are you mad? It's awful looking. I never tried a hub geared BabBoy but remember picking up it's geared cousin in Evans last year - nearly gave me a hernia.

    No no and no.
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,440
    The white one is a work of art. I wouldn't ride a painting either.
    Saracen Tenet 3 - 2015 - Dead - Replaced with a Hack Frame
    Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
    Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
  • Matt_westmids
    Matt_westmids Posts: 38
    Looks a bit like my bike and similar ish spec apart from the gears.

    Take it has carbon on it for that much?
    Commuter Bike ---- Marin Novato
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    Should I be wanting to buy Bad Boy 8 ??

    to be honest if you've already watched Bad Boy 6 and Bad Boy 7, the plot's pretty much the same and.............

    ...........oh hang on you're talking about bikes?
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Fcuk me, just seen the cost! Nearly £1000 for that? Madness.
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,440
    Matt_westmids wrote:
    Looks a bit like my bike and similar ish spec apart from the gears.

    Take it has carbon on it for that much?

    I'm fairly sure it doesn't.

    For that cost I'd want at least 2 fork legs, maybe more.

    It doesn't even come with stickers FFS, tight gets!
    Saracen Tenet 3 - 2015 - Dead - Replaced with a Hack Frame
    Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
    Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
  • bikesr4riding
    bikesr4riding Posts: 53
    OK, thanks.

    So does anyone have any recommendations for an alternative commuter that is fast, comfortable, and reliable, plus cheaper...

    Ta
    My training blog, videos and other bike related stuff,
    www.bikesr4riding.com -- Twitter Feed
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,440
    Ribble winter trainer?

    Giant Defy

    Any road bike that can take mudguards (easily)

    If it's a hybrid you're after, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place :lol:

    If you wait a couple of minutes someone will recommend a CX bike
    Saracen Tenet 3 - 2015 - Dead - Replaced with a Hack Frame
    Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
    Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
  • MichaelW
    MichaelW Posts: 2,164
    I can recomend Alfine/disk brakes on an all-weather commuter. Im not sure I would use one for a 2x15 mile ride, it is better suited to shorter rides but it can handle that use.
    The Bad Boy Eccentric bottom bracket gets some poor reviews for being creaking and not holding adjustments.
    The best production Alfine bike is probably Merida S Presso i8-D. They have done away with the chain tensioner device and moved the barkes away from the rack mounts.
    You could build up a Road Rat or suchlike. Alfine works with the Jtek bar-end shifters (ideally on bullhorns) so it could be a good looking courier style build.
  • stevedb55
    stevedb55 Posts: 52
    Took over a couple of minutes, but I'm recommending a Pinnacle CX, got mine (2008 model) a few months ago and I find it an excellent commuter, it takes mudguards, very light, quick, Shimano 105 gears are superb, just as good on cycle paths/tracks as tarmac, etc.....
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,440
    There you go.

    Althoug TBH i was expecting KB :P
    Saracen Tenet 3 - 2015 - Dead - Replaced with a Hack Frame
    Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
    Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    lovely looking bike, hub gears plus powerful stoppers, a tad over kill for what you want maybe and how long it would last locked up any where is any ones guess, but the bike is lovely but i'm not sure i'd not spend that much, but the bike is good un.
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    I'd be weary of 26" wheels for that distance, 700's would make much more sense.
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    UndercoverElephant wrote:
    I'd be weary of 26" wheels for that distance, 700's would make much more sense.

    Why would it make any difference? Assuming you're geared the same and have the same profile tyre?

    AFAIK we only have 700c because that's what the UCI says for competitions. There are many reasons why smaller wheels would be more efficient (smaller, lighter, stiffer for given weight, lower drag etc). INdeed TT bike used often to have 650c front wheels.
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    will3 wrote:
    AFAIK we only have 700c because that's what the UCI says for competitions. There are many reasons why smaller wheels would be more efficient (smaller, lighter, stiffer for given weight, lower drag etc). INdeed TT bike used often to have 650c front wheels.

    Not so, the larger diameter means lower rolling resistance, and road imperfections get smoothed over better.
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    UndercoverElephant wrote:
    will3 wrote:
    AFAIK we only have 700c because that's what the UCI says for competitions. There are many reasons why smaller wheels would be more efficient (smaller, lighter, stiffer for given weight, lower drag etc). INdeed TT bike used often to have 650c front wheels.

    Not so, the larger diameter means lower rolling resistance, and road imperfections get smoothed over better.

    be fairly minor really as said some of the TT bikes are 650c and that is all about speed.
  • bikesr4riding
    bikesr4riding Posts: 53
    UndercoverElephant wrote:
    I'd be weary of 26" wheels for that distance, 700's would make much more sense.
    The Bad Boy 8 has 700's so should be that much faster than the models with 26" wheels.

    MichaelW: Good shout on the Merida option. Need to find out where and how much?

    Thanks
    My training blog, videos and other bike related stuff,
    www.bikesr4riding.com -- Twitter Feed
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    bikesr4riding wrote:
    UndercoverElephant wrote:
    I'd be weary of 26" wheels for that distance, 700's would make much more sense.
    The Bad Boy 8 has 700's so should be that much faster than the models with 26" wheels.

    MichaelW: Good shout on the Merida option. Need to find out where and how much?

    Thanks

    MTFU and get a Singlespeed.
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    UndercoverElephant wrote:
    will3 wrote:
    AFAIK we only have 700c because that's what the UCI says for competitions. There are many reasons why smaller wheels would be more efficient (smaller, lighter, stiffer for given weight, lower drag etc). INdeed TT bike used often to have 650c front wheels.

    Not so, the larger diameter means lower rolling resistance, and road imperfections get smoothed over better.

    Yeah, but does the benefit of that offest the potential gains as listed? Who knows. And why do MTBs typically have smaller wheels given rougher terrain? (again it's historical accident and as anyone who's ridden a 29er or CX bike will tell you, larger wheels fly over rough ground)
  • amnezia
    amnezia Posts: 590
    edited July 2009
    will3 wrote:
    UndercoverElephant wrote:
    I'd be weary of 26" wheels for that distance, 700's would make much more sense.

    Why would it make any difference? Assuming you're geared the same and have the same profile tyre?

    AFAIK we only have 700c because that's what the UCI says for competitions. There are many reasons why smaller wheels would be more efficient (smaller, lighter, stiffer for given weight, lower drag etc). INdeed TT bike used often to have 650c front wheels.

    Larger wheels = higher top speed, lower rolling resistance.
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    amnezia wrote:

    Larger wheels = higher top speed, lower rolling resistance.

    Simple. In that case, I'll replace the 23mm tyres with 32mm tyres to get a bigger wheel and go faster.
  • amnezia
    amnezia Posts: 590
    will3 wrote:
    UndercoverElephant wrote:
    will3 wrote:
    AFAIK we only have 700c because that's what the UCI says for competitions. There are many reasons why smaller wheels would be more efficient (smaller, lighter, stiffer for given weight, lower drag etc). INdeed TT bike used often to have 650c front wheels.

    Not so, the larger diameter means lower rolling resistance, and road imperfections get smoothed over better.

    Yeah, but does the benefit of that offest the potential gains as listed? Who knows. And why do MTBs typically have smaller wheels given rougher terrain? (again it's historical accident and as anyone who's ridden a 29er or CX bike will tell you, larger wheels fly over rough ground)

    Smaller wheels will give you higher torque which is useful for going up hilly things.
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    amnezia wrote:

    Larger wheels = higher top speed, lower rolling resistance.

    Simple. In that case, I'll replace the 23mm tyres with 32mm tyres to get a bigger wheel and go faster.
  • amnezia
    amnezia Posts: 590
    will3 wrote:
    amnezia wrote:

    Larger wheels = higher top speed, lower rolling resistance.

    Simple. In that case, I'll replace the 23mm tyres with 32mm tyres to get a bigger wheel and go faster.

    well you've made the tyre wider so that's not really a fair comparison is it :roll:

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