Cannondale Bad Boy or Whyte R7?

Ibb1982
Ibb1982 Posts: 30
edited April 2012 in Commuting general
Hey guys, hope you can help me with choosing my first hybrid bike! :D

Basically I'm looking fora MTB style Hybrid, I'm from an MTB background and prefer the geometry of the bikes that lean towards the MTB way :wink: I'll be getting the bike via our Cycle Scheme at work which gives me around 29.4% discount (work for NHS).

Ok so I think I'm managed to narrow down my choices of bikes (searching for last 2 weeks) and now havinga tough time deciding whether to get a Cannondale Bad Boy R SLX/Fatty R4 or Whyte R7 variant eg Portabello/Stirling

I've tried them all and they all ride great, the Whyte Stirling may be the best ride wise, but it is the most expensive, The Cannondales are stiffer but I like the robust feel and am having a hard time deciding what to go for.

Any help would be amazing, thanks in advance!
Whyte Stirling 2012 - mine since 6/4/12!

Comments

  • snig
    snig Posts: 428
    would be the bad boy for me,for no other reason I think they look cool.

    if you are the type to up grade a lot of stuff, then maybe the bad boy would not be the best, as the black look would soon be lost, with a mix and match set of componants on there.
  • Ibb1982
    Ibb1982 Posts: 30
    snig wrote:
    would be the bad boy for me,for no other reason I think they look cool.

    if you are the type to up grade a lot of stuff, then maybe the bad boy would not be the best, as the black look would soon be lost, with a mix and match set of componants on there.

    The Bad Boy does look damn nice, looks like a stealth bomber! Oh its soo hard to choose, the all look great haha
    Whyte Stirling 2012 - mine since 6/4/12!
  • Ibb1982
    Ibb1982 Posts: 30
    edited April 2012
    Got the Whyte Stirling today! :D

    Absolutely love it!

    465019_706261536927_286600310_6127528_59184619_o.jpg
    Whyte Stirling 2012 - mine since 6/4/12!
  • snig
    snig Posts: 428
    look great mate!

    what made your mind up?
  • Ibb1982
    Ibb1982 Posts: 30
    snig wrote:
    look great mate!

    what made your mind up?

    Thanks!
    Tried the bad boys a few time along with the Whytes , the ride IMO of the Whytes were better eg the bike was lighter, accelerated faster, felt more nimble slow and fast, and th ride was less bone jarring .
    Not to discount the Bad Boy, its was a very close second and the bike certainly felt like it could take a major beating.

    For me the Whyte Stirling just "felt" like the better and more able bike .
    I do prefer the Shimano gearing on the Bad Boy, but the SRAM ore good enough. the brakes on the Whyte felt better too, lots of feel to them and a lot of bite when you needed it.

    Love it! All I've been doing is riding all day, soo much fun :D
    Whyte Stirling 2012 - mine since 6/4/12!
  • snig
    snig Posts: 428
    good you got to try both,sounds you made the right choice,the Bad boy looks like it should have been all those things you say the Whyte is,if the Bad boy only looks the part, then I too would be going for the better ride bike!
  • Ibb1982
    Ibb1982 Posts: 30
    It is possible the Bad Boy could be as good if they went for a carbon fork option (but this would hike the price up I'd imagine), the "Fatty" forks are bomb proof by the look and feel, but it meant it was very unforgiving especially on cobbled parts (which I tested both bikes on). The Whyte Stirling seem float across them cobbles much better, this could be down to the forks as I tried the Portobello (has alloy forks) and it was similar to the Bad Boy ride.

    The Bad Boy does look the mutts nuts though, if you're gonna ride on smooth roads then its a winner for sure.
    Whyte Stirling 2012 - mine since 6/4/12!
  • Dave071uk
    Dave071uk Posts: 3
    Like you I looked at the bad boy/Whyte dilemma and went same way, it was the guy in the On Your Bike store in London who got me onto them, the main one being carbon front fork and their use of quality components throughout the bike, cannondales are a bit too mass produced for me, although the bike looks good. Mind you I was lucky got my bike £200 cheaper then when it arrived it was the brand new 2012 version I have had it since August 2011 and get lots of positive comments, I changed the tyres to continental gatorskins and rear SKS x mudguard, along with camelbak bottle and lesyne pump.
  • shamrock134
    shamrock134 Posts: 714
    Make sure you get bike insurance and a good lock.

    My Whyte Stirling 2012 was stolen near London Bridge a few weeks ago and I didn't have insurance. So sad... :cry:
  • Dave071uk
    Dave071uk Posts: 3
    Couldn't agree more and bike does stand out as well, so good locks and insurance are a must, we have ours on household but need to check to make sure they are happy as last bikes were a little cheaper!!! Sorry to hear about the theft of your bike though especially when you invest that money and I guess effort to get a decent bike. I bought mine as I am recovering from cancer and using it to get fit and bring my energy levels to what they were before I hope. People just don't think about their repercussions of their actions, I do hope you are one of the lucky ones who gets yours back.
  • Ibb1982
    Ibb1982 Posts: 30
    shamrock134 wrote:
    Make sure you get bike insurance and a good lock.

    My Whyte Stirling 2012 was stolen near London Bridge a few weeks ago and I didn't have insurance. So sad... :cry:

    Oh sorry to hear that buddy, I'm going to insure my bike ASAP, any recommended companies?
    Whyte Stirling 2012 - mine since 6/4/12!
  • shamrock134
    shamrock134 Posts: 714
    Thanks, it was my own fault really for not insuring it and not adequately protecting it. It only had a single weak Abus lock on it which meant despite being in a public place it must have been a quick/easy steal for these organized bike thief gangs.

    I got a cheap replacement bike to keep me going (insured with http://www.cycleguard.co.uk/), but I'm already saving up to get another "good" bike. I don't know whether to go for a road bike or another hybrid. I liked the Stirling so much I'm seriously considering going for a Montpellier.
  • Ibb1982
    Ibb1982 Posts: 30
    shamrock134 wrote:
    Thanks, it was my own fault really for not insuring it and not adequately protecting it. It only had a single weak Abus lock on it which meant despite being in a public place it must have been a quick/easy steal for these organized bike thief gangs.

    I got a cheap replacement bike to keep me going (insured with http://www.cycleguard.co.uk/), but I'm already saving up to get another "good" bike. I don't know whether to go for a road bike or another hybrid. I liked the Stirling so much I'm seriously considering going for a Montpellier.

    Are you eligible for the cycle to work schemes? Would make it easier to get the bike you want (upto 1000), save on on tax and pay monthly.

    Really sorry to hear it got stolen, I had my Orange Ms Isle (custom built frame up by me) and when that stolen from my house (didn't have insurance either) it was devasting. Hope you can get a nice bike asap. Stirling definitely is great bike.
    Whyte Stirling 2012 - mine since 6/4/12!
  • mcitp
    mcitp Posts: 1
    I bought the Cannondale Bad Boy R SLX 2011 in sale for i think for £800 reduced from £1000. I hade marin a lp fairfax before which was 2 sizes too big. I rode the badboy work for 2 days, I found it was a much harder ride than the marin and that it was a lot heavier. I took it back to the shop and got my money back.

    I test rode the whyte stirling and its much lighter and faster and I think it actually looks better. I bought it and prefer it to the badboy even though it cost 200 pounds more because badboy was in sale. Whyte stirling beats it hands down.

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