Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra 2002

I bought a cannondale bad boy 2 years ago based on their good reputation and I have never been so disappointed or frustrated with a bike.

1)The factory fitted tyres were incredibly tight for the rims. This made it impossible to change a puncture at the roadside, leaving me miles to walk home. Even in the shop they have broken tyre levers and punctured tubes whilst trying to repair the puncture . A new brand of tyre has helped a little but its still very difficult to change a tyre due to the odd rim size.

2)The chain snapped in the 1st year under mild load, impaling the front chainset into my leg.

3)The disc brakes seize and rub after a slightly wet ride

4)The rear hub has made a disconcerting noise on cornering from day 1

5)The front derailler seizes easily despite frequent shop visits and the most expensive bike lube

The shop has been very helpful but the bike seems very unreliable, certainly not living up to the much-hyped brand image and proving very poor value for money

I hadn't ridden a bike in years when I bought this in 2002, but I planned to do a lot - mostly on the road cycling to work, but also on trails and light off-road - certainly not mad mountain biking.

The store I went to, Mud Dock in Bristol, happened to be a Cannondale specialist, and so I was aimed at their range - and there was nothing here that disappointed. The closest bike to fit my need was a hybrid, the staff suggested - the Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra at £1400 approx. has a handmade rugged, lightweight aluminium MTB frame, but has road wheels fitted and 18 speed Shimano/Cannondale chainset that favour roads, but would also be useful off-road. A change of wheels and it was a good off-road hardtail.

The HeadShox Fatty forks with integrated suspension have only a ten centimetre throw and they're set pretty stiff for road use - this can't be altered, but they can be easily locked out with a large dial on the top of the head stock (which is cheap plastic - rugged enough, but tacky looking for this money). Many other owners have complained about HeadShox suspension forks (except the HeadShox Lefty Models, which are universally regarded as awesome), but in 8 years of use, I've had no problems at all and only had to re-grease it a couple of times for maintenance. I find that on a rough road surface the suspension is of virtually no use in removing the constant discomfort through the forks, but if you hit a small pot hole or a sleeping policeman, you're barely aware of it. On trails and off-road, it makes things a lot nicer, but due to the stiffness of the suspension, you don't lose too much forward momentum from the suspension absorbing your pedalling effort. In summary, it's pretty good for it's purpose, but if you want to do rough off-roading, you'd be better off with different forks. Incidentally, it's possible to change the forks but you need special tools, and you're only real option is another HeadShox product, although it some third parties do make adapters to make it possible to use standard fit forks. I've never felt the need to change.

Wheels - I kept the road wheels on this bike as I mostly use the bike for touring, but instead of the pencil thin race tyres that came with it, I switched to much thicker tyres for greater comfort on rougher roads. After trying a few brands, I went for Michelin folding tyres which have almost no depth of tread, but they're incredibly long lasting and beautifully sticky in the wet. I line them with flexible plastic and kevlar felt, and I simply don't get punctures anymore. Tubes with long stem valves are easier to fit.

The saddle is a grey and black affair embossed with the Bad Boy decals. It's padded with gel and foam, but it's still a small razor type saddle, and it's actually quite comfortable (though when I come back to using the bike each year in the summer (fair weather cyclist) after a long break, it takes me a few days to get used to it again).

Gears - Gears are the one thing that have given me difficulty on this bike - it's taken an age to get them just right. The bottom bracket was replaced under warranty a few months after purchase because it had a touch too much movement in it, and that made a slight difference. One of the Shimano shifters was also replaced a little later. It still couldn't be adjusted to perfectly shift, which I feel it should have after spending this money. Amazingly, it was resolved by being damaged! My rack snapped whilst going down a long steep hill at speed, and the leg of the rack bounced between spokes and gear cassette on the back wheel. By the time I stopped, I had lost a few spokes and others were bent, and the cassette and been ground down slightly on four cogs where the rack had sat on it. I took it for repairs, and was told that whilst the cogs were worn, it changed well and shouldn't be a problem, but I needed new spokes and a new chain. Voila! Perfect gear changes. I talked to a few people on forums and Cannondale specialists, and my complaint is rare, the resolution unique - I choose to just accept it and smile.

Brakes - Magura Julie hydraulic disc brakes - cheap and basic hydraulic disc brakes really, but they work nicely. The front simply won't lock the wheel so you don't have to worry about carefully applying the front break in an emergency, just bang it on full and the brakes bring you to a halt gently but quickly without any risk of going over the handlebars. The back is capable of locking as it's more aggressive, but I've never found it to cause me any balance issues even in emergency stops in slippery conditions. I changed the pads only once in all this time, to a third party type with ceramic stopping plates - and they just don't wear out. Maintenance of the disc brakes is easy - easier than rim brakes in fact, and a lot less troublesome. Spares are still widely available on ebay. Absolutely no complaints.

Everything I've changed on the bike due to failure, wear or damage has been listed above - not bad considering it's age and mileage. It's proved itself rugged and reliable. I have, however, changed a few things over the years for comfort or for enhanced performance, and they are the subject of additional reviews.

The Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra has proven itself to me time and again, cycling to work, touring, trail riding with friends. It's rugged and comfortable and for the most part, exudes quality. A few niggles prevent me from giving it five stars, and a few components which I felt were cheaper than they ought to be on a bike of this price mean the value for moeny is reduced, but it's lasted well and is still going strong. Second hand, quality bikes can be bought for little money - consider getting one a few years old that has hardly been used - there's plenty of them around and you can expect to get up to 80% off the new price for one in perfect condition!