It’s been nearly a year now since I began commuting to work on my Cannondale Bad Boy 8 Ultra. I’ve ridden daily to and from the office through mornings and evenings which have been humid–hot, wet, bitterly cold and dry. My cycling has spanned the summer, fall and winter—I dislike the rush hour London Underground just that much…so it seemed like a good time to update my previous review with a report from (nearly) one year in.
Modifications
Since I purchased the Bad Boy in April 2008, I’ve made a few modifications:
I changed out the platform pedals for Crank Bros Mallet 1 clipless pedals.
I swapped the handlebars for the One–One Mary riser bar. It looks a bit weird, but offers great ergonomics and comfort with excellent control.
The Fi’zi:k Pave saddle that the bike came equipped with has been replaced with the black B17 Brooks saddle that my wife gave me for Christmas.
I replaced the grips with a pair of Ritchey True Grip WCS foam grips, as the Cannondale grips had a tendency to spin on the handlebars under heavy pulling conditions.
Click the image below for the full image set.
Maintenance
Thus far, maintenance on the Bad Boy has consisted of fixing a few flats, replacing the chain, and all the typical degreasing, lubrication and cleaning chores. The 8-speed Shimano Alfine hub has needed occasional fine tuning, but I have found it to be far less fussy than a traditional transmission setup.
Performance
The Bad Boy has met or exceeded all my expectations regarding performance. It’s a real pleasure to ride on a daily basis, and has proven extremely reliable. The suspension fork has been a godsend on rough London streets, especially on long rides, and the internal-hub transmission is fantastic, with just the right range for urban cycling. These features really set the Bad Boy 8 Ultra apart from other Bad Boy models. At the end of the day, the high cost of this bike has been made up for in sheer reliability and rock–solid performance. A bike with lesser specifications would require more frequent upkeep, something that can be very off–putting in a daily commuter.
Finally, in my previous review I mentioned the necessity of finding some suitable fenders for the Bad Boy. The search continues. Part of the problem is that I’m finding it difficult to add even something as practical as fenders to such an aesthetically clean bike. Meanwhile, I’ll just continue to suffer the consequences in wet weather.
The verdict—updated
As before, I must recommend this bike as a supremely capable urban commuter bike. Fast, sleek, stealth, and rock–solid. I must admit that part of me still longs for a classically styled single–speed track bike, but in the end I think that the Bad Boy is a more robust—and sustainable—choice.
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