Cannondale Scalpel Configuration guide

Scalpel
OWNER’S MANUAL SUPPLEMENT
116378.PDF

READ THIS MANUAL CAREFULLY!
It contains important safety information.
Keep it for future reference.
Please note that the specifications and information in this manual is subject to change for product
improvement without notice. For the latest product information, go to http://www.cannondale.
com/bikes/tech/.
1
INTRODUCTION - GENERAL SAFETY
INFORMATION ....................................... 2
About This Supplement ............................... 2
Special Manual Messages ........................... 2
Scalpel Intended Use .................................... 3
Cross-Country/ Marathon Riding .............. 3
Building Up A Frameset ............................... 3
TECHNICAL INFORMATION ................... 4
Scalpel Front Triangle ................................... 4
Chainstays ....................................................... 5
Head Tube ........................................................8
MAXIMUM FORK LENGTH ........................... 5
Sag .............................................................8
Selecting Rear Shocks ...................................8
Mounting Rear Shocks .................................9
Brakes ........................................................... 10
Chain Rings ................................................... 10
Front Derailleur ............................................ 10
Chain Height ................................................. 10
Tire Selection ................................................ 10
Line/Cable Frame Protection ......................11
Housing Guides and Cable Stops .............12
Bottom Bracket Cable Guide .....................12
Right Chainstay Protector ................................14
SYSTEM INTEGRATION CRANKSETS .....14
Crankarm Removal .......................................14
Spindle Removal ...........................................14
Bearing Inspection .......................................14
Bearing Removal ..........................................15
Circlip and Bearing Installation ............... 16
Spindle & Crankarm Installation ............. 23
MAINTENANCE .................................... 20
Item Schedule ...............................................20
About Cleaning .............................................21
Tightening Torques ......................................21
REAR SHOCK LINK ............................... 22
COMPOSITE SEAT STAY ........................ 24
REAR DERAILLUER HANGER ................ 26
GEOMETRY ............................................27
SPECIFICATIONS ................................... 28
REPLACEMENT PARTS .......................... 29
OWNER NOTES ............................... 30-32
CONTENTS
Scalpel
OWNER’S MANUAL SUPPLEMENT
116378.PDF

2
INTRODUCTION - GENERAL
SAFETY INFORMATION
About This Supplement
Cannondale Owner’s Manual Supplements
provide important model specific safety,
maintenance, and technical information. They
are not replacements.
This supplement may be one of several for your
bike. Be sure to obtain and read all of them.
If you need a manual or supplement, or have a
question about your bike, please contact your
Cannondale Dealer immediately, or call us at
one of the telephone numbers listed on the back
cover of this manual.
You can download Adobe Acrobat PDF versions
of any Cannondale Owner’s Manuals or
Supplements from our website.
Go to: http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/tech
• This manual is not a comprehensive safety or
service manual for your bike.
• This manual does not include assembly
instructions for your bike.
• All Cannondale bikes must be completely
assembled and inspected for proper operation
by a Cannondale Dealer before delivery to the
owner.
* * Important * *
This manual may include procedures beyond
the scope of general mechanical aptitude.
Special tools, skills, and knowledge may be
required.
If you have any doubt about your ability
to properly inspect, adjust, or service your
bicycle, do not attempt to perform the
work described; please take it to a
Cannondale Dealer.
Special Manual Messages
In this manual, information which affects your
safety is emphasized in the following ways:
The Safety Alert Symbol means
: “ATTENTION....BECOME ALERT, YOUR SAFETY IS
INVOLVED.”
WARNING
A WARNING indicates a potentially hazardous
situation which, if not avoided, can result in
serious injury or death.
WARN000
CAUTION
A CAUTION Indicates a potentially hazardous
situation which, if not avoided, can result in
serious damage to the product. The matters
described under CAUTION may, if not avoided,
lead to personal injury, or results depending on
the situation and degree of damage. Important
matters are described in CAUTION (as well as
WARNING), so be sure to observe them.
CAUT000
NOTE:
A NOTE provides helpful information or tips
intended to make the information presented
clearer.

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3
Scalpel Intended Use
Cross-Country/Marathon Riding: Our Scalpel
model bikes and framesets are made for cross-
country riding and racing. Scalpels are not
made for use in extreme forms of jumping/riding
such as hardcore mountain, Freeriding, Downhill,
North Shore, Dirt Jumping, Hucking etc.
Cross-country riding ranges from mild to agressive
riding over intermediate terrain (hilly with
small obstacles like roots, rocks, loose surfaces
and hard pack and depressions). There are no sick
drops, jumps or launches (wooden structures,
dirt embankments) requiring long suspension
travel or heavy duty components. Cross-country/
marathon equipment (tires, shocks, frames, drive
trains) are light-weight, favoring nimble speed
over brute force. Suspension travel is relatively
short since the bike is intended to move quickly
on the ground and not spend time in the air
landing hard and hammering through things.
WARNING
Using your bicycle improperly is hazardous.
WARN001
Building Up A Frameset
Consult with your Cannondale Dealer and the
component manufacturers and frankly discuss
your riding style, ability, weight, and interest in
and patience for maintenance.
Generally speaking, lighter weight components
have shorter lives. In selecting lightweight
components you are making a trade-off, favoring
the higher performance that comes with less
weight over longevity. If you choose more
lightweight components you must inspect them
more frequently. If you are a heavier rider or have
a rough, abusive or “go for it” riding style, buy
heavy duty components.
Make sure the components chosen are compatible
with your bike and intended for your weight and
riding style.
Read and follow the component manufacturers
warnings and instructions.

4
TECHNICAL
Scalpel Front Triangle
The Scalpel’s front triangle is hand-welded, heat-treated 6061-T6 aluminum, and features the Power
Pyramid down tube. The Power Pyramid simultaneously increases in diameter and decreases in wall
thickness throughout its length. As a result, the down tube has a weight-saving thinner wall and a
super-rigid, oversized profile at the bottom bracket shell to resist pedaling forces. At its upper end,
the Power Pyramid has a slimmer diameter for compatibility with the head tube and a beefier wall
for added strength.
The Scalpel also boasts easy portability, with an open, uncluttered front triangle that places all of the
suspension components aft of the seat tube. And for enhanced stand-over clearance, the Scalpel’s
top tube has a downward bend just forward of the saddle - a feature that we fittingly call the Crotch
Notch.
1
4
7
2
8
6
5
3
Figure 1
Scalpel Frame Identification
1. Top Tube
2. Down Tube
3. Seat Tube
4. Rear Shock “Frog” Link
5. EPO Chainstay (carbon fiber)
6. Seatstay (composite)
7. Head Tube
8. Rear Shock

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5
Carbon Fiber Chain Stays
The carbon fiber chain stays deliver 2.7 inches of rear wheel travel. The chain stays’ unique shape and
the careful orientation of their fibers during fabrication force the stays to bend at a precise point mid-
way along their length. (As opposed to other designs with flexing chain stays, where the stays bend
throughout their length.) By isolating the point at which the stays bend - in reality, the pivot point
around which the swingarm rotates - our engineers are able to dictate the performance characteristics
of the rear suspension.
Before the chain stays ever bend upward, though, they are bent downward. Pre-loading the Scalpel’s
rear shock also pre-loads the chain stays, bending them downward at the pivot so the suspension
is extended an additional 1” at the rear dropouts. The natural inclination of the stays to spring back
to their resting (unloaded) state functions as an integral negative spring that dramatically enhances
small bump response.
Pre-loading the stays also moves the rear wheel’s axle to a level just below the Scalpel’s mid-stay pivot.
The result is that, through the first part of its travel, the rear wheel is able to move back out of the
way of impacts as it also moves upward. In the latter part of the travel the pivot is below the rear axle,
eliminating chain growth, pedal feedback and bobbing.
As the swingarm goes through its travel, the suspension also morphs from using the chain stays’
decreasing negative spring (for plush initial response) to using the rear shock’s ramping, positive air
spring for progressive response toward the end of its travel (to prevent harsh bottoming out).
Figure 2
Chainstay Pivot Area

6
Head Tube
The head tube accepts Cannondale HeadShok
System Integration™ headsets (shown), and
OnePointFive 1.5 (38.1mm) headsets.
3
3
2
1
2
137.7mm
134.6mm
4.5”
Figure 3
SI Head tube Headshok Headset
Parts Identification
1. SI Upper Bearing Seal
2. SI Bearing
3. SI Bearing Cup
137.7mm
134.6mm
4.5”
Figure 4
SI Head tube

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7
500mm
(19.7 in)
Figure 5
MAXIMUM FORK LENGTH
How MAXIMUM FORK LENGTH is
measured:
• THE FORK MUST BE INSTALLED and FULLY
EXTENDED.
• MEASURE THE DISTANCE FROM
BOTTOM OF FRAME HEAD TUBE
TO CENTER LINE of WHEEL AXLE.
Do not measure from bottom of headset
bearing cups or head tube adapters if any.
WARNING
DO NOT INSTALL FORKS WITH A MAXIMUM
FORK LENGTH LONGER THAN THE
SPECIFICATION FOR YOUR FRAME. A longer
fork can overload the frame causing it to
fail (break) while riding. You can be severely
injured, paralyzed or killed in an accident.
To find this important specification you can:
1. Consult the Owner’s Manual Supplement
for your bike.
2. Ask your Cannondale Dealer.
3. Visit our website Tech Center at
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/tech/ or
call us at 1-800-BIKE-USA.
WARN002
MAXIMUM FORK LENGTH
Your Cannondale bike frame was designed and tested to a specific MAXIMUM FORK LENGTH. See
below. Installing a fork with a MAXIMUM FORK LENGTH that is longer that specified for the frame,
can overload the frame causing it to fail and break suddenly while riding. A rider can be severely
injured or killed as a result.

8
Sag
Recommended Sag
for Scalpel
25%
of shock travel
Sag is the distance the bike suspension
compresses with a rider (wearing all appropriate
gear) mounted in a normal riding position
(seated, hands on handlebar and feet on the
pedals) on flat ground.
The recommended sag for your bike is intended
to maximize the bike’s suspension travel and it is
usually specified as a percentage (%) of the fork
or shock’s total travel. See the “Specifications”
section in this manual.
Maintaining the recommended sag in both the
front and rear suspension helps assure that the
fork and shock travel operates normally without
the excessive top-out or bottom-out that can
lead to difficult handling or damage.
CAUTION
Please read the fork/shock manufacturer’s
owner’s manual or the instructions provided
before attempting any set-up or adjustment.
CAUT001
Small adjustments to sag are performed by
adjusting preload of the shock or fork.This is done
by adding or removing spring shims, adjusting
the installed length of the spring with a preload
adjusting ring, or with air springs, changing air
pressure settings.
Larger adjustments to sag are require changing
the installed springs in the fork or shock.
Changing the spring may be a simple task or very
complex depending on the design of the fork or
shock. In general: increasing preload decreases
sag, decreasing preload increases sag.
Finding a suitable sag setting within the
suspension fork or rear shock range is a matter of
personal preference taking body weight and how
you ride into consideration.
Selecting Rear Shocks
WARNING
SELECT ONLY COMPATIBLE SHOCK/ FORKS
FOR YOUR BIKE. DO NOT MODIFY YOUR
BIKE IN ANY WAY TO MOUNT ONE. HAVE
YOUR SHOCK OR FORK INSTALLED BY A
PROFESSIONAL BIKE MECHANIC
• Riding with the wrong rear shock can damage
the frame. You could have a serious accident.
Make sure that the total travel,eyelet-to-eyelet
length, and stroke length of the rear shock you
select meets the specifications listed in this
manual.
• When selecting different shocks or forks for
your bike, make sure that the shock or fork you
select is compatible with your bike’s design
and how you will use your bike.
WARN003
Parts Identification (Figure 6)
1. Upper Shock Bolt
2. Washer,12.5ODx6.5IDx1.6MMTHKSS
3. Nut (Nylock)
4. Lower Shock Bolt (M6x1.0x45mm, SHCS)
5. Lock Nut (Nyloc)