Cannondale scalpel 29+ build

[Paul Loeffelholz]

After a winter on a fat bike i knew i wanted to stay with larger volume tires but my back requires a bike with a shock during the summer , so i decided to upgrade my 2014 scalpel to suit my back woods exploration preferences.

Spent a lot of time researching what was going to fit from sites on tire dimensions when inflated, and then waited for the tires that have been in  Eurobike  shows to come to north america

nobby nick 29 x 2.6 rear new – measures   2.55   leaves approx.    6mm of space per side ( max size that fits back there  ,no front derailleur.

maxxis chronicle 29 x 3  new  – measures 2.9 leaving room on the left – only with severe handle bar torque is there just a slight bit rubbing and those knobs will wear down a bit, bb bracket is now raised a bit and more rake in the fork

wider stans flow mk111 rims , xt 180mm cranks ,sram xo , changed to 1×10 ( 11-42) -chainring 30 or 32 still testing .

rear shock and lefty  -rebuilt, updated  and upgraded by S suspension quebec Canada  and now set for my 200 lb weight with gear

thompson dropper -chosen so i can move it easily between bikes

first ride seems to roll  really well and  the 3″ inch doesn’t feel big after a winter  on a 4.8 tire fat bike

 

Paul

London ,ontario

 

[Jeff Barber]

Very cool–a full suspension 29+!

Did you consider wider rims than the Flow MK3s? Those seem a bit narrow for plus, but I’m guessing you went with them to maximize clearance.

Would love to see photos if you have them…

[Paul Loeffelholz]

 

[Paul Loeffelholz]

I went with that min rim width for a 3.0 as i didn’t really want the sidewalls stretched out too far -lack of room , updated shocks are also an amazing improvement .

[Paul Loeffelholz]

Update

I used a die grinder with a sanding disc to take the edge of the corner off a bit of the lefty side of the front , i used white electrical tape in areas to make it easy to see rub marks

nobby nick also did the same , just rounded the edge of the outside knobs to stop frame rubbing on occasion , didn’t seem to effect cornering on rear  but the front 3″ i have have to watch banking left hand corners with loose soil or sand .

tire grinding is common in a lot of sports from  tractor pull to off road 4×4 so i figured what the heck

overall the large 3″ (16psi) up front makes an amazing difference rolling over roots and and rock gardens , noticing a major difference in its ability to roll of sections of the rocky Bruce Trail while the 2.6 rear (24.5 psi) gives great traction out back

my next bike will probably be a true 29 plus

[acme8888]

I just bought a used 2014 scalpel.  I have some questions about setting up the bike like you did.

Are you available to answer some questions?

Thanks

[Bike Nerd]

I ride a 29+ full-sus Trek Full Stache and I love the bike.  The Full Stache came with heavy slow-rolling 29×3.0 Enduro tires on inner width i36mm rims.  I switched to 29×2.8 Teravail Coronado Trail tires which are lighter and faster-rolling and the bike came alive.  I my opinion, a 2.8tire on an i33 rim is the ultimate Plus wheel which is much lighter and faster-rolling than a traditional 3.0 Plus tire on an i45 rim while still delivering all that Plus goodness.  If I was looking to buy a new Plus bike in 27.5 or 29, I would seek out bikes with 2.8 tires and i33-36 rims.  There are only three 29×2.8 tires currently available—Teravail Coronado, Terrenne Mcfly, and WTB Vigilante.  When you replace your tires, might I suggest that you switch the front 3.0 tire to a 2.8. It will improve you clearance problem, fit better on your i29 rims, and improve your performance.   You might also consider replacing the rear 2.6 tire with a 2.5.   With a 2.5 rear/2.8 front tires, your will still get 99% of the high-volume low-pressure Plus goodness of your current Plus wheels.  Many modern non-Plus Trail/Enduro bikes (like the Specialized Stumpjumper and the Trek Fuel EX) that come with i29 or wider rims have rear frame clearance for 2.5-2.6 tires and front fork clearance for 2.8 tires and could easily be converted to Plus just by switching tires.

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