The Cannondale Bad Boy 9 is a guy’s bike, if there can be such a thing. Finished in black matte and sporting a thick, brawny frame, its aggressive styling catches the eyes of passersby while preserving every ounce of a man’s masculinity – traits few other bikes can claim.
Selling for $730 in small, medium, large and extra-large sizes, the Bad Boy 9 offers 700c wheels connected to a Smart Formed Stealth Bad Boy, Optimized 6061 Alloy frame. Cannondale even boasts that the frame’s tubes are inspired by Stealth fighters. The Fork is a Cannondale Fatty Rigid (which is also something my bike mechanic smokes on the weekend).
The Cranks, Front Derailleur and Rear Derailleur are all Shimano issue. The trigger and thumb pump shifters are smooth and become instinctive after the rider does a couple miles.
The modern materials making up the bulk of the Bad Boy 9 also forges a surprisingly bike – creating a machine that’s easy to move, carry, load, etc.
While it could serve as an off-road bicycle if needed with its toughness and Cannondale Ride Tailored Geometry, the model I reviewed was a true street bike armed with Freedom Thick Slick tires. Slicks make some riders nervous, but the materials and design of these slicks offers a sticky contact patch on streets and sidewalks – even in the wet. There’s a reason why racers prefer such tires to the tread-heavier units.
If I were to buy any of the bikes I’ve rode to review lately, I’d pick up the Bad Boy 9, even with that price tag. Not only is it styled to fit a proper guy’s image comfortably, the beefier frame make me more at ease while riding. I’m 6’3” and north of 230 lbs., and I was able to ride this bike comfortably and – more importantly – confidently.
Every rider needs to may attention while on a bike, but – when out on the road with my bulk – I have to pay special attention to the pavement ahead. A lesser man can take curbs, inclines, cracks and potholes without concern. But, if I hit a severe version of any such obstacle, I could bend the frame or warp the tire rims.
Such a reality might discourage me to ride – but not with the Bad Boy 9. The bike feels like it’ll stay under you at speed regardless of urban road surface, and I didn’t fear that I might damage this test bike if I hopped a curb or failed to spot a pothole on a night ride. After all, I have to give these test bikes back when I’m done testing them. I’d rather not pack them up with a dented rim or twisted frame.
I felt as though I’d have to take a hammer to the Cannondale Bad Boy 9 to do that kind of damage to it.
