It is perhaps a bit “unusual” to put a review of a fixed-gear bike into the more travel/commuting oriented bikesite; alas this is the bike I bought to get back into cycling after a nearly 10-year hiatus.
When looking for a bike to start cycling I got immediately intrigued with the simplicity and also the relative low pricepoint of a fixed-gear or singlespeed bike. No expensive parts besides the frame, no shifting gear to maintain all sounded like a winning recipe to me. I did a bit of research and found a number of “prebuilt” fixies from a variety of manufacturers, but almost immediately picked the Cannondale once I found out they were offering it. My only reason was: I have been riding Cannondales since 1990, all hand-made frames and had nothing but good experiences with them. I read a few reviews online and proceeded to order a bike from a local Cannondale dealer.

I rode the bike as my main ride for a year and still ride it at least twice a week when I feel the need for some shenanigans on the street (“I swear that was not me hanging off the spare tire of a Jeep”)

I expected a ride that was simple, quick and enjoyable; somewhat akin to a Mazda Miata. If you’re not into cars that may not mean much to you but what I got was the equivalent to a Lotus Elise SC. Read on to see what I mean by that
Frame & parts     5/5

This is one of the frames still handmade at Cannondale’s factory in Bedford, PA and it shows. It is made out of one of their custom tubesets, double-butted and thin-walled. Way back when, it was Cannondale and Klein that pioneered fat-tubed, aluminium frames, so the have considerable experience there; perhaps more than any other manufacturer.

The frame is drilled for front and rear brakes ( a big no-no among the fixie purists), has mounts for two bottleholders and you get a carbon fork also.

The parts that are on there are some no-nonsense, very well working items from their own in-house brand. The headset rocks ‘Dale’s “System integration” logo, but I couldn’t tell you what that means, except it has been working very well. Besides that you have a decent crank set, nice brakes and a wheelset that is not superlight but well built and is still true after two years of agressive but not abusive urban riding.

Ride quality     0/5 to 5/5, it depends on you

Riding the bike home from the dealer I bought it from I was shocked. I had never ridden a bike than handled so explosive, accelerated that fast or was that nervous at slow speed. It was then that I discovered what the Capo actually is: It’s a track bike, built for speed, acceleration and lightning -quick handling on the boards of a European velodrome. A finely tuned, exquisitely exercised single purpose bicycle, a pure-breed if you will.

Take it out of it’s habitat onto the pockmarked and pot-holed streets of Denver and you realise there are compromises to be made.

The frame is stiff to the point of abusive. Mix that with super-short chainstays, very steep seat and top tube angles and race tires and you get a ride that is invigorating, exciting but never relaxing. 

This bike will always keep you on your toes, it will (figuratively speaking) whisper in your ear: “Spank me, please” but never relent. It is your neighborhood bad girl (the one you’re secretly scared of) made out of choice aluminium and carbon fiber. If you were looking for your high-school sweetheart, look elsewhere.

Practicality     0/5 to 5/5, you decide

If you read that far, than you already know that this is not a very practical bike either, in the true sense of the definition. There are no eyelets for fenders or racks, the biggest tire you can possibly squeeze through the fork or the rear end is a 25mm race tire.

This means you are limited to whatever you can stuff into your messenger bag for cargo and your ability to find the smoother roads to get to work.

You may, however, find that these limitations are not really limitations at all but rather the epitome of concentrating onto the essentials of riding, which are speed, suaveness and attitude

Conclusion     4/5 for me

This is easily the most fun bike I have ever owned. In the general consensus of commuter bikes, the Capo is possibly one of the worst choices, but if it’s siren song of high-speed, needy handling and a semi-abusive ride appeals to you you cant go wrong.

I picked up a more “sensible” bike last year for shopping, touring  and all the other stuff, but am I ever glad to succumb to the Capo’s whisper and hiss.