General Cycling Discussion - Where does a Bad Boy Ultra fit in biking universe?

I am in love with the BBU and I don't know why. Should I just take the plunge or would I be better off with an entry-level synapse? I am afraid I will want to add drop bars within a month or two. I think I will use it for fitness and fun rides with family with a few longer hour plus rides on my own. Should I do a true "road bike" for this?

Get both. ;)

The BBU is a slick bike, with some optional comfort (lockout fork) over my fully rigid BB Disc.

It will not be as nice for multi-hour rides as the Synapse, and it just won't be as fast. But, it's easier to dial the BBU's speed back to cruise with the family.

My flat bar hybrid helps relieve back problems for me on longer rides and I enjoy riding it very much, however I do suffer a slight performance lag compared to spins on my road bike. I'd say the Bad Boy is probably better suited for casual fun rides and will still offer very good performance.

Ultimately though, if you're faced with this question now and you really enjoy bicycling then there's a high probability that sooner or later you'll solve your dilemma by buying both. :)

It is the ultimate in bike coolness. And I'm not just saying that because I own two. ;)

Seriously,they do make nice all round bikes. They use a MTB frameset,so you can build a set of 26" wheels and do both commuting and trail work by just swapping wheels. The HeadShok is very slick. Distances are doable with a handlebar swap;a trekking/butterfly bar will go straight on untilizing the stock controls,and give you all the benifits of a drop bar for a fraction of the price. They also tend to hold their value pretty well;I've yet to see one go cheap on eBay.

Thanks for your comments...I went ahead and did it..sort of. I got a good deal on a 07 F3 Caffeine and went ahead and threw on some 700 wheels. PRESTO!!! A BBU but blue with red lettering. I kind of feel like it's a patriotic BBU. I think I did a good thing..now lets go ride the bad boy!

Well, yours is a "Blue Boy", then... ;)

here's an update on my attempt to make my own Bad Boy Ultra. It seems that the 700 wheels do fit BUT the valve for pumping up the fork juuuusssssst barel clears the front wheel. I have the fork so pumped up with air that I doubt it is really going to absorb any of the bump. I am afraid if I let any flex in the fork bounce down even the smallest amount then my valve will dig right into my front tire and who knows what kind of cluster f#$@ I will get into if that happens. Perhaps I should have just went the cheapo route and just get a basic bad boy? Does anyone with a true Ultra have this problem or did I create this unique situation through my own stupidity?

The valve stem moves with the lower part of the fork; its clearance to the tire doesn't change. Change the air pressure to match your weight like Cannondale recommends here (http://www.cannondale.com/asset/iu_files/techcenter/2005_headshok_super_fatty_ultra_dlr_dl_owners_manual_supplement_en.pdf).

If there's a BBU at my LBS, I'll look to see if its tire clearance is tight. It's listed as having the same fork as the F3.

BTW, what tire size do you have on those 700's?

BTW #2 -- I'm thinking of getting a Cannondale Rush. The version I'm looking at has lockouts on both front & rear shocks, so it can ride like a rigid -- if heavier -- bike. It would be a trip if it'll also take the 700c wheels from my BB Disc.. :p

they are 700 x 28 and the valve sticks out big time. If it's a quarter inch that's generous

My LBS didn't have a BBU on hand today, but trust me when I say that the shock valve won't hit the tire.

My LBS put so much air into the shock that i am confident that it won"t hit...for now. I was concerned that maybe they put too much air into it so I wouldn't notice how close it could possibly get. They way they have it set up now it doesn't feel like there is any "give" to the shock...so what's the point of having it or a lock out?

It's not going to hit.

Think about it for a minute. The shock has 80 mm -- that's eight whole centimeters -- of travel. Even with the stock 26" wheels, that's more travel than there is clearance between the valve and the knobby tire.

If the fork moved and the valve remained stationary, even the stock wheels will hit the valve.

But that's not the case. The valve moves with the fork. The tire will never get any closer to the valve than it is when it's sitting there. Fork moves up, valve moves up.

I don't know why your shop is playing along with your fears and over-pressurizing the shock, but they need to stop this foolishness and set it up correctly for your weight.