Cannondale Bad Habit 1: The 36-Pound Trail Bike That Feels Half Its Weight

James Moore · 2026-09-08

Just over 36 pounds, 6.3/6.1 inches of travel, and a mullet setup pairing a 29-inch front wheel with a 27.5-inch rear: the Cannondale Bad Habit 1 brings a lot of bike to the trail. The big question for this group test is whether that adds up to a mini enduro bike in disguise or a proper trail bike. You can find an overview of this group test here: The Best Trail Bike of 2026. ### Cannondale Bad Habit 1 | 160/155 mm (f/r) - **Measured weight:** 35.6 lb in size LG - **Price:** $7,999 - **Wheel setup:** 29-inch front / 27.5-inch rear - **Travel:** 6.3 inches front / 6.1 inches rear High weight isn't usually a recipe for nimble handling. Yet out on the trail, the Cannondale Bad Habit 1 seems to have missed that memo. Although the bike clearly leans towards mini enduro territory on paper, Cannondale haven't gone all in on a flat-out, gravity-focused concept. Instead, the Bad Habit is designed to combine plenty of reserves with a lively trail-bike character, a blend that makes it stand out in this test field. At $7,999, the Bad Habit is the second-cheapest analogue bike in the test field. Its measured weight of 35.6 pounds in size LG, however, is on the heavy side. For comparison, the Santa Cruz Tallboy weighs 29.4 pounds, the Atherton A.130.1 tips the scales at 32.4 pounds, and even the descent-focused YETI MT manages to stay below it at 33.1 pounds. That makes the real question all the more interesting: how much of that extra weight can you actually feel on the trail? ### Exciting details about the Cannondale Bad Habit 1 **Highs** - 240 mm OneUp V3 dropper post in size LG - Pump with integrated multitool included on the bike - Torque values printed on the bolts - Extensive frame and shuttle protection **Lows** - Storage compartment lid does not sit perfectly flush - Some carbon dust inside the down tube of our test bike - Uncomfortable grips **Key Facts** - Full-carbon frame - 160/155 mm travel (f/r) - 16.16 kg (35.6 lb) in size L - 29"/27.5" wheels - 4 sizes: SM, MD, LG, XL ### Spec and details of the Cannondale Bad Habit 1 Cannondale have specced the Bad Habit squarely for aggressive trail riding. Up front, the new RockShox Lyrik Ultimate fork with Charger 3.2 damper generates 6.3 inches of travel, and it works superbly. It's extremely sensitive off the top, pleasantly quiet on the trail, and both useful and supportive when you're pushing hard. But here's the thing: that weight doesn't disappear just because the suspension is good. You feel it when you're climbing, especially on longer fire-road grinds. The Bad Habit isn't sluggish, exactly, but it's not a bike you'll forget you're riding either. It asks for a bit more effort on the ups, and in return, it gives you a lot of confidence on the downs. That's the trade-off Cannondale seems to have baked into this bike. It's not trying to be the lightest trail bike in the world. It's trying to be the one you grab when you're not sure what the trail will throw at you. And for a lot of riders, that's exactly the right call. So who is this bike for? If you're the kind of rider who checks the scale before every ride and obsesses over grams, the Bad Habit might not be your first pick. But if you want a bike that feels planted, capable, and ready for whatever, the extra pounds might not matter as much as you'd think. It's a bike that rewards a certain kind of rider, not the one chasing KOMs on smooth climbs. In the end, the Cannondale Bad Habit 1 sits in an interesting spot. It's not a full-on enduro sled, but it's not a featherweight trail bike either. It's something in between, and that's a space a lot of riders actually live in. If you're looking for a do-it-all rig that leans a little more toward the descent, this one deserves a closer look.