First Impression: Cannondale Bad Habit Carbon 1

Cannondale’s Bad Habit could not have rolled into our Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania headquarters at a more appropriate time. As the trails began their late-season transition into an array of conditions from pristine hard packed to mud, slop and snow, the Bad Habit was ready to impress.

On more than a handful of occasions, I found myself heading out for a quick afternoon ride on my personal 29er and quickly turning back, making a switch to the Bad Habit. The 27plus tubeless tires were able to offer substantially more traction in these less than ideal conditions compared to my aggressive 29 x 2.4 inch tires. That’s not to say that this 120 mm front and rear full-suspension bike was any less fun on those days with hero dirt.

Cannondale spared no expense when it came to parts spec on the Bad Habit Carbon 1 with a combination of its own lightweight components, a Shimano XT and XTR 1×11 drivetrain mix with a Hollowgram crank and front ring, Fox Transfer dropper post, Fox Float shock and, of course, Cannondale’s Lefty PBR strut.

Once I found my preferred tire air pressure I had an absolute blast on the Bad Habit. Being able to get your saddle out of the way and having the confidence with added rubber to hit new features without hesitation or take new lines through that gnarly rock garden is awesome. Like the 27plus wheels but want to be able to run 29er wheels as well? You’re in luck, the Bad Habit abides.

Check out our full review of the Cannondale Bad Habit in the upcoming issue of Dirt Rag magazine. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the review and all the cool stuff we’ve got planned this year!