Just over 16 kg, 160/155 mm of travel, a mullet setup pairing a 29-inch front with a 27.5-inch rear: the Cannondale Bad Habit 1 brings plenty of bike to the trail. The 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)
16.16 kg in size LG | €7,999 | Manufacturer’s Website

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 16.16 kg in size LG, however, is on the heavy side. For comparison, the Santa Cruz Tallboy weighs 13.34 kg, the Atherton A.130.1 tips the scales at 14.68 kg, and even the descent-focused YETI MT manages to stay below it at 15.03 kg. That makes the real question all the more interesting: how much of that extra weight can you actually feel on the trail?

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 160 mm of travel, and it works superbly. It’s extremely sensitive off the top, pleasantly quiet on the trail and both useful and straightforward to set up. If you want even more reserves, the Bad Habit also takes a 170 mm fork, a setup Cannondale officially approve. At the rear, a RockShox Vivid Ultimate shock controls the 155 mm of travel. The Vivid is an unusual choice on a trail bike and reinforces the Bad Habit’s mini enduro character.

Cannondale make few compromises with the rest of the spec. There’s an electronic SRAM X0 Eagle AXS Transmission drivetrain, although the cranks, cassette and chain come from the more affordable 90 series. That’s no issue in terms of function, but at first glance the spec looks more premium than it actually is as a whole. The light-action TRP EVO Pro brakes, paired with large 220/200 mm rotors, are an excellent match for the bike’s intended use. However, they need some time to bed in properly before delivering their full performance. The robust Reserve 30|HD AL wheels and fast-rolling Continental Kryptotal tyres in the Soft compound and Enduro casing round off the build. For context, Continental use a single-ply construction for the Enduro casing. In direct comparison, and based on our tyre group test, we would rank it below an EXO+ casing.

The straight seat tube is particularly well executed. Designs like this can quickly look a little clumsy when the tube is shifted far forwards and simply runs straight. On the Bad Habit, however, the line integrates neatly into the frame design and, more importantly, brings a genuine functional benefit. The OneUp V3 dropper post offers a whopping 240 mm (!) of travel and can be fully inserted on our size LG test bike, giving you masses of room to move around on the bike. The comfortable OneUp cockpit further complements the well-chosen spec. Our only criticism is the thin grips, which offer noticeably little comfort.

Plenty of small details show that Cannondale have prepared the Bad Habit thoroughly for hard trail riding. The generous chainstay protector extends a long way forward, and the seatstay is well protected too. A sturdy bolted flap keeps dirt and small rocks out of the area between the main frame and rear triangle, while an adhesive shuttle guard protects the downtube during transport. There’s also protective film on the rear triangle and torque values printed directly next to the bolts, which is handy when working on the bike.

For cable routing, Cannondale give you the choice of running the lines through the headset or through the head tube. On our test bike, they were routed through the headset, which wouldn’t be our first choice. If you ever need to replace the upper bearing, it makes the job considerably more involved. On top of that, the blanking plugs for the unused head tube ports protrude noticeably and do not integrate particularly neatly into the frame.

The downtube storage compartment works well. The opening mechanism feels precise and easy to use, while the supplied pouch keeps its contents securely in place. The lid is less convincing, as it doesn’t sit quite as flush as those on some rivals. We also found a little carbon dust inside our test bike. A useful touch is the supplied OneUp pump with integrated multitool, which can either be attached to the Tool Mount directly on the bike or stored entirely inside the frame compartment. There is one small downside: if the pump is not positioned exactly right on the Tool Mount, it makes itself known with a pronounced rattle on the trail.

Tuning Tip: More comfortable grips

Helmet Fox Speedframe | Glasses React rev | Jersey Fox Flexair | Shorts Fox Flexair | Shoes Fox Union | Gloves Fox Flexair

The geometry of the Cannondale Bad Habit 1

The Bad Habit is available in four sizes, SM to XL. Our test bike in size LG combines 480 mm of reach with a tall 648 mm stack height. The 64° head angle is slack, while the 77.8° seat angle is steep. Add to that short 435 mm chainstays, a 1,256 mm wheelbase and 25 mm of bottom bracket drop.

Those numbers explain the bike’s character pretty well. The tall stack and slack head angle give the Bad Habit plenty of composure on steep terrain and at high speeds, while the short chainstays and smaller 27.5″ rear wheel keep it agile. Compared directly with the competition, the rear end is considerably shorter than on the YETI MT at 446 mm and the Propain Hugene at 445 mm. At the same time, the Cannondale’s front end is taller than that of almost any other analogue bike in the test.

Cannondale have nailed the parts that really matter on the trail. The suspension, brakes, cockpit and dropper are exactly what we’d choose for our own bike.

How does the Cannondale Bad Habit 1 ride on the trail?

How does the Cannondale Bad Habit 1 perform on the climbs?

There’s no getting around the 16.16 kg weight on the climbs. The extra heft is particularly noticeable when you compare it directly with lighter trail bikes. The Santa Cruz Tallboy and Atherton A.130.1 both feel noticeably more sprightly uphill.

The mullet setup makes the Bad Habit particularly eager to turn in and gives it a playful feel through corners.

The riding position, however, works very well. You sit in a neutral, comfortable position, with your weight evenly distributed between your hands and the saddle. The steep 77.8° seat angle places you effectively over the bottom bracket and makes it easy to put power through the pedals. The front end is relatively tall, but never feels awkward.

The rear suspension behaves unobtrusively on the climbs, with pedal bob sitting somewhere in the middle of the test field. Traction is solid without standing out in direct comparison. A useful detail is the very easy-to-reach lockout lever on the shock, which lets you quickly firm up the rear suspension when needed.

How does the Cannondale Bad Habit 1 perform on the descents?

The Bad Habit doesn’t take long to get used to, but it asks a little more of you than the most balanced bikes in the test field. It responds immediately to steering and rider input, and reacts sensitively to where you load the bike. That’s exactly what gives it its active, playful character. Ride dynamically and you get plenty of feedback, along with a bike that’s constantly looking for the next lip to pop off. It is one of the most playful bikes in the entire test field and feels considerably lighter on the descents than the scales would suggest.

The Bad Habit charges through rock gardens with impressive composure, while the 240 mm dropper gives you plenty of room to move.

The short 435 mm rear end and smaller rear wheel make manuals easy, direction changes immediate and every trail feature tempting. The front wheel comes up with very little effort, and the bike remains easy to handle even at low speeds. If you know Josh Bryceland’s videos, you will have a pretty good idea of what the Bad Habit wants to do on the trail. It is not just about hitting the fastest line, but making the most of every lip, getting sideways out of corners and spending as much time as possible with both wheels off the ground.

The front end is particularly impressive. It generates plenty of grip and tips willingly into corners. The bike reacts quickly to steering input and lets you push hard through berms. As a result, the Cannondale carries speed surprisingly well.

The handling isn’t completely neutral, though. The short rear end and mullet setup create a slightly rear-biased balance. If you load the front heavily in corners, the rear wheel can break traction relatively easily. That is not necessarily a disadvantage, as active riders can use it deliberately to play with the bike, but it requires a little more finesse than the very balanced Specialized Stumpjumper 15 EVO or the YETI MT.

The biggest surprise comes at higher speeds. Despite its extremely agile character, the Bad Habit is also the most composed bike in the entire test field. That combination is its real strength. Where other playful bikes start to feel nervous in fast, rough sections, the Cannondale remains planted and controlled.

This is where the capable suspension really pays off. The Lyrik and Vivid are extremely sensitive, yet still feel well controlled. The rear suspension offers plenty of mid-stroke support, feels lively and builds through the travel with a pleasant amount of progression. Small impacts are filtered out cleanly. Once the terrain gets rough, the Cannondale offers noticeably more reserves than its compact handling would have you expect.

The front triangle feels precise and stiff, while the aluminium cockpit adds enough compliance to the system. That keeps the bike comfortable without making it feel vague. One clear weakness is the noise. Particularly when the rear suspension is working hard and over braking bumps, the Bad Habit gets very loud. The chain and derailleur slap noticeably, making the Cannondale one of the noisiest bikes in the entire test field. Given the otherwise high level of attention to detail, that is disappointing.

The Bad Habit combines mini enduro composure with a rear end that is constantly hunting for the next take-off.

Who is the Cannondale Bad Habit 1 for?

The Bad Habit feels like a mini enduro bike: playful and lively on easier trails, yet with enough substance for fast, rough terrain. The cockpit complements this character too.

Conclusions about the Cannondale Bad Habit 1

The Cannondale Bad Habit 1 proves that a trail bike weighing a little over 16 kg needn’t feel sluggish on the descents. Hardly another bike in the test combines this much playfulness with such composure. The sensitive suspension delivers plenty of support with it, giving the bike real mini enduro reserves, while the mullet setup and short rear end make manuals, jumps and quick direction changes almost effortless. Its weaknesses are the weight on the climbs and, above all, the intrusive noise on the trail. If you ride actively and want maximum fun on the trail, €7,999 buys one of the most exciting overall packages in the test, which is exactly why the Cannondale Bad Habit 1 earns our Best Buy recommendation.

You can find more information on the Cannondale website.

The Test Field

You can find an overview of this group test here:
The Best Trail Bike of 2026

All bikes in test: AMFLOW PX Carbon Pro, Atherton A.130.1, Cannondale Bad Habit 1, Pivot Trailcat LT Pro X0, Propain Hugene 3 CF Ultimate, Raymon Tarok Ultimate, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Specialized S-Works Levo R, Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper 15 Evo, Trek Fuel EX 9.9 XO AXS Gen 7, Trek Fuel+ EX 9.8 XT Di2 Gen 2, Yeti MT XO.

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Words: Reynaldo Ilagan Photos: Mike Hunger