# Help me choose! Cannondale Bad Boy 9 or Rocky Mountain Metropolis YUL



## djork (Nov 8, 2004)

Here's the nitty-gritty, down and dirty:

2012 Cannondale Bad Boy 9 (new) $729
pros:
-Aesthetics (matte black paint job with reflective Cannondale logos that blend well with the black frame)
-Disc brakes
-Rear disc brake caliper location allows for a standard rack
-MTB-based frame design
-Does not look like a *gasp* "hybrid"
-Designed as an "urban" bike

cons:
Cheap components for the sticker price

2010 Rocky Mountain Metropolis YUL (new) $399
pros:
-Though I prefer the BB9's matte black, the YUL has a gloss black with subtle graphics
-Disc hydraulic brakes 
-Decent components (Deore RD, Tektro Aguila hydros)
-Eyelets on fork for misc. add-ons (fenders, lights, etc.)
Designed as an "urban" bike

cons:
-Rear disc brake caliper is located on seat stays, so I cannot use a good rack I already have
-Looks sort of like a *gasp* "hybrid"

My heart is set on the BB9, but the price of the YUL makes it a better deal. I tried out the YUL today and it ws a perfect fit. However, because it's a really small size, putting a rear rack will be a bit odd since I will need long extensions to reach the eyelets situated near the seat tube. The Tektro Aguila hydros look pretty decent. Other than the Shimano Deore rear derailleur, all other components are pretty cheap, but probably not as cheap as what's on the BB9. 

I don't know much about RM bikes, but I know they're Canadian, and the YUL has a "Built in Canada" label. Don't know if that means anything. 

With Cannondale, I feel like I'm just buying the name and perhaps the killer paint job, but with the RM, I'll have a decent urban commuter for about half the price of the Cannondale.

Argghhhh! Is this a no-brainer?


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Would be for me. The most time I've ever spent choosing a bike was two weekends.  For my non-race bikes, usually I just shoot from the hip. Honestly, I've done that with most of my racers too. Within a class, IME, bikes are more alike than different. They become mine because I fit them to me, and I keep them long enough (or sometimes chew through components fast enough) to wander away from the stock builds.


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

Go with the bike that will make you ride more often. You will probably upgrade components over time, so choose the better frame.


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## djork (Nov 8, 2004)

That's the the thing, I plan to upgrade almost all the parts on both bikes. I got most of the parts already to swap. With the RM Metro, I can probably get some decent money from the sale of the Tektro hydros. 

Both frames are 6061, though the BB9 seems to have more of a reputation. I know nothing about RM frames. I just learned that the "Built in Canada" is the same as Raleigh's "Made in the USA" and basically means it was assembled in Canada. Darn, but not a big deal. The only thing that's stopping me from getting the RM is the fact that it's a size 14 and fitting a rear rack will be a bit of a challenge and may also look weird. The frame itself doesn't look all that weird for a very small frame. It fits me perfectly but I normally ride 15-16" frames and even have a Niner Air 9, so the BB9 is still within my size and a very viable option. I didn't really have much saddle time on it when I last tried it, but it fit me fine. I personally think it loks better than the RM frame, which has their signature top tube lower than the seat stays.

Another thing I don't like about the RM is the location of the rear disc caliper. Hello? Why can't bike companies locate urban/commuter bikes with rear disc brakes on the chain stay?

Anyway, back to frames. I don't know which is a better frame. I'm afraid if I get the RM I'll wish that I had gotten the BB9 at a later point. But if I get the Cannondale then the smart shopper side of me will wonder why I didn't buy a bike that was better spec'd and way cheaper.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

How about neither? If you have most of the parts to build it up anyway, get a bare frame that you really like.

This bike shares the brake position problem, but not the grandmotherly geometry of the two hybrids you were looking at.

the Product of COTIC cycles : ROADRAT, for commuting, training, touring, cyclocross, family rides, courier work...

Here's another one, sizing's a bit funky but by those head tube lengths you should be able to lay it out nicely.

Rock Tour - Your Off-Road Adventure Calls!

Or get a Surly, or a Soma, or...


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## Dogbrain (Mar 4, 2008)

AndrwSwitch said:


> How about neither? If you have most of the parts to build it up anyway, get a bare frame that you really like.


I agree. If you've got some parts already, I would buy the frame you want and hit up the web for the rest of the build. You can really put something together cheaply if you hit up all the sales and aren't stuck on any particular components. Plus it will be fun to build it.


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## djork (Nov 8, 2004)

Roadrat isn't the coolest bike name, haha! The Gunnar frame does look decent, but call me silly, but I have this vision of what my new commuter-urban is gonna look like. It has to be black and I want to have green accents. Also, I have a sweet Bontrager Rhythm Elire 31.6 seatpost that has an ano green rail clamps, so my new frame will have to accept at least a 31.6 seatpost. 

I may hold out for the BB9. I think it has the better and cooler frame. It has a MTB heritage so it's more rugged and can be taken off-road with a simple swap of the wheels--though I plan to use it mainly as a street bike.

Seems like all bike shops and even REI are out of the Bad Boy models. Wonder if Cannondale is doing this intentionally to drive up demand or something. I personally don't care much for any of Cannondale's other bikes, but I wonder if they're resting on their laurels. I mean they're a good company, but they have to face the fact that they were bought out and they name seems to be in decline.


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## djork (Nov 8, 2004)

Yeah, that's the thing. I prefer getting just a frameset if I could, but there aren't many commuter-based frames that I like or fits the bill, or even MTB-based frames. I wish Cannondale sold the BB as a frame. Essentially, I guess I'm buying the BB9 or the RM (still debating) just for the frame. At least with the RM, I'll get my money back pretty quickly with the sales of take-off parts and since the bike is so cheap, I'll be ahead of the game, so to speak.


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## borracho (Jul 18, 2010)

Which bike did you end up getting? Saw a BB today for the first time and fell in love/lust.


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## djork (Nov 8, 2004)

Borracho: BAD BOY 5! It is a beautiful bike. Check my post about the Bad Boy somewhere on the front page and you'll see some sneek peak pics. Love the Lefty fork. I have never seen a BB on the street, much less a Lefty one, so I'm not sure what people will say or do when they see a bike with one fork leg. It's like wearing Vibram toe shoes. People will say wtf? Which BB model did you see?


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## hunter006 (Jan 20, 2012)

On one of the lefty MTB's that Cannondale produces, right where the downtube meets the steerer tube on the underside of the downtube, Cannondale has a little, "lefty's rule" visible to anyone flipping the bike over. Does the BB have that too?


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## borracho (Jul 18, 2010)

djork said:


> Borracho: BAD BOY 5! It is a beautiful bike. Check my post about the Bad Boy somewhere on the front page and you'll see some sneek peak pics. Love the Lefty fork. I have never seen a BB on the street, much less a Lefty one, so I'm not sure what people will say or do when they see a bike with one fork leg. It's like wearing Vibram toe shoes. People will say wtf? Which BB model did you see?


Not really sure which one it was. It did have a rigid fork though. . Nice lookin bike, especially for the price. Currently I am rocking a ~80s era Raleigh somethin or another for my non-mtb riding needs..$40 At a yard sale and gets the job done for pavement riding but is far from being optimal/efficient. Thanks for the reply! I hope to go check the lbs this weekend to see if they have any left.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

^^^
Raleigh Technium? I had one of those for a while. If well-tuned, it's a pretty efficient ride.


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## djork (Nov 8, 2004)

Not sure where you are located, but it looks like the BB model is hard to find. Not sure if they're that popular (have never seen one on the road) and get sold quickly or Cannondale is artificially driving up demand by producing them in small numbers. Stores had to order it or there was a wait time. I was fortunate to check out a BB9 in my size earlier this year, but good thing I did not buy on impulse. The wait was well worth it as it allowed me to get a BB5 that cost me about a $100 more than what I would have paid for a 2012 BB9. The two local shops said all 2012 BB9 models were gone.


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## Cayenne_Pepa (Dec 18, 2007)

Bad Boy, hands-down. I also like Rocky Mountain, but Cannondale has the hybrid bike down to a science and art form. Once you get rid of the crappy parts - the Bad Boy can be built up crazy light....mine is 15 pounds! Also, its so fast - you'll make roadies do a double-take, as they wonder what just blew by them!


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