Does a bike from 2008 count as “vintage” or “Gen Z”?  Either way, in the cringe-inducing world of fashion brand bicycle “collabs” the RAW Cannondale has aged well.  Limited to only 500 bikes and based on the Bad Boy series of urban commuting bikes, Cannondale’s collaboration with the Dutch denim brand G-Star dropped in January of ’08, first appearing at the now-defunct Bread & Butter streetwear fashion fair in Barcelona.  At over $2,000, it was far outside of my grad student price range.  Two years later, I snagged a used one eBay for $800 and it became my favorite commuter bike for the next decade.  More people complimented this bike on the street than any other I’ve owned, which says a lot if you’ve read this blog before.  Read on to learn more about the RAW Cannondale.

Our world is in transition.

We are now more mindful of the planet’s resources. No matter which age, sex or society we belong to, we make our choices more consciously then ever.

Riding a bike is a choice. In fact, cycling is an attitude. The bike itself is a statement about its owner.

Cannondale offers a choice of premium urban statements. Among these state of the art bicycles is the all new RAW Cannondale.

Cannondale’s press release stated: “RAW CANNONDALE carries denim specialist G-Star’s distinctive ‘rough, rudimentary and raw’ design signature. The frame is finished in umbro-grey and displays a number of exclusive components to compliment G-Star’s heritage and identity as a leading fashion brand. From the limited edition Shimano Alfine 8 speed drive-train right through to colour coded components, mudguards, HeadShok front suspension technology and integrated lighting, attention to detail is evident throughout. Finishing the package are specially produced brown Vredestein tyres and the RAW denim top and seat tube cover. A further exclusive offering with every bike is a unique RAW CANNONDALE jacket.”

At the time, Torgny Fjeldskaar was Cannondale’s global design director in 2008, and he told BicycleDesign.com:

The whole thing came about because their owner is a big fan of Cannondale, so he wanted to do a project with us. The bike is based around a standard ’08 Bad Boy Ultra frame, but as you can see it’s really tricked out with a lot of color-matched parts and special finishes. The fenders and the chain-guard are both especially designed for this bike.  My involvement was not much more than giving shape to the chain-fender (G-Star had a pretty clear idea of what they wanted, a raw, industrial look with big round holes) and of course the frame. Colors and graphics were decided by G-Star, and the biggest part of the job was actually to get custom parts. Our product managers deserve a lot of credit for making this happen, after all, it is not every day a huge company like Shimano makes 500 units of anything, let alone in a finish they’ve never used themselves…  

Fashion bicycle “collabs” usually result in ugly, overpriced, over hyped junk destined to decorate shop windows instead of streets.  Why did this one work?  Consistency, detail, and quality.  The color-matching was meticulous, yet understated.  The leather saddle, grips, and pad all match, and contrast well with the military green.  Instead of trying to reinvent the bike, they went with a proven urban commuter design, the Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra.  All of the custom modifications, like the chainguard, fenders, tires, and Shimano Alfine 8-speed internally-geared hub were meaningful improvements without being flashy.

Along with good looks, the bike excelled at its role as a commuter.  It wasn’t fast but the ride was smooth and plush.  The integrated Headshok suspension fork and fat 26-inch Vredestien Moiree tires soaked up the bumps and potholes of NYC roads, and was nimble enough to handle tight squeezes in traffic or unplanned curb jumps.  I often mounted a Carradice Barley bag on the saddle and rode it to Fort Tilden beach on sunny weekends.  When I took visiting friends on rides around Brooklyn or Queens to go mural or graffiti-hunting, I always loaned them this bike.  It was an easy-riding SUV of a bicycle, perfect for beginner riders.  Everywhere it went, it got stares and compliments, with people often assuming it was an actual military surplus item.  Once when I was stopped at the Herald Square crosswalk, a man introduced himself to me as a Vietnam War veteran and said, “It makes me happy to see old Army stuff still being used!”

My Bad Boy RAW arrived without the denim shoulder pad and Curana rear fender.  I commissioned an Etsy seller to make a new shoulder pad from waxed denim, and bought a replacement fender from Curana in black.  I hand-painted it using plastic model paint to match the frame color as closely as possible.  I swapped the saddle with a nicer model of Brooks with copper rivets and spring suspension, and replaced the flat handlebars with Velo-Orange’s Bellville zero-rise, swept back bars.  The stem had a proprietary “Headsite” rechargeable 3-watt LED light built-in.  It was a good idea in concept but it had a nonstandard charger that was easy to lose, and it broke twice.  Eventually it stopped working a third time and I couldn’t be bothered to fix it again.

The Headsite was only one of many mechanical issues this bike had.  In the years I had it, I probably spent close to $2000 on repairs and replacement parts. It remains the only bike I’ve owned that I couldn’t do many repairs on myself.  The proprietary Headshok suspension fork had to be serviced four times, with the entire unit replaced twice.  I never used the lockout for fear of wrecking it.  Cannondale discontinued the Headshok by the end of the 2000s, and by the time I needed to have it repaired, finding a mechanic familiar with it was a challenge.  The Shimano Alfine 8-speed internally-gear hub and hydraulic disc brakes worked reliably, although the brakes often got squeaky.  The chain was tensioned using an eccentric bottom bracket, which had a tendency to seize up in the frame, leading to more repairs.

I put many miles on that bike, and always looked good doing it.  However, after ten years, I finally got tired of having to “take it to the shop” like a temperamental European sportscar.  At the beginning of 2020, when bicycles of all kinds were suddenly in demand, I sold it to a gentleman in Singapore.  I’ve been meaning to write about it for many years, so I’m glad to have finally gotten around to it.  Leave me a comment below if you own one of these or always wanted one.

Here’s one last photo, taken at the former Five Points graffiti walls in Queens, NYC:

Official Bike Specs (from Cannondale press release)

• Frame: Hand crafted, smooth welded aluminum frame with fully integrated cable routing and eccentric bottom bracket
• Fork: Super Fatty Alloy fork with oil/air suspension and lock out on the fly
• Shifters: Shimano Alfine 8 speed G-Star edition
• Brakes: Shimano Alfine Hydraulic disc brakes G-Star edition
• Crankset: Shimano Alfine 39 teeth, 2 piece Hollowtech, G-Star edition
• Chain: Shimano anti corrosion silver
• Sprocket: Shimano Alfine 18 teeth.
• Hub Front: Shimano centerlock, G-Star edition
• Hub Rear: Shimano Alfine 8 speed G-Star edition
• Spokes: DT Aerospeed 1.8/1.2/2.3 G-Star edition
• Rims: Rigida Xendo Disc, 32 Holes G-Star edition
• Tyres: Vredestein Moiree 26×1.6 G-Star edition
• Saddle: Brooks B17S
• Stem: HeadShok 31.6mm G-Star edition
• Handlebar: Alloy 560mm x 25.4mm. G-Star edition
• Grips: Brooks Leather grips
• Stemlight: Integrated 3 Watt LED
• Mudguards: G-Star design by Curana
• Chain guard: G-Star design by Curana