$9,599 for ultra-light Cannondale mountain bike

Cannondale announced some chosen 2010 models and among them was this gem: Cannondale Flash, a 29″ wheel mountain bike. There is more than just the price tag ($9,599 – gulp) that makes one take notice of this new branch in the Cannondale family.

First up is the weight. This complete bike weighs in at a unbelievably light 16.56 lbs. The Flash features a Lefty single-sided fork and SRAM’s new XX groupset (minus some weight-saving replacements like the Hollowgram crankset). My non suspended road bike doesn’t come close to weighing 16 and a half pounds. The lucky riders that get to throw a leg over this will feel that $10 grand almost throwing the bike forward.