Le vélo « Cannondale Stealth » est un superbe concept conçu par l’équipe Advanced Projects de la marque américaine Cannondale. L’équipe d’ingénieurs et de designers d’avant-garde, originaires de plusieurs pays, puisent leur inspiration dans de nombreuses sources : « Nous nous sommes inspirés des Stealth Fighters, ces avions dont les formes anguleuses les rendent invisibles pour les radars« , déclare Torgny Fjeldskaar, directeur du département design industriel de Cannondale. « Parmi nos autres sources d’inspiration, il faut également citer la voiture de sport Reventón de Lamborghini, sortie l’année dernière, ainsi que les motos KTM« . La ligne anguleuse futuriste n’est pas la seule chose que l’on remarque sur le Stealth. La fourche monobras, 100 % carbone et au profil aérodynamique, place la barre encore plus haut en matière de conception et d’esthétique de vélos de route. Elle est associée à une potence en ligne qui arbore une ligne ininterrompue entre le tube supérieur et le cintre. À l’instar de tous les Concept Bikes de Cannondale, le Stealth est révélateur des efforts de conception et de production déployés par l’entreprise. Mais c’est aussi un prototype totalement opérationnel.
Cannondale launched a concept bike showcasing innovative design solutions that will inspire future production models. The styling direction of the Cannondale Stealth Concept was, as the name reveals, inspired by Stealth fighter jets, which have a very distinctive edgy shape in order to be invisible on radar. Another source of inspiration was last year’s Lamborghini Reventón sports car, whose faceted surfaces and custom flat paint lend the car a unique and stealthy appearance. The bike was designed by Cannondale’s in-house design team, and prototyped from Carbon fiber and aluminum at Cannondale’s own factory in Bedford, PA. The frame was designed and manufactured as a monocoque carbon part making the front triangle including the chainstays in the mold, a first for Cannondale. The frame mold was machined from two 350lb blocks of aluminum and used seven bladders during the molding process. Using a similar molding process, the Stealth concept also showcases the first full carbon fiber rigid Lefty fork for a road bike including disc brakes. The dropouts, seatpost clamp, headset cups, Lefty road spindle, and fork mold were all machined from aluminum in our Bethel office in CT by our Engineers. The final bonding of the carbon and aluminum structure was completed in the Bedford facility as was final finishing, paint and assembly. The prototype is rideable and weighs in at 8,8kg. The bike is not meant for production at this point, but several design elements will be seen on future Cannondale production models.
