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At Least It’s Not the Cannondale Kapo

As I wait with anticipation to see if my new Cannondale Track frame is the same model that I’ve been riding for years, I’m left wondering which bike frame it will be.  Cannondale hasn’t made many track bikes over the years.  In fact, they’ve only made essentially the same frame that has been repainted and rebranded over and over.  And the name has, until its present incarnation, always been Track.  For some unknown reason, probably to appeal to a hipper crowd or to the faux-messenger scene, Cannondale has inexplicably chosen to brand its newest track bike as the Capo. …

Cannondale Capo Track Bike

Of course the name “capo” literally means “head” and signifies someone or something in the lead or in control of a situation. Unfortunately for me, I can’t but help associated capo with the Kapo of the concentration camp.

Capo Logo

This isn’t fair and I am certain that Cannondale did not intend to associate the Holocaust with its new track bike but shouldn’t someone have noticed the association and suggested a different name?  There are plenty of languages to choose from; plenty of ways to say “the head” or “in control” and appeal to the hipster fixie crowd without using such a loaded word.

Nevertheless, the bike frame is essentially the same frame that I have now except painted differently and branded with a horrible name.  Needless to say, if this is the replacement frame, I’ll be taping electrical tape over the logo.  Of course I do that anyway to keep the chain from getting grease on the bar.

Only a week until the replacement frame arrives.