Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod review

The Cannondale SuperSix has always been a lightweight frame and the latest Evo Hi-Mod definitely continues the trend.

Lifting the bike up is a definite wow moment as the 6.5kg full bike feels so incredibly light. It makes you wonder if it can possibly be strong and stiff enough to be responsive, but from the first pedal strokes we realised there was no need to worry on that score.

The wireless SRAM Red eTap groupset means no gear cables and Cannondale’s gone as far as making a bespoke frame that will only work with the new Red eTap groupset, with no drilling for wires.

That shouldn’t be too much of a concern, though, as the groupset performs fantastically. Although the shifting is different to what most are used to, it’s surprising how quickly you adjust to its intuitive system – click the right lever to shift up, click the left lever to shift down.

Gear shifts are quick and smooth, and while the battery capacity isn’t as high as the Di2 system, the claimed 2,000km range should equate to several weeks or even months for most riders.

We also found the gear shifting very positive, with a clear ‘click’ providing solid feedback with every button press, while also remaining very light compared to mechanical systems – a difficult balancing act to perform.

Shifting aside, the SuperSix’s component list is impressive, with Cannondale’s own lightweight Hollowgram Si Carbon 35mm deep-section wheels being stars of the show, although we did find they flexed a little under higher power.

Braking is good, especially in dry weather, although in the wet performance suffers due to the carbon braking surface.

Geometry is on the racier side, as you’d expect, with a relatively low riding position possible, but the traditional straight top tube means that standover height is limited.

For such a race-inspired bike it is a confidence-inspiring and well-balanced ride, and is impeccable when going downhill.

It might not offer magic-carpet levels of comfort, but the narrow 25.4mm seatpost and slim fork help to make it a nice place to be for a long day in the saddle.

Ratings

Frame 9/10; Components 9/10; Wheels 9/10; The ride 9/10

Verdict: Impressed us from the ‘lift test’ onwards. It handles superbly and the SRAM eTap groupset is fantastic. The traditional geometry with less standover height means that some riders need to be careful when picking a size, and it’s not cheap, but there’s very little to fault in this fantastic bike.

Spec

First look: Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod

By Stu Bowers

Everyone likes to think that they do things differently to everyone else or, if everyone else is doing it, they like to think that they did it first. What I’m saying is that everyone likes to think that they’re the trendsetter rather than the bandwagon jumper.

In this constant battle to be the first, Cannondale thinks that other brands have become too narrow-minded; too focused on making the first super stiff bike, the first super light bike, the first disc brake carbon climbers’ bike etc.

With the new SuperSix Evo, Cannondale doesn't want to push any one area of the bike to an extreme but instead it wants to make a bike with a good overall balance.

Sure the new Evo is stiffer under power but it’s also smoother for more descending confidence. Cannondale has decreased the drag to give a more efficient and ultimately faster overall ride. Oh and it's made it lighter too.

So stiffer, lighter, faster and more comfortable then? Well yes, but it’s all in moderation.

Stiffer

The stiffness change comes from the construction rather than a massive change in design. Cannondale continues with its BallisTec carbon fibres, paired with high-impact resins so it can keep the durability but use less material.

Unlike with some other brands the SuperSx has size-specific construction so that the bigger frames should convey the same ride feel as the smaller frames.

Cannondale does this by adjusting the layup for each size but since the rear triangle is made in one piece it means a different mould for each size, which obviously comes at a price.

The BB stiffness, Cannondale claims, is up by 11%. Not a quantum leap, but Cannondale also reminds us of the law of diminishing returns: any stiffer and you risk losing feel and spoiling the ride.

One of the ways this additional stiffness has been achieved is by wrapping continuous carbon fibres around the shell that flow directly into the down tube and seat tube.

The shell is the new BB30A standard, 73mm wide rather than 68mm, which allows them to flare out the seat tube and give it a bigger footprint. Cannondale is keen to point out that this doesn’t change the Q factor of the frame or cause any issues with ankle clearance.

The head tube is a claimed 12% stiffer too – again seeking the sweetspot between handling and comfort.

Lighter

Weight has always been a core issue with the SuperSix Evo frame and that’s not changed. The Hi-Mod has dropped 67g of overall system weight with 30g of that coming from the new one-piece Speed Save fork.

Half of that comes from the moulded carbon crown race. That equates to a whole package that claims to be now 9g lighter than the equivalent Trek Emonda – a bike that staked its claim as the lightest production bike out there.

Part of their diet package is also the inclusion of Cannondale’s own Hollogram SiSL2 chainset. It’s an ultra light chainset at 579g whilst also measuring up 72% stiffer than a Shimano Dura Ace crank. The model we had on test weighed 6.38kg ready to ride.

Faster

Although the SuperSix Evo is clearly not an aero bike if you look closely you’ll see that there have been subtle changes to the tube shapes.

The tubes now have a TAP (Truncated Aero Profile). The waterbottles have been repositioned to reduce drag with the seat tube bottle now sitting in the shadow of the one on the downtube. This alone saved 15g of drag. A redesigned fork crown and headtube junction has also accounted for a 60g drag saving.

It’s not aero madness though with practicality and a fundamentally traditional looking design still winning through.

Wind tunnel and CFD testing has shown that as long as the cables are run close to the centre line of the down tube then there is almost no aero benefit of running them internally, so Cannondale has shunned this modern trend, probably much to the relief of its pro team mechanics too.

More comfortable

Cannondale has previously had criticism that the old Evo didn’t have a balanced feel front to back. The new frame claims to be 21% more compliant with 15% of that coming from the redesigned rear triangle.

Part of that comes from the use of the Synapse’s Delta seat tube but also the move over to a super skinny 25.4mm seatpost, something that has also been tried and tested on the Synapse.

The new SuperSix frame will accept 28mm tyres but they’ve not just crammed them in. The geometry has been tweaked with a 3.5mm drop in BB height to account for the increased ride height that larger tyres will bring.

There have been other minor changes in the geometry too for a more linear stack and reach across the eight different sizes.

The SuperSix Evo will be available in Europe from September. For 2016 there will be a lower price point option with Shimano Ultegra and Mavic Ksyirums that still comes close to the UCI weight limit at 6.9kg.