The Cannondale SuperSix Evo has always, to the favour of many, maintained a very traditional aesthetic with its predominantly round tubing and horizontal top tube. But whilst it remained a perennial favourite amongst racers it was undeniably lagging far behind some of its competitors in the pro peloton with regards to its aero credentials. But no longer.
The challenge facing design engineer and leading aerodynamicist Nathan Barry – the man behind the creation of Cannondale’s speed weapon, the SystemSix - was to create a new family of tubes that reduced aero drag but kept as much of the classic look as possible.
Inevitably, though, such is the need to make certain changes if you want to make a super fast road bike these days, the new Cannondale SuperSix Evo has a very different style, look and feel to its predecessor. That does mean it has lost some of its individualism, joining the ever-increasing group of go-fast, super-light race machines that all have very similar silhouettes. But that’s surely a small price to pay for speed.
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Cannondale SuperSix Evo 2020 models and prices
Cannondale SuperSix Evo 2020: First ride review
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Old habits
Cannondale launched the SuperSix Evo back in 2008 as an out-and-out race bike and ostensibly it’s only had minimal tweaks to its design in the 11 years since.
A new version in 2011 claimed to have the sought after improved comfort alongside the mandatory low weight and high stiffness traits the pros demanded, but the development was mostly around the carbon lay-up and so its appearance remained practically unchanged.
Drag reduction was a consideration for the 2nd generation SuperSix Evo, launched in 2015, and as such there were some altered tube profiles but still the model stood its ground by eschewing growing trends for aero tube shaping.
Finally though, the SuperSix Evo has had to concede its traditional look in order to keep up with the fastest road bikes on the planet. As Barry reminds us, even at just 15kmh aero drag equates to 50% of the total resistance we experience on a bike, so it’s a very worthwhile sacrifice, in terms of performance.
To that end Cannondale’s engineers developed a low-aspect, truncated aerofoil tubeset which Barry says has 30% less drag than the same diameter round tube but adds 10% stiffness, for no additional weight.
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Years in the making
Cannondale claims this new SuperSix Evo has been three to four years in development, and it’s clear to see the influences from what Cannondale has learned from the development of the SystemSix, and indeed product director, David Devine, admits this really was the jumping off point for changing its iconic road racer.
‘This new SuperSix Evo aims to appeal to a wider audience’, he tells Cyclist at the launch. ‘The modern road rider has altered. Group rides and friends riding together still want to ride fast, and race each other. Lowering the bike’s aero drag really does deliver discernable benefits, its quantifiably faster.’
And, according to the wind tunnel data, not just faster than its predecessor but also faster than the competition. How much faster? A saving of 9 watts (based on Yaw weighted drag) at 48.3kmh/30mph versus the Specialized Tarmac, and more than 40 watts saved over Trek’s Emonda, are the figures Cannondale presents.
Interestingly, too, Cannondale also pitched the new SuperSix Evo against the Scott Foil (one of the most highly regarded out-and-out aero road bikes, fitted with 60mm wheels – so more of a competitor to the SystemSix than SuperSix Evo) in the same wind tunnel test. The result? A touch slower, yes, but only around 2 watts, something Barry described as a ‘negligible difference’.
Aero performance then is patently at the core of the new design, but low weight was also a priority as it’s something the SuperSix Evo has always been known for. Claimed weight for the new top end Hi-Mod disc frame, then, is 866g (56cm), but importantly the standard-mod frame still comes in under 1kg, keeping the SuperSix Evo svelte across all price points.
Devine says the biggest engineering challenge was to achieve this low weight whilst also improving comfort, but most critically, with no detriment to the handling the SuperSix platform of the past was also so well-known for.
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Integration
As we have come to expect - and just as Cannondale demonstrated with its SystemSix - product integration is a key part of the package. Of particular importance are the handlebar and stem, and again Cannondale has used its own Knot and Save components to good effect. The Save bar and Knot stem combo fitted to the top models of SuperSix Evo, Cannondale claims, are worth around a 9w saving over a traditional cockpit.
Cannondale made a decent amount of fuss over its 25.4mm seat post in the past, suggesting it’s skinny diameter not only saved weight but also increased comfort. That’s now gone, replaced by a new aero D-profile seat post and a new integrated seat binder.
The combined new system weight, Cannondale says, is marginally less than the previous 25.4mm post and external clamp, whilst comfort has been maintained by a new carbon lay-up.
It’s impossible not to notice the new Knot wheelset too – Knot Hollowgram 45 SL – which is slightly shallower than the 64mm Knot wheelset used on the SystemSix, but Barry claims is only a fraction slower, but clearly more usable in varied wind conditions.
Like the 64mm deep rims though they are still super-wide at 32mm and Cannondale’s wind tunnel data suggests this new wheelset has 2.6w lower drag compared to Zipp’s 303 Firecrest wheels.
For tyres there’s room for 30mm rubber, a figure that Devine says is ‘actually fairly conservative’, and there’s likely room for wider depending on the specific tyre and rim combo. This bolsters the SuperSix’s versatility, something which again Cannondale sees as what the modern road rider wants.
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Proportional response
The geometry and fit is less aggressive than the SystemSix, with a stack and reach sitting directly in the middle of SystemSix and Synapse, with what Cannondale refers to as ‘proportional response’ tube shapes ensuring that across all sizes the ride feels remains the same.
New technology that Cannondale launched recently for its Topstone Carbon gravel bike, also finds its way usefully into the SuperSix Evo platform. Things like the easily serviceable tube-within-tube cabling and speed release thru-axles, plus the wheel sensor that pairs to an app to store ride data, service history and more. There’s also some nice, subtle, reflective detailing built into the frame graphics.
Power2Max power meters are again included on top models, but just as Cannondale did with the SystemSix they are deactivated at point of purchase, requiring a €490 charge to activate the unit.
Many felt this was a highly controversial (possibly even underhand) tactic when the SystemSix launched the idea, so it’s interesting to see Cannondale sticking to its guns on this with the SuperSix Evo too. Clearly it doesn’t feel there’s any detriment to sales for having this option included.
And ultimately, why not? If you want to use power to train more effectively then it’s a very neat and cost effective way to add this feature to your bike – there would be considerably higher cost to retrofit a complete dual sided, crank-spider-based, power unit at a later date.
But if you don’t want it, well Cannondale assures you are not paying extra for it in any case – suggesting it has not increased bike prices to allow for the power meter inclusion.
Overall it’s clear Cannondale has left no stone unturned in its mission to bring the SuperSix Evo bang up to date. Fast-light-stiff-comfortable, a group of terms we hear bandied around all the time, but few brands truly pull off a successful marrying of all four.
Has Cannondale? Read my first ride review to find out…
Cannondale SuperSix Evo 2020
Models and prices (high to low)
Hi-Mod Carbon Disc Dura Ace Di2 - £8,999.99
Hi-Mod Carbon Disc Ultegra Di2 - £6,499.99
Hi-Mod Carbon Disc Dura Ace – £5,499.99
Carbon Disc Ultegra Di2 - £5,499.99 (women’s version available)
Carbon Disc Force eTap – £4,799.99
Hi-Mod Carbon Disc Ultegra – £3,999.99
Carbon Disc Ultegra - £2,999.99 (women’s version available)
Carbon Rim brake Ultegra - £2,499.99
Carbon Disc 105 - £2,299.99 (women’s version available)
Carbon Rim brake 105 - £1,999.99 (women’s version available)
Cannondale SuperSix Evo 2020: First ride review
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I got to spend some time blasting the all-new Cannlondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod Dura Ace Disc (£5,499.99) around an extremely picturesque part of Vermont at its launch a few weeks ago.
I’ll cut straight to it, I was a real fan of the SuperSix Evo to date. I’d always respected it as being something of a lone wolf in the pack, having stayed devoutly traditional in its design since 2008 and not sporting wide aero tube profiles, dropped seat stays and so on, like so many of its competitors.
So was I slightly saddened to see it finally relent on those traits for this completely new version? Well, yes, I admit, just a little bit.
But equally I have to concede things need to move on. The Cannondale SuperSix Evo has always been one of the most highly regarded (I’d be so bold as to call it a benchmark) race bikes in the peloton, for its superb stiffness to weight, and impeccable handling, but it needed to respond to the glut of slicker and faster race machines moving in on its patch.
My main hope, as I swung my leg over and clipped in for the first time, was that despite having given up its traditional aesthetic that it would not have surrendered any of its superb handling and ride feel.
Different appearance, same ride quality?
Thankfully, it very soon became apparent the new SuperSix Evo felt just like an old friend, only quicker. There was an unmistakable familiarity about the way it rode, which immediately won my favour. This was lucky really, given the first few kilometres from the hotel were steeply downhill, with switchback turns, throwing man and machine straight in at the deep end.
The SuperSix Evo assuredly hit all its marks, though, with a stable and precise demeanour. Pressing on over some of the more rolling roads bisecting the stunning, intensely green landscape around Stowe and Waterbury, my pedalling inputs were met with a pleasing response. Speed came easily, it seemed.
Although its impossible to put any meaningful quantification on that statement, at this stage at least, it was clear to me the new design was a palpable step up from its predecessor – a bike that I ride frequently and so am very well attuned to.
Minor blip
A slipping seat post threatened to thwart my enjoyment on this first foray, but thankfully (as we were being followed by a support vehicle) a mechanic was on hand with a fist-full of carbon grip paste and a torque wrench to set me back on my way. Just a blip.
As with my first impressions of the SystemSix, when I attended its launch in Girona last year, the handlebar-stem and particularly the wheels clearly play a really important part in the success of this bike as a system.
The Knot alloy stem and Save carbon bar combination (it might look like one piece but it’s actually two) on this test bike delivered a feel close to a more traditional bar and stem with regards to shock and vibration dampening. It was certainly an improvement over many of the one-piece oversized/wide aero-profiles I’ve ridden, which often have a tendency to feel harsh.
The Hollowgram Knot 45 wheels are again first-rate – just like the deeper, 64mm, versions I tested on the SystemSix – with excellent lateral rigidity and a very responsive feel. The super-wide rim profile too lends itself ideally to wider tyres.
The 25mm Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres fitted here had a really well rounded profile still well within the confines of the widest part of the rim – crucial for the aero gains Cannondale insists these wheels deliver.
The first of many rides
First impressions then were very much positive. Cannondale has clearly not just developed the SuperSix Evo just for the sake of keeping up with the Joneses. It is, I can say with reasonable certainty, a faster bike than the outgoing model, and as it seems to have not gained much weight, or lost any of what the original SuperSix was heralded for, so what’s not to like?
Well, before I can truly answer that I’ll certainly need to spend a good deal more time testing and really getting to grips with this new Cannondale SuperSix Evo.
After all this is merely a collection of my thoughts after a single ride, which was also curtailed somewhat by a heavy and very chilly rainstorm that resulted in a rush to don jackets and a mad ‘every-man/women-for-themselves’ dash back to the hotel.
But hey, I can also attest, the SuperSix Evo did at least get me back there fast. Watch this space for a full review soon.
