CANNONDALE SUPERSIX EVO HI-MOD £7499
› An Evo-lution for the Team Edition SuperSix
The latest SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod Team is the product of years of evolution of Cannondale’s WorldTour bikes, though somewhat unusually these days it doesn’t actually have a lighter frame than its predecessor. What it does have is a lower overall ‘system’ weight. And it is light too, our 58cm test bike being the lightest here.
Take into account the frame, fork, headset, seatpost and chainset and you get to 1303g, lighter than any other bike here by a fair margin and a full 415g less than Specialized’s S-Works Tarmac. This has been achieved by the introduction of a new 280g fork, 40g lighter than the outgoing model, with the new super-slim 25.4mm seatpost saving a further 30g. Cannondale’s distinctive SiSL2 chainset is also lighter than opposition offerings.
But low weight is still only ever part of the equation. Fortunately Cannondale’s boffins have created a ride that backs it up in spades. The classic Cannondale geometry feels familiar and the shape is as we expected – but the feel is something else, the front end stiff and direct. Your steering inputs are met with a change in direction of such speed and stability that you know that the
SPECIFICATION Weight
6.43kg (58cm) Hi-Mod BallisTec carbon BallisTec carbon Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (52/36 Cannondale SiSL2), 11-28 Shimano Dura-Ace Mavic Cosmic Carbone 40 FSA stem, FSA K-Force Light bar and seatpost, Fizik Arione R3 saddle, 25mm Mavic tyres
Frame Fork Gears Brakes Wheels Finishing kit
Evo is going to hit the mark every time, with the bike pretty much there before you even have a chance to think about it. As you’d expect with a bike this light the SuperSix climbs spectacularly, echoing the Focus Izalco Max in encouraging you to get out of the saddle and dance on the pedals like a slowmotion Marco Pantani.
What is equally impressive is just how smooth the Evo feels. Pro-level bikes used to have the – deserved – reputation of being stiff and harsh, but the ability of bikes like this, the Cervélo, Focus and Trek’s Domane to cope with bad roads has put paid to that. Cannondale’s designers