CANNONDALES YSTEMSIX HI-MOD DA DI2 £8499
OLD NAME FOR A THOROUGHLY MODERN BIKE
Cannondale claims its SystemSix is the fastest bike in the world. Now that’s a hard statement to prove or disprove but in a recent independent test it did have the lowest drag figures in the wind tunnel. The NACA tube profiles are in a Kammtail design and this, according to Cannondale, is where most of the aero gains are made. The shape of the top tube seat tube junction and the seatpost itself were all designed with a rider in situ, so the aero shaping takes into account the rider’s legs moving. The rear stays are low slung from the seat tube and, along with the chainstays, look minimal compared to the deep oversized front end. This lack of mass (and some clever carbon composition) gives the back end enough flexibility to reduce road chatter and buzz.
The seriously deep Knot 64 wheels are what you’d expect to find on a TT or triathlon bike and these, at 1600g a pair, are impressively light. The rim shape is based on a licensed patent from aerodynamic wheel pioneers HED. The super-wide rim is shod with a slim 23c tyre. The bike can handle up to a 30c should you wish to go bigger – though that would compromise the out-and-out aero.
That might be a compromise worth making, though. When we first tested the SystemSix on the smooth, wellmaintained roads around Girona, we didn’t feel that the tyres offered any downside. Back in the UK, though, riding in the winter, and on some pretty poor roads, the usually dependable grapheneinfused Rubino Pro tyres are a bit more prone to flats. For winter, we’d prefer to go a bit bigger and a bit tougher, and then set the 23s up tubeless for summer.
Up front, the Knot bar and stem is another clever watt-saving piece of aero design. The stem discards the traditional round clamp for a cradle-like shape, which the aero bar sits on. The clamp bolts thread through the bar itself in slots that offer eight degrees of pitch adjustment.
As a road bike, the SystemSix is a true marvel. It’s bullet-fast and efficient, and the power numbers we’re getting are lower than our own bikes. But let’s forget the unemotional world of data for a minute, riding the SystemSix is a joyous experience: it’s fast, nimble and comfortable and it deserves its place at the forefront of current aero road bikes.