Reviews

Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod Team

Follow-up to successful SuperSix worth the wait

Cannondale had a tough job on their hands when updating the SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod. In truth, that’s probably why it took them so long to do it.

The original SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod was launched in May 2011 and this latest version only arrived in June 2015 – four years is a lifetime in a product life cycle in a fast-paced industry which constantly demands innovation and change.

Cannondale have been hard at work, and if you scratch beneath the surface of the SuperSix Evo then that work makes itself known.

The trouble was, the old SuperSix was a good’un. Understated in that it didn’t have a visible calling card, like the split seattube and helixed tube profiles of Cannondale’s own Synapse comfort bike, for example, or any number of features on competitors’ aero road bike, but ultimately a very good bike to ride, with impeccable handling, and super-light, being one of the first in the latest generation of featherweight bikes.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and if you stand that SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod next to the 2016 model, you’d be hard-pressed to find too much that different.

Cannondale have been hard at work, however, and if you scratch beneath the surface then that work makes itself known.

Cannondale remain loyal to the idea of the SuperSix as an all-rounder – a somewhat refreshing idea in a market which is increasingly scrambled with segmentation

Cannondale remain loyal to the idea of the SuperSix as an all-rounder – a somewhat refreshing idea in a market which is increasingly scrambled with segmentation. The SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod seeks to be lightweight, comfortable and aerodynamic in one package, though its aero features are certainly subtler than most.

Cannondale Pro Cycling riders will use the SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod for every race, except the cobbles, regardless of whether it’s a spring stage or huge day in the mountains.

The frame has actually risen in weight from 2011 to 2015, up from 760g to 777g, but, crucially, the fork has dropped from 320g to 280g.

Weight has also been trimmed from elsewhere (on the headset and seatpost, for example) and, all things considered, that puts the complete frameset weight at 1,303g – among the lightest around and 9g lighter than the Trek Emonda SLR.

Cannondale have applied some of the knowledge gained in the development of the Synapse to the SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod. Whereas most manufacturers have moved towards a 27.2mm seatpost in a bid to improve comfort, Cannondale have slimmed things down even further to 25.4mm.

The idea is that a skinnier seatpost offers more deflection, while Cannondale have also reworked the tube profiles of the fork and rear triangle to soften the ride – but only to make it more comfy.

Price: £7,499
Website: Cannondale
UK distributor: Cycling Sports Group

Stiffness gains come from a switch to a wider BB30A bottom bracket – again, first used on the Synapse. As for aerodynamics, they have applied a ‘Truncated Aero Profile’ shape to the downtube, seattube and seatstays, while the profile of the headtube and fork has also been reduced. If you want to put a number on it – and, needless to say Cannondale do, it adds up to a six-watt drag reduction at 40km/h.

Lighter, stiffer and more aerodynamic, then – though Cannondale aren’t the first to say that. Still, the SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod still has something of the old school about it, with Cannondale resolutely sticking to external cable routing – a rare sight on any bike costing more than £1,000 these days, let alone a bike used at the very highest level of professional cycling. It’s no bad thing, though, and makes life that little bit easier for home mechanics.

The bike used by the Cannondale Pro Cycling team – and the machine featured in the RCUK100 – is equipped with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset, Cannondale HollowGram SiSL2 chainset, and Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon wheels and is available to the public for £7,499. The range includes four other bikes, starting from the £2,299.99 Shimano Ultegra-equipped model.