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This week our Fast Bike Friday feature takes a look at the super-light, stiff and aerodynamic Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod Disc Ultegra road bike which just happens to feature the same stunning paintjob found on the SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod bikes that are currently being piloted by the EF-Education Nippo pro-cycling team.
For those of you who have been around road cycling for a while, either as a pro-cycling fan or a competitor yourself, you’ll no-doubt be familiar with Cannondale’s iconic SuperSix model name which has sat at the top of their road bike range for over ten years. More recently Cannondale have taken the design route that many bike brands have by splitting their road bikes into three key areas – an out-and-out aerodynamic model, a more compliant model with less stretched-out, more comfortable geometry and a super-light-weight model that’s focused on climbing and performance excellence in the hills. The original SuperSix sat firmly in the super-light hill-climbing camp but was also recognised as a great all-rounder; the handling of the original SuperSix was sublime too making it popular with pro’s and privateer racers alike.
The SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod Disc Ultegra is a pure road bike. Light, smooth and ultra-fast…
Moving into the new decade it was time for the SuperSix to have a make-over. With a rich racing heritage Cannondale had a great place to start, ensuring that they took all of the best aspects of the previous generation SuperSix, retaining the light weight and telepathic handling while amplifying all other aspects of the frameset to make the new-gen SuperSix EVO smoother, more capable and much, much faster.
Cannondale have co-sponsored EF Education-Nippo for 6 years now, with the SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod being the team’s super-light option on race day…
Lancashire’s own Hugh Carthy has piloted the SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod Disc to a podium position at the Tour of Spain…
During the past few seasons we’ve seen bike brands taking what they’ve learnt in the development of their super-aerodynamic road bikes and using that knowledge to influence how their more general, lightweight climbing road bikes perform. Cannondale are no different in this regard and have produced an ultralight Hi-Mod BallisTec carbon frameset that also happens to have low-drag properties thanks to its highly truncated airfoil tube shapes which offer the same light weight and equal or better stiffness than the traditional round tubes found on the previous generation SuperSix but significantly reduce drag by up to 30%
The paint job on the SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod Disc Ultegra is a true work of art…
For a lightweight, aero all-rounder to truly excel it’s not enough to just be feather-light, stiff and aero-efficient. If you’re going to spend endless hours in the saddle climbing and descending hills you’re going to want to feel comfortable and fresh, particularly if you’re competing and need to be ready to kick or respond to a decisive attack late into the race. As Cannondale are quick to point out, the new-gen SuperSix EVO gives an elegantly smooth ride thanks to the dropped SAVE rear stays which have been designed to give a small amount of vertical compliance, along with a carbon Cannondale 27 KNOT seatpost and integrated seatpost binder to further aid a small amount of flex within key areas of the frame.
Another important consideration on modern disc-brake-equipped road bikes is tyre clearance; the addition of disc brakes and the removal of traditional brake calipers between frame and wheel has freed up more space to give greater amounts of tyre clearance. Thanks to this we’ve seen a gradual change to wider tyres being spec’d on road bikes with 28mm rather than 25mm tyres fast becoming the norm. Cannondale are fully onboard with this evolution and have ensured that the SuperSix EVO can comfortably handle 30mm tyres with plenty of clearance between tyre and frame increasing comfort and mixed-road capability in the process.
Cannondale’s 27 KNOT seat post helps to increase compliance by 18% compared to the previous generation SuperSix…
The UCI approved frameset includes neatly routed internal cables; this cable port can be swapped out with a Di2-specific one if you ever make the move over to an electronic drivetrain…
Along with that sophisticated frame tube profiling Cannondale have also upped the anti with (one of the buzzwords within current premium road bikes) a fully integrated cockpit – meaning bars, stem and cable routing are all designed and produced by Cannondale as one complete unit for a smooth, uncluttered aero front-end which is designed to cut through the air more efficiently. Cannondale’s carbon HollowGram SAVE SystemBar blends seamlessly with their alloy HollowGram KNOT stem complete with cable cover to keep all cables concealed before they are routed neatly through an opening in the front of the headtube for minimal drag AND relatively headache-free serviceability.
The HollowGram KNOT SystemStem and SAVE System Bar is super-aero reducing drag…
Not only is the HollowGram KNOT SystemStem and SAVE System Bar aero it’s comfortable too…
Seen from the front it’s clear that the HollowGram KNOT SystemStem and SAVE System Bar are aero-efficient…
As the model name suggests, the SuperSix EVO HiMod Disc Ultegra features Shimano’s well-proven 11-Speed Ultegra groupset…
A superlight, super-stiff Cannondale HollowGram chainset helps transfer all of your power through this carbon race bike.
Tidy flat-mount Ultegra disc brake calipers provide powerful, easy-to-modulate braking power…
Cannondale have spec’d Formula Hubs to 35mm deep tubeless-ready Cannondale HallowGram 35 carbon rims…
Those lightweight HollowGram 35 carbon rims will help you accelerate immediately when you put down the power…
25c Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres provide a good amount of grip even on damp roads and roll fast too…
The Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod Disc Ultegra is a fantastic example of a modern carbon race bike that’s a true all-rounder built to excel on all gradients and in all possible road racing scenarios – light and stiff to help you dance up the climbs, just the right amount of aerodynamic tube shaping to help you hold your speed on flat high-speed stretches and precise handling for a ride-feel that is truly confidence inspiring and encourages you to throw the bike into tight corners at the mid-week crit race. Benefitting from a rich racing heritage and all of the design and engineering experience that Cannondale have built up over the years the SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod has taken all the classic elements of the original and brought it bang up to date with all of the key features we’ve very quickly come to expect from a contemporary, premium, disc-equipped-road bike.
The Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod Disc Ultegra is a pure road bike with just the right amount of modern innovation to be race-ready even at the highest level of competition…
The Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod Disc Ultegra is available in-store and online now.
Full Specification:
- Frame: BallisTec Hi-MOD Carbon, integrated cable routing w/ Switchplate, 12×142 Speed Release thru-axle, SAVE, PF30a, flat mount disc, integrated seat binder
- Fork: BallisTec Hi-MOD Carbon, SAVE, integrated crown race, 12x100mm Speed Release thru-axle, flat mount disc, internal routing
- Shifters: Shimano Ultegra, 11-Speed
- Rear Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra 11-Speed
- Front Derailleur : Shimano Ultegra Braze-on
- Cassette : Shimano 105 11-Speed 11-30T
- Chainset: Cannondale HollowGram BB30a OPI SpideRing 52/36T
- Brakes: Shimano Ultegra Hydraulic Disc 160/160mm RT800 Rotors
- Wheelset: Formula Thru-Axle Hubs on HollowGram 35 Carbon Rims, 24H Front / 28H Rear 35mm Deep, Tubeless-Ready
- Front Tyre: Vittoria Rubino Pro Bright Black 700 x 25c
- Rear Tyre: Vittoria Rubino Pro Bright Black 700 x 25c
- Stem: Cannondale HollowGram KNOT Alloy With Cable Cover
- Handlebar: Cannondale HollowGram SAVE SystemBar, Carbon, 8 Degree
- Seat Post: Cannondale HollowGram 27 SL KNOT Carbon
- Saddle: Fizik Aliante Delta
Written by Johnny Dodgin
Photos by James Vincent
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