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For our first Fast Bike Friday of 2021 we’re taking a look at something VERY special! A unique custom build from our road bike department – introducing the Cannondale Systemsix aero road bike complete with a Fat Creations custom paint job!
Our customer was looking for something truly unique, with a dream build made up of some of the very best road bike components available combined with a super-aero chassis; the Cannondale Systemsix which is already well-proven on the UCI World Tour fit the bill perfectly.
As used by our very own Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli road racing team in the (albeit limited) races that took place in 2020, the team will continue to ride the Systemsix in 2021. We love the feel of this bike which is super-aero, reducing drag and helping you to ride faster for longer. As we all know, small differences in performance can be hard to measure but when your road bike is this aerodynamically efficient you don’t just benefit from enhanced straight-line speed but also gain an advantage in tight sprints, technical descents and even on long climbs.
The Systemsix ticks all of the boxes of what is expected from a modern aero road bike; namely an aerodynamically profiled carbon frame, internal brake & gear cables, neat flat-mount disc brakes and fully-integrated handlebar and stem which features internal cables that run seamlessly into the frame, all helping to make this bike efficient at cutting through the wind.
The wear marks on the chainring teeth are a giveaway – this customer has transferred some of their favourite components over to this new custom bike build. The Rotor chainset featuring Rotor Aldhu cranks is combined with Rotor’s INspider spider-integrated power meter. Easy to use and install the INspider gives accurate measurement taking power data from both the left and the right and records power output and cadence amongst other useful data. A solid Rotor outer chainring further ads to the Systemsix’s aerodynamic efficiency.
Shimano’s top-tier groupset features on this dream build with the 11-speed Dura Ace Di2 electronic transmission guaranteeing precise, faultless gear changes on every shift. Small details like the K-Edge chain keeper, neatly integrated into the front derailleur mount mean that if our customer was to unship the chain for any reason the chain won’t drop between the chainset and frame, helping to prevent any potential damage to the carbon frame.
Stopping duties are handled by Shimano’s excellent flat-mount Dura Ace hydraulic disc brakes providing powerful, easy to modulate braking that is consistent in any weather conditions and on any road surface regardless of whether they’re wet or dry. Thru axles provide a secure junction between wheel and frame, ensuring brake caliper and disc rotor are perfectly aligned.
A dream build with an amazing Fat Creations custom paint job and a super-aero frameset needs the ultimate wheelset to finish it off. This Systemsix features a pair of much-sought-after ENVE SES 7.8 Disc carbon fibre wheels to take the aero-efficiency of this custom build off the chart! These wheels have been structurally optimised for use with disc brakes; featuring lightweight and deep-profile carbon rims they dramatically reduce drag and have been designed to accommodate larger volume road tyres, in this case the brilliant Continental Grand Prix 5000.
The ultimate wheelset needs to feature the very best hubs available, ENVE have spec’d Chris King hubs which have an undisputed reputation within the industry as high-quality, beautifully machined hubs with smooth sealed bearings that offer almost infinite longevity.
If you’re familiar with Chris King hubs you’ll instantly recognise whir of the rear hub’s freewheel. It’s basically an audio-signal to all other cyclists around you, this bike is BLING!
This is one HAWT custom build, it’s been great fun building up one of the best aero road bike framesets available with a selection of the ultimate bicycle components out there. Then there’s that amazing paint job by Fat Creations, with a beautiful fade and colours that will brighten up the dullest of days we love the look of this dream road bike.
Blog written by Johnny Dodgin
Bike Photos by James Vincent
