Bonus points for Cannondale! On their website the Americans not only outline the bike’s type of rider and intended usage, they also detail exactly where the strengths of the Cannondale SuperSix Evo HiMod Ultegra Di2 Disc will play out. While our test riders agreed with the claims, this doesn’t mean that it passed with flying colours…
For an overview of the test fleet head to the main article: What’s the best road bike for Mallorca?
Are you a serious road racer or do you want to ride like one? Do you like fast-paced group rides, aiming for the podium or tearing up and down mountains? Answer yes to any of the aforementioned and the SuperSix Evo HiMod is potentially the ultimate bike choice for you. Rapidly responsive and a lot of fun to ride, this race-tuned carbon whip has the sort of surgical precision that appeals to experienced riders, but it could verge on going overboard for those less versed in the ways of fast paced road riding. Take the lethally sharp handling, which doesn’t provide the stability and confidence at high speeds that beginners and amateurs might hope for.
With its refined balance of comfort and stiffness, the SuperSix is a bike that you can take out for long days without complaint. There’s space for up to 28 mm tires although it comes as stock with 25 mm Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless, which sat perfectly on the rim (something to always check) and delivered sufficient grip and low rolling resistance. The Ultegra discs with a 160 mm rotor at the front and 140 mm at the rear offered faultless performance and were easy to modulate. The slender fork, with a direct mount brake, looked like it might shudder under braking, but our initial concern proved unfounded during normal braking.
The Ultegra Di2 shifters and Cannondale HollowGram Si cranks with a 52/36 gearing also received glowing praise for tackling Mallorca’s sinuous roads. The rest of the brand’s in-house componentry, like the Cannondale C1 Ultralight Alu cockpit with integrated Garmin mount, is another highlight, helping the SuperSix, with its attainable € 4,999 price tag, receive approving nods.
So, the Cannondale gets a glowing review? Well, yes and no. Call us fashion victims but we struggled to find the right outfit for our daily test rides in Mallorca, each time reaching the unfortunate conclusion that our look was more spaced-out tropical bird than sartorially conscious rider. In the case of this specific model, we concluded that black was the only acceptable option… luckily there’s the Black Inc. model ?
The Cannondale SuperSix Evo HiMod Ultegra Di2 Disc in detail
Drivetrain Shimano Ultegra Di2 Hydraulic
Wheelset Cannondale Hollowgram Si, Carbon Clincher
Brakes Shimano Ultegra Disc
Tires Schwalbe one Folding 700x25C
Weight 7.31 kg
Price € 4,999
More Info cannondale.com
Cannondale SuperSix Evo HiMod Ultegra Di2 Disc
Conclusion
Delivering a solid performance across the board (excluding its paint job), the Cannondale SuperSix Evo HiMod Ultegra Di2 Disc offers real value for money. A racy power machine at heart, it has an ambitious side that’ll appeal to experienced riders. The razor-sharp handling and lack of serenity may startle beginners at first; take it from us, this bike is no pushover.
Strengths
+ Brilliant all-round bike
+ Fast, playful and aggressive
+ Lightweight
+ Decent price
Weaknesses
– Paint job
– Not suited to newbies
For an overview of the test fleet head to the main article: What’s the best road bike for Mallorca?
All bikes in test: BMC Teammachine SLR01 | Canyon Ultimate CF SLX Disc 8.0 Di2 | Cervélo S3 Disc Ultegra Di2 | Festka Spectre Space Odyssey Edition | Giant TCR Advanced Pro Disc | Heroïn H1 Limited Edition | Lapierre Xelius SL 700 Ultimate | Rose X-Lite CDX 8800 | Standert. Kreissäge | Stelbel Antenore | Trek Madone 9.5 Ultegra Di2
This article belongs to the GRAN FONDO Issue #004. For the full interactive experience we recommend reading it in our magazine app for iPhone & iPad – it’s awesome – and free!
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Words: Robin Schmitt, Manuel Buck, Benjamin Topf Photos: Julian Mittelstädt, Valentin Rühl
