Goodbye press-fit! New Cannondale SuperSix EVO champions simplicity with threaded bottom bracket and less ... - BikeRadar

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Cannondale also debuts lightest ever (disc brake) SuperSix EVO with Lab71 range

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Published: March 1, 2023 at 2:00 pm

Cannondale’s much-teased, fourth-generation SuperSix EVO headlines with claims of improved aerodynamics and lower weight, while also promising a more user-friendly design.

At 770g for the new, top-tier Lab71 frame, it’s the lightest SuperSix EVO ever. As for aerodynamics, Cannondale claims the new EVO is 12 watts more efficient at 45kph than the previous-generation bike.

Take a quick look at the new bike and, at first glance, it doesn’t look very different from the third generation.

However, as we predicted, the new design also brings a return to a threaded bottom bracket and up-to-date tyre clearances.

While the frame shape has changed subtly, it shares the EVO 3’s geometry, mirrors its head tube and bottom bracket stiffness figures, and offers the same compliance through the rear end, according to Cannondale.

All told, it’s a bike with big boots to fill. The third generation of Cannondale’s all-round race bike arrived in 2020 as a radical redesign, introducing aero tubes to what was previously a round-tubed bike focused primarily on lightweight comfort. The result was a bike that won our Road Bike of the Year award back in 2020.

New Cannondale SuperSix EVO | What you need to know
A halo Lab71 frame option joins the Carbon and Hi-Mod versions
At a claimed 770g for the Lab71 frame, it’s the lightest EVO ever
Switches to a threaded BSA bottom bracket shell
New proprietary Delta steerer uses a standard headset
Geometry, stiffness and compliance all retained from the previous EVO
12 watts more efficient at 45kph than third-generation SuperSix EVO
12 watts more efficient than the Trek Emonda SLR at 45kph, according to Cannondale, and four watts faster than the Specialized Tarmac SL7
Five specs – all electronic – available at launch, with mechanical (and more electronic) models to follow
Both Lab71 and Hi-Mod framesets are available
New one-piece cockpit designed in conjunction with MomoDesign
New Aero-Gripper bottle and cage system claimed to save three watts

The more things change, the more they stay the same

Blink and you’ll miss it.

Cannondale

The silhouette of the new SuperSix EVO looks very similar to the outgoing model, though the down tube has been reshaped and the interface between frame and fork simplified. The seat tube profile has also changed and the seatstays have dropped, bringing influences in from Cannondale’s aero-focused SystemSix.

Under the skin, however, is where you’ll find the biggest changes. It’s an intriguing blend of less proprietary tech and new proprietary tech, without, on the face of it, the downsides of unique hardware.

The new bike uses a triangular-shaped steerer.

Warren Rossiter / Our Media

Starting at the front-end, the new fork uses a ‘Delta’ steerer tube.

Cannondale says this triangular-shaped steerer has enabled it to greatly reduce the head tube sizing of the EVO, while still allowing for fully integrated cable routing.

The new design also enables the use of any handlebar and stem combination.

This includes Cannondale’s all-new R-One SystemBar one-piece cockpit (more on that later).

The bike works with Vision cockpits, as used by the EF Pro Cycling team, too. These use FSA’s ACR internal-routing design.

The new design should, in theory, make internally routing cables less complex.

Cannondale

Fans of trackstands and low-speed manoeuvres will appreciate that the new design has enabled Cannondale to remove the steering stops found on the previous EVO.

The most user-friendly change to the front end, however, is the adoption of a standard 1-1/8in to 1.5in headset.

This opens up a wealth of options for replacements and upgrades, and means no searching for stockists of proprietary parts.

Following the Cannondale Topstone and Cannondale Synapse, the SuperSix EVO moves away from BB30 and adopts a threaded BSA/ISO bottom bracket.

Again, it’s another positive move for aftermarket upgrades and replacement availability.

The new seat tube design is said to be more aerodynamic.

Cannondale

Cannondale has refined the seat tube design in the name of aerodynamics.

Cannondale said the requirement to fit a Shimano Di2 battery inside the frame previously limited its options when it came to seat tube shape.

The battery on Di2-equipped bikes is now housed in the down tube. Cannondale’s lead engineer and aerodynamics expert, Nathan Barry, told us this change enabled Cannondale to optimise the seat tube, narrowing it down significantly.

“By repositioning the Di2 battery in the bottom of the down tube, it allowed us to give the seat tube and seatpost the ideal aerodynamic shape,” Barry told BikeRadar. “This is where we saw some of the biggest gains in drag reduction.”

The battery is now housed in the down tube on Di2-equipped bikes.

Cannondale

Seeing the EVO in silhouette doesn’t really reflect how the new post and seat tube really look in the flesh.

The previous D-shaped seatpost was a slender 25mm in effective diameter.

The battery slots into a specially formed slot moulded into the down tube.

Warren Rossiter / Our Media

The new flatter, deeper, more aero post is only around 15mm wide, yet still retains the same stiffness characteristics as the previous version, Cannondale says.

Elsewhere, Cannondale has also moved away from its Speed Release axles.

These saw the threaded end of the thru-axle thread into a standard dropout but, at the handle end, the dropout was slotted to enable the wheel to be removed with the axle in place.

The new EVO uses the lightweight Syntace thru-axle standard, which has helped drop a little weight from the bike overall, and allowed for a clean-looking, hidden dropout on the fork.

The rear end of the bike has been lengthened slightly to accommodate larger tyres.

Warren Rossiter / Our Media

The geometry of the EVO basically remains unchanged, though the chainstays have been lengthened slightly to accommodate an increase in tyre clearance, up from 30mm to 34mm.

Cannondale has also replaced the two largest-sized frames in the EVO 3 range (60cm and 62cm) with a single, 61cm frame.

Weights and measures

The Cannondale SuperSix EVO Lab71 is the lightest ever (disc brake) SuperSix.

Cannondale

Cannondale announced the brand’s new super-premium sub-brand Lab71 just prior to launching the 2023 SuperSix EVO.

The EVO is the first bike to get the Lab71 treatment, adding a new flagship tier above the usual range-topping Hi-Mod models.

The Lab71 edition of the SuperSix EVO gets a new carbon fibre layup, alongside the use of Cannondale’s ‘nano-resin’.

Road bike product manager Sam Ebert remained tight-lipped about the exact nature of the upgrades over the Hi-Mod frame, only to say: “The new Series 0 carbon construction found on the Lab71 SuperSix EVO makes use of cutting-edge materials and processes rarely seen in the bike industry due to their complexity and cost.

“This advanced fibre and nano-resin composite has exceptional tensile and compressive strength properties, which allows Cannondale engineers to achieve more with less material.”

The result, Cannondale says, is an EVO that weighs 770g for a fully painted and build-ready size 56cm frame.

As for a complete 56cm bike (with bottles and cages in place), that tips the scales at the UCI minimum weight of 6.8kg (14.99lb).

The Hi-Mod and Carbon bikes aren’t exactly heavyweights either. The Hi-Mod frame weighs in at 810g (56cm, painted, all hardware), and the standard Carbon model 930g (56cm, painted, all hardware).

Cannondale claims the new SuperSix EVO is 12 watts faster than the Tarmac SL7.

Jack Luke / Our Media

Aside from weight reductions the new design is also said to perform better in the wind tunnel.

Nathan Barry worked extensively on the bike’s design to reduce drag yet retain the stiffness and compliance of the frameset from EVO 3, says Cannondale.

Barry claims the Lab71 edition of the new EVO, using the new SystemBar and 50mm-deep wheels, saves 12 watts of power at 45 km/h (28mph) over the previous EVO.

“Under the same test conditions, we benchmarked it against the Trek Emonda SLR and saw a 12-watt improvement. Against Specialized’s Tarmac SL7, we saw a four-watt improvement,” he says.

Cannondale didn’t provide details of its test protocol, however.

The new cockpit was designed in conjunction with MomoDesign.

Warren Rossiter / Our Media

The new R-One SystemBar found on the Lab71 and Hi-Mod models moves away from Cannondale’s pseudo-one piece Knot/HollowGram cockpit, in favour of a slender, fully integrated option. This was developed in conjunction with automotive design team, MomoDesign.

“The SuperSix EVO’s fully-integrated SystemBar R-One carbon handlebar and stem uses drag-reducing shapes while hitting the ergonomic shaping and compliance required for a pro-level race bike,” says Ebert.

New bike, new wheels

A new line of wheels is being launched alongside the new bike.

Cannondale

Alongside the new frameset, Cannondale has developed a new wheelset for the EVO.

The new wheels have a rim profile evolved from the previous HollowGram/Knot wheels, with a 50mm-deep rim that’s 32mm wide externally and 21mm wide internally. The rims are hooked (as opposed to hookless), tubeless-ready and laced to the HollowGram hubs with bladed aero spokes.

The 50s come in two models. The premium R-SL 50 wheelset, found on the Hi-Mod and Lab71 bikes, has DT Swiss 240 internals, while the cheaper R 50 wheelset, found on the Carbon bikes, uses DT Swiss 350 internals.

The R-SL wheelset has a claimed weight of 1,520g a pair, with the Rs at 1,620g a pair.

Small details

Cannondale has looked beyond just the bike and into the essential accessories, too.

Nathan Barry told us “Aero(dynamic) tests historically haven’t used a bicycle in full race trim [Cannondale didn’t specify whether this test includes pedals or bike computers, etc].

“I wanted to make the EVO faster in the real world too, and that meant looking at bottle design and cages.”

The new Aero Gripper bottles have a flattened profile, which is said to improve aerodynamic performance.

Warren Rossiter / Our Media

The new Aero Gripper cage and bottle are slimmer than a standard cage, so when not loaded with a bottle it sits within the boundaries of the down tube edges and doesn’t increase drag.

With the two cages and bottles in place, Cannondale claims the EVO sees a 3- to 4-watt aero improvement at 45kph / 28mph compared to standard round bottles.

Cannondale says this is because the aero bottle essentially acts as a fairing, increasing the effective size of the down tube aerofoil to close to that of its SystemSix aero road bike.

The dedicated aero bottle uses a standard top and has a flat bottom, so unlike most aero bottles, it stands when you’re trying to fill it.

The aero cages can also hold and grip standard round bottles, so if you need to grab a new bottle mid-race or event, there are no worries about compatibility.

Cannondale claims the aero cage and bottles will bring aero savings to “any bike” and will be available to buy separately too.

Of course, not every bike will have a down tube width that matches the profile of the aero cage, but it could be a simple, low-cost upgrade for many bikes.

New Cannondale SuperSix Evo range overview

The range tops out with the halo-spec Lab71 bike.

Cannondale

At launch, the range is somewhat concise and, starting at £6,250 / $5,500 / €6,799 – not exactly cheap.

Prices rise to £12,500 / $15,000 / €14,999 for the flagship Lab71 bike.

Cannondale told us ongoing supply-chain challenges mean it can’t expand the EVO range out to where it wants it to be.

That, along with new groupsets coming to market (such as the new SRAM Force AXS), means it won’t be expanding the EVO 4 range fully until 2024.

Cannondale expects models with both mechanical and cheaper electronic groupsets to arrive soon.

For the remainder of 2023, the EVO range (much like Specialized did with Tarmac SL7/SL6) will contain a mix of both the EVO 4 and EVO 3 framesets.

Cannondale SuperSix EVO Lab71

The Lab71 SuperSix Evo is said to be the lightest ever disc brake SuperSix.

Cannondale

Price: £12,500 / $15,000 / €14,999 / AU$17,499
Frame: Lab71 SuperSix EVO, Ultralight Series 0 Carbon
Fork: Lab71 SuperSix EVO, Ultralight Series 0 Carbon, 55mm offset (44-54cm), 45mm offset (56-61cm)
Rims: HollowGram 50 R-SL, Carbon, 20h front, 24h rear, 50mm deep, 21mm IW, tubeless-ready
Hubs: (F) HollowGram, sealed bearing 12x100mm centerlock / (R) HollowGram, 12x142mm centerlock w/ DT Swiss 240 internals
Spokes: DT Swiss Aerolite, straight-pull
Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 5000, 700 x 25c
Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace R9200, 52/36
Bottom Bracket: CeramicSpeed BSA
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace, 12-speed
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace R9200, 11-30, 12-speed
Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9250
Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9250
Shifters: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9270, wireless, 2×12-speed
Handlebar: Cannondale SystemBar R-One – low drag, full carbon integrated bar/stem, internal routing
Bar tape: Fizik Tempo Bondcush Soft, 3mm Cannondale
Cockpit: SystemBar R-One – low drag, full carbon integrated bar/stem, internal routing Integrated,
Shifters: Shimano Dura-Ace R9270
Saddle: Fizik Vento Argo 00 Carbon
Seatpost: Cannondale C1 Aero 40 Carbon, 0mm offset (44-48cm), 20mm offset (51-61cm)
Connectivity: Cannondale Wheel Sensor
Sizes 44, 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61cm
Colour: Jet Black (Satin) w/ Marble Oxblood (Gloss) and Smoke Brushed Chrome (MOX)
Extras: Cannondale Gripper Aero Bottles & ReGrip Aero Cages, Dual Socket Bottom Bracket Tool, Shimano EC300 charging connector

Cannondale SuperSix EVO Lab71 frame

Price: £4,750 / €5,499 / $6,000 / AU$6,999
Frame Lab71 SuperSix EVO, Ultralight Series 0 Carbon, integrated cable routing w/ Switchplate, 12×142 Syntace thru-axle, BSA 68mm threaded BB, flat mount disc, integrated seat binder, SmartSense compatible
Fork Lab71 SuperSix EVO, Ultralight Series 0 Carbon, integrated crown race, 12x100mm Syntace thru-axle, flat mount disc, internal routing, 1-1/8″ to 1-1/4″ Delta steerer, 55mm offset (44-54cm), 45mm offset (56-61cm)
Colours: Stealth Gray w/ Lavender, Jet Black, Black Chrome, and Acid Lime (WOW), Fine Silver (Satin) w/ Jet Black (Gloss), EF Pink, and Light Pink (REP), Jet Black (Satin) w/ Jet Black (Gloss), and Smoked Brushed Chrome (BLK)
Sizes: 44, 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61cm
Extras: Cannondale Gripper Aero Bottles & ReGrip Aero Cages, Dual Socket Bottom Bracket Tool

Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod 1

The top-flight HiMod model gets SRAM Red eTap AXS.

Cannondale

Price: £10,500 / €13,499 / $13,500 / AU$17,499
Frame: SuperSix EVO Hi-MOD Carbon
Fork: SuperSix EVO Hi-MOD Carbon, 55mm offset (44-54cm), 45mm offset (56-61cm)
Rims: HollowGram 50 R-SL, Carbon, 20h front, 24h rear, 50mm deep, 21mm IW, tubeless ready
Hubs: (F) HollowGram, sealed bearing 12x100mm centerlock / (R) HollowGram, 12x142mm centerlock w/ DT Swiss 240 internals
Spokes: DT Swiss Aerolite, straight-pull
Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 5000, 700 x 25c
Crankset: SRAM RED AXS Carbon, 48/35
Bottom bracket: SRAM DUB BSA
Chain: SRAM RED, 12-speed
Cassette: SRAM XG-1290, 10-28, 12-speed
Front derailleur: SRAM RED AXS
Rear derailleur: SRAM RED AXS
Shifters: SRAM RED eTap AXS HRD, 2×12
Handlebar: Cannondale SystemBar R-One – low drag, full carbon integrated bar/stem, internal routing
Bar tape: Cannondale Bar Tape, 3.5mm
Saddle: Prologo Dimension NACK NDR, Carbon Rails
Seatpost: Cannondale C1 Aero 40 Carbon, 0mm offset (44-48cm), 20mm offset (51-61cm)
Connectivity: Cannondale Wheel Sensor
Sizes: 44, 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61cm
Colour 1: Mercury w/ Raw Carbon, Brushed Chrome, and Smoke Black (MRC)
Colour 2: Tinted Red w/ Jet Black, Brushed Chrome, and Candy Red (TRD)
Extras: Cannondale Gripper Aero Bottles & ReGrip, Aero Cages, SRAM AXS charger

Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod 2

We really like this paintjob.

Cannondale

Price: £8,250 / $8,300 / €8,999 / AU$11,999
Frame: SuperSix EVO Hi-MOD Carbon
Fork SuperSix EVO Hi-MOD Carbon, 55mm offset (44-54cm), 45mm offset (56-61cm)
Rims: HollowGram 50 R-SL, Carbon, 20h front, 24h rear, 50mm deep, 21mm IW, tubeless ready
Hubs: (F) HollowGram, sealed bearing 12x100mm centerlock / (R) HollowGram, 12x142mm centerlock w/ DT Swiss 240 internals
Spokes: DT Swiss Aerolite, straight-pull
Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 5000, 700 x 25c
Crankset: Shimano Ultegra R8200, 52/36
Bottom bracket: Shimano BSA 68
Chain: Shimano Ultegra, 12-speed
Cassette: Shimano Ultegra R8200, 11-30, 12-speed
Front derailleur: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8150
Rear derailleur: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8150
Shifters: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8170, wireless, 2×12
Handlebar: Vision Trimax Carbon Aero, 31.8mm
Stem: Cannondale C1 Conceal, Alloy, 31.8, -6°
Bar tape: Cannondale Bar Tape, 3.5mm
Saddle: Prologo Dimension NACK NDR, Carbon Rails
Seatpost: Cannondale C1 Aero 40 Carbon, 0mm offset (44-48cm), 20mm offset (51-61cm)
Connectivity: Cannondale Wheel Sensor
Sizes: 44, 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61cm
Colour 1: Mercury w/ Raw Carbon, Brushed Chrome, and Smoke Black (MRC)
Colour 2: Tinted Red w/ Jet Black, Brushed Chrome, and Candy Red (TRD)
Extras: Cannondale Gripper Aero Bottles & ReGrip, Aero Cages, Shimano EC300 charging connector

Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod frameset

Price: £3,750 / $4500 / €4,199 / AU$5,299
Frame: SuperSix EVO Hi-MOD Carbon
Fork SuperSix EVO Hi-MOD Carbon, 55mm offset (44-54cm), 45mm offset (56-61cm)
Seatpost: Cannondale C1 Aero 40 Carbon, 0mm offset (44-48cm), 20mm offset (51-61cm)
Sizes: 44, 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61
Colour 1: Jet Black w/ Smoke Black and Fine Silver (SBK)
Colour 2: Laguna Yellow w/ Smoke Black and Olive Green (LYW)
Extras: Cannondale Gripper Aero Bottles & ReGrip Aero Cages

Cannondale SuperSix EVO 1

The SuperSix EVO 1 gets SRAM’s new Force groupset.

Cannondale

Price: £10,500 / €13,499 / $13,500 / AU$17,499
Frame: SuperSix EVO Carbon
Fork SuperSix EVO Carbon, integrated crown race, 55mm offset (44-54cm), 45mm offset (56-61cm)
Rims: HollowGram 50 R-S, Carbon, 20h front, 24h rear, 50mm deep, 21mm IW, tubeless ready
Hubs: (F) HollowGram, sealed bearing 12x100mm centerlock / (R) HollowGram, 12x142mm centerlock w/ DT Swiss 350 internals
Spokes: Formula Grand Forza, Double Butted, straight-pull
Tyres: Vittoria Rubino Pro Bright Black, 700 x 25c, reflective strip
Crankset: SRAM Force DUB, 48/35
Bottom bracket: SRAM DUB BSA
Chain: SRAM Force, 12-speed
Cassette: SRAM XG-1270, 10-33, 12-speed
Front derailleur: SRAM Force AXS
Rear derailleur: SRAM Force AXS
Shifters: SRAM Force eTap AXS HRD, 2×12
Handlebar: Vision Trimax Carbon Aero
Stem: Cannondale C1 Conceal, Alloy, 31.8, -6°
Bar tape: Cannondale Bar Tape, 3.5mm
Saddle: Prologo Dimension Tirox NDR, Ti Rails
Seatpost: Cannondale C1 Aero 40 Carbon, 0mm offset (44-48cm), 20mm offset (51-61cm)
Connectivity: Cannondale Wheel Sensor
Sizes: 44, 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61cm
Colour: Mystique Gray (Tint) w/ Midnight Blue and Brushed Chrome (MYG)
Extras: SRAM AXS charger

Cannondale SuperSix EVO 2

The SuperSix EVO 2 is the cheapest bike in the range.

Cannondale

Price: £6,250 / $5,500 / €5,899 / AU$8,399
Frame: SuperSix EVO Carbon
Fork: SuperSix EVO Carbon 55mm offset (44-54cm), 45mm offset (56-61cm)
Rims: HollowGram 50 R-S, Carbon, 20h front, 24h rear, 50mm deep, 21mm IW, tubeless ready
Hubs: (F) HollowGram, sealed bearing 12x100mm centerlock / (R) HollowGram, 12x142mm centerlock w/ DT Swiss 350 internals
Spokes: Formula Grand Forza, Double Butted, straight-pull
Tyres: Vittoria Rubino Pro Bright Black, 700 x 25c, reflective strip
Crankset: Shimano Ultegra R8200, 52/36
Bottom bracket: Shimano BSA 68
Chain: Shimano Ultegra, 12-speed
Cassette: Shimano Ultegra R8200, 11-30, 12-speed
Front derailleur: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8150
Rear derailleur: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8150
Shifters: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8170, wireless, 2×12
Handlebar: Vision Trimax Carbon Aero, 31.8mm
Stem: Cannondale C1 Conceal, Alloy, 31.8, -6°
Bar tape: Cannondale Bar Tape, 3.5mm
Saddle: Prologo Dimension STN NDR, steel Rails
Seatpost: Cannondale C1 Aero 40 Carbon, 0mm offset (44-48cm), 20mm offset (51-61cm)
Connectivity: Cannondale Wheel Sensor
Sizes: 44, 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61cm
Colour 1: Deep Teal w/ Orchid, Goldfinger, Turquoise (DTE)
Colour 2: Raw carbon w/ Disco Black and Fine Silver (RAW)
Extras: Shimano EC300 charging connector

Warren Rossiter is BikeRadar and Cycling Plus magazine’s senior technical editor for road and gravel. Having been testing bikes for more than 20 years, Warren has an encyclopedic knowledge of road cycling and has been the mastermind behind our Road Bike of the Year test for more than a decade. He’s also a regular presenter on the BikeRadar Podcast and on BikeRadar’s YouTube channel. In his time as a cycling journalist, Warren has written for Mountain Biking UK, What Mountain Bike, Urban Cyclist, Procycling, Cyclingnews, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike and T3. Over the years, Warren has written about thousands of bikes and tested more than 2,500 – from budget road bikes to five-figure superbikes. He has covered all the major innovations in cycling this century, and reported from launches, trade shows and industry events in Europe, Asia, Australia, North American and Africa. While Warren loves fast road bikes and the latest gravel bikes, he also believes electric bikes are the future of transport. You’ll regularly find him commuting on an ebike and he longs for the day when everyone else follows suit. You will find snaps of Warren’s daily rides on the Instagram account of our sister publication, Cycling Plus (@cyclingplus).