Cannondale Supersix Evo Carbon Disc Force Etap AXS Review

With a complete revamp for 2020, the best selling road bike range has come with fresh paint jobs, new engineering and high end performance we’ve grown to love from the Cannondale brand. A versatile range of well priced bikes for the racers out there. They’ve been getting it right for a number of years and this years edition of the Cannondale Supersix Evo is no different. The premium bike in the range can be seen ridden by the Team EF Education First riders at the grand tours alongside the new Systemsix – and many of these features trickle down right through the range.

Cannondale’s Supersix Evo is their all out climbing race bike. With the Systemsix focusing on the flatter terrain coming with extra weight and improved aerodynamics. This combination completes a line-up similar to the Specialized Tarmac/Venge or the Giant TCR/Propel. It was fairly well known that the second-generation of the Supersix struggled to keep up in the aero dynamic department.

So in a smart move, Cannondale took the party to the wind tunnel. Plenty of time spent in there this year means that the superlight Supersix Evo frame is now complimented with hugely improved aerodynamics. Taking a lot of the engineering from the SystemSix, Cannondale claim the Supersix Evo now saves up to 30 watts at 48kph… not that many of us regularly ride at that. It’s clear the the dropped seat stays and new truncated airfoil tube shapes have made a big difference. While the best bit is that there’s been no added weight to the previous version. The stiffness still offers the bike a great balanced ride with an 18% increase in vertical compliance.

Features:

Cannondale have kitted out the Supersix Evo with their HollowGram components. Mixed with a new SystemBar and KNØT stem offering a lot of flexibility up front. With the same benefit as a one piece design, the clever engineering allows plenty of room to adjust to the right position. A new truncated KNOT 27 Save SL seat post design uses an integrated binder to save weight and add comfort to the ride. This is done by clamping the post lower down in the frame and offering some engineered flex.

A 35mm deep carbon HollowGram Si wheel set combines an aerodynamic advantage with stable handling and keep you rolling smooth and comfy over the tarmac. With space for up to 30mm tyres there’s plenty of comfort on offer as well as speed. SRAM Force eTap AXS Hydraulic disc brakes keep the stopping sharp around 160mm rotors so that the bike is agile in all conditions as you race down the mountain.

Keeping you shifting smoothly this new Supersix Evo comes with the all new SRAM Force eTap AXS letting you fully customise your set up. SRAM have taken their wireless technology to the next level by integrating their new AXS technology.

The 12 speed group set has been a real game changer in the road cycling market. Single paddle shifting and a whole new set of gear ratios mean that you’ll have both closer and wider rations. Its like having your cake and eating it. This is done by moving a lot of the big shifts to the back cassette.

— SRAM RED ETAP AXS – NEW INNOVATIONS —

By moving some of the front gears to the back there’s a much more consistent jump through the chain rings while the cassettes carry a much wider range. You can enhance shifting or re-assign shifting actions, without the hassle of swapping wires and changing batteries or any of the other malarkey involved. As well as this you can monitor the performance and make sure everything is running efficiently and not run out of battery.

There’s been a big shift in Geometries with the new Supersix Evo too. The range still comes complete with a 44-62cm range though there’s now 8 editions instead of 9. Slighter shorter reaches and a touch more stack offer a marginally less aggressive fit across the board. With the third-generation of the bike Cannondale are making sure that all heights come with the same handling experience. A slightly sloping top tube on the new SuperSix is sure to cause some arguments at the cafe stop.

Verdict:

On flat terrain more than half of your effort is spent trying to overcome aerodynamic drag. It’s great to see that Cannondale have fixed a lot of these issues that the old bike had to make this a fantastic race bike. Fast up the climbs, agile down them and slippery on the flat. There’s not much we’d change about this fantastic new racer.

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