CANNONDALE'S NEWEST SUPERSIX EVO IS THE FOURTH generation of the brand's top-tier road-racing bike. In contrast to how different the previous model was from what came before it, the new Evo presents more of an evolution than a total redesign. The overall silhouette of the SuperSix Evo largely remains unchanged. The dropped seatstays, the gently sloping top tube, and the truncated airfoil tube shapes all carry over from the third generation. In overall appearance, the new bike looks similar to the outgoing version.
Many of the changes to the Evo were made to boost the bike's aerodynamics. At the front of the bike is a new hourglass head tube that matches with a new fork (which is also deeper and more aerodynamic). The seat tube and seatpost also saw a redesign. Above the seatstays, the seat tube becomes narrow and flat from front to back, with a new proprietary seatpost to match. The seatstays are dropped farther to boost comfort and aerodynamics. Below the seatstay junction, the seat tube gets thin and flat from side to side. This change is designed to add compliance back into the seat tube, counteracting the stiffness of the aerodynamic shaping above the seatstays.
Despite adding extra surfaces to the frame to boost aerodynamics, Cannondale managed to drop a bit of weight with the Evo. A 56cm fourth-generation Hi-Mod frame (formerly Cannondale's top-tier carbon) now weighs 810 grams painted. That's an impressive 66-gram drop from the previous-generation Evo. Above Hi-Mod now sits Cannondale's Lab71 lever frame, which is a nod to the company's founding in 1971, and represents the peak of its frame-making ability. These premium-level frames, which sell for $6,000, shed an additional 30 grams and bring the weight of a painted 56cm frame down to 770 grams.
This story is from the Spring 2023 edition of Bicycling US.
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This story is from the Spring 2023 edition of Bicycling US.
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