Cannondale SuperSix Evo 105

Cannondale's venerable SuperSix Evo got the first update in its long reign as the US company's flagship race bike last season, and while most people's attention was on the expensive top-end models, the range actually starts out with this Shimano 105-equipped bike costing £1,799.

The good news is, while not dripping in lightweight carbon fibre components, it still offers a thoroughly enjoyable ride that is right at home on a long sportive or a demanding road race. It's a well-thought-out package with reliable components and comfortable finishing kit.

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Ride and handling: fast, comfortable, agile

The SuperSix Evo has long been a road.cc favourite because, regardless of the level of equipment, it offers a highly engaging and rewarding ride. Thankfully, none of the magic of the original has been lost with the update, and instead it improves on a winning formula.

It's now lighter, more compliant and, for the first time, has been finessed with the aerodynamic brush. But the great handling – balanced, stable and predictable – is still evident.

I've always enjoyed the ride and performance of the SuperSix Evo bikes I've reviewed in various guises over the years, including my first experience of the updated Evo last summer, the £4k SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod Dura-Ace 1.

While there's an obvious weight penalty with this 105 model, there's no serious dent on the performance. Okay, so it's not as quick on the climbs nor does it exhibit the feathery responses you'd expect from a very light build with nice wheels, but it is a solid performing road bike that doesn't really disappoint.

The tried-and-tested geometry ensures a familiarity in the handling department. It works a treat in all manner of scenarios, from race pace efforts to chain gangs, leisurely Sunday rides and hill repeat training sessions. Though born as a race bike, the handling won't scare you too much if you're not actually racing, as there's a welcome level of predictability when out on the open road.

The changes to the updated frame have given the Evo a more finessed ride. It's a touch more nimble and agile. The new fork and skinny seatpost provide a ride that is also more forgiving of imperfect road surfaces, the sort most of us are forced to ride in the UK, and though I never felt the need, you could gain even more comfort if you swapped to wider tyres – the frame and fork will take 28mm.

Its DNA is racing, and the Evo excels when being ridden fast. Get low in the drops and give it the beans and the Evo responds willingly. But its great trick is how versatile it is. It's right at home away from the race circuit, and on long rides, sportives and more leisurely paced outings it puts in a superb performance. It really is a platform for enabling you to excel at any sort of riding you want to do with it. If you want a more upright position and even more comfort, you should probably be looking at the Synapse.

Updated frame: Lighter, stiffer and more aero

Visually the SuperSix Evo doesn't appear to have changed one bit since it was first launched in 2011, but look closer and there are some subtle clues as to how Cannondale has made the new frameset just that little bit better.

The frameset is made from the same BallisTec carbon fibre and is size-specific, and while this model eschews the expensive high-modulus carbon fibre of the top-end versions, Cannondale has still managed to shave a bit of weight off and bring about improvements in comfort and stiffness.

Look at that fork: it's way skinnier than before and now uses a one-piece construction with an in-moulded bearing crown. Along with the new smaller diameter 25.4mm seatpost, borrowed from the Synapse, the new Evo is a shade more compliant when it comes to riding over poor surfaces. If you want some numbers, Cannondale has them: the new fork results in a 21% improvement in compliance and the seatpost account for 36%.

Another change that is more easily going to allow for improved comfort is clearance for up to 28mm tyres. It joins a growing number of top-flight race bikes that accommodate 28mm tyres and will be a welcome change for people looking at the Evo not for racing but for sportives and general riding.

The final stage in the redevelopment has been a focus on aerodynamics. While it hasn't become an aero bike like the Specialized Venge or Trek Madone, Cannondale has shaped the down tube with a profile it calls Truncated Aero Profile (TAP). The water bottle cage has also been positioned lower so it's sheltered from the airflow. It's certainly not as radical as some bikes, but the change, according to Cannondale, does net a useful 6-watt drag reduction at 40km/h compared with the old Evo. Could I detect that during riding? Not at all, it's such a marginal gain that noticing it in the real world is nigh-on impossible. But it's nice to know that, in theory, the bike is faster.

A big part of the development of the new SuperSix Evo was the launch of the first ever SuperSix Evo Disc, and it's worth mentioning here because, although the cheapest model costs £1,000 more than the bike on test here, it's a superb disc brake-equipped race bike with the same handling characteristics as the standard Evo. So if you want an Evo with really good brakes, that's worth a look.

Equipment: Flawless Shimano 105 build

The Shimano 105 groupset is every bit as good as Shimano's more expensive offerings when it comes to braking and changing gears, and only if you're being super-picky could you say the shifting isn't quite as light and sharp as Dura-Ace.

The Cannondale Si crankset meshes with the Shimano drivetrain well and I really liked the 52/36 semi-compact gearing, which with the 11-28t cassette, offers all the ratios you really need, whether road racing or doing a hilly sportive.

Mavic Askium wheels are popular at this price point and for good reason: they're solid and dependable. The Aksium is a strong and stiff wheelset that copes with regular riding on punishing roads with all the reliability you'd hope for at this price. They do provide a slightly firmer ride than my experience of an Evo with better wheels, but it's not enough to ruin the ride.

The French wheel company is big into wheel and tyre systems, and according to the spec sheet the bike should come with Mavic Yksion Elite tyres in a 25mm width (ours arrived with Schwalbe Luganos due to supply issues with this early production bike). From experience I know that Yksions are just fine for regular everyday riding, being reasonably fast rolling and grippy in a range of conditions, though they lack the suppleness of a more expensive tyre.

> Buyer's Guide: Bikes from £1,500 to £2,000

The Cannondale-branded aluminium stem, handlebar and seatpost all go about their duties with minimal fuss. I liked the shaped of the bar, with the compact bends making it easy to get tucked down into the drops for fast riding.

Saddles are very much a personal matter, and the Prologo Kappa 3 is a non-offensive shape, but for my posterior it's not a patch on the Fabric you get on the more expensive SuperSix Evo models.

Overall

The SuperSix Evo has long been one of the very best carbon fibre road bikes on the market, as at home in the peloton as it is in a local sportive, and the updated version with all its improvements serves to future-proof this classic.

Verdict

A classic race bike just got better