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TECH NEWS

Is this the yet-to-be-released Cannondale SuperSix CX bike?

Cannondale SuperSix CX and SE models appeared on the UCI’s list of approved framesets earlier in the year, but have yet to be unveiled officially…

The Cannondale Road Instagram account posted a darkened image of what very much looks like the SuperSix silhouette to us, so could this be a cyclocross version of the SuperSix? Or is it another gravel bike from the American brand?

Although posted by the Road Instagram account of Cannondale, the light bouncing off those tyres definitely reveals a knobbly tread pattern for tackling off-road terrain.

The drop-bar disc brake bike pictured looks to have the aero tubing of the SuperSix road race bike with the dropped seat stays that are included to soften up the rear end.

The one big difference between road and off-road bikes is tyre size and while the road model of the SuperSix offers generous clearance for 30mm rubber, a cyclocross or gravel version of the SuperSix would need to boost this quite dramatically. When you add extra clearance, the geometry can be affected, so while this might look like a SuperSix, we'd expect that there will be some key changes to the handling.

> Cannondale SuperSix Evo Carbon Disc 105 2021

The gear cables appear to run externally between the ends of the handlebar tape before entering the frame at the top of the downtube. That would certainly differentiate it from the road-going version of the SuperSix which uses a fully hidden front end to save every watt possible.

The sight of external cables could suggest that Cannondale is looking to make serviceability one of the main features of the bike and while we have seen some brands, such as Ridley with its X-Night SL, using a fully integrated front-end, hidden cables haven't yet become essential on off-road bikes.

Cannondale Insta post.JPG

You can see there’s a front derailleur so it’s not a 1x specific. As it’s a cyclocross or gravel bike though, there’s likely to be other builds with a 1x set-up.

We came across the Cannondale SuperSix CX on the UCI’s list of approved framesets back in February, and so is this a sneaky peek at the new model that’s surely due to be released soon?

There was also the SuperSix SE on the UCI approved list, which also gets the CX categorisation. CX stands for cyclocross, but we’re not too sure what SE could be, any ideas?

Cannondale has had the carbon SuperX in its line-up for quite a few years now, we reviewed it way back in 2016.

So could Cannondale be about to bring its carbon cyclocross bikes into the SuperSix range to benefit from the brand’s stiff yet highly comfortable road racing platform for speed on off-road terrain?

We’ll update this article when we find out more about this sleek-looking off-road bike from Cannondale.

www.cannondale.com

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8 comments

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Boss Hogg | 2 years ago
3 likes

a less dark image

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CarlosFerreiro | 2 years ago
0 likes

Ted King rode one of the new models at Unbound wink

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jn46 replied to CarlosFerreiro | 2 years ago
0 likes

Saw that on cycling news. Looks nice. Think this will serve as their dual purpose cx and gravel race bike, or a quiver killer if you are competitive and want to ditch the road bike (there are very few that actually fit the bill geo wise at the moment, such as the Aspero). Not everyone needs or wants slack geo and the ability to carry bikepacking kit, or be forced into 1x, which is where most brands gravel bikes have been heading over the last couple of years.

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CarlosFerreiro replied to jn46 | 2 years ago
0 likes

There are seperate CX and SE models on the UCI list, so remains to be seen what they end up being. Different UCI listings would mean (at least) different geometry, so you might guess at 2 similar looking models but one for CX racing and one for gravel.
I find my SuperX really does do it all well though, so a different approach to subdivide further. And what space does it leave in the lineup for the Synapse? 

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jn46 replied to CarlosFerreiro | 2 years ago
0 likes

Ahh, I didn't know that UCI list required different geometry, thought it was just in relation to models they want to sell with UCI approval. Most of the big brands have too much crossover. It's a bit like Trek with their Domane and Checkpoint, Cervelo with the Aspero and Caledonia and Specialized Diverge and Roubaix. I guess sales will dictate which models get dropped, but you can see the endurance road bike becoming obsolete, when racier gravel can do it just as well but with more versatility. With a big move towards sustainability I think buyers are starting to to consider their environmental impact of owning more bikes than necessary?

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CarlosFerreiro replied to jn46 | 2 years ago
0 likes

The approval is for the physical form of the frame, so if they were the same chassis and only built up/marketed as different models then it would only need one approval as far as I can see. There aren't seperate discipline approvals (e.g. road and cx) any more either.

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CarlosFerreiro replied to CarlosFerreiro | 2 years ago
0 likes

Haha, so much for that then!! CX and SE seem to be the same frame after all. No idea why they certified it twice then....

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Blackthorne | 2 years ago
0 likes

Cannondale's SE models denote slightly more aggressive configurations of existing models. For example wider tires, 1x drivetrain, or 2cm more fork travel. So this looks like a Supersix with wider tires and different paint. 

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