2010 Cannondale SuperSix High-Mod Technology

By Simon Ormesher

July 2, 2009

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Cannondale have been one of the leading innovators within the cycle industry, since they began building bikes back in the 1980's.  Then, steel was the material of choice, and Cannondale the young upstart came into the market with an all aluminium frame...

Times change though, and the material of choice now is carbon fibre, but for Cannndale it's business as usual at their US R&D department with the big "C" still at the cutting edge of design and creation.

Mike Cotty, Cannondale UK marketing manager happened to be passing by our office with a 2010 Super Six in his boot!!  Some people have all the luck hey...  But at least we got the chance of a closer look at what the pro's will be riding in the Tour de France.

This is a size 56cm, and as you see it here came in at a scant 6.6lbs (according to our not very accurate scales. Ed).  Cannondale are claiming a 150gm saving over last years frame through judicious weight saving everywhere.  The frame uses a high-modulus front triangle, with asymmetric chain stays and the classic Cannondale hourglass seatstays to the rear.

Unidirectional fibre is used throughout, with overwrapping of the critical seat and chain stay tube junctions rather than the traditional lug type affair.  This helps to spread the connection load onto a larger area of the front triangle, where lugs tend to concentrate the stresses into a smaller areas, and which require more material to maintain the same strength.

Want one?  They should be available at all good Cannondale retailers sometime towards the end of September.  Until then you can see team Liquigas riding them at the Tour de France.

Oversized headtube has increased for improved steering, and now features carbon bearing cups.	"Hourglass" seatstays are incredibly light, while offering a degree of comfort.
BB30 Cannondale innovation, but fast becoming the industry standard.	Trademark oversized BB junction, with improvements now called the "Beat Box"
Oversized top and bottom tube flow back from headtube and help with steering precision.	SI fork uses a tapered steerer with a 1.5" lower bearing, and is one of the stiffest on the market.