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I bought my Cannondale SuperSix Evo in February and it was R48,999 at the time, Carbon wheels, mechanical Ultegra, disc brakes and a brilliant frame plus a warranty. It's a great bike!
It has a carbon bar and a -17 degree stem so that its parallel with the floor.
I am waiting for the bearing race cover so can trim steerer. Would also like to replace crank with Spider crank as well.
Weight is around 7.4kg with cages etc
That's a pretty impressive weight. My Disc Ultegra quite a bit heavier in size 58cm (around 1.1kg more)... But no mods so far. Going to change bar, seat post, crank set, disc rotors and put on that Soigneur internal cable routing kit over time. Bog standard for the moment but it's an impressive machine. I love it!!
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Yebo, there is no high mod version of the rim brake. Not a train smash, still lighter than my old High Mod, can do full internal cable routing from bars. Also around the same frame weight as the high mod before groupset.
What have you got the weight down to so far? I'm assuming you're planning on ditching that heavy standard bar and stem and opt for the carbon seat post at some stage?
Very much not high end, very much happy.
Just need to find a bearing cover so can complete the slam, just can’t find one.
Check this out Savage:
I honestly give props to guys that consciously made the decision not to have kids, regardless of reason, as I think there are way too many people that have kids for the wrong reasons. Filling a void, keeping your marriage going (personal favourite), keeping up with the Jones' or just doing it because, y'know, that's just what you do... none of these are reasons to have a kid.
My wife and I chose to have kids (two so far, 4y and 5m pigeon pair) knowing full well what it entailed. Well, at least we thought we did, but we also knew there were many unknown unknowns and that that was OK.
I would choose just waking up next to that chubby little smiling face once over a million über bikes in a heartbeat.
I feel sorry for your kids if you're pissing and moaning that giving them an education and keeping them healthy means you can't have a carbon ******* bicycle.
Post of this topic!! Couldn’t agree more. I have three kids (7yr old twin boys and a 3yr old daughter) and I wouldn’t trade all the bikes in the world for the worst moments with them.
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I honestly give props to guys that consciously made the decision not to have kids, regardless of reason, as I think there are way too many people that have kids for the wrong reasons. Filling a void, keeping your marriage going (personal favourite), keeping up with the Jones' or just doing it because, y'know, that's just what you do... none of these are reasons to have a kid.
My wife and I chose to have kids (two so far, 4y and 5m pigeon pair) knowing full well what it entailed. Well, at least we thought we did, but we also knew there were many unknown unknowns and that that was OK.
I would choose just waking up next to that chubby little smiling face once over a million über bikes in a heartbeat.
I feel sorry for your kids if you're pissing and moaning that giving them an education and keeping them healthy means you can't have a carbon ******* bicycle.
did you enjoy watching the Lamas from that view in your second pic?
Haven't seen the llama's in a while. We went up there two Sundays ago and they were MiA.
Nice Bikes ....
In all fairness to your earlier post , you MUST BE 35-40% stronger now .
Strava doesn't lie ......
No, it definitely doesn't lie. And I'm definitely much stronger right now for sure but I've done only one coffee ride and one Northcliff climb on my roadbike since recovering from COVID in June. So almost all of mileage on the roadie was done inside the below red block (I only got the bike in February). Everything before this block was on the Tarmac, so it's a close to apples with apples bike comparison (there's only a 12W FTP difference, nullified by the extra weight on the bike, because I weigh the same):
Nice Bikes ....
In all fairness to your earlier post , you MUST BE 35-40% stronger now .
Strava doesn't lie ......
Very much not high end, very much happy.
Just need to find a bearing cover so can complete the slam, just can’t find one.
Me too @Pure Savage!!
This is what I was talking about in my post earlier.
My old superbike and new supersteed attached:
This is an interesting topic and I will give my relatively inexperienced two cents based on my most recent bike purchase. It's a road example but it bears reference.
My business sponsored a local cycling retailer for about 18 months (middle of 2018 to Feb 2020) and part of the deal was a loan bike (a very well known American top-end brand) for yours truly. It was a beaut and had a retail value of R146,000 at the time. Highest grade of carbon everything, SRAM Red ETap, and a weight of 7.2kg for a size 58cm with cages, pedals and Garmin mount. It was a superbike (admittedly one generation old - the newer model had already been launched) in every sense of the word. I did about 5,800km on the bike in 18 months (over and above my MTB and KICKR mileage).
When the contract ended I wanted to buy it but the price was way out of kilter with market value (and beyond what I could afford) and instead I bought a lower mid-range (but latest model) carbon race bike from a rival American manufacturer. The bike had a retail value of R50k and runs a mix of mechanical Ultegra (groupo, calipers) and 105 (Cassette and disc rotors), has own-brand carbon wheels, and weighs nearly 1.2kg more in the same trim and the same size. I've done 933km on the bike so far according to Strava...and there's not a local segment PR that belongs to the old bike. I promise I'm not a lot fitter either (about 8% fitter in the last year if Strava's metric is correct).
Perhaps the new bike suits my riding style better. Perhaps I'm still in that new bike honeymoon period where it feels like you have an extra 20W every time you take the bike out. Based on this experience, I definitely can't justify the price of the top end bikes based on performance. But that doesn't mean I don't still want one. I just can't justify it at my current bank account levels.
6
I had a second hand Camber that I bought off the Hub and I HATED it. It felt slow, clunky, it didn't like tight or quick turns, it bobbed when I put the power down, it climbed like a dump truck and I ended up not enjoying MTB very much at all. I analysed the sorts of trails I rode most and settled on a XC hard tail (Titan Racing Drone Elite) as my new MTB and I LOVE it. It's well specced (RockShox SID, Shimano XT 1x12, SRAM Level T brakes), light (under 12kg for an XL alloy) and it looks fantastic. Net result, I've done as much mileage on my new hard tail in 6 weeks as I did on my Camber in 6 months. Do I still want a dual susser? Sure (but that Scalpel is just out of reach financially right now). But when the time comes the hard tail is staying. And it's improving my skills too. A decision I do not regret at all!
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My two cents worth (having struggled with maintenance costs on older dual sussers bought from the Hub) is to buy a new bike if you can. Tough at the budget I know but your LBS will get you very close to your budget on this: https://www.giant-bicycles.com/za/stance-29-2
I think I was quoted around the R27k mark recently.
It's a bit more trail oriented but we could all use more travel to be honest!
Thanks for all the input - I'm now even less certain, but in a good way.
Doesn't look like there is stock of the Cannondale SS Evo in my size, apparently I need a Large (183cm tall with 85cm inseam), but I'm not sure if that's a 56 or 58. Cannondale's website only has a 56 available.
Philip and Ouzo have got me reconsidering whether I should go for a Gravel bike now - Cannondale Topstone - touch more expensive than the SS Evo, but has disks. I give up the carbon frame though.
https://www.cannondale.co.za/2020road/topstone/cannondale-2020-topstone-alloy-105-gradient.html
Large is a 56cm. I'm 189cm and on a 58cm (XL).
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Hi all,
After years riding my MTB I did the CTCT on a borrowed road bike this year - this opened my eyes to the other side. So I'm looking for a new road bike - one could say that I'm starting my n+1 journey. I have very little roadie experience and would appreciate some advice. My criteria (based on bits of input I've received so far):
- Opting for new or demo bike for warranty and peace of mind
- ~R25k budget
- Strong preference for Carbon
- Ideally 105 groupset
- Bike will spend time on the trainer, longer weekend rides (when I'm not on the MTB) and a few of the more common races during the year
I've found 3 options that I think will work:
Cannondale SuperSix EVO 105 (New 2020) - R27.5k
https://bike-addict.co.za/collections/road-bikes/products/cannondale-supersix-evo-carbon-105-2020
- I like the looks and meets all criteria, but a little bit more expensive than the other options
Trek Emonda SL5 (Demo 2019) - R25k
https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/road-bikes/404010/trek-emonda-sl5-demo-bike
- Good looking bike and I've read good things about it, but its a 2019 model and a demo
Merida Scultura 5000 (New 2020) - R25k
https://www.cyclelab.com/product/merida-scultura-5000
- Some Ultegra components, but not sure about the looks and I'm not a fan of the bright red
- Scultura 4000 could also work
Keen to get some opinions between these three options, please let me know your thoughts.
Thanks in advance.
So, I was lucky enough up until February, to have a Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL5 Sagan Edition as part of a barter arrangement between my business and a Specialized retailer. And when that contract ended I had no idea how I would be able to affordably replace that bike and not feel short-changed. I bought the new 2020 Cannondale SuperSix Evo Ultegra Disc and I can tell you that I have not felt like I'm on less of a bike for single second. It's a bit heavier than the Tarmac by some margin (over 1kg) but I've PR'd more segments in the 3 months I've had this bike than I did in 18 months on the Tarmac. It's an absolutely superb machine (the frame is wonderful) and I couldn't recommend this bike more highly - pick the Cannondale; the frame is superb and you won't regret it!
But you are fitter now.
Sure I am. But I'm comparing segments on both bikes ridden within the last 4 weeks. My fitness, according to Strava Summit is exacty the same over the past 3 months (in fact down by 1%).
5000km over 2 years =
2500 per year
208.33 km per month
52.08km per week
You really need to do more mileage than that per week dear sir
Right you are!
But I only ride the bike on Sundays. And she has to compete with my MTB for attention.
I have an aluminium Allez linked up to my trainer for the rides during the week.
My total mileage over the past two years (road, MTB, indoor) is around 12,000km.
But nobody ever needed to ride less!! 
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My 2.c or even less:
A bike does make a difference both on the positive and negative especially with weight. One would tend to think a lighter bike - if going uphill for example - is better. Sometimes its not and testing we have done proves this time and time again. A small example is:
In December we tested wheels - rim depth etc, tyre, pressure, tubes, clinchers, width of tyres, chain tension, chain lubrication and rolling resistance on a certain frame to name a few.
The lightiest combo wasn't the best. By a bit. The heavier tube for example created less rolling resistance than some of those really light tubes on the market.
Frames are the same with drag and weight for example.
All these things need to be taken into account when you go for a "light bike"
The same goes for TT - been in Aigle now for a intense week of testing equipment and rider for a possible project coming up. Again, light or "more aero position" isn't the best or most optimal when you look at CDA, Power, Lactate at power, rolling resistance, distance traveled.
Same goes for MTB, tyre combo's, suspension set up even when it is not the best fork or shock is better than a top of the line fork set up wrong.
Technology is great and so advanced but the best isn't always the best option.
The stats above would make for interesting reading. However, I've got some very simple anecdotal stats of my own.
For the past 2 years I've been lucky enough to spend my time on the road on a R150k Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL5 ETap (our company sponsored a bike retailer and this was the quid pro quo). With pedals, garmin mount, bottle cages the bike weighed in at 7.25kg in a size 58cm, running SRAM Red wireless and carbon everything including 40mm carbon clinchers.
However, our contract has come to an end, the bike has had to go back and I've had to go out and buy something I can actually afford. Enter the 2019 Cannondale SuperSix EVO Ultegra Disc. Yes, it also has carbon wheels (35mm clinchers) but it weighs almost 1.25kg more in the same trim as the Tarmac.
Do I feel short-changed riding the heavier, cheaper bike? So far, apart from "brand appeal" and bling/snob factor not in the least. Is the Tarmac faster than the EVO over certain segments and in certain conditions? Hell yes - but I would expect so. I knew it intimately having ridden almost 5000km on the bike. But has the Cannondale already smashed a Tarmac PR or two? Considering I've only done 120km on it so far? Again, hell yes - including one of the signature climbs in our area and I honestly wasn't even pushing; despite the weight penalty.
So, the OP is right. The bike matters. And it doesn't. It depends more on what suits the rider best. And suits best, doesn't mean costs most.
Let's see those Cannondales
in The Bike Room
Posted
Mine was super noisy too (like a big crack every time I hit a bump) but I got my LBS to follow the Cannondale work instruction for the seatpost to the letter and it's been perfect ever since. You can download it here:
https://www.cannondale.com/-/media/files/manual-uploads/manuals/019_137369_oms%20my20%20supersix_en.pdf
Check out pages 15-17...