Cannondale's SuperSlice: A Time Trial Bike Like No Other
The fastest time trial bike we've ever made - Cannondale's SuperSlice finally gets the attention it deserves. But is it truly revolutionary, or just another time trial bike in the crowded market? Let's dive in and explore the features that set it apart.
For years, the Cannondale SuperSlice has been a rare sight on the UK time trial scene, often overshadowed by more established icons like the Specialized Shiv, Pinarello Bolide, and Giant Trinity. However, with the launch of the second-generation SuperSlice Disc, Cannondale is making a bold statement. This bike is not just an upgrade; it's a game-changer, designed to push the boundaries of time trial performance.
A Seamless Integrated Chassis
Cannondale's focus on maintaining steering geometry and future-proofing the chassis is evident in the new SuperSlice. The bike offers enhanced control in the TT position, thanks to an improved, highly adjustable cockpit layout. It also accommodates up to 32mm tires and features a UDH rear dropout and BSA threaded bottom bracket.
Dr. Nathan Barry, Cannondale Senior Design Engineer, emphasizes the importance of making the rider and bike as fast as possible. This led to extensive CFD modeling and wind tunnel testing, resulting in a bike that looks radically different from its predecessor. The SuperSlice boasts sculptural, deep-section tube shapes, a reprofiled, narrower head tube, a chunkier fork, and a more optimized rear end and seat tube cutout.
Aerodynamic Excellence
The integrated deep-section airfoil seatpost is a standout feature, retaining the same dimensions as the seat tube for improved compliance and aerodynamics. The seat clamp allows 45mm of fore-aft movement, offering a wide range of fit options. And for those who love the iconic SuperSlice pizza graphic, it's still there, wearing a cape on the underside of the downtube.
The new SuperSlice achieves a 10w yaw-weighted drag reduction at 50km/h over its predecessor, which is quite significant. Cannondale attributes this to weight savings in the basebar, successfully offsetting any gains in the fork. As a result, a sub-9kg time-trial bike is easily achievable, depending on the build specifications.
Compatibility and Setup
The SuperSlice is designed to be versatile, compatible with both time trials and triathlons. It's compatible with Vision hydration systems and can be set up as either a 2x (60/46T max) or 1x (64T max) setup. However, it's important to note that the bike will not accommodate aftermarket basebar systems, and extension compatibility is limited to parts designed for the Vision/FSA single-stack, mono-link TFA Evo configurations.
Pricing and Availability
While the second-generation SuperSlice was initially hard to source, Cannondale has made a concerted effort to make it globally accessible. The frame is priced at $6,999 / £6,995 / €6,999, which is not the most affordable option on the market. However, considering the need to source additional components separately, full builds are likely to cost more than $12,000 / £10,000 / €12,000 in some cases.
So, is the Cannondale SuperSlice truly revolutionary, or just another time trial bike in the crowded market? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
