I went to Girona to see how the new Cannondale SuperSix rides, and I didn't want to get off

This bike isn't a radical departure from the SuperSix design language used by the brand; it looks very similar at face value. It's been raced on by the pros since the Tour Down Under, and many of the online appraisals have been to the tune of, 'looks the same', which I'm sure the designers of the bike love to hear after years of work.

There have, however, been a range of healthy changes, which the brand says make the bike lighter and a little more aerodynamic. There are also two new frame sizes in the range, and the bike is longer and lower by a small amount.

I headed to the bikes launch in Girona back in November, for a test ride and to see what Cannondale had created. I test rode the Evo 1 model, which comes in at £8,995 / $9,499 /€8,499 as you see it in the pictures.

Design and Aesthetics

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Aesthetics-wise, you know what you're getting here: the attractive SuperSix silhouette remains, and that big Cannondale logo on the downtube looks good, though I do personally prefer the slightly older, more aggressive-looking one on my own 2018 era bike.

Some of the design changes made by Cannondale have boosted the bike's overall aesthetics and look. The new aero seatpost really ties things in for me; the old one had a cutout for seatpost clamp access, which has now gone, and if you have a Gen 4 bike, you can buy the new post for it; they are the same shape. And don't worry, you still can easily access the saddle clamp hardware.

The narrower fork crown and headtube just look better, and boost aerodynamics. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but the Gen 4 front end looks a bit bulbous and chunky compared to the new bike. Another aesthetics boost as far as I'm concerned.

The front end of the bike is 10mm lower, and the reach number is a few mm longer across the sizes. So the bike has gotten a touch more aggressive. The seat tube has also been shortened, meaning riders can run more seatpost and arguably benefit from a bit more seatpost flex

I'm riding a 54cm bike in the photos with a roughly 75cm seat height. Look at that seatpost – until now I'd have had to ride a 52 to achieve the same look, and visually it makes the bike look great for me. Prospective SuperSix owners may rejoice at this change.

Cannondale has developed two new integrated bars for the bike, and I tried the aero-focused SystemBar Road. And praise be, it tops out width-wise at 380mm. No more stock 44cm handlebars here. It's a lightweight, stiff and aero package, but the carbon weave finish is fantastic. I think it will generate a lot of positive attention, and it looks great.

The frames are all marginally lighter, and 6.8kg builds are easily achievable for the high-end bikes. Cannondale also found a small aerodynamic gain; it is both lighter and faster than the previous bike. You can see how it stacks up in our CN Labs aero testing, too.

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Specifications

At the bike's launch, I rode the SuperSix Evo 1 model, which uses the Hi-Mod second-tier carbon frame in the 'Platinum' colourway, which I liked. This model comes in at 7.3kg. It would cost you a few dollars, but it would be easy enough to get this model bang on the UCI weight limit if you so wished.

My size 54cm bike retails for £8,995 / $9,499 /€8,499 in the exact same spec that you see in the pictures.

That RRP price is a good chunk of change, included is, as mentioned, the SuperSix Hi Mod frame, which is fractionally heavier than the Lab71 top-tier options.

There's an SRAM Force AXS groupset with dual sided power meter. Force is an excellent groupset, and I tested it for a good part of last summer. If you aren't chasing the extra grams that Red saves, it's nearly as good.

Wheels are Reserve rims laced to DT Swiss 240 hubs, a formidable combo. The rear is a just UCI legal 64mm, and the front is a 57mm. The wheels were wrapped in 29mm Vittoria Corsa Pro tyres, and I ran my tubeless at 55 PSI for my 65kg weight.

This bike is the cheapest Evo to come with the new System Bar Road integrated handlebar, and the finish is absolutely stunning. I could get used to looking down and seeing that carbon fibre weave finish every day. My bars had a 100mm stem, generally my preferred length, in the 360mm width version at the tops.

My bike also had the inline seatpost option fitted, which would be my preference, topped with a Fizik Vento Antares R1 saddle in the 140mm option. This seatpost option also has titanium hardware like the other upper-tier models.

Included with the bike, rightly so for the price if you ask me, are the Cannondale aero bottles and cages that you see pictured. Fillmore tubeless valves, SystemBar computer mount and SRAM AXS charger too, meaning you are set up to hit the road from the off.

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First impressions

I had one test ride on the new SuperSix out in Girona, which lasted just over two and a half hours. We covered a range of terrain, and Cannondale even shipped in Cédrine Kerbao, Richard Carapaz, and Ben Healy to ride with us on their recovery day from their nearby training camp.

Incidentally, if you noticed Ben Healy riding an all-black SuperSix Gen 4 at the Rwanda worlds, this was a special version of the bike that Cannondale put together for him that dropped a kilo of the stock weight of his team bike.

Cannondale asked for a lot of measurements pre-trip, and as I clipped in to check my position outside our hotel on a narrow cobbled street, I knew almost instantly that the fit was pretty much spot on for me. It's great when a test bike fits properly, and that was the case here; my position on the bike felt fantastic straight away and put a grin on my face.

I would have liked a lot longer on the bike, and haven't had the opportunity to test a bike out long term at home yet, but my short first ride left a very positive impression.

My personal bike is a Gen 2 SuperSix Evo Hi Mod from 2018 (yes, rim brakes), and that bike's handling never fails to impress me. This 'put the bike anywhere you like' feeling remains with the Gen 5. The handling was exciting, race bike fast, yet completely confident and never nervous.

In the time I spent on the bike, I couldn't fault it, and if you have ridden SuperSixes in the past and valued this (we won't mention the Gen 3 headset steering limiter), I suspect you will be totally on board this time.

I really liked the new handlebars, the shape, aesthetics and stiffness levels that I could feel. They aren't cheap, though, and only feature on top-end bikes. If I were buying a SuperSix I'd want some, but they may be out of reach for some prospective buyers, or act as an incentive to upgrade, of course.

SRAM AXS groupsets are really excellent, and the Force AXS groupset on my bike was no exception, no complaints from me there, and read my in-depth review for a full breakdown.

This was my first time properly riding Reserve's wheels, and I was both intrigued and impressed. The wheels felt rapid; Vittoria Corsa Pros always help, but that 64mm deep rear wheel helped the bike roll along very nicely. They really contributed to the overall feeling of speed for me. I always like to ask mechanics for their recommendations on tyre pressures. I don't always listen, but you can sometimes learn a thing or two. We went down to 55 PSI on my bike, slightly lower than I normally would run, and I'm glad we did. The setup felt really good for me.

I just mentioned speed, and that was the overriding first impression of the SuperSix for me; it just felt fast everywhere. I wanted to go harder on it if anything on our ride, it was just so easy to freewheel and coast along in the wheels in our group, the bike felt like it carried speed noticeably well. Naturally in this regard we can rely on our own aero testing numbers, which show an improvement on the old one, but sensations are important too.

I came away from that first ride with a grin on my face and wanting more. It was also a reminder of how important riding the right frame size and getting your overall setup nailed is.

Initial verdict

Cannondale says the Gen 5 SuperSix improves on the previous version, which is generally regarded as a very well-rounded, solid race bike. I'd be inclined to agree with this after the first ride.

It feels very quick, the handling is exciting and highly dependable, and the aesthetics have been improved to my mind thanks to the new seatpost and shortened seat tube, which means that minimal post showing SuperSix look of old for some riders should become a thing of the past.

I got off it, and instantly wanted to get back on. The SuperSix is alive and well.