Single test 2017: Cannondale SuperX 105 - Cross bike: Cannondale SuperX 105 on test

A cross bike should be short and manoeuvrable - that's what the old school teaches us. With the new SuperX, Cannondale is abandoning this tradition and is likely to give many cross purists pause for thought - provided they are prepared to embrace the special riding experience of the SuperX.

The wheelbase of the SuperX in size 56 measures a whopping 1,035 millimetres - that's around 2.5 centimetres more than a classic cross geometry. However, this long wheelbase is not the result of particularly long chainstays. Rather, the fork has a more pronounced pre-bend than usual. The front wheel thus moves further forwards, so to speak. In line with the old frame builder's adage that "forward lean eats trail", this makes the SuperX very agile; at the same time, the long wheelbase makes the bike very directional. For our taste, Cannondale has hit the bull's eye with this newly conceived cross geometry. A positive side effect is the great foot clearance. Even with pedal cleats set as far back as possible and size 44 winter shoes, there is still enough space between the tip of the foot and the tyre.

innovative: The frame

Another striking feature of the SuperX is the record-breakingly stiff steering head, which helps to make the bike easy to control even in tricky riding situations. Nevertheless, the extremely stable bike absorbs bumps and vibrations well, which is mainly due to the 25 millimetre thin aluminium seat post and the 33 millimetre wide X-One tyres from Schwalbe. In general, the tyres have a major influence on the great riding impression. Despite its many round lugs, the X-One hardly rolls any harder on tarmac than fast road tyres, and the enthusiasm doesn't wane off-road either; here the X-One shines and virtually sticks to the ground, even in corners. We are currently unaware of a cross tyre that manages the balancing act between road and off-road better.

The interaction between the rear triangle and rear wheel is also exclusive and special. The seat stays and chainstays on the drive side are drawn further outwards than usual. The design, known as "asymmetric integration", makes it possible to use spokes of the same length on both sides of the rear wheel (they are normally shorter on the drive side). The symmetrical spoking and the use of 36 spokes make the rear wheel by far the stiffest we've ever had on the test bench - and you can feel it. As the tyre has plenty of room in the rear triangle, there is hardly any mud and dirt build-up. The disadvantage of this design is that only appropriately spoked rear wheels will fit; with a conventional wheel, the rim would run off-centre. In addition, the chain line moves slightly outwards. To ensure that the gears still work perfectly, Cannondale fits special versions of its SI cranks to the SuperX models, whose chainrings are positioned slightly further outwards. The comparatively high weight of 8.7 kilos fades into the background in view of the confident handling in all riding situations. However, the bike is also available in a lighter version: with an identical carbon frame in three different versions, the SuperX is lighter, but also more expensive.

Safe and convenient

Due to the rather long head tube, you don't sit too stretched out on the SuperX; if you prefer a low handlebar position, you might want to choose a size smaller. The equipment with Shimano's mechanical 105 gears and reasonably priced hydraulic disc brakes works perfectly. However, the brakes
However, before the first ride, the brakes had to be slowed down by several hard braking manoeuvres repeated at short intervals in order to reach their full power. After that, the bike, equipped with 160-millimetre discs at the front and rear, was perfectly equipped for typical cross-country use. The comfortable Fabric saddle also deserves special praise - it is one of the most comfortable seats we have recently travelled with.

OVERALL GRADE 1.9

Price 2,699 Euro
Weight 8.7 kilos
Info www.cannondale.com

Weight frame/fork/steering bearing* 1,186/465/77 grammes
Frame sizes** 46, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61 cm
Seat/top tube/head tube 550/555/155 mm
Stack/Reach/STR*** 576/384 mm/1.50
Drive Cannondale SI (46/36 t.; BB30)
Brakes Shimano BR-RS505 (160/160 mm; Flatmount)
Circuit Shimano 105
Wheels/tyres (weights)**** Cannondale Maddux CX 2.0/Schwalbe X-One 33 mm (front/rear 1,617/2,047 grams)

MEASURED VALUES & INDIVIDUAL NOTES****

Weight of complete wheel 8.7 kilos: 4.0
Steering head stiffness 128 Nm/°: 1.0
Lateral stiffness fork 51 N/mm: 1.3
Bottom bracket stiffness 63 N/mm: 1.0
Suspension travel seat post 160 N/mm: 1.7
Fork travel 74 N/mm: 2.3

* Weighed weights.
** Manufacturer's test size bold.
*** Stack/reach projected vertical/horizontal measurement from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube; STR (stack to reach) 1.36 means a very stretched, 1.60 an upright riding position.
**** Individual grades, which are weighted differently in the overall grade, are only partially printed for reasons of space. The grades are calculated with all decimal places up to the final grade; however, for the sake of clarity, all grades are shown with rounded decimal places.