00:00 Cannondale has launched the fourth generation of the Super 6 Evo platform. For what is probably
00:05 the worst kept secret of the year, it's great that we can finally delve into the detail and
00:10 find out what the new bike is all about and put an end to the constant speculation. I was also
00:16 lucky enough to actually ride the bike, so later in the video I'll be able to bring you my first
00:20 ride impressions. Be sure to stick around for those. First off though, let's get into the
00:26 nitty gritty detail. What really is the new Super 6 all about? Well, I think we best start with a
00:33 thing which has been the source of so much speculation, the mysterious Lab 71. Simply put,
00:40 Cannondale have unlocked a new echelon of bikes above High Mod, which was their previous range
00:46 topping offering. Lab 71 has come in and put the High Mod moniker into second place. So,
00:53 a bike wearing the Lab 71 logo will make use of a new carbon fiber layup, which Cannondale are
00:59 calling their Series Zero layup. Now, I think it's fair to expect that Lab 71 logo to be popping up
01:06 on more bikes. So, think System 6 Lab 71s, Topstone Lab 71s, etc. And I wouldn't be surprised if that
01:14 moniker stretches all the way into their mountain bike range. The new carbon layup is promising to
01:19 be lighter than ever before. And this is resulting in the range topping Dura-Ace Lab 71 Super 6 in a
01:25 56 centimeter frame size coming in at the UCI weight limit of 6.8 kilos. However, there is a
01:33 little bit more to it. That's the bike as a full build. If you look at just the finished painted
01:38 frame, the difference between the Lab 71 and the High Mod is just 40 grams. To put this into even
01:45 more context, if you look at their third tier layup, which is simply called their carbon line,
01:50 the painted frame comes in at 930 grams. So, obviously, there's a much bigger gap there.
01:56 You can usually play a bit of new bike bingo on any launch. And so far, we've ticked off a big one.
02:03 Less weight. But what about the others? Is it more aero? Of course, it's more aero. Cannondale
02:09 are claiming that the new fourth generation is 12 watts faster at 45 kilometers an hour or 28 miles
02:15 an hour than the third generation. And this is thanks to some new tube profiles, which in some
02:21 parts look flatter and more stretched out. One thing Cannondale were pretty keen to make clear
02:27 is that the bike was developed as a whole and all of the parts that the bike comes with were
02:32 optimized around the frame. So, the seat post, the wheels, the bottles, the bottle cages,
02:37 and the integrated bar and stem were all developed at the same time. In my opinion,
02:43 it did give them quite a few places where they could tweak things to find that extra speed.
02:47 I'll touch on some of the key improvements. Yes, those bottles are now aero and currently
02:53 are still UCI legal. But as we all know, that could change at the drop of a hat.
02:58 The new R50 wheels are unsurprisingly 50 millimeters deep and different bike builds
03:04 come with either the SL or S versions, with the difference mainly coming down to weight.
03:09 The bar and stem, well, that's slightly more interesting. Eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted
03:15 this Momo design logo on the side of the bars. So, what's that all about? Well, Cannondale says
03:22 that it's partnered up with the automotive brand Momo to create a new cockpit. In my opinion,
03:28 this really is just a bit of marketing. Cannondale has it well within their ability to create the bar
03:33 themselves. And really, it just looks like they've licensed the Momo logo to create a bit of a
03:39 narrative. I will say this, the crazy paving garden path pattern on the top of the bars could
03:45 split opinion amongst buyers, but it is certainly eye-catching. Along with the new handlebars comes
03:51 a new D-shaped steerer, which aids in the integration process and helps slim down the head
03:56 tube. A vast improvement on the third generations. So, we've checked off the aero box in our game of
04:03 new bike bingo, but what about stiffness? That is always a common one. Well, here, Cannondale
04:10 aren't claiming any improvement. They say it's just as stiff as the third generation. And in my
04:15 opinion, that is absolutely fine. I owned the third generation of the bike and not once did I
04:21 ever think, "Oh, this would be better if it was stiffer." So, quite frankly, I think they made a
04:26 good call here. In terms of changes, that really is it bar some very small details. For example,
04:33 the bike now takes a 68mm threaded BSA bottom bracket. The steering stops have been removed,
04:39 which is great. And the Di2 battery is now mounted low down in the down tube,
04:45 just above the bottom bracket. And Cannondale will no longer be making a 60cm or a 62cm frame.
04:53 Instead, they'll just be making a 61cm for simplification. But that's about it. As mentioned
05:00 earlier, the stiffness has stayed the same, as has the geometry, as has the tyre clearance at 34mm.
05:06 When you look at both third and fourth generations together, they aren't a world apart. It feels
05:13 much more like a 3.5 generation has been released, rather than an all-new bike. They've taken
05:20 everything that was wrong with the third generation and corrected it. And the result
05:24 is something which now is a lot more enticing. So, that's all the techie stuff out of the way.
05:30 But what's it like to ride? Well, no surprises here. It feels like the old Super 6. I'm never
05:37 going to claim that I could feel the 12 watt increase in efficiency. I'm sure I only hit the
05:41 magic 45km/h a handful of times. The bike still embodies everything that was good about the third
05:48 generation. It climbs well, the wheels are easy to spin up, and the bike feels good at low speeds.
05:54 And if you want to open up the taps and push it further down the road, well, it's only going to
05:58 invite you to do that. Quite frankly, for a bike which has the third generation Super 6 as its
06:03 prelude, it was never going to be bad. It's very hard to find any criticism with the ride itself.
06:10 What about prices then? Well, here's a graphic to show you the worldwide pricing.
06:14 There's a couple of key things to note. Yes, it is a lot of money. The previous top-end
06:20 high mod retailed at £11,500. But now the new top-end high mod comes in at £10,500. And the
06:28 Lab 71 has come in at £12,500. Builds start at £6,250 here in the UK, and that will be for a
06:37 12-speed Ultegra Di2 option. And you can get the bike with the new surround force for an extra £500.
06:46 The bikes have a smattering of paint options, the majority of which look pretty smart.
06:51 Availability is going to differ across the globe. But if you're after a Lab 71 bike,
06:56 then do be quick because they're only being produced in limited quantities.
07:01 What do you think about the new Super 6 Evo 4? For me, it represents an evolution rather than
07:08 anything groundbreaking and new. But as all bike brands hone in on what looks to be the best bike
07:14 design for the majority of roads, I guess it's inevitable that the jumps in progression will
07:20 become ever smaller and those designs will start to look even more similar. Of course,
07:26 the limits of physics and the UCI are the same for everyone. If you enjoyed the video, then please do
07:32 drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content, and I'll see you again very soon.
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