Introducing the New SystemSix Aero Road Bike from Cannondale

By Cannondale
Posted on Jul 03, 2018

Cannondale (USA) – Press Release: SystemSix.

Years of intensive R&D have resulted in the SystemSix, the fastest UCI-legal road bike in the world. A fully system-integrated design delivers high-octane thrills in any situation, satisfying even the most diehard fanatic's need for speed.

Climb faster:
The SystemSix's aerodynamic advantage is faster than lightweight climbing bikes on inclined gradients of 6% or higher (depending on the rider's power-to-weight ratio). With many competitive climbs averaging only 7-8%, you'll be race ready in no time.

Descend faster:
Dropping down a 5% grade, a rider on a traditional lightweight bike would need to put out over 300 watts just to keep up with a rider spinning at an recovery effort on a SystemSix.

Faster on the Flats:
The SystemSix saves the rider over 50 watts at 48 km/h – considering that most Cat 1 racer's Functional Threshold Power is around 350 watts, that's a saving that goes a long way. You'll even feel the benefit when you're drafting, up to 60% in fact!

Faster in the Sprints:
In a 200m sprint with riders putting out a 1000 watt effort, the SystemSix rider would be four bike lengths ahead at the line.

Cruise easier:
Taking it easy with a leisurely group ride? The SystemSix makes it even simpler, requiring 10% less energy, so when the time comes to put the pedal to the metal, you'll be ready to ride.

It takes a system:
To say the SystemSix represents a unique approach to aerodynamic optimized bike design would be a bit of an understatement. Our holistic approach to speed represents the pinnacle of what a race bike designed from the ground up can really deliver. Ground up? Indeed. The entire SystemSix project began with a quest to design the fastest wheel possible for modern tire volumes. And we built from there, developing the frame, fork, seatpost, bars, stem and wheels together as a complete speed system. Taking full advantage of disc-only optimization. Tailoring frame tube profiles to control airflow at every point. Developing a bar/stem combo that delivers the fast without forgoing the fit. Yielding the most positive wind tunnel data we’ve ever seen. And all within UCI limits.

The Foundation of Fast:
The most important part of the world’s fastest system, the SystemSix frame and fork are the rock upon which speed is built. Every tube shape painstakingly engineered to be as immune to drag as possible. Purposeful asymmetry for instant response to disc brake and pedaling loads. Impeccable handling and classic road race feel thanks to geometry derived from our gold standard EVO. And of course, scores of refined details designed to speed you up and not let you down.

Optimized Against Every Aspect of Drag:

Foiling Drag - Every section of the frame and fork features tailored airfoil profiles, with differing degrees of truncation designed to maintain flow attachment across important yaw angles and minimize drag
The Chine - The unique chine shape at the base of the headtube redirects air flow coming up the back of the fork leg, channeling it downstream. This prevents the fork's airflow from mixing with the wake of the head tube and interrupting clean air over the fork crown
Sleek as Fork - Freed from the constraints of rim brakes, the fork crown area is radically different from traditional road bikes. Sleekly integrated with the frame for minimal drag. Larger opening for bigger tires and cleaner airflow. Asymmetric legs for handling disc brake loads

Bigger Meet Better:
Conceived as the first component of the SystemSix design, our new KNØT64 wheels are one hell of an engineering feat all in themselves. Designed to eliminate the drag penalty normally associated with running bigger tires, the KNØT64s manage to pack all the comfort, rolling resistance and grip benefits of larger volume tires into one of the absolute, bar none, fastest wheelsets on the planet. The disc-only design is significantly wider than other road wheels and that extra width both makes smaller tires bigger (a 23c tire measures a full 26mm on our wheel) and helps air flowing over the larger tire reattach cleanly to the rim, maximizing flow attachment and minimizing drag. And as a bonus, while they're optimized for 26mm (23c) tires, the KNØT64 design exhibits minimal changes in drag with even larger tires, giving riders the option to go bigger without slowing down. It’s pure speed without compromise.

System of Control:
The KNØT SystemBar is a slick bit of speed wizardry, providing the low drag and sleek look of a one-piece bar and stem, with the customizable adjustability of a two-piece system. The carbon bar features a full 8° of pitch adjust, so you can dial in your perfect position. And the rounded truncated airfoil shape of the flat section not only maintains consistent airflow throughout the pitch range, it’s also way comfier on your hands than the sharp trailing edge of other aero bars.

In addition to giving the bars a place to perch, the mating System Stem routes brake and Di2 lines cleanly into the headtube via a channel underneath a mechanic-friendly removable cover. And speaking of mechanic-friendly, shape-matched gated spacers allow you to easily adjust the stem’s stack height, without having to disconnect cables. Fast and easy, just how you like it.

The Most Post:
It's a common misconception that seatposts are insignificant to performance. In actuality, the airflow in this region is significantly faster than the clean air at the front of the bike, due to the flow accelerating between the rider's legs. The truncated airfoil shape of the SystemSix post is a big part of the world's fastest speed result.

SystemSix Models: