Cannondale’s New Road Bike Aims to Be the Fastest Ever. Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Optimized for aerodynamics, the super-high-end LAB71 SuperSix EVO signals a bold step forward for the brand.

Published March 1, 2023

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A couple weeks ago, we lifted the curtain on a whole new class of bikes from Cannondale. Sparing no expense, the LAB71 series is positioned as a no-holds-barred approach to bike engineering, design and aesthetics.

Now we get our first look at what that really means, thanks to the announcement of the LAB71 SuperSix EVO, which hits bike shops this May. While the nameplate itself has been in the Cannondale stable for more than a decade, the premium level of this fourth generation is unapologetic in its ambition. Here are some of the highlights.

Unified Design

The Cannondale team constructed the frameset, seatpost, bars and wheels in unison, aiming to make all these components play well together. According to the brand, they put the whole package through thousands of computational fluid dynamics tweaks and weeks of wind tunnel tests, stripping everything down to the essentials and stressing speed. This new iteration saves 12 watts of power at 28 mph versus the third-generation bike.

Ultra Weight Savings

The new bike’s carbon-heavy construction might not weigh zero pounds, but it’s getting pretty damn close. Thanks to an innovative fiber and nano-resin composite, a fully painted, build-ready 56cm frame tips the scales at less than 1.7 pounds. Together with carefully curated components, the whole bike comes in at the UCI minimum of 6.8 kilograms, just 14.99 pounds.

Unprecedented Aerodynamics

Cannondale teamed with MOMODesign, a top motorsport design firm, on a fully integrated carbon handlebar and stem. The new HollowGram R-50 wheelset cuts through wind, as does concealed cable routing flowing from a slimmed-down headtube. Even the bottle cages — yes, the bottle cages — are specifically aligned with the frame shape to smooth airflow and reduce drag.

The Price of Progress

We would be remiss not to mention that while we got a chance to touch and lift the LAB71 SuperSix EVO during a visit to Cannondale headquarters in late January, we have yet to actually ride this stunning steed. We hope to do so soon, but at this point we can only say it certainly seems incredibly light and fast — with the price to match. The frameset itself starts at $4,500 and while Cannondale says entry-level fourth-gen EVOs will start at $5,500, we understand the LAB71 edition will hit $15,000.

That’s a few hundred bucks less than the cheapest new car, the Nissan Versa, and a couple thousand more than a really fun motorcycle, the Triumph Speed Twin. Cannondale itself makes plenty of frisky rides for much less, including the $4,500 Topstone Carbon 2 Lefty, a great gravel bike we reviewed last year. But again, LAB71 is in a class by itself — and hey, no one ever said going fast as hell on a bicycle would be a bargain, did they?