Cannondale have revamped the Slice time trial bike, removing the Slice RS used by the Cannondale team from the UK range and replacing it with a machine geared towards multi-sport athletes.
Cannondale say consumer demand for the Slice lies primarily with triathletes and so the new machine is not legal to be raced in UCI events, while the Cannondale squad, which will merge with Garmin-Sharp for the 2015 season, will continue to use the Slice RS, which has been approved by cycling’s world governing body.
Cannondale claim the revamped Slice offers the ‘world’s best balance’ of aerodynamics, weight, stiffness, comfort, handling and ease-of-use, with the American firm’s decision to have a traditional ‘bar and stem setup on the Slice, rather than the fully integrated front-end of the RS, the most obvious example of the latter.
The Slice will be available in five builds, starting with a Shimano 105-equipped machine at £1,199.99 and topping out with the Slice Black Inc, dressed in Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 at £7,499.99.
The frame uses Cannondale’s BallisTec carbon fibre construction, which helps keep the weight low at a claimed 1,020g, while the tube profiles adopt a ‘Truncated Aero Profile’, which follows the thinking that the truncated shape offers the aerodynamic benefit of a full airfoil, while reducing weight, increasing stiffness and improving handling in crosswinds.
Cannondale have also looked to improve comfort with the ‘Aero SAVE micro-suspension system’, which uses super-thin seatstays and offset fork dropouts in a bid to cushion the ride. A small channel behind the seattube is said to reduce the drag caused by turbulent air between the spinning wheel and the frame and it also ensures the Slice also has clearance for plush 28c tyres.
Direct mount brakes, a standard 1-1/8” fork steerer and internal cable routing complete the look.
Website: Cannondale
