Cannondale have introduced the Slice RS time trial bike, with aerodynamics and integration combining to produce a bike which they say is “unadulterated fast”.
The Slice RS is based on the concept that “narrow is fast”, and therefore every aspect of its design has been developed to minimise the surface area exposed to the wind.The steerer sits outside the headtube, allowing Cannondale to use the smallest headset bearings possible, with the net result being a headtube with a tiny frontal area – and the rest of the frame follows suit.
Cables are routed internally, brakes are integrated behind the fork and bottom bracket, and Cannondale say the seatpost is the thinnest UCI-legal seatpost ever made. The Slice RS also uses Cannondale’s SAVE anti-vibration system, whereby the carbon layup and angle of the seatstays helps absorb road buzz. The technology is also used on Cannondale’s top-end road platform, the SuperSix Evo (the Evo and the Slice RS are said to share the same level of vertical compliance), and descends from Cannondale’s Synapse ‘comfort’ bike.
The top-of-the-range Slice RS Black Edition is built around a SRAM Red groupset and Zipp 808 wheels, with a retail price of £7,499.99, while £3,499.99 will get you a machine with Shimano Ultegra and Mavic Cosmic Elite hoops.
The existing Slice remains in Cannondale’s time trial collection and comes equipped with a Shimano 105 groupset and Shimano RS10 wheels for £1,799.99.
