Another completely new platform is the CAAD12. While it’s technically an upgrade on the CAAD10, there’s so much new in the 12 that it feels like a totally new bike.

On looks alone you’ll notice that the rear triangle looks very different to the CAAD10, and that’s because Cannondale have imbibed the CAAD12 with the same two-zone Speed Save micro suspension as the Supersix.

Added to that, they’ve also given the 12 the 25.4mm seatpost and re-engineered Delta seat tube and at the front, there’s the same one-piece Speed Save fork construction as the Supersix. All this combines together to give the CAAD12 a claimed 50 percent increase in comfort over the CAAD10. Yep, you read that correctly: 50 percent. And all this is built around the BB30a bottom bracket which is the new Standard on all Cannondale’s road frames.

Overall, the CAAD12 system weight has been on a diet, too, and drops 150g from its predecessor. More impressive than that, the system weight of the disc-ready version is another 50g on top of that, making for a 200g saving.

Another little touch – that you can see on the Slate as well – is Cannondale’s new, patented disc brake mount. It’s a braze-on construction and looks fantastic as well as helping to reduce weight as the weight of the disc calliper mounts is one of the key sources of extra weight in disc-ready frames. What’s more impressive is that the mount didn’t just pass Cannondale’s fatigue tests, it actually passed the even more testing tandem brake challenge, too.

The CAAD12 comes in five guises:

CAAD12 Disc Dura-Ace – £2,499.99
Disc Ultegra 3 – £1,999.99
Ultegra 3 – £1,699.99
Disc 105 5 – £1,499.99
105 5 – £1,299.99