Cannondale SuperSix

The US brand's 2011 masterpiece of a bike led the way in terms of carbon frame design, comfort and lightness

- Warren Rossiter

In the early part of the 21st century, we witnessed an arms race in the building of flyweight carbon fibre frames. Manufacturers such as Cervélo, Storck, Scott, Canyon and many others strove to create the lightest bike, shaving timber from their framesets, gram by gram.

The brand credited with firing the starting gun, however, were Cannondale, with their SuperSix model. This all-carbon bike came from a firm who'd built a reputation with innovative aluminium work. It followed on from the likes of the Six13 – a slice of weirdness built on a carbon front end and aluminium rear, when every other company was focusing on the opposite.