Cannondale SuperX Lab71

Cannondale has revived an iconic name to create a superb gravel race bike

- Words Aaron Borrill Photography Mike Massaro

The SuperX name has heritage within the Cannondale brand. It first appeared in 2010 attached to a dedicated cyclocross bike, but in 2021 the original SuperX was replaced by the SuperSix Evo SE and CX. The change in name only served to cause confusion - was it essentially a road bike with bigger clearances, a gravel bike with a cross build, or a cross bike with gravel leanings? In many ways it was all of the above, so Cannondale decided that its naming conventions needed better clarity. This latest update brings the SuperX name back, repositioning the bike as a race-focussed gravel machine that can double up for cyclocross duties.

Speed is the main focus, so aerodynamics has become an increasingly important part of the gravel racing bike's makeup. Cannondale called on its in-house team to apply what was learned from the slippery SystemSix and SuperSix Evo gen 3 and 4 road bikes to the SuperX. The result is a bike informed by its aerodynamic stablemates, as well as hours of more dedicated CFD modelling and wind-tunnel testing. The challenge with the SuperX came in understanding how aerodynamics works within a gravel setting, as the average speeds are lower than in road racing. As a result, Cannondale based its aero assessments on speeds of 35kmh, and the company claims a 1.6-watt saving for the SuperX compared to the SuperSix Evo SE and CX.

Numerous features are reminiscent of the SuperSix in the SuperX's front end. It uses the same integrated cockpit and pizza slice cross-section Delta fork steerer. This design allows cabling to be integrated without widening the head tube, but crucially allows a fair bit of freedom in stem and bar choice to improve adjustability.