This thing looks badass!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/?id=2006/features/cannondale_system_six

Will the System Six replace the Six13, Or is it a new option in addition to the Six13?

I think it would replace the current Six13, Systems Six major improvement is for guys with big frame 58 and up, and this would prevent toptube and head tube being flex.

Spoke with the LBS this afternoon, the System Six will start shipping in July and come in three main models:

Dura-Ace - $6,900
SRAM - $4,700
Ultegra - $3,700

Too bad Cannondale don't offer Campy version here for North America.

Wow the new pricing for Systems six is way too much for Shimano set up, I rather have the frame and start build up with Campy Record grouppo.

The price for Dura-Ace must include SRM. There is no way that a Dura-Ace equipped bike is $3000 more than an Ultegra-equipped bike.

However, the title of my post is missleading. I was hoping that the Ultegra-equipped System Six would come in around $3500 and I was interested in what SRAM-equipped bikes were going to cost.

I would not mind trying the SRAM stuff, but I will probably stick with Ultegra and wait a couple of years for SRAM to fine-tune their offerings (and price points).

Spoke with the LBS this afternoon, the System Six will start shipping in July and come in three main models:

Dura-Ace - $6,900
SRAM - $4,700
Ultegra - $3,700

Yikes! $6900 has to be a typo. Even $5900 would be a lot but closer to reality.

The Dura-Ace bike comes with Ksyrium ES wheels if I recall. But that still doesn't add up to the cost difference over the Ultegra bike.

The System 6 Dura-Ace bike (Team 1) will sell for $4799. The Sram Force bike (Team 2)will be $4999 and the Ultegra bike (Team 3) will be $3499. A Record bike will be available as soon as the NEW Record is available (probably the fall). Shimano equipped bikes will be available in the end of June and Sram bikes beginning of July.

Do you have any info on the new Campy Record grouppo ?

Guess we will have to wait till Monday. I called 2 LBS and neither had any information. Both had to call their reps. to find out some information. The one shop is supposed to have the rep. coming by within the next two weeks with a demo.

Hopefully the wait is worth it. Six13 or SystemSix?

New Campy Record will be available some time in the fall - I am guessing September - they're just finalizing the crank details now.

If rumor is true they will stop making the Six13 and replace with Systems Six, there is no reason to offer two version of the same bike.

My guess is Campy Record is offering aluminum compact crank ?

Here is some System6 porn for ya. The Six13 will trickle down the Cannondale line for 2007 with the System6 becoming their flagship road rocket.

</span><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7047/443/1600/DSCF0003.3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7047/443/400/DSCF0003.3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">New for 2007, the 100% USA made <a href="http://www.cannondale.com/systemsix">System 6</a>. A beautiful blend of carbon fiber and aluminum.
The official weight of the bike: stupid light
The price tag: in and around $4800



</span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7047/443/1600/DSCF0001.4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7047/443/400/DSCF0001.4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The carbon stem. Damn!



</span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7047/443/1600/DSCF0004.4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7047/443/400/DSCF0004.4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The ultra smooth point where carbon bonds to metal.


</span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7047/443/1600/DSCF0005.3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7047/443/400/DSCF0005.3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The front of the bike in a lovely shade of nude carbon.



</span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7047/443/1600/DSCF0006.3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7047/443/400/DSCF0006.3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">And for good measure...how about some carbon brakes. Sweeeeet.

Would those who have checked out or ridden a System Six say the ride quality feels more carbon fiber like, or is it more like a CAAD8, with a little more absorbancy on road vibrations? I'm trying to decide whether to wait for a System Six, or pull the trigger on a Synapse 1 Carbon (I know ..different geometry) I like both the CAAD8 Geometry and the Synapse. But I love the ride quality of the Synapse that much more. I ma 49, in good shape and do mostly group/club rides, distance rides and do not race. I'm 190 lbs and usually not ever below 180lbs. I prefer comfort, but with persformance and good climbing manners.

That said, the System Six will be a new '07 model and I like how it looks a lot. Very sexy bike. I also still want to check out a Six13, but I'm guessing the System Six might sell better having more Carbon and performance (from what I read) Thanks!

If you have the time wait for Systems Six, since Cannondale had improve the stiffness on the new frame, but if you got a deal on Six13 don't pass it up.

So when will we be able to start ordering one of these?


I dont understand how the sram stuff will be cheaper either, i just saw the prices and the prices i saw were way more expensive then DA. Maybe i got bad information though

*update* saw the prices the sram force is cheaper then the DA was looking at the wrong column

I just spoke to a LBS about the System Six, this information is for Australia, so it may differ elsewhere.

I was told that availability would be late September, and a Ultegra equiped bike would be about $6,500 AUD, this compares to the Six13 Pro (carbon downtube only) for $4,500, or the Six13 Team (carbon top tube and downtube) for $5,700. On that basis a frame would be about $4,500 for the System Six.

James

Tuesday I stopped by my local LBS and the cannondale rep was there with his personal System6. He apparently was able to get a frame/fork earlier than getting a full bike, which he said suited him just fine since he threw on his record gruppo (except for the breaks which were the new cannondale carbons).
The thing that struck me was just how big all of the tubing is on this bike. All of the carbon, which he said was one piece, were absolutely huge, as were the forks. Which the rep claimed allowed for more strength while remaining light. When the bike shop owner asked if the rear was just a CAAD 8, the rep said it was, but it was modified. The larger tubing allowed for the welds to be further apart which in turn gives the seatstays an even more absorbant flex. As to the carbon, he told us that it actually tested at like 300% stiffer than the Six13...which he admitted scared him a bit for ride quality when he first learned it...but the ride spoke differently.
I got to ride it up some small rollers, some rough "cobble stonish" roads, and smooth pavement. The ride was INCREDIBLE! It flew up the hills and was smooth on the decents (I'd love to see it on some bigger hills at higher speeds), the absorbtion of the carbon and the seatstay's on the rough road were great, and overall I had the general feel that this bike just wanted to go. Unfortunately I didn't have my sidi's with me, so I wasn't able to really put any major torque on the bike, but one thing this ride did tell me...I WANT ONE!

I just wish that I could have had a day or two with the bike to put it through some serious hours of hard riding to really get the full feel...perhaps I can bribe the rep with my 555:idea:

Great write up.

Info and pics from a euro site.
notice the mention of the System Six Record Super Light.

http://www.probike.be/article.php3?id_article=341

Has anyone gotten a chance to get one on the scales yet? If so I would be intrested to know what it was and how the bike was spec'd. not that I am a weight freak, but I am just curious. If I was really serious about weight I would eat less...

Also for those who have been able to do the test ride. how does the ride quality compare to the Synapse? I understand that it will be more agressive, but is it still comfortable over say, cobblestones, rough pavement?

The Cannondale rep in my area had a 58cm Dura-Ace version w/o pedals in clear in the LBS three weeks ago and it was 15.92 on a TOPEAK stand with scale built in. I have ordered the same version in 52cm and plan to weight the individual components before it gets assembled. The ship date for mine is the 1st of July, will post numbers ASAP.

Rick

Has anyone gotten a chance to get one on the scales yet? If so I would be intrested to know what it was and how the bike was spec'd. not that I am a weight freak, but I am just curious. If I was really serious about weight I would eat less...

Also for those who have been able to do the test ride. how does the ride quality compare to the Synapse? I understand that it will be more agressive, but is it still comfortable over say, cobblestones, rough pavement?

they're not too heavy either. We tested one last week and were really overwhelmed by this bike. It is very stiff up front and at the bottom bracket - noticeably stiffer than my CR1, but it's not at all uncomfortable to ride. If the new CAAD9 rear end, included on the Sys6, is any indication, the CAAD9 frames will be very good, too. The most noticeable difference is how the seat stays mount to the seat cluster, much wider than the CAAD8. The S-bend stays are, therefore, more pronounced than previously, and it seems to have made them more vertically compliant. This bike is incredibly stable, and probably tracks better than any bike I've ridden during hard cornering. It's a sprinters dream bike.

Weight is mid to high 15lbs w/o pedals. This is not a flyweight, but it's very respectable. The SRAM force bike, which will be here in two weeks or so, apparently builds up at about a half-pound less. Just for info, the Force bike is only shifters and derailleurs, the front crank is C-Dales carbon Si, and the rear cogs are Dura-Ace - brakes are the "C-Dale" Tektros, which are quite nice. Early reports are that SRAM's new road group is having trouble with shifting up front, a lot of trouble (this did not come from Cannondale, but from another manufacturer testing the group). So much so that I know of one fairly large manufacturer who decided to pass this year for OEM and wait for improvements. Also, the spec of Dura-Ace cogs, I have to assume, means that SRAM and Shimano are compatable. As for the rear cogs, your guess is as good as mine, but I imagine there's an issue with the new SRAM 10-speed cog-set - perhaps it's too early for them to have completely worked out the bugs. I'm sure they're working overtime to get it straight. SRAM makes quality stuff, and they have too much riding on this group for it to not be perfect. Still, this, I believe, will be the first "Force" bike on the market, and I'm sure it will draw a lot of attention.

The Sys6 is a home run. Seriously, we were very impressed, and I'm sure a lot of manufacturers are not real happy. Price is also pretty good: $4800 for Dura-Ace, $3400 for Ultegra (that's a bit high), and $5000 for Force. Considering the bikes it competes against, it beats most with the exception of the Ultegra model, which is $200 higher than others similarly spec'd bikes. Perhaps the wheels are SLs, not sure, but that would do it as most Ultegra bikes sport Elite's.

A couple of interesting notes. Cannondale flirted with carbon in the rear triangle too (not sure if it was all carbon or just seat stays), but it was apparently too heavy and not as comfortable as the CAAD9. The stems come in varying lengths, but with no rise - you'll have to go aftermarket for that, and it may not look as nice given the size of the whole headset area. The wheels on the Dura-Ace bike are Ksyrium ES, not bad. In fact, we were hard pressed to find anything on the bike we'd change. Lastly, the Six/13 stays in the line-up, but will see a price reduction across the board. That's pretty cool considering that bike is no slouch, either.

Sorry if any of this info is a re-hash of any previous posts. I don't always read everything.

Saw a System Six at LBS with Dura Ace for $4700.

Saw a System Six at LBS with Dura Ace for $4700.

How did you like it?

Is anyone riding a System Six in the Tour de France?

the tour. Barloworld is the only Euro team on C'Dales. They are an Continental team. It doesn't matter if a Tour team uses a bike or not, those manufacturers make deals to "sponsor" those teams anyway.

I took it for a quick spin and the bike seems to be stiff and stable on flat road, since the bike has been sold I did not get a chance to take it to the hill to try out, perhaps I wait until next one comes into the shop.

I'll try to make a long story short -- C'Dale had a bad batch of forks and couldn't deliver my six13. in the meantime a System Six came into my LBS and the owner let me ride his. I then bought the first one that came in for resale (58 cm Dura Ace with a compact crankset). It's much stiffer than a six13, but not harsh! I can ride it for hours and feel no fatigue. Because of prevous issues with speed wobble on high end bikes this was a major concern -- nothing like that is gonna happen with this puppy -- absolutely rock solid. Arione saddle is great; took a bit of getting used to but now I love it. Ksyrium ES wheels are super light; had Conti's put on instead of Hutchison tires (my preference). Handlebars come with single unpadded tape -- got Fizik bar gel installed for much more comfortable bars. I'll write a more extensive review once RBR gets the System Six up there. If you get a chance take one for a test ride -- a long test ride, hilly, in cross winds... you'll get the idea.

My Cannondale rep mentioned they will release a Campy version for System Six for U.S market.

I saw the System 6 up close over the weekend, man, what were they thinking! That bike looks totally ridiculous, as if they tried to make a MTB and changed their minds. The headtube and stem are HUGE, horrendous! Didn't like it at all. I'm just talking LOOKS here not performance. You can't even swap stems, has to be only fat arse Cannondale stems to fit specifically this bike. Really stupid.
Corsaire

I saw the System 6 up close over the weekend, man, what were they thinking! That bike looks totally ridiculous, as if they tried to make a MTB and changed their minds. The headtube and stem are HUGE, horrendous! Didn't like it at all. I'm just talking LOOKS here not performance. You can't even swap stems, has to be only fat arse Cannondale stems to fit specifically this bike. Really stupid.
Corsaire

Cannondale's ad campaign slogan for the System Six is "This Is Not A Fashion Statement." They go on to say: "The only trend we care about is winning. That's why we use high modulus, unidirectional carbon fiber for the front triangle, and ultra-light, race-proven aluminum for the rear. Ingeniously melded though a proprietary, continuous-fiber lay-up technology. The proportions are huge. The design is obsessively tested. And the result is the lightest, stiffest, most explosive bike we've ever made. The new SystemSix. Because winning never goes out of style."

The point here is stiffness & lightness, not looks (although i love the beefy carbon tubes). And you could put a standard 1 1/8th stem on if you wanted, but why?

If you want to look stylish maybe it's best to look at other bikes. If you want to go fast and have rock solid performance and handling at high speeds on technical parcours, I don't think you can do better than this pony.

I saw a 595 Look frame over the weekend and they have the same design on the headtube on systems Six, 1-1/8 on top and bottom is 1-1/4 if this is the trend I believed most MFG will start to produce their bikes to improve the stiffness to the frame and it will make the bike more stable.I think you replace the stems with other brand.

if this is the trend I believed most MFG will start to produce their bikes to improve the stiffness to the frame and it will make the bike more stable.I think you replace the stems with other brand.

i am in violent agreement with you zamboni; i think we will see much more of this as a way to compensate for extreme lightness and relative lack of lateral rigidity

Rick - have you gotten your 52cm SystemSix yet?

Just came back from a ride on the System Six. Compared to the Six13, the System Six feels a little bit slightly more direct under power but is noticeably more solid and stable speeding down hills and even just cruising on smooth to course pavement. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to test a Synapse C1 or C2 to compare.

The current generation Ultegra (with a DA RD) definitely has better shifting and shift feel compared to my full Dura Ace 7700 on my '00 R3000 CAAD4. Granted, it may still weigh more and may be slightly less durable.

By the way, a 52cm System Six 2 C weighs 18.2 lbs with 0.9 lb campus pedals.

Hey S2,

That is cool you got to ride and compare a Six13 to the System Six. Was the Six13 the one with Carbon top "and" Carbon down tube? (I think that's the Six13 Team model) Or was it the Six13 Pro with only the Carbon downtube? That might make a difference in comparison since the SystemSix has a full Carbon front Triangle.

Also, I'm guessing some of the smoothness and improvements you felt between the new Dura-Ace versus your 7700 Dura-Ace is the difference between the newer 10 speed versus the old 9 speed. In my test rides, the new Shimano 10 spd is that much sweeter, dura-ace or Ultegra compared with older 9 speed. Just love the 10 speed stuff. They did a great job with it. Very smooth shifting. I still feel the new Dura-ace shifts smoother than the newest Ultegra, but it's close.

I would love to hear your comparison of a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 1 or 2 versus either the System Six or even to the Six13. Keep us posted and thanks for the report. - Gary

Rick - have you gotten your 52cm SystemSix yet?

Just came back from a ride on the System Six. Compared to the Six13, the System Six feels a little bit slightly more direct under power but is noticeably more solid and stable speeding down hills and even just cruising on smooth to course pavement. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to test a Synapse C1 or C2 to compare.

The current generation Ultegra (with a DA RD) definitely has better shifting and shift feel compared to my full Dura Ace 7700 on my '00 R3000 CAAD4. Granted, it may still weigh more and may be slightly less durable.

By the way, a 52cm System Six 2 C weighs 18.2 lbs with 0.9 lb campus pedals.

Gary - the Six13 I rode was the Pro version with only the Carbon downtube. I may have to test the REI C3 with 105 components and just test if for it's ride. May do that tomorrow...
I have done a static fit on a 53cm Synapse (my normal R3000 size is a 52 cm) and the reach felt a bit long... probably nothing a shorter stem would not fix.

Originally, I was thinking of keeping my R3000 for when I wanted something more "direct" feeling but since I've ridden the SystemSix, I can't think of anything the R3000 CAAD4 does better except for the fact that it's paid for :) I did not get that feeling after riding the Six13 (which though is more responsive than the CAAD4, did not feel any more stable and only a very slight improvement in smoothing rough pavement feel).

One of the reasons I was on hiatus from cycling is that I got a convertible back in 2000 about 6 months after I got my R3000 - anytime there was good weather, the convertible won :) If I were to draw an analogy, the SystemSix feels like a well damped and solid BMW type feel (say, an 3 series) whereas the Six13 feels a bit more springy and has more of an Acura feel (say, an RSX Type S). My CAAD4 feels like an older generation Civic Si.

Somehow, I feel the SystemSix calling my name :)

Today I test rode what I believe is the SystemSix Team Si 1 D model -- basically, the one with DuraAce brake levers/Cannondale brake calipers. Fyi, my LBS weighed the 52-cm model I rode (with regular test pedals) and it weighed in at 16.1 pounds. Figure with carbon clip pedals it comes in somewhere just under 16 pounds.

I have been riding over the last year a 2006 Six13 Team Replica with Campy Record -- an awesome ride in itself. My reaction to the SystemSix is the following: (i) love the huge down- and top-tubes; asethetically very unique, no other machine out there has anything like it; (ii) starting a sprint out of the saddle you feel substantially more stiffness coming from the front end, a feeling as if you won't wobble off-line no matter how hard you push, resulting in efficient pedal strokes that provide smooth power transfer down toward the bottom bracket; (iii) the bottom bracket is also unique -- notice how 'Dale has a huge hole running through the bottom bracket from the left side (sorry, hard to explain, need to see bike); (iv) definitely not as bump-soaking as the Six13, but not unduly harsh; (v) not thrilled with Cannondale brake calipers versus DuraAce or Campy equivalent; and (v) overall, I definitely felt like I was moving faster than with the Six13.

Conclusion: will buy this bike, but will wait until later in the year when the Barloworld replica with fully Campy Record is out. LBS manager said Cannondale will soon release a "release schedule" for the non-basic models. Bottom line -- GREAT RIDE!

PS -- LBS manager said the CAAD9 will have the precise shape and design as the SystemSix, but in all aluminum.

(v) not thrilled with Cannondale brake calipers versus DuraAce or Campy equivalent;
Could you elaborate on what you preferred better in the DA or Campy equivalents?

Thanks.

Could you elaborate on what you preferred better in the DA or Campy equivalents?

Sure. DA and Campy calipers seem to apply just the right pressure in response to braking action on the brakes. My immediate reaction was that the Cannondale calipers braked "too much" -- what I'm trying to say is that the Cannondale calipers I tested did not react as smoothly as DA and Campy calipers.

Sure. DA and Campy calipers seem to apply just the right pressure in response to braking action on the brakes. My immediate reaction was that the Cannondale calipers braked "too much" -- what I'm trying to say is that the Cannondale calipers I tested did not react as smoothly as DA and Campy calipers.


May be the pads. I have heard of shops changing the pad to get a better feel.

I replaced the OEM with Koolstop pads and they works great.

What kind of weight difference are we talking about between the System 6 & the CAAD 9? Carbon vs. aluminum?

ride differences?

A Dutch magazine tested the System 6 recently. The front end is indeed stiffer than the CAAD7/8/6-13, but the BB is slightly less stiff and the fork significantly less stiff compared to the previous models. For reference the front-end of the System 6 is about as stiff as the CAAD5/6. In that respect it's nothing special.

weight of 50cm System Six Team 1 Compact is 15.7lb without pedals. not as light as I would have expected but still about 2 lbs lighter than my current bike...