I posted this photo on facebook yesterday with this caption “Nice, but I’d rather have my Cannondale SuperSix HiMod2.”
After all the crashes at today’s Burlingame P12 crit, I feel more strongly about the above statement. There’s no other bike I’d ride besides the Cannondale SuperSix HiMod. Let me explain why:
When I asked my son what makes a bike fast, he said "The rider!" He' smart beyond his 7 years and is so right. Prior to racing the my SuperSix HiMod, I was racing the new Ridley Noah. It was claimed to be the fastest bike. Undoubtedly in the wind tunnel, it probably is the fastest. But in the real world test, there's nothing faster than the SuperSix HiMod. Why, well simply because I feel so at ease and comfortable on this bike. I've never ridden a bike that I've felt so confident in hitting the tightest, fastest turns. It floats over every bump like it has shox. I'm so relaxed on it that I'm essentially saving all my energy and focusing it to drive the bike faster and faster, no energy is wasted. Everything is channeled to simply and completely railing the turns and blitzing the straightaways.
Real World Example:
During the P12 race at Burlingame today, I was smiling throughout the race thinking how awesome it is to ride this bike. I felt as though I had an unfair advantage over the field, lucky me. With 3 laps to go, I was unfortunately involved in a collision. Another rider and I basically hit each others bars while sprinting at over 30+mph. I was jerked forward and ended up straddling the toptube of my bike with my left leg unclipped. The bike's steering upfront was so solid, I was easily able to regain my balance, get back on the saddle, clip back in, and resume the race in motion. Unfortunately, the other rider lost control of his bike and ended up crashing hard. I honestly think the only difference between us was the bike and I can confidently say that my Cannondale Supersix HiMod saved me from a really bad accident.
Oh yeah, when I regained my balanced, I made it back to the front thanks to the help of super leadout hardman, Shawn. I still managed to get 6th despite sprinting with my brakes on because of a broken front wheel. I was so at ease on the bike that I didn't even realize that my front wheel was broken (broken spokes) until after the finish when I pulled over.
I usually do not like using the word love with material things. But with this bike, I'll make an exception. I love my Cannondale Supersix HiMod. Quite simply, it's the best bike I've ever ridden!
-Steve Paleaz