Cannondale Slice- Cannondale Goes Full Carbon

Reviewed by Matt Russ

Cannondale has been a bit of a hold out in a bicycle industry that has largely turned to carbon frames. Having fairly perfected their material of choice, aluminum, they remained reluctant to go the full carbon monocoque route, even as their competition moved in this direction. They made a valiant attempt to bridge the gap with carbon/aluminum hybrids, but these bikes did not stack up against the complex aerodynamic shaping or lighter weight of their full carbon competition. The problem Cannondale faced is that carbon fiber was formally exclusive to the highest priced bicycles; but had trickled down to the mid level market and was now available to the entry level competitive cyclist. At the end of the day, if the consumer perceives carbon fiber as superior and/or a better value, Cannondale had to adapt or be left behind.

Carbon fiber is a multiplex material that allows proportional strength / stiffness in key areas and can save weight in others. It is arguably the best material in terms of weight, shaping, stiffness, durability, and vibration dampening, although more costly and time consuming to mass produce. CF fabrication still requires a lot of hand labor and advanced technologies, whereas metal frames can be produced more easily. There are different grades or “modulus” of carbon fiber, but even a lower modulus carbon fiber produces a high quality frame if made correctly. Manufacturers brought CF production costs down by essentially using the same frame design for all their bicycle price points, and differentiated the models based on solely on componentry and aesthetics. Multiple frame designs within a single line were no longer necessary. A 52cm frame could serve the bottom or the top of the line. A high quality carbon tri bike is now in the hands of the masses for well under the 3k mark. Aluminum, steel, even titanium has been relegated to a smaller and smaller market share as a result. When you go to market with a carbon frame it better be cutting edge as the cost of redesign is much more substantial when compared to traditional welded frames; and it needs to stay marketable as long as possible.

In order for Cannondale's initial production carbon TT/triathlon bike to be competitive in a matured CF bike industry, it had to be very good on their first attempt. Cannondale had to come out of their corner swinging- hard. Fortunately for Cannondale the full carbon Slice is definitely a viable option against competitors such as Felt, Cervelo, and Scott. The frame is essentially the same from their entry level Slice 5 that retails for around $3500 to their top of the line Slice Ultimate. Cannondale's mantra has been stiffness, especially around the bottom bracket, and one look at the beefy assembly shows they wanted to stay true to this with the Slice.  This is not a bike that noodles when out of the saddle. The Slice 5 has a standard Shimano 105 crankset and bottom bracket whereas their other models use the Cannondale proprietary BB30 crankset / bottom bracket purported for it's stiffness. One limitation of the BB30 has been that the design did not allow for the addition of an SRM power meter. This is resolved with the Slice 1 SRM model that comes with an SRM already installed.

The frame shape is almost of mix of it's competitors, borrowing specific design elements from each. The rear wheel is fully faired into the seat tube a la Cervelo P3, and the front wheel is positioned closely to the down tube. The top tube is tapered and narrows toward the seat tube, similar to the Felt. The seat stays have a slight curvature and bit of vibration absorbing flex lending to a more comfortable ride. At first glance it looks like a slightly different (improved) Scott Plasma. Cannondale did not go the seat mast route however, and utilizes a standard aero seat post design. Although this may not be quite as light as a mast, it does make bike box transport a reality. Cabling is all internally routed and clean. The geometry has a bit more trail meaning it will handle more stably but less responsively. For triathletes that spend the majority of their time in the aerobars they will notice the Slice likes to track strait and true. If you are fast on technical descents it may feel a bit sluggish and unresponsive.

The seat post uses a dual position clamping system that allows 73 to 78 degrees positioning from fairly relaxed to aggressive. The seat clamp adjusters are actually designed to be easily accessible, and you do not have to attempt to squeeze tools or your fat fingers under the seat to adjust saddle tilt. An added bonus to the seat post design is the integrated multisport water bottle cage clamp. Many of the behind the seat systems simply do not fit when the new dual position seat clamp is moved to it's forward position or they need to be cut down. This simple clamp attaches to the seat post, rather than the seat, and has a shock absorber to help keep water bottles from ejecting. 

I am pleased with the aerobar choices throughout the line. The Slice 5 uses Profile T2 Aerowing which is an infinitely adjustable bar. Many of the time trial bars that come standard on models in this price range are fixed position and do not allow any adjustment in reach without changing stems. Both the extensions and pads can be adjusted on the Airwing allowing a precise and ergonomic fit. The Slice comes in 5 sizes from 51-60cm that should accommodate most, but not all, athletes.

The progression in price / componentry is about as you would expect- 105, Ultegra, and Durace on the $6000 Slice 1. The bars get upgraded to carbon on the Slice 3, and the Slice 1 comes with a set of Zipp Flashpoint carbon clinchers. Personally I like to select my race wheels but the Flashpoints are durable enough to use in training. The $8500 Slice SRM is essentially the same kit as the Slice 1 plus and SRM, and the Slice Ultimate pulls out all the stops as it should for an outrageous $10,000 price tag. A 51cm Slice 5 weighed in at 18.6 pounds on my scale to give you a reference point on weight.

Cannondale puts a lot of thought into their products, and tests them thoroughly, before bringing them to market. The Slice is very well designed and has some unique features to boot. Many brands took several years to work the kinks out of their new frame sets, sometimes at the expense of the consumer, but Cannondale seems to have got it right on the first try. If you are in the market it definitely bears consideration and comparison to the most popular brands and models.