Cannondale SuperSix Evo vs SystemSix vs Synapse Comparison Test: The Complete Guide to Choosing the Perfect Cannondale Road Bike for You (2025) pros cons problems performance everything you need to know
Cannondale SuperSix Evo vs SystemSix vs Synapse Comparison: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Cannondale Road Bike for You (2025) pros cons problems performance everything you need to know
Cannondale has established itself as a renowned brand in the world of road bikes, with a reputation for quality and a long history of innovation. It was one of the first companies to switch from steel to aluminum for frames and was also a pioneer in the gravel bike sector.
The original SuperSix was a carbon road bike with round tubes, praised for its ride quality and light weight. Before that, Cannondale's alloy bikes had been a major player in professional cycling.
In 2019, Cannondale introduced the SystemSix to fill the gap in its lineup for an aero road bike. However, in the years since, the SuperSix Evo has undergone a significant transformation, integrating aerodynamic features. The current fourth generation SuperSix Evo is ridden by the EF Education pro teams and is said to have similar aerodynamics to the SystemSix.
Cannondale was also an early supporter of the endurance bike category. The Synapse was launched 20 years ago, designed to offer a more comfortable ride for non-competitors, but has also been used successfully by professionals in cobblestone racing. Its sixth generation was launched in May 2025.
The latest generation Synapse is available in both carbon and aluminium, with the latter being the most affordable option to enter Cannondale’s disc brake road bike range. Cannondale also continues to sell its CAAD alloy bikes – more details on the CAAD13 and CAAD Optimo models are provided below.
So, how do the current Cannondale SuperSix Evo, SystemSix and Synapse ranges compare? What specs are available and at what prices?
Read on for a full breakdown of the Cannondale road bike offering in the UK and our advice on how to choose the right Cannondale road bike for you.
Key Features at a Glance:
Cannondale SuperSix Evo:
Aero/lightweight road bike
Three frame levels: Lab71, Hi-Mod, standard
Threaded BSA bottom bracket
Clearance for up to 30mm tires
Cannondale SystemSix:
Aggressive aerodynamics
Two frame levels: Hi-Mod, standard
PF30a bottom bracket
Limited spec options compared to the SuperSix
Clearance for up to 30mm tires
Cannondale Synapse:
Endurance road bike
Two frame materials: carbon, aluminum
Some carbon specs with SmartSense lights and radar powered by a central battery
Internal cabling from handlebar to frame
Internal frame storage
Clearance for up to 42mm (carbon) / 32mm (aluminum) tires
Aerodynamics: A Detailed Comparison
Cannondale says the current generation The 2023 SuperSix Evo is 12 watts more efficient than its predecessor at 45 km/h, despite the visual similarities, and is more aerodynamic than many of the best aero bikes.
The SuperSix Evo features Cannondale’s Delta headset design, which allows for internal cable routing and also results in a narrow head tube to reduce drag. The rear of the bike is also slim, so much so that the Shimano Di2 battery must be housed inside the down tube since it doesn’t fit in the seat tube or seat post. Cannondale offers bottle cages and aero bottles on the bike, which it claims actually make the SuperSix Evo more aerodynamic, although the cages will also accommodate a standard round bottle.
The higher-end SuperSix Evo models feature a one-piece carbon bar and stem, unlike the SystemSix, which has a proprietary HollowGram Knot bar and stem that allow for eight degrees of bar tilt adjustment.
The SystemSix features deep aero tube sections throughout the frame. This is a design feature that newer aero road bikes, like the Giant Propel, are moving away from in favor of a thinner, potentially more flexible seat tube. In reviews, the SystemSix was deemed adequate rather than class-leading for ride comfort back in 2019, and aero bike design has evolved since then.
The carbon Synapse bikes also feature aero tube profiles. The two higher-end Synapse models share the SuperSix’s one-piece bar/stem, and all carbon bikes use the same Delta head tube shape as the SuperSix Evo, which allows for internal cable routing. Other models have a more standard separate alloy handlebar and stem.
Standard: The Approach of Cannondale
Cannondale isn’t a brand that sticks to the status quo, and has used a number of proprietary designs on its bikes over time, from the Ai rear triangle and symmetrical rear wheel camber on its original Topstone gravel bike to the 650b wheels and Lefty suspension fork on the Slate. Both of these are gravel bikes, and Cannondale was an early adopter of the gravel genre.
It developed the BB30 bottom bracket standard and has been a big proponent of the benefits of a press-fit bottom bracket, making the BB30 standard openly available to its competitors to encourage adoption.
It’s no surprise then that the fourth-generation SuperSix Evo has returned to a threaded BSA bottom bracket shell, which Cannondale says is simple and reliable. It shouldn’t creak, either.
The Synapse also has a threaded BSA bottom bracket. The SystemSix, however, retains a press-fit bottom bracket, following the PF30a standard.
Another area where Cannondale has experimented with variation and then returned to a more standard design is thru-axles. The SystemSix has the Mavic Speed Release system, while both the SuperSix and Synapse now use a standard thru-axle design.
It also flirted with an ultra-thin 25.4mm seatpost on a previous generation of the Synapse, while the current design has a standard 27.2mm seatpost.
Overall, the trend with the current generation of Cannondale bikes is to return to established industry standards, which improves interchangeability and increases the number of options if you want to swap out components, although its Delta headset is a proprietary design.
Weight: Lightness Matters
Cannondale typically doesn't list complete bike weights.
There are a few claimed frame weights for the SuperSix Evo. Here, it claims a weight of 770g for the SuperSix Evo Lab71 frame, 810g for the Hi-Mod frame and 915g for the standard frame, all fully painted and in a size 56.
The latest generation Synapse has a claimed frame weight of less than a kilogram in the top-end LAB71 carbon fibre, with the standard carbon bikes adding around 150g, giving you an idea of the weight savings that come with higher-grade carbon fibre.
We weighed the top-end SystemSix at 7.7kg in 2019 and the SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod 1 at 7.2kg in 2023; we’ve yet to review the latest generation Synapse.
Geometry: Subtle Differences
There really aren’t many differences between the geometries of Cannondale’s three ranges of bikes.
The SystemSix's reach is slightly longer across the range, up to 9mm, than the SuperSix Evo. Stack is comparable between the two bikes. As you'd expect for an endurance bike, the Synapse is taller, though its reach isn't dissimilar to the other two bikes. There are also slight differences in geometry between the alloy and carbon Synapse frames.
There are subtle differences in other measurements, too, like wheelbase, though these don't consistently indicate a difference in ride characteristics. Instead, the Synapse's focus on endurance likely comes more from its built-in flex zones.
The differences in tire clearance between Cannondale's road and endurance bikes are more pronounced.
The SuperSix Evo's 30mm clearance is a bit tight by modern road bike standards. While some high-end SuperSix Evo bikes utilize this clearance with 28mm or 29mm tires, many specs come with 25mm tires. All SystemSix specs come with 25mm tires.
A few years ago, this would have been considered wide, but many road bikes now come with 28mm tires, while Canyon road bikes, for example, have a mixed setup of 25mm front and 28mm rear.
The latest generation Synapse Carbon goes further, with 42mm tire clearance and includes fender mounts, while the alloy Synapse has 32mm tire clearance. The chainstay length is 5mm longer on the Synapse to accommodate wider tires, and should also give the bike a more stable ride feel than the SuperSix Evo and SystemSix.
The Synapse range comes with 32mm tires across the board. Giant also runs 32mm tires on its Defy, while the Canyon Endurace runs 30mm tires.
Frame Levels: Options for Every Need
Cannondale offers three levels of carbon frame, in addition to aluminum, although not all carbon levels are available for every bike model.
The SuperSix Evo is offered with the top-of-the-line Lab71 frame. This uses premium carbon fiber and resin to reduce weight. Below that, both the SuperSix Evo and the The SystemSix can be purchased in either Hi-Mod or standard carbon. As noted above, the Hi-Mod frames offer a lower weight than the standard option.
The latest generation of the Synapse is offered with a Lab71 frame option for the first time in addition to the standard carbon. The frame incorporates flex zones in the rear triangle, which increase vertical compliance and vibration damping.
Sizes: Find Your Perfect Fit
The Cannondale SuperSix Evo Lab71 is available in six sizes: 48, 51, 54, 56, 58 and 61. The SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod adds a size 44.
The Synapse Carbon (except the Lab71 bike) is now offered in the same size range as the SuperSix Evo: 48, 51, 54, 56, 58 and 61, while the alloy Synapse is available in sizes 44, 48, 51, 54, 56, 58 and 61.
Groupsets: A Wide Choice of Components
Cannondale’s spec is predominantly Shimano-oriented, with relatively few SRAM specs sold. It offers the full range of Shimano groupsets, from the electronic 12-speed Dura-Ace to the mechanical 9-speed Sora, across its entire range.
There is, however, a SRAM Red spec for the SuperSix Evo and SystemSix, and a Force spec for the SuperSix Evo, while the top-end Synapse has a single-chainring 13-speed SRAM Red XPLR AXS groupset.
It’s increasingly common for bike manufacturers to offer a power meter on their high-end bikes. Power meters are also trickling down to mid-range bikes, especially since SRAM has offered single-sided power meters on the relatively affordable Rival and Apex. But in Cannondale’s lineup, only the Lab71-level SuperSix Evo and Synapse models have power meter options, and only when equipped with SRAM Red.
Cannondale SmartSense System: Integrated Safety
Cannondale has updated the SmartSense system on its Synapse Carbon bike, but currently only offers it on the top-end Lab71 model. SmartSense is Cannondale’s system that includes a front and rear light and rearview radar developed in partnership with Garmin. They’re all powered by a single battery, which on the latest generation Synapse is housed inside the down tube.
It’s fair to say that SmartSense is still out of the question. On the one hand, it improves rider safety by making them more visible and alerting them when vehicles approach from behind. On the other, it adds around 500g to the bike’s weight.
Cannondale equips its bikes with its own front-wheel sensor, which measures the bike’s speed and distance independently of a cycle computer. It links to the Cannondale phone app to remind you of service intervals, too. On SmartSense-equipped bikes, it can also automatically turn on your lights and radar once you start moving.
Cannondale CAAD Alloy Bike Range: A Solid Alternative
Don’t underestimate Cannondale’s CAAD alloy bikes. Before carbon fiber became the go-to material for performance road bikes, Cannondale was an early mover from steel to alloy, and its CAAD range was a major pro-level race bike, with its star sprinter Mario Cipollini as its star rider.
Now at CAAD13, Cannondale’s alloy bikes are still among the best aluminum road bikes available.
Cannondale SuperSix vs SystemSix vs Synapse: Which Should You Choose?
If you want to look fast, the SystemSix is a no-brainer. If you want to be fast, the SuperSix Evo rivals Cannondale’s aero bike, but makes fewer compromises to achieve its speed.
The SystemSix is also showing its age, while the recent update to the SuperSix Evo has kept it reasonably up to date, if not cutting edge in design.
For most riders, the Synapse looks like a great choice for a Cannondale bike, and Cannondale themselves say it’s the best road bike in their lineup for most riders. It’s smoother and more suited to the average non-racer. Clearance for 42mm tires gives the bike all-road capability, allowing you to run knobby tires and venture out on lighter dirt trails. The SmartSense system adds weight, but it’s only on the premium bike, and if you’re using lights, that’s still extra mass you’d likely find on the bike.
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