Cannondale SystemSix Review (Dura-Ace & Ultegra Di2 Models)

[@CamNicholls]

Note that the two SystemSix's weighed were the 54cm Hi-Mod Dura-Ace Di2 and 56cm Hi-Mod Ultegra Di2 models. The weight of the 54cm Dura-Ace was 7.71 kg or 17 lbs and the weight of the 56cm Ulegra model was 8.14kg or 18 lbs.

[@sloppyjonuts9162]

Love them style of rims !!!!id like to put them on my 2012 trek madone

[@soulflyNYC]

Cam, great vid! Were those weights with pedals, cages, and garmin mount?

[@junkyard3924]

That’s a heavy bike

[@Boothster084]

As others have picked up on, this seems more like a sales pitch than a totally objective review. The shop is clearly a cannondale supplier. You need to get your hands on one of these for a couple of weeks Cam. Your opinion would be more valued I feel 👍🏻.

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers mate, I hope to down the track. While Gabe is a Cannondale dealer, he is so because he believes in the brand. I always like hearing from passionate people. You can tell he is, plus, his technical knowledge without going overboard was pretty solid. Lastly, I've been working with bike stores for over two years now, and I know they work their asses off to stay alive, with big online players killing their margins. Thus, giving a good quality bike store some airtime is a good thing, in my mind. Cheers, Cam

[@Boothster084]

Cam Nicholls fair play, and I can’t disagree with the chaps knowledge on the bike and it’s spec. Plus it was good to see the whole range as such. I also agree with you regarding the issues local bike stores have to contend with, so if this helps out in anyway that can only be a good thing. But I would still like to see you blasting it round your local routes and giving us direct feedback as maybe a second part to the video? That’s what’s we wanna see haha. Excellent videos and page though pal. Keep it up 👍🏻💪🏻.

[@anthonycee7492]

100% correct....

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers mate, and hopefully. I need to build a better relationship with the distributor here in AUS, Monza! Cam

[@CarbonRider1]

I have heard a few times about the 23mm tire spreads out to 24-25mm. Here is the issue. While it might be stretched wider, it doesn’t make it the same depth of a 25mm tire. This actually lessens the depth of the tire, and it stretches it and making the ride more harsh. I learned this the hard way with a set of Enve SES 3.4.

[@CamNicholls]

Thanks for sharing your experiences here. Cheers, Cam

[@stevenleffanue]

Totally agree here,I have tried soo many rim/tyre combinations and "bag=comfort"....no matter how you shape a 23 tyre it will never have the bag of 25. BTW,28c are even better 😁

[@CarbonRider1]

oz cycle yep. I had a store owner sell me on 24mm because he was out of 26mm. He even took calipers to show me they stretched to 25mm. The ride was awful, every bump was like a kick in the ass and handling was not great. After 3 rides I went and bought 26mm from a different shop. Huge difference.

[@reginaldscot165]

Correct, also having a wider rim and narrow tyre is not good Aerodynamics at all. They would be better off with a 25mm tyre on that wide rim. It's says online to be used with a 26mm tyre so shows how much this guy knows.

[@jonhh6918]

I wish you 3 or 4 times more subscribers in the next year. Keep doing what you are doing and this bike review was awesome.

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Jonathan, much appreciated mate. Cam

[@ebrown112]

congrats on reaching the one year mark! wishing you continued growth and success, personally and professionally. this bike is sick. definitely not one i would choose for myself, but it sure would be fun to borrow one for a few rides. thanks for bringing it to us.

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Eriq, appreciate it. Cam

[@Ian-H76]

It looks incredible, this and the new Cervelo S5 you tested are such good looking aero bikes right now. This guy needs to let you ride one, I mean look at how many of subscribers you got Cam! Send Alice in there 💪

[@CamNicholls]

haha! I was hoping to at least take it outside for a few shots, but the Melbourne weather was horrendous. Maybe Cannondale will come around soon! Cheers, Cam

[@timwhitelaw]

Great viewing as usual. Congrats on the 1st anniversary!

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers mate, much appreciated. Cam

[@glennsullivan7177]

Happy 1st birthday Cam. Great channel. Must admit to completely not fully watching this once you weren't doing the review and it was from a dealer/owner. Would much rather see you do the review than have this. Would love to see YOU do a review of the new Focus Izalco max. Looks like a great all-round bike that very well priced. Keep up the great work (other than this one).

[@CamNicholls]

Glenn Sullivan cheers Glenn, appreciate the feedback. It’s been a theme so a lesson for me here. I’ll see if I can get my hands on that! I have a relationship with the dealer for Focus now too 👍

[@trevourmcgoon8499]

Great succinct video. Covers all the questions I had -now to figure out how to afford one! Look fwd to tomorrow's 👍👍well done matey👏👏👏

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Trevour, much appreciated. Let me know if you get your hands on one too! Cam

[@10067498]

Great viewing as per usual Cam and well done on the 12 months.....and I reckon a beautiful bike. Cheers Peter 😊😊

[@b09d4n]

Happy two years now, Cam! Thank you for the sales pitch. I was tempted these days to buy a frameset hi mod since it was my size and my color and a huge discount but after two days I didn't. The fact that you don't see this much in World tours tells you enough. Even pro athletes that were using it prefer the Supersix. I cannot oversee how ugly is that front end and how bad is the solution they chose for the cables. The frame itself is ok at 1150 size 56 but if you want integration then you are bound to their combination of bar stem that is heavy, ugly and don't accepts clip-ons. For a bike that is mainly oriented at triatlons this is odd having to choose non integrated version for a pair of clip-ons. Also the seatpost head is not flippabale and you cannot achieve a good over the BB position... I understand Cannondale has a dedicated triatlon bine but I Simply want one single bike that does it all because non drafting races are not so many to justify buying a dedicated TT bike. If Cannondale would produce a integrated front end that accepts aerobare and a seatpost with front offset then I will be tempted to buy it.

[@cedward690]

Venge is always my favourite when it comes to top-range bike

[@CamNicholls]

I understand why, such a good machine. Cam

[@angela-onesroman8873]

Man do I love and want this bike, the only thing I don't like is the fact that you can't turn the bars and fork as much as traditional bikes because of the cables being tucked up front. Still love it though...

[@philjones4903]

The turning degree is smaller at about 45degrees vs. 90. Making a left/right turn you have to remember to make a wider turn or you will flip over.

[@CamNicholls]

Thanks for sharing.

[@euroswilliams7303]

Review or sales pitch? The title of the video is completely misleading.

[@ca5ualm3dia]

sales pitch !!!!

[@hogdog567]

I think we're all aware it's a sales pitch. I don't think anyone would find it misleading.

[@euroswilliams7303]

Anonomosomous why call it a review then?

[@CamNicholls]

Hi Euros, I know Gabe well, he sells Cannondale because he believes in the brand. There's always going to be biased, if you watch GCN they get paid to do their product reviews, so at least this ones completely organic, albeit, you're hearing from a man that is passionate about Cannondale. I thought his technical knowledge for the audience without going overboard was spot on, too. Lastly, keep in mind that these dealers get very little air time with big online players destroying their margins, so I am very passionate about working with the bricks and mortar stores and helping them get exposure, where appropriate. Cheers, Cam

[@euroswilliams7303]

@@CamNicholls thanks for your reply but it still doesn't really change the fact that this is not a review, it's a slightly more rounded sales pitch coming from someones who has a vested interest in making the cannondale sound as good as it can. Albeit better than having someone reading from the spec sheet (GCN style) it still isn't a review. Its great that you expose smaller retailers to a wide audience but maybe you should just use an appropriate title. Keep up the good work.

[@kennethwise7108]

I took possession of my 2nd Gen. System Six (Mechanical, High Vis color) Sept 13, 2018 and here is my critique after one year of ownership and roughly 3,000 miles. The bike is SUPER stiff but a tad on the heavy side (24 lbs). The externally routed cables seem to have been an afterthought by Cannondale. The front of the frame has a cavity where the Di-2 wires run (for Di-2 models), but this cavity could've been made just a little bit larger to accommodate the shift cables in my opinion. There are NO accommodations for a tool kit or pouch of ANY kind. I've seen some areo bikes that have a triangular shaped tool pouch which is areo and attaches to the area behind the seat post, however that's NOT an option for this bike as there are NO accommodations for attaching a hard box of that nature there. The bike came factory with good tires (w/tubes) but the aero wheels are designed to be tubeless. I got a flat while out and couldn't believe how challenging it was to replace the tube! In fact I pinched BOTH tubes while trying to get them installed! I switched to tubeless and run sealant and I'm golden now! I haven't had a flat since and LOVE the ride quality of being tubeless. The limited turning point on the steering isn't an issue whatsoever. In fact I LOVE that feature. Kenny Wise

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Kenny, thanks for sharing. Cam

[@DanTuber]

Another bike i'll never afford. Happy birthday!

[@CamNicholls]

haha! Cheers mate, much appreciated. Cam

[@hanswurst7727]

Nice Bike. But it‘s a shame that you have to buy the (still too heavy and very expensive) hi mod di2 versions if you want a fully integrated cockpit. The mechanical groupset versions of the bike come with a fugly thrown together cockpit and external cable routing that seems like an afterthought to me. Some competitors do better imho.

[@Necromonger69]

Happy One year!! Anyway, how are you able to test all these beautiful bikes brother? You are a lucky man.

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers mate! Good question, I'll leave this one for the live on Friday / Thursday US time. Cam

[@maremare9515]

Cannondale power 💪 awesome bike 🤤 . . . Happy Birthday 🎂🧁🍾🍹🍻🎆🎉 . . . Cam enjoy . . . Mare😉

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Mare, Cam

[@joecant7147]

I've just bought a SystemSix but think saying having this bike will make you roll down a hill faster than other people is a bit silly. your bike is surely only about 10% of your drag at most?

[@reginaldscot165]

No doubt 👍🏻

[@stefanocrescenzi7174]

Good sales man! I got the new venge, fastest bike on earth ;)

[@CamNicholls]

Great bike the Venge! Love that machine. Cheers, Cam

[@Ih8GoogleandApple]

Very polarizing looking bike. I believe Cannondale made it heavy so they can reduce the weight by 1 lb each year for the next 3 years and not change the production molds. It could have been made to be 15 lbs like the venge.

[@CamNicholls]

Very interesting information. Where did you hear this? Anything online you can point me to would be appreciated. Cheers, Cam

[@ca5ualm3dia]

cdale commercial !!!

[@Ih8GoogleandApple]

It’s just a theory but this has been done with the system six which didn’t change much for the last 4 years.

[@mst2203]

@@Ih8GoogleandApple Haha that's funny but probably true. Cycling stuff is so overpriced and gimmicky it's ridiculous. They're often advertising things to people that will never benefit from them. I mean I'm no pro athlete, but I have a venge elite. I'll likely never get up to a speed high enough to benefit from the aero technology. I only bought it cause it was on sale for a killer price.

[@eterlizzi]

Lvskymar I’ve noticed that high end cycling has become like computers, they have the technology to make something much better but they don’t want to because they know they’ll sell the lesser thing first and make more money off of it

[@solitaryrefinement6787]

Probably the best description I've seen on the S6 thus far. Good stuff.

[@ca5ualm3dia]

this bike is KNOT the trooth !!!

[@solitaryrefinement6787]

I don't know why Cannondale messes with FSA rings on their Hollowgrams. They should all come stock from the factory with Praxis Clover chainrings.

[@malakazrael5134]

Happy Birthday Cam.

[@CamNicholls]

Thank you Malak, Cam

[@drjwbriand]

great vid mate, i have to be prejudiced towards cdales if only because they're rated up to 300 lb. rider weight and at a svelte 265, i don't have a whole lot of choices in the high end market! so kudos to cdale, enjoyed your presentation and rock on!

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers mate, much appreciated. Cam

[@Agamum]

I have noticed most of the high end bikes are made for shorter racers. There seems to be afollow with the average height of pro racers. Been riding since single digits. Am now 6'2" 230 pounds. My fitness level is 15 mph idle, 34 mph top sprint.

[@CamNicholls]

Interesting to hear your perspectives, thanks for sharing. Cam

[@philjones4903]

If you have the entry System Six you can add the upgraded handle bar to hide the wires for about $500. The tires you cannot obtain, I think. I did not like the saddle, dimension, so I went to the Fizik.

[@CamNicholls]

Nice insights, thanks for sharing. Cam

[@andysocial3520]

Nice overview of the bike. Even though he sells Cannondale, there were some honest impressions of minor performance gains on the front of a bunch ride, amongst your typical marketing spiel. He just said it was little bit faster than other bikes and held speed a little longer, and didn't say things like "blisteringly fast" or used other exaggerated terminologies.

[@CamNicholls]

Thanks for your perspectives Andy, much appreciated. Cam

[@ericreynolds469]

Thanks for the vid but can’t really give it a like or dislike. Agree with several of the sales pitch comments and a comparison to an old Venge or Propel isn’t that useful as both, especially the new Venge, have drastically changed. Would love to see a fair comparison with the new Venge and S5.

[@CamNicholls]

Fair play Eric, understand where you're coming from. Hopefully I can get access to it some time down the road! Cam

[@chiefrocker12]

This bike is clearly designed for flats, straights and being fast, however Surprised with 23 tires.....I have Vittoria Corsa control 28 now as standard on all my bikes, and it takes corners fast , grippy and with confidence. I can not imagine the same with this 23 setup.

[@hogdog567]

Ravin Premji I'm running 23mm GP4000's on 19mm internal rims. They measure 26.5mm and they actually seem to have more grip than on my last wheelset which were 25mm GP4000's on 17mm rims (measured 27mm) and they feel exactly the same in terms of ride quality.

[@CamNicholls]

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Cheers, Cam

[@CamNicholls]

Agreed Ravin, it's a flat land machine. Cam

[@Robert-mn8gc]

Gr8 Bike . In Shimano Dura Ace DI2 Groupset xcellent. But lose the Dura Ace Crankset and drop in a Rotor ALDHU Carbon Crankset and save weight and easier 2 swap out Chain Rings if required

[@BlazingBigJointz]

Perhaps the folks st cannondale could align the downtube logo. The C is hardly visible on the driveside. That data about being most aero is from 2018 and from my understanding prior to the new Madone SLR & Venge Vias models being released. No integrated mount on the bars (a screw on top of the bars looks like an after thought..) If you want $10k+ from a buyer it's the small details that add up.

[@CamNicholls]

Good insights. Thanks for sharing on the thread here. Cheers, Cam

[@webuzzyoung]

hey cam..did like the review..would i spend 15 grand on a beach road bike ???..probably not..although its a wicked looking machine..

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Wayne, tend to agree. Don't think I would spend $15K on a bike myself unless KZbin quadruples its advertising revenue! Cam

[@webuzzyoung]

totally..get this situation..oh..hi babe new bike..nice how much ??..15 g..get out..LOLOL

[@pavanatanaya]

A very nice looking show room

[@pavanatanaya]

I work in bicycle retail in the USA. It's all greed here

[@mst2203]

I like the new venge more, but that's a cool bike. Unfortunately I can't justify the price of either at this point in my "cycling career." I'm riding a last gen 2018 venge elite(original venge molds) I grabbed for 1.8k usd.

[@CamNicholls]

Great deal you got Matt. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, as always. Cheers, Cam

[@crypto_que]

Cam where is this? Is this in the US? I just noticed the rep isn't speaking with an Australian accent.

[@CamNicholls]

It's in Melbourne at a bike shop called Urban Pedaler. Gabe was originally US based, but now lives in Melbourne. Cam

[@maximillianpascual3982]

Is it true that the 2019 systemsix himod disc frame can only accommodate Di2 groupset?

[@CamNicholls]

Not sure, Although i am about to review the bike myself so stay tuned.

[@garythomson1738]

Can you do one on the Cad 13 a lot of people don’t have 10k to drop on a bike.

[@CamNicholls]

I've asked the Aussie distributer many times! So I would love to Gary. Sty tuned.

[@patiorio1538]

Nice bike , No other bikes like Colnago , Derosa ' especially Pinerello Dogma 12

[@CamNicholls]

Agreed Pat, they are magnificent bikes you mention there. Cam

[@patiorio1538]

@@CamNicholls That CHAPTERS BIKE FRAME IS NICE never heard of them really nice . And in was watching your video about strength training very helpful I already subscribed.

[@patiorio1538]

@@CamNicholls One place I've always wanted visit Australia in your video wow the sights around there gotta be Spectacular unfortunately I'm in SYRACUSE NEWYORK .

[@jarenferrer5806]

Happy birthday

[@CamNicholls]

Thank you Jaren. Cam

[@jarenferrer5806]

@@CamNicholls your welcome😊😊

[@matthewavignonpetersen5893]

Interesting video, but I don’t necessarily believe a Cannondale salesman is going to be impartial reviewing the brand’s flagship bike. Quite a few of the reviews I’ve read for the SystemSix have said it’s one of the harsher and less compliant aero bikes out there, and it’s definitely heavier than the Venge or even the aging Aeroad. Idk, I guess I’m not a Cannondale guy. 😂 At any rate thanks for the vid, Cam!

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Matthew, and thanks for providing your thoughts on the thread. Much appreciated. Cam

[@MessyJ]

Not so much a review as an ad. The man who sells the product is not objective.

[@CamNicholls]

I understand where you are coming from. Hopefully, potential buyers will still get good value out of this. I thought the technical information shared was very useful. Fingers crossed I can get my hands on one in due course. Cheers, Cam

[@PierreC2]

superb machine..but hey Cam is this the "down to earth for the little people bike review" that you said you would do ? this bike is still a 8000 Canadian dollar bike...i can't afford this but i can cry watching this clip though, it's cheap to cry !..lol cheers from Montréal Canada !

[@CamNicholls]

haha! My next review is $2,500 VS $10,000 road bike, so stay tuned. Cam

[@hymen0callis]

Fact: Between 35 and 60 kph this bike is very fast.

[@ravenone6255]

All bikes are fast--the real engine is in the legs😉

[@kevinpunter7960]

"Review" or "dealer review" .. who cares - you watch the video and you gain knowledge or learn opinion and make your own judgement. Personally I didn't see this as a sales pitch! I'm sure Cam would love to throw his leg over one of these and give his personal view .. and I look forward to that, but for now I'm grateful for a little more insight on the System Six. To me the unicorn is a comfortable long distance aero bike and that's super light super fast. It's likely to be a year before I pull the trigger on another steed and it will be aero .. but just "being aero" isn't enough. Anything I can watch or read that helps me short list fast aero bikes that offer reasonable long distance comfort is good IMO.

[@CamNicholls]

Thanks for your perspectives Kevin. much appreciated. Cam

[@icedearth1ful]

Have ridden both the the system 6 and giant propel sl0. Found the giant more responsive and comfortable imho

[@CamNicholls]

Interesting, thanks for sharing your experiences Morrie, Cam

[@jarnoverheij4219]

If you’re blaming your “discomfort” after 70km on your bike, you need to take a hard look at rule 5. I have a first gen Giant Propel and I can easily ride over a 100km without bitching about it.

[@mst2203]

What's rule 5? I've got an original frame venge and I've had to constantly tweak the saddle and wear specific bibs to make it 2 hours without discomfort.

[@jarnoverheij4219]

@@mst2203 Rule five by the Velominati is 'harden the fuck up'. I've done lots of tweaking too but that's just part of getting into the correct position, and you'll have to do that on any bike.

[@CamNicholls]

haha! Great rule. However, it depends on the riders conditioning, flexibility and weight. There is a lot of grey area here as many purchase these aero bikes before they are ready. Cam

[@jarnoverheij4219]

@@CamNicholls I can only tell you that they are not ready because they haven't meditated on rule #5 for long enough.

[@mst2203]

@@jarnoverheij4219 hurts me taint!

[@mokasusa]

Nice video cam. But that is one heavy ugly bike...im glad EF rode on non disc evo's on the Giro d'italia...15G for 8 kg bike (with paddals)...better to stay with the elegant evo

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Nathan. Always keen to hear the thoughts of the audience, so thanks for sharing yours on this thread. Cam

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

If you only ride 1 hour, great bike. Otherwise the harsh ride will numb your soul.

[@Grunge_Cycling]

This bike is just ineffably uncool. The Madone looks cool, the Look 795 Blade looks cool, and the Dogma looks cool. But the SystemSix just looks like the stupid, nerdy cousin of the new Venge.

[@CamNicholls]

Unsure about the word stupid, but thanks for sharing your thoughts here. Cam

[@Cortes19882012]

I much rather have The Evo or CAAD12 which is what im riding right now.

[@CamNicholls]

I am keen on that CAA12, although the 13 is coming! Cheers, Cam

[@Cortes19882012]

I have seen photos of the CAAD13. Looks just like a BMC Teammachine with the same specs as The CAAD12. One reason what made me love riding Cannondale was their classic frames. I will check the bike out when I see it in shops but there is no way ill be switching from the 12. The 12 has been my favorite bike since it came out. It will be sad to stop riding it because of the release of the 13.

[@kay19833]

So, these salesmen really think I am too dumb to know the most aerodynamic upgrade is tucking your entire torso and guess what? it's free. Not a damn wider rim will make you fast or aero rear tires. Yes, I know a TT bike i faster than ordinary bikes on flat but, how many people ride a TT bike?

[@ravenone6255]

I would like to get one---can I borrow 11g from anyone?

[@CamNicholls]

hahaha!

[@alainpfammatter8224]

They make a top aero bike but put a handle on the through axle that sticks out and is definitely not aero

[@hillieg]

Why aero so heavy?

[@CamNicholls]

More frame material, also deeper profile rims normally. Cam

[@amelieschuster3586]

Nice, a Canyon Aeroad .... wait it's a Cannondale ...

[@reginaldscot165]

Online I read the wheels were designed to work with a wider 26mm tyre. What this guy is saying is not correct. The worst thing you can do is have a wider rim than your tyres! The air will smack right into the rim and cause turbulence and then drag. Secondly the hubs on the Knot64 are very un-Aero because of the design, something like the DT Swiss ARC Spline hubs are way smoother and have no sharp edges so more aerodynamic. The CUBE Lightning that Comes with the ARC is probably more Aero. Also I would say I (as quite a light guy on a climbing bike) out roll people on hills who are using Aero bikes... I can't explain why because it shouldn't be happening. I'm wondering if the system 6 rolls down hill well because it's heavy? Because he said 2 riders of the same weight and then the EVO vs the sy6 is a big weight difference so it's probably got nothing to do with the Aerodynamics of the bike?

[@ppawlows2000]

Read about the 105 rule. You got the tire and rim width backwards.

[@andreortizdecarvalho]

This is not a review.

[@rainZSlayer]

That black and red evo hanging on the side is a much better looking bike :)

[@nowonder2798]

alot of blabla .... not more *thumbsdown*

[@ca5ualm3dia]

thats the new trend , aero pig bikes , i picked up my friends madone 9 disc and i was offended , 10 grand a for fat pig bike , these manufactures are committing suicide , im all set with these new aero bikes , you would get more value for your money buying a slice and swapping to drop bars , at this point aero road looks just like tt / tri from 4 years ago !!!

[@MrDman973]

That crank ugly sram red is the best

[@BikeLife154]

But.......it’s so ugly! I would never spend so much money on a bike that weighs almost 8kg.

[@robertm1552]

Grrr. N+1, 2, 3.....

[@josephalbanese1393]

My vote for ugliest bike of all time!!!

[@CamNicholls]

A big call, but thanks for sharing your thoughts. Cam

[@ca5ualm3dia]

lol a long time , its a slice with drop bars lololol !!!!!!!

[@mikeb5333]

The sleepy atom pathogenetically wait because intestine physiologically increase from a ordinary spy. spectacular, tearful sphere

[@umutbirey101]

just another expensive bike adding nothing to bike riding experience.

[@hanswuat1245]

11k for 8kg HAHAHA. thanks to china

[@Sr89hot]

Two ads to watch a longer ad.

[@saxpete]

similar to a merida？

[@CamNicholls]

Hard to say, I haven't personally ridden either!