# Massive System Six Build Thread



## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

Hi all,

I just finished building up my System Six after hand-picking all of the components over the past three months. I thought I'd document it all with a ton of pictures and weigh all of the components individually just for fun.

There are a ton of photos in this post, beware! 









Here is the awesome box full of goodies and the frame, with wheels in the background.









Stock fork, 354g.









Bare frame, 58cm, 1190g.









Deda Presa bar, 44cm width, 231g.









Stock Cdale System Six headset, with a sweet little logo top cap! 174g.









Bontrager tubes, 196g.









Deda Zero100 stem, 100mm. 122g.









Fulcrum Racing 1, front wheel w/o QR. 710g.









Fulcrum Racing 1, rear wheel w/o QR. 920g.









Stock Fulcrum skewers, front and rear. 117g. These are kind of boat anchors! Will be picking up some Hope skewers soon.









Conti GP4000S, 700x23, 411g.









SRAM Red Black cassette, 11-28, 177g.









SRAM BB30 bottom bracket kit, 62g.









Starting it all off!









Deda BlackStick seatpost, 31.6, 280mm, 192g.









SRAM Red Black brakeset, 274g.









Cdale Hollowgram, 53/39, 175 arms, MKV rings, DS assembly, 325g.









Cdale Hollowgram NDS arm, 138g.









Hollowgram 104mm spindle, fixing bolts, washers, 81g.









Crank installed! Looking good!









SRAM Red Black RD, 147g.









SRAM Red Black FD braze-on, w/o braze 70g.









FSA braze 34.9mm, 29g.









Fizik Aliante Gamma, steel rails, 254g. Probably will be getting a lighter saddle later.









SRAM Red Black shifters, with uncut Gore Ride-On shift cables, 323g.









Gore Ride-On housings and brake cables, uncut, 229g.









Progress!!!









Shifters and handlebar installed.









Mavic Race pedals, 272g.









Sweet little Cdale bar ends with logos, 29g.









Blackburn Camber CF cages, 64g.









Jagwire inline barrel adjusters, 7g.









SRAM supercork bar tape, uncut, 57g.









SRAM PC1090R chain w/ box tared in advance, 259g.









All built up and bars wrapped!









Loving how it came out 









Nature shot.









Entire weight of the built up bike, came out to 16.2 lbs. A bit heavier than I thought, but I have some more light weight goodies on the way to make sure it gets down below 16!

The first thing that stood out to me was how stiff this thing is. Better power transfer than my CAAD9 or Six13. Very stable on a 40+ mph descent. Finally achieved the dream of a full Red bike with the crown jewel of a Hollowgram SL.

Thanks for reading my post. Hope it was informative and enjoyable!


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## Matt927 (Apr 11, 2012)

Nice.

Did you buy that saddle off of ebay?

Matt


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## EuroSVT (Sep 15, 2011)

Great thread, thanks for sharing the build man!


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

Matt927 said:


> Nice.
> 
> Did you buy that saddle off of ebay?
> 
> Matt


No, the saddle came from Craigslist. I've had it for a couple of years now. Why do you ask?


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## Ruby13 (Aug 11, 2011)

Great build and pics. Just upgraded my Synapse Carbon 6 to all Force and Dura Ace c24's and got it just under 17 pounds with pedals. Surprised by the weight you came up with. What was the weight of the frame. I missed that.


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## s2ktaxi (Jul 11, 2006)

Beautiful! Thanks for weighing each component! my 50cm System Six with DA7900 shifter, F & R derailleurs and the System Six Stem (180g) comes up to 15 lbs with xPedo SPD pedals (160g/pair). My tubes are 100g/pr - you've got almost an extra 1/4 pound right there. The Alien seatpost is about 135g.

Beware of the front shifting. Between the slightly flexy front der and less than stiffest rings, I've had jammed chains on my Super Six similarly configured.


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

Ruby13 said:


> Great build and pics. Just upgraded my Synapse Carbon 6 to all Force and Dura Ace c24's and got it just under 17 pounds with pedals. Surprised by the weight you came up with. What was the weight of the frame. I missed that.


Yeah I was surprised too. The wheels and tubes are fairly heavy. There may be something going on with my scale... it was giving all kinds of inconsistent readings when I weighed it successive times. In any case I'm not really a weight weenie so I don't really mind.

The frame was 1190 g.


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

s2ktaxi said:


> Beautiful! Thanks for weighing each component! my 50cm System Six with DA7900 shifter, F & R derailleurs and the System Six Stem (180g) comes up to 15 lbs with xPedo SPD pedals (160g/pair). My tubes are 100g/pr - you've got almost an extra 1/4 pound right there. The Alien seatpost is about 135g.
> 
> Beware of the front shifting. Between the slightly flexy front der and less than stiffest rings, I've had jammed chains on my Super Six similarly configured.


Thanks man!

I'm sure mine would've come in a bit lighter if I rode a 50cm! I didn't really want to get lightweight tubes out of fear of getting punctures... What brand did you buy and how durable have they been? Those Alien seatposts are pretty light, but I'm not crazy about their design. I'm don't really care too much about the weight, I just think it'd be cool to get it under 16 just for the heck of it 

I've already ridden it about 70 miles and the front shifting has been spot on... I'll see if it causes problems later on.


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## Wile_E_Coyote (Jul 15, 2011)

Great build and very timely for me as well. I currently have a Six13 with Dura Ace 7800. I am going to sell the frame and pass the 7800 group on to my wife. Have been going back and forth between a Caad9 and a System Six. Looking forward to more comments.

By the way, really surprised at the weights of the Racing 1's. That's well above factory claimed weight.


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## Matt927 (Apr 11, 2012)

skaruda_23 said:


> No, the saddle came from Craigslist. I've had it for a couple of years now. Why do you ask?


I recently sold one on ebay and it went to California for a build.

Matt


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

Beautiful bike, thanks for posting the pictures.


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## hendrick81 (Jun 8, 2008)

Beautiful bike. Great job...


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## lostPixels (Jun 12, 2012)

Awesome build, but if you wanted a bike that can go 40mph and be stable, you could have bought a $1400 Scott like I have been using to go 50mph down hills.


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## EuroSVT (Sep 15, 2011)

This frame beats out my beloved 1997 R800 as far as best colorway.


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## Duncan1104 (Nov 10, 2008)

lostPixels said:


> Awesome build, but if you wanted a bike that can go 40mph and be stable, you could have bought a $1400 Scott like I have been using to go 50mph down hills.


I don't think that was his point... 

Nice build, sir! :thumbsup:


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

Thanks to everyone for the kind remarks, I appreciate it!


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## omniviper (Sep 18, 2004)

OT question. Why'd you choose to stick with the system six vs the other newer carbon fiber sixes?


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

omniviper said:


> OT question. Why'd you choose to stick with the system six vs the other newer carbon fiber sixes?


Simple. Because the System Six is one of the most unique frames out there, period. It was a very innovative bike when it was introduced with its tapered fork and oversized tubing. This frame's construction was the embodiment of pre-Dorel Cannondale innovation (and non-conventionalism) and this kind of frame will never be produced again. 

Many in the Cdale forum have touted its stiffness and handling merits and still say that it is the best road frame that Cannondale has ever made, bar-none. While I can't verify this with any factual authority, I think it does continue to hold its own against newer full carbon frames. I don't really care about weight, so full carbon wasn't really important to me. 

In my opinion its one of the coolest looking frames out there too, especially in this simple bare clear-coated scheme.


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## CHL (Jun 24, 2005)

skaruda_23:

You vile POS, how did you manage to score this beauty? That frame looks brand new too. Mind you, it's the envy talking here. She's a beauty for sure and at 16.2lbs, it's plenty light especially for a 56/58cm frame. I'm one crazy whack job but what do you think about matching the cages to the tubes (black/down & silver/seat)?

You got a super hot bike for sure!!!!

C.


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## gus68 (Oct 19, 2010)

Where did you get that frame? Its in mint condition. I have an '07 system six, same black/ black silver clear coat. I have ultegra on mine, would love the sram red. Its an awesome frame. I also have a 2011 standard supersix. Both great in their own way. 

Why didnt you opt out of the systemsix stem?


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## Devastator (May 11, 2009)

Congrats on a very fine machine. Id trade my Supersix HM for a System any day of the week esp if it was the frame youve got. I think one of the classiest looking frames ever made also stiffer than hell. Great build. 



skaruda_23 said:


> Simple. Because the System Six is one of the most unique frames out there, period. It was a very innovative bike when it was introduced with its tapered fork and oversized tubing. This frame's construction was the embodiment of pre-Dorel Cannondale innovation (and non-conventionalism) and this kind of frame will never be produced again.
> 
> Many in the Cdale forum have touted its stiffness and handling merits and still say that it is the best road frame that Cannondale has ever made, bar-none. While I can't verify this with any factual authority, I think it does continue to hold its own against newer full carbon frames. I don't really care about weight, so full carbon wasn't really important to me.
> 
> In my opinion its one of the coolest looking frames out there too, especially in this simple bare clear-coated scheme.


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

CHL said:


> skaruda_23:
> 
> You vile POS, how did you manage to score this beauty? That frame looks brand new too. Mind you, it's the envy talking here. She's a beauty for sure and at 16.2lbs, it's plenty light especially for a 56/58cm frame. I'm one crazy whack job but what do you think about matching the cages to the tubes (black/down & silver/seat)?
> 
> ...


Wow thank you so much CHL! I'm flattered  Definitely feel very fortunate to have found this frame. Thankfully its previous owner took good care of it, there are just some minor scratches on the chainstays that don't really show up in pics. I just got lucky that this one wasn't too affected by the galvanic corrosion issue.

I'm not so sure about the bottle cage idea... I'm really liking the pair of blackburns! The silver and black idea would certainly be unique though...


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

gus68 said:


> Where did you get that frame? Its in mint condition. I have an '07 system six, same black/ black silver clear coat. I have ultegra on mine, would love the sram red. Its an awesome frame. I also have a 2011 standard supersix. Both great in their own way.
> 
> Why didnt you opt out of the systemsix stem?


Gus, I bought the frame set on ebay a few months ago and yes I was incredibly lucky to find this one in my size and in this condition. That's why I had to jump on it!

Have you posted pictures of your bikes yet on this forum? I'd love to see them.

I didn't want to use the System Six specific stem because I just didn't really like how it looked. Plus I already had this Deda stem laying around as a spare.


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## gus68 (Oct 19, 2010)

I have not posted pics of my systemsix and I'd be embarrassed after seeing yours. At this point, mine is more of a weathered lindsey lohan...I just love that SRAM Red with the hollow crank. Mine is all ultegra, including the crank.


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## s2ktaxi (Jul 11, 2006)

skaruda_23 said:


> Thanks man!
> 
> I'm sure mine would've come in a bit lighter if I rode a 50cm! I didn't really want to get lightweight tubes out of fear of getting punctures... What brand did you buy and how durable have they been? Those Alien seatposts are pretty light, but I'm not crazy about their design. I'm don't really care too much about the weight, I just think it'd be cool to get it under 16 just for the heck of it
> 
> I've already ridden it about 70 miles and the front shifting has been spot on... I'll see if it causes problems later on.


I use Performance brand ultra lightweight tubes. I find that by the time I have something that causes a flat, the thickness of the tube doesn't matter. The Alien posts are a bit finicky...but once I set it up, I never change it. in fact, have not changed mine for years.


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## bikerclancy (Jan 4, 2009)

Great Build. I have a 56cm Patriot Blue System Six with full Red and Hollogram, Alien post, control tech cockpit, toupe saddle, speedplay pedals and Easton EA 90s. Weighs in at 15.8.

As for silver/black cages --did those on my nude carbon 6/13 and they look great.

Congratulations you'll love the bike!!!


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

bikerclancy said:


> Great Build. I have a 56cm Patriot Blue System Six with full Red and Hollogram, Alien post, control tech cockpit, toupe saddle, speedplay pedals and Easton EA 90s. Weighs in at 15.8.
> 
> As for silver/black cages --did those on my nude carbon 6/13 and they look great.
> 
> Congratulations you'll love the bike!!!


Thanks bikerclancy, I appreciate it! Sounds like you have quite an awesome System Six too. I'd love to see how those cages look on your Six13 because I have a bare clearcoated version of that frame as well.


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## Dihlin (Aug 18, 2012)

Hi Skaruda!

I just bought a Cannondale CAAD 9 frame off ebay and it's frame only. I already have a bike to ride, but I wanna make it an effort to complete this bike before the end of my first semester. My budget is going to be different than yours, but I would really appreciate it if you could give me tips and guide me through this. I've only ever fixed bikes before at a local third hand store, never before have I ever invested in new parts and fitted them to a bike.


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

Dihlin said:


> Hi Skaruda!
> 
> I just bought a Cannondale CAAD 9 frame off ebay and it's frame only. I already have a bike to ride, but I wanna make it an effort to complete this bike before the end of my first semester. My budget is going to be different than yours, but I would really appreciate it if you could give me tips and guide me through this. I've only ever fixed bikes before at a local third hand store, never before have I ever invested in new parts and fitted them to a bike.


Dihlin, sorry about the late reply. Congratulations on your new CAAD9 frame, it's my favorite all-aluminum frame. I'd be happy to give you some pointers. What kinds of questions do you have? 

It's great that you already have wrenching experience already, it will be a huge benefit! I'd say if you want to do everything yourself, you'll need to figure out which components suit your taste and budget, and then start scouting out deals online. Also, you'll need to buy or have access to the basic tools... But since you've worked with bikes, you're probably already aware of what you need. Work the tooling costs into your budget. It's really a huge help to have a repair stand in this situation. 

Before you buy certain components, make sure to figure out if it needs specific or proprietary tools to install (i.e. hollowgram crank). If you want carbon components, it would be wise to invest in a torque wrench. 

Hope this helps a little bit, let me know if you have more specific questions, you can always PM me too. Best of luck!


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## aengbretson (Sep 17, 2009)

You just made me miss my SystemSix all over again. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with my SuperSix but the System had more... Character. The bike is BEAUTIFUL. 

One word of advice - (as I'm sure you already know) nearly all of the clear coat Systems and Six13s suffered from corrosion at the carbon/Al joints. I believe this is due to the clear coat being more porous than a paint so sweat drips down there during a ride, works its way in, and does the damage. Maybe try using a little bit of a clear coat treatment/polish near the ST/TT and ST/DT junctions to prevent this?

I hope you get lots of enjoyment out of that beautiful beautiful bike!


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

aengbretson said:


> You just made me miss my SystemSix all over again. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with my SuperSix but the System had more... Character. The bike is BEAUTIFUL.
> 
> One word of advice - (as I'm sure you already know) nearly all of the clear coat Systems and Six13s suffered from corrosion at the carbon/Al joints. I believe this is due to the clear coat being more porous than a paint so sweat drips down there during a ride, works its way in, and does the damage. Maybe try using a little bit of a clear coat treatment/polish near the ST/TT and ST/DT junctions to prevent this?
> 
> I hope you get lots of enjoyment out of that beautiful beautiful bike!


Thank you, aengbretson!!! I agree that there's something special about the system six. My frame did come with a little bit of the corrosion problem on the down tube joint... I also have a six13 in the same paint job and I'm not sure if its a sweat issue or an issue of differing galvanic potentials between the carbon's resin/epoxy and/or clearcoat and the aluminum. It seems to get worse with use from what I've seen in bikes for sale, so it might also be a stress-corrosion problem which causes micro-sized cracks to propagate. 

In any event, I appreciate the treatment you recommended. Have you had any experience with this or know of others having luck with it?


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## gus68 (Oct 19, 2010)

I was told to use clear nail polish.


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## vette (Feb 1, 2009)

s2ktaxi said:


> I use Performance brand ultra lightweight tubes. I find that by the time I have something that causes a flat, the thickness of the tube doesn't matter. The Alien posts are a bit finicky...but once I set it up, I never change it. in fact, have not changed mine for years.


Another vote for Performancebike tubes,I stock up on them & same here as far as flats,heavier ones have no benefit as far as flats go for me.


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

vette said:


> Another vote for Performancebike tubes,I stock up on them & same here as far as flats,heavier ones have no benefit as far as flats go for me.


Good to know, I'll pick up some of those tubes next time there's a good PB sale or coupon code, which is pretty often. Thanks, vette :thumbsup:


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## Zachariah (Jan 29, 2009)

*Another Colorway...*

Here is my eBay find. It too was new and at 52cm - it weighs in at 16.22 pounds. It's true - I got rid of a noodly, 2011 Cervelo S2 for this frame:


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## gus68 (Oct 19, 2010)

You'll love it, have you had worthwhile test run on it?


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## Zachariah (Jan 29, 2009)

gus68 said:


> You'll love it, have you had worthwhile test run on it?


 I ended-up buying it...


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## gus68 (Oct 19, 2010)

nuff said


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

Zachariah said:


> Here is my eBay find. It too was new and at 52cm - it weighs in at 16.22 pounds. It's true - I got rid of a noodly, 2011 Cervelo S2 for this frame:


Congratulations on your system six find!


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## gabollini (Nov 27, 2005)

Just for grins, my System Six. Lousy pic, but it's late and dark outside. Maybe I'll post a better picture later. I've decided to keep her in the stable. Spinergy wheels; not so much.


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## gabollini (Nov 27, 2005)

Just for grins, my System Six. Lousy pic, but it's late and dark outside. Maybe I'll post a better picture later. I've decided to keep her in the stable. Spinergy wheels; not so much, I've decided to keep her over my CAAD 10 (in red/white). This bike is unique, very stiff, raceworthy, and can bomb downhill without any hint of wiggle, which is nice for a scaredy cat like me. The Barloworld bike is probably pretty rare too; not a scratch on it. Made in USA is also extra special. .


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## vette (Feb 1, 2009)

zachariah said:


> here is my ebay find. It too was new and at 52cm - it weighs in at 16.22 pounds. It's true - i got rid of a noodly, 2011 cervelo s2 for this frame:


saweeet.


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

gabollini said:


> Just for grins, my System Six. Lousy pic, but it's late and dark outside. Maybe I'll post a better picture later. I've decided to keep her in the stable. Spinergy wheels; not so much.


Keep these system six pics coming, everybody!


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## zamboni (Sep 11, 2003)

Here is my systems six edition.


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