# 2011 Supersix Carbon Frame - Opinions



## arai_speed (Aug 19, 2003)

*2009 Supersix Carbon Frame - Opinions*

Hi everyone, I've been trolling CL for carbon frames and ran into a 2009 Supersix Carbon frame:










What's the down and dirty on this particular model? Race oriented? Stiff for long rides?

I may consider doing a new build using this but I wanted to get opinions from owners first.

Thank you.


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## andrewbell (Nov 14, 2008)

the best frame that i have ever owned. came from a caad 7 to scott cr1 team then got the supersix 5. absolutely love the handling and responsiveness of the bike.


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## Greenduck (Apr 19, 2011)

That frame is not from 2011 but 2009.


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## arai_speed (Aug 19, 2003)

Greenduck said:


> That frame is not from 2011 but 2009.


Thank you! It appears you are correct.


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## red elvis (Sep 9, 2010)

i love my supersix. it does everything great.


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## Greenduck (Apr 19, 2011)

Thought I would answer your question too. I own a 2011 SuperSix Team Replica and I'm very pleased with it. It is race oriented so you'll get a very stiff bike with great power transfer and an alive feel to it. I don't have any issues when using it for long rides, 80-130 kilometers, but it's not meant as a comfort frame. But the design of the frame makes sure to suck up road buzz on rough pavement. If you want to go fast the SuperSix is a great frame. Very stiff, very responsesive and handles great. Very recommendable. 

I can't answer how the 2009 SS stack up against the 2011 SS. I would think there are some weight, stiffness and handling differences between the two generations. I would say one of the big differences in problaby the headtube. So better front end stiffness and handling through corners.


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## zamboni (Sep 11, 2003)

I had the same frame and you be surprise how well this bike performce, can't go wrong not to mention last one made in the US.


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## LeDomestique (Jan 17, 2007)

I've changed my "main" bike every 2 years for a number of years now. In 2009 I got the SS (the exact model shown). No only I've not bought a new bike since, but also I have no short or medium term plans to do so. That frame is perfect in every way as far as I can tell. Bonus points for being the last "made in USA" frame from Cannondale (despite that the Taiwan-made might be even better).


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## arai_speed (Aug 19, 2003)

Thanks for all the feedback everyone - unfortunately the seller of said frame has gone MIA which means the search continues. It's good to know about this particular model in case it comes up again.


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## Bnystrom (Oct 27, 2007)

*2011 Supersix Hi-Mod*

I've been riding one for the past few months and have some observations.

The good:
- It's probably the best handling bike I've ever ridden. It just goes where you point it with no drama. No matter how much I thrash around or how bad the road surface is, the bike just maintains its line effortlessly. Cornering is intuitive with no real effort required and it's very stable in crosswinds.

- The power transfer is outstanding. Push on the pedals and the bike goes. I can see and feel flex in the cranks, but the frame is rock-solid. 

The not-so-good:
- It's stiff to the point of being quite harsh on less than perfect road surfaces, especially at the front end. That's the downside of what makes it handle and transfer power so well. I've taken to running wider rubber (25-26mm) at low pressures to take the sting out of the ride and that works well enough to make the bike pretty comfortable. 

- The fork dropouts had so much paint buildup where the blade meets the dropout that the front hub couldn't seat properly. I had to make a facing tool and clean the inside surface of the dropouts down to the bare carbon, which fixed the problem. This is a Q/C issue that should be addressed at the factory.

- There are no cable adjusters, which makes setting the front derailleur cable tension more challenging than it needs to be. This is pretty common with carbon frames.

- The front brake caliper can hit the fat downtube on the right side. I installed a small rubber bump stop to protect the frame.

- In the case of a chain drop, the tight space between the chainstay and the wheel (up near the bottom bracket) can force the chain into the spokes. I made a chain catcher for the chainstay to prevent this from happening and a chain watcher to prevent chain drops.

Overall, I really like the bike, though I am considering getting an Evo for its improved ride quality.


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## zamboni (Sep 11, 2003)

Bnystrom,

Had the bike since 09 and never had any problem with FD or brake issue as your described.


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## Bnystrom (Oct 27, 2007)

I'm sure that differences in caliper shape, plus stem and bar configuration affect whether the caliper can hit the downtube or not when the bars are turned. This is more of a warning than a complaint, just something to look out for. It's probably common on any frame with a really fat downtube, but it doesn't happen on any of my other bikes. 

As for the front derailleur, not having an adjuster makes it more difficult to fine-tune the cable tension, which is a consideration with Campy, since the cable tension is used to adjust the trim positions. I'll eventually install an aftermarket solution on this frame and my Look 585.


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