Price: $4,949

Weight: 17 lbs.

Components: Shimano Dura-Ace, Campagnolo Proton wheels

Frame & Fork: 6061-T6 CAAD6 aluminum, Slice Si full carbon fork

Geometry: 73º head tube, 73.5º seat tube, 56.75cm top tube

Sizes: 48cm – 63cm (tested 60cm)

Comments: “How fast is too fast?”

www.cannondale.com

If I had to describe the new Cannondale R4000si in one word, it would be
“fashionable”-more understated and less mainstream, more Gucci and less
Gap. But with a Gucci price tag, one naturally expects something more than
a standard high-end road bike to justify the expense.

Looking fast even when standing still, the R4000si was decorated with a
wild Euro-inspired graphics scheme and a striking yellow background,
definitely beautiful and certainly unique. The component selection was
similarly distinctive, and had me doing double-takes as I looked the bike
over.

The Dura-Ace drivetrain components powered Campagnolo wheels. Campy bowed
far enough to make Shimano-compatible, Climb-Dynamic wheels, offering a
unique blend of technologies that I’d not seen on a production bike before.
Also far out of the ordinary was the Cannondale HollowGram crankset and
bottom-bracket system, exclusive to Cannondale and compatible only with its
CAAD6 frames, as the oversized bottom-bracket shell does not accept a
traditional system. I was too transfixed by the stunningly beautiful cranks
to recall why I’d ever want anything else.
Elsewhere on the bike, I noticed an oversized handlebar and stem that were
a good visual match for the extremely oversized frame tubing that
Cannondale is known for, as well as Continental tires, a full carbon Slice
fork manufactured by Time, and a fi’zi:k saddle.

All told, this was an expensive collection of well-selected
components-whether they would hold up as a “package” was yet to be seen.
Several “mainstream” marks of fashion were missing, most notably the carbon
rear stays. Not only were the stays aluminum, they were also massive.
Everything on this bike seemed to snarl speed.
As anticipated, a slow, leisurely pace was not really an option. With a
single pedal stroke, I vaulted forward.
The R4000si accelerated better than any bike I’d ever ridden, and given the
overall lightness of the bike, I could hardly wait to reach my favourite
hills. As the road sloped upward, the bike seemed to reach into my legs
and pull harder, accelerating itself up the hill, leaving me in a state of
disbelief. To say that the R4000si is an aggressive climber is like saying
a free-falling anvil is an aggressive “descender.”

The posture on the bike was open and comfortable, giving my lungs plenty of
room to dig deep in order to keep up with this demon of a bike. However, I
did find myself wishing for a slightly wider handlebar. The wider handlebar
would also have added stability on the way back down the mountain, as I
discovered the bike to be a more difficult creature to tame when speeds
approached blurring levels.
The geometry and position on the bike seemed dialed, but the stiffness of
the frame within all of this perfect efficiency made the bike almost too
unrelenting in the corners. It took a few runs before I summoned the guts
to trust the bike. When cornering, the familiar snap and compliance of a
steel or carbon frame weren’t there: the bike demanded that I either smooth
out the corners by taking them more widely, or simply bury the bike into a
corner and trust that it would hold its line, which it always did. The bike
was capable, but was I? I pondered the virtues of efficiency versus
compliance as I rode on.

Flat sections of road disappeared quickly, the R4000si making short work of
long distances. Maintaining an ideal cadence and pushing hard gears seemed
effortless, and handling remained neutral and predictable at cruising
speeds. Over very long rides, the frame’s stiffness did make my lower back
aware of vibrations that the bike wasn’t interested in absorbing, and
though the fi’zi:k saddle was comfortable, I would add a carbon or Ti post
for a little more all-day comfort. In the technical realm, despite the mix
of Cannondale, Shimano, and Campy parts, that’s the only modification I’d
make-everything else worked together seamlessly.

Make no mistake, this is a race bike. It’s designed to be very, very fast,
and it is exactly that. Those seeking the fastest bike will be well-served
by taking a close look at the R4000si. The sacrifices it makes for that
speed will be hard for some to accept, while others won’t miss them.
However, from the standpoint of technical and aesthetic design, there is
little left for a road bike to strive toward.