Cannondale aspires to build the fastest cross-country race bike. In order to live up to this claim, the F-Si has been adapted to today's technically demanding race tracks. The steering angle is flattened to 69.5 degrees to make the bike smoother. The chainstays have been shortened to 429 millimetres so that it is still easy to accelerate out of corners and acceleration is quickly converted into propulsion. Together with Cannondale's system integration, the whole thing is also stiffer. The entire frame is stiffer and safer thanks to the "Ballistec Carbon Construction", for which Cannondale uses a very strong carbon fiber structure as the basis, which originates from the armaments industry. The outer layer is an impact-resistant fiber that is similar to that of baseball bats and better protects the frame from external impact.

The most interesting change is revealed at the rear. There, the rear end has more tire clearance so that less material gets stuck between the tire and frame in the mud. There is also space for tires up to 2.35 inches wide. By moving the large chainring six millimetres outwards, the front derailleur is also positioned further away from the tire. This does not result in a poorer chain line, as the rear drive also shifts six millimetres to the right due to the asymmetrically arranged dropouts. In order to keep the rim in line with the front wheel, Cannondale has not introduced a new axle size to the market, but uses standard hub widths. The same spoke length is used on the brake and drive side - on conventional wheels, the spokes are shorter on the drive side. The same spoke length on both sides also results in a higher stiffness of the wheel. To our surprise, Cannondale does not use a thru axle. The arguments of quick wheel changes in racing and the higher stiffness due to the choking effect of the quick release seem plausible.

System integration as the key
Cannondale has always built its own cranks and stems. These have become increasingly important and, together with the Save 2 seatpost, the Ai drivetrain and the Lefty suspension fork, form a system in combination with the frame. This system has the advantage that everything is coordinated and therefore functions perfectly. Just as important in racing - this results in a lower weight and greater stiffness. This, on the other hand, is only used where it is needed. This is why the Save 2 seatpost, together with the "Micro Suspension Technology" on the frame, ensures that shocks are slightly absorbed. The seatpost also loses 50 grams of weight compared to its predecessor and absorbs up to 20 percent more shocks.

Cannondale's trademark, the new Lefty 2.0 suspension fork, has also changed. In order to improve handling at low speeds, the suspension now has a 55 millimeter offset - forward travel from the fork axle to the wheel axle. Inside the fork, the new damping technology from the Super Max Enduro fork is used. This technology is adapted for cross-country and has the advantage, among other things, that the fork does not dive downwards during hard braking maneuvers. As a result, the Lefty also provides more feedback on medium and high-speed impacts. The rebound adjustment range - the rebound speed - is also greater than on the old Lefty.

The frame weight of the new F-Si is close to the 1-kilogram limit. However, Cannondale is particularly impressive with the system weight, which is practically unrivaled. Furthermore, the cables are on the outside of the racehorse to ensure quick changes. Cannondale is launching a total of four models of the F-Si on the market. One of these is a Black Inc. version, completely clad in elegant black.

www.cannondale.com