Here’s a story that my triathlete and Ironman friends will certainly be interested in. Cannondale is in Kona this week for the IM World Championship, and while there, they have announced a new version of their much vaunted Slice tri-bike for 2015. The company is making some significant upgrades to a bike that has won four Ironman World Championships in the last six years, delivering a sweet new ride that triathletes of all levels will want to own.
In designing the 2015 Slice, Cannondale went back to the drawing board, rethinking every aspect of the bike that has been so successful on the Ironman circuit. The design team improved the aerodynamics, weight, stiffness, and comfort of the ride, while managing to tweak the handling as well. The focus for the new Slice was on creating a balance of all of those elements, giving riders the absolute best overall performance possible.
In creating the new Slice design, Cannondale’s team examined the fit data that has been collected over the years from thousands of triathletes. That information proved invaluable, as they reworked the geometry of the bike to give the rider maximum performance, while still maintaing a high level of aerodynamic efficiency, and comfort. Cannondale says that the result is a bike that is lighter, stiffer, and performs better in crosswinds than the previous model.
That isn’t the only enhancement that the Slice has seen. The new frame is purportedly the lightest on the market, tipping the scales at just 1020 grams (2.25 pounds), which makes it 650 grams (1.5 pounds) lighter than the competition. An integrated “micro-suspension” gives the Slice a smoother ride as well, absorbing vibrations out on the road. The new design is also said to be more stable and easier to ride as well.
The top-of-the-line Slice Black Inc. (pictured) as an MSRP of $10830, but Cannondale is offering then bike a variety of trim levels for different budgets and athletes. The entry-level model is the Slice 105, which costs just $2710, but still offers solid performance and comfort.
Best of all, Cannondale promises that the new Slice is easy to set-up, maintain, and transport, so triathletes who don’t have a support team (read: most of us!) are able to use it to its maximum level of performance as well.
Looks like a great bike!
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