SuperXtra Special

As days go, “new bike day” is up there with the very best. And when your new bike also happens to look and perform like the very best, well, then you know it’s going to be a very, VERY good day.

Not only did EF Education-Oatly rider and Paris-Roubaix winner Alison Jackson help test and develop the new super-fast SuperX gravel bike, she also jumped at the chance to help build up and spec a very special, bespoke version of it. Built around the super-lightweight, super-high-performance LAB71 version of the SuperX frameset, this bike is built to absolutely fly.

X Factor

It all starts with the kind of race-pace, KOM-claiming road performance you’d expect from a grand tour stage winning aero weapon. And that’s because this bike’s DNA sits surprisingly close to its aero-refined, pro-tour road sister, the SuperSix EVO.

Wind tunnel-tuned for the full-gas, full-thrash world of gravel racing, SuperX has been sculpted with drop-dead good looks that also leave the competition for dead on its way to the podium. While borrowing more than a bit of the Unbound-winning engineering and pedigree from its predecessor, the SuperX absolutely flies over the rough stuff.

This particular frame, however, also happens to wear the LAB71 badge, shorthand for Cannondale’s in-house innovation hub. It has the pure and focused goal of taking the very best bikes we make and fine tuning them for specific use cases. In the case of Alison’s bike, this meant building her SuperX to full EF World Tour team component spec and using hyper-refined carbon tech to bring the frame in under 900 grams (for her size 51).

The weight savings are achieved thanks to a secret recipe of materials and layup. It takes great carbon craftsmanship to create the right mix of unparalleled stiffness, weight and responsiveness. Put simply, our lightest, most advanced carbon construction possible translates to an otherworldly ride. One that’s destined for the pointy end of wherever it’s ridden and raced. And then the podium.

SuperTested

Although a thing of beauty, this masterpiece wasn’t designed and built to simply hang on a wall and be admired. Because SuperX is every bit a tool as well as a jewel. And Alison was one of the lucky elite riders that helped torture-test various iterations of it to perfect the bike that we see today.

Luckily for us, this Roubaix-winner knows more than a thing or two about pushing hard on the rough stuff and keeping the intensity in the red. So, after helping develop the new frame, it seemed natural to ride the new rig in its final stage of development, at the UCI Gravel World Championships in Flanders last October. A full-on fast-fest with high-speed sections by the bucketload. It was the perfect proving ground and final shakedown for the new design, with the SuperX doing what it does best on the finest tracks and trails that Flanders had to offer.

Dream Build

But back to Alison’s special LAB71 SuperX and the build that she’s chosen to really bring this rocket ship together. Fully integrated cabling thanks to our one-piece cockpit – the race-proven Systembar R-One – combined with our Delta Steerer design keep the SuperX neat, tidy and ready for speed. While a Dura Ace group set and FSA crankset and power meter work in harmony so that AJ can keep an eye on the amount of watts and fun that she’s dishing out. The aero good looks of the frame meanwhile are the perfect match for Vision’s Metreon 45SL gravel-specific wheelset. These are dressed in Vittoria’s grippy-yet-pacy Terrano Dry tires to complete the ensemble. So that Alison really is ready to have a ball on her new bike.

Each new season that comes around brings new bikes and new challenges for elite riders. But some bikes and builds are definitely more special than others.

If you’re inspired to build up your own super-light LAB71 SuperX frame or learn more about the other incredible SuperX full-build options available, hit the link below.