| 06/28/2001 | Cannondale CAAD6 Components Wins Tour Magazine Comparison TestCannondale’s Hollowgram crankset and bottom bracket handily dominated a comparison test with other high-end components that appeared in last month’s Tour magazine, a highly respected German road cycling publication. The Hollowgram parts come equipped on Cannondale’s CAAD6 road models, with the components and CAAD6 frame forming a dedicated, integrated system.
The test scientifically compared a total of ten different component models, including Campagnolo Record, Campagnolo Daytona, Shimano Dura Ace, Shimano 105, FSA Gossamer, Storck Power Arms, Stronglight Speedlight, Tune Big Foot and Zipp Carbon road cranks along with the Cannondale Hollowgram crankset and bottom bracket. Each entry was judged on weight, stiffness, craftsmanship, quality of bearings, chainring hardness, and value. The Cannondale received the maximum points available in five of the six categories, failing only to garner top honors for value.
Most impressive of all the empirical data was Cannondale’s dominance when comparing the strength-to-weight ratios of the different crankset/bottom bracket systems. The Cannondale Hollowgram parts had a strength-to-weight rating of 200.75 millimeters per kilogram. The next closest contenders were Shimano Dura Ace and Campy Record, which rated just 161.79 and 114.16, respectively.
In fact, the Hollowgram parts were judged so highly that the editors at Tour described their findings by saying “first comes Cannondale, then nothing for a while, and then the Dura Ace system.” The Hollowgram parts, the magazine proclaimed, were clearly “the stiffest and lightest of all.”
The Hollowgram parts and CAAD6 frame are featured on selected Cannondale road models. The CAAD6 frame has an oversized bottom bracket shell and the Hollowgram bottom bracket has a correspondingly oversized hollow spindle. The entire Hollowgram system weighs just 525 grams, versus Dura Ace parts at 640 grams (both weights do not include chainrings). Not only is the Hollowgram system 18% lighter than Dura Ace, it’s also 4% stiffer for greater pedaling efficiency. The bottom bracket also features sealed cartridge bearings that press directly into the frame, eliminating conventional, heavy cups. The system’s super-lightweight crankarms are also hollow, and the CAAD6 has a dedicated fork with oversized carbon fiber steerer and equally oversized head tube.
Cannondale’s unique approach reflects the company’s philosophy of “System Integration,” which maximizes performance and weight savings by ignoring existing design standards and developing frames and components concurrently as an “integrated system.” For 2002, the CAAD6 and Hollowgram designs have also been adapted for use on selected Cannondale mountain bikeswww.canondale.com
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