Cannondale invited SoCalCycling.com to check out the yet to be released Slice RS last month at the Amgen Tour of California. The Stage 5 Time Trial in Bakersfield gave me the opportunity to see the Slice RS in action from a front row seat in the team car as we followed Kristian Koren from Team Liquigas-Cannondale.
The new Slice RS looked very fast as Kristian headed out on the Time Trial course, even though the conditions were brutal with a 100 plus degree heat and almost no shade on the course.
The Slice RS isn’t just a modification of the current Slice design, but a complete overhaul. By looking at some of the pictures, I was able to capture of Nibali’s Slice RS, you can see the major changes.
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The Slice RS is even more integrated and has a sleek aerodynamic look to it. If you look at the front end, you can see that everything is nice and tidy as the cables and brakes are hidden. Also, even as aero as the stem is, it allows you to use a standard aero bar for optimum adjustability.
Looking at the brakes you can see that they are also integrated into the frame and fork for maximum aero efficiency.
Moving toward the rear of the Slice RS, the aero seat tube has a reservoir that the tire actually channels into.
One thing I caught was the angle of the rear chainstays, which are shaped like a “V” on the inner part of the stay. The seat stays hug the rear wheel towards the top and flair out towards the rear axle.
All cables of the Slice RS are internal, with the exception of the rear dérailleur cable, which is presumably to make for accurate shifting.
The water bottle still sits along the seat tube. However, the bottom bracket area is much larger most likely to make for better lateral stiffness.
Moving up the frame, the seatpost is a big departure from the current Slice, as it is much smaller and has a setback design.
We will have to see if we can get our hands on a Slice RS to test out once they become available. One thing is for sure, I can bet that this speed machine will be setting some fast times in the future and at the upcoming Tour de France as Team Liquigas-Cannondale goes against the clock!
By Frank Sarate, SoCalCycling.com
