I have a supersix evo (from 2021) and I really love it. The entire time I have owned I have never wanted to replace it. 

Eric, I'm joining the Supersix Evo club - I put in an order with Ride Brooklyn on a mechanical 105 12 spd. I wanted to stick with alloy/steel, but finally gave into to carbon and disc brakes. Still can't bring myself to switch to electronic shifting, but maybe in another decade when I'm due for a new race bike.

Something to keep me preoccupied before delivery: the fit.

SSE: 90mm -6deg stem
CAAD10: 100mm -17deg stem + lower stack height (-6mm), longer reach (+4mm), but with 30mm of spacers.

Will have to do some measurements with both bikes in place, but minimizing spacers on the SSE should net a pretty similar fit.

https://geometrygeeks.bike/compare/cannondale-supersix-evo-4-2023-51cm,cannondale-caad10-105-2015-52/

One curiosity with the 105 12spd mechanical spec build is the combo of a 50/34t chainset + 11-36t cassette. Maybe they're marketing this complete build to entry level, recreational/grand fondo type consumers that need beyond a 1:1 gear ratio? Either way once I get a set of race wheels I'll have to replace with a 11-25 or 28t cassette.

This is a good calculator for stem length.  Don't forget to factor in any differences in reach between the bars and levers.

Thanks Greg! Messed around with both HT angles and basically moving down 20mm gets me to the same height, but closer by about 10mm. Bar and shifter combined reach might make up some lost ground compared to the relatively short Ritchey neoclassic (RIP) and SRAM 10spd stuff I've currently got.

Congrats , now you will be 2 speeds faster !!!!

Two fewer reasons to blame my lack of podiums on.

I'm waiting for the new bike delivery so educating myself on integrated internal cable routing for future basic maintenance. Thought I'd share some good articles I found on the subject.

Escape Collective's Dave Rome's article about tools and tips:
https://escapecollective.com/threaded-14-an-easier-route-to-internal-cable-routing/

Mechanic perspectives on servicing fully internal cable routing
https://www.bikeradar.com/features/tech/the-truth-about-internal-cable-routing

David Yang said:

I'm waiting for the new bike delivery so educating myself on integrated internal cable routing for future basic maintenance. Thought I'd share some good articles I found on the subject.

Escape Collective's Dave Rome's article about tools and tips:
https://escapecollective.com/threaded-14-an-easier-route-to-internal-cable-routing/

Mechanic perspectives on servicing fully internal cable routing
https://www.bikeradar.com/features/tech/the-truth-about-internal-cable-routing

This set raised my internal cabling game significantly. Or rather, made the impossible possible:
https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-IR-1-3-Internal-Components/dp/B0BZ58RXCP/

I presume you'll get the new bike already all set and cabled up.

One huge tip that I can give you: Do not remove a cable without putting or leaving something in it's place. That is, any internal route should always a cable, or housing, or the string from the kit in it

-- as you remove a cable, you leave the housing, or as you remove the housing you leave the cable, or as you remove the housing and cable you attach the string from the kit so as you pull the housing out the string takes it's place, and then you use that string to guide new housing.

Hope this makes sense and helps, please ask questions if not.
 

So... more bike build stuff, What's everyone's bottle cage preference? Anything you feel goes well with a "modern" frame design? I've got a bunch sitting in my spare parts bin that are all sort of old school - figured I'd ask all you stylish people here on what you've got, or what you've got your eye on for your next build or spring refresh.

David Yang said:

So... more bike build stuff, What's everyone's bottle cage preference? Anything you feel goes well with a "modern" frame design? I've got a bunch sitting in my spare parts bin that are all sort of old school - figured I'd ask all you stylish people here on what you've got, or what you've got your eye on for your next build or spring refresh.

I'm a fan of the Arundel Mandibles.  They're not perfect--occasionally a bottle gets ejected--but they are light and, in my eyes at least, pretty.

For security, I find Trek's Bat Cages can't be beat.  FWIW, the mounting points on the Bat Cages is much higher on the cage than on the Arundels.  If you want to get cages lower, look at the mounting points.

While I've never tried them, I like the looks of Silca's titanium bottle cages, though they are an update of the titanium King Cage,

Part of me is curious about Trek's new aero bottle cages and bottles.  But I found that regular bottles in these cages look weird.  

I have the Arundel carbon ones on my road bike and the plastic ones on my gravel bike , i really like them , never had a bottle eject , btw

aliexpress carbon bottle cages. never failed me

The best modern cages I've found are plastic polimer Elite "Custom Race" cages:

https://www.competitivecyclist.com/elite-custom-race-water-bottle-cage-eli0009

Bottles hold well in tough single trackie, and gravel rides.

I think the best cages are these, plastic & rib style, with a rubber thingie that pulls it together. Arundel has a similar concept and specialized used too, they eventually removed the rubber bit, so not as good anymore.

These are likely best if the goal or priority is to hold the bottle in rough terrain -- ie not style or weight

I rode Arundels for three years at Battenkill and never lost a bottle… ahem, or a computer

Whiskey parts carbon cages haven’t failed me for the last few years. Lost one bottle on roads that almost ejected me from the bike

During my paternity leave, my wife and I have been trying to give each other an hour a day to do whatever so the past couple of days I’ve spent tinkering and wrenching away to convert my cockpit to the R5 fully internally routed set up. I bought all the parts on eBay for fractions of the MSRP so what could have cost upwards of $600-700 ended up being about $325. Weight wise the bars are minimally heavier than the outgoing bars and aero wise, going from nearly fully internally routed cables to 100% internally routed is probably marginally faster. All this to say, this is 100% an aesthetic upgrade. 

Love it. I see you're on the side of tape the aero top section of the bars.

David Yang said:

Love it. I see you're on the side of tape the aero top section of the bars.

Adding considerable  drag 😂

Looks gorg!
(fwiw I am a big fan of the Arundel tape)

I won’t use anything but the Enve tape , Arundel is nice too

@David Yang I taped like half of them. The cervelo “internally” routed bars are actually just channels on the underside of the bar that the hoses sit in (which made set up so so so so much easier) so the bar tape is actually holding the brake hoses in place 

Matt Budofsky said:

@David Yang I taped like half of them. The cervelo “internally” routed bars are actually just channels on the underside of the bar that the hoses sit in (which made set up so so so so much easier) so the bar tape is actually holding the brake hoses in place 

That makes servicing so much easier. But where do the cables route into? Inside the stem or is there a channel under the stem?

The channels start at the stem mounting point and basically receive the cables from the stem. As far as servicing, it may easier to replace the headset bearings since I think there’s space to get the olive out of the stem without cutting any lines, but I’m not sure about the nut that screws into the shifter itself (luckily the bearings were in close to perfect condition so that won’t be needed for a while). Set up was definitely much easier than routing through the bars too

That's such a smart way to do it.

I'm waiting for RB to wrap up my Cannondale build. I opted for a Vision Metron Aero bar which has generous sized openings for cables but they warned me that internal routing for mechanical shift cables may not be as clean looking.

David Yang said:

internal routing for mechanical shift cables may not be as clean looking.

There's a solution for that 

David Yang said:

That's such a smart way to do it.

I'm waiting for RB to wrap up my Cannondale build. I opted for a Vision Metron Aero bar which has generous sized openings for cables but they warned me that internal routing for mechanical shift cables may not be as clean looking.

Merton bars are pretty slick. I bet it’s gonna turn out to be the hotness

GregHoge said:

David Yang said:

internal routing for mechanical shift cables may not be as clean looking.

There's a solution for that 

I'm having some issues with tubeless sealant plugging valve cores. I bought some muc off big bore valves which are marketed as better for both filling sealant (not that much of an issue for me) and also clogs to the valve stem. The ones I bought are slightly too short, so I have to rebuy or return, but I thought I'd for advice from the tubeless aficionados? 

https://www.amazon.com/Muc-Off-Hybrid-Tubeless-Valves-Iridescent/dp/B0D8V116FW/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1R0Q3GNGA8IZG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.pLHAkYYXH3rYEecvbB-WJWujuDUH0eSVUMygR2ye4XQWTnu_DIPisMsGPjI9zLZNnC822U_LtFhhe1T4TaijS5mS1XxZwkCL01i7kX1j_8RMMhFtcTOFbEuAQQ92I7bQZ4PANbR9bIn-Pxv7timhYJBvAX-6wDqheWALL2WlR64upLnn0qX70xiQtbcg8aDXZWIS11YLe_t0fe0NVlaMKDBQxFGe9p59rtn-_7qRP4o.coalS7nkDVZGlDG6nLpEDXSkti37VxVS3iK7xLFhmsw&dib_tag=se&keywords=muc+off+tubeless+valve&qid=1740072119&sprefix=muc+off+tubeless+valve,aps,95&sr=8-5&th=1

I buy a set of valve cores, something like: https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Replacement-Tubeless-Vittoria-Continental/dp/B07VFN82YR/

They are super cheap, so I consider them somewhat disposable. Whenever the thing starts to gimmie trouble I simply replace them.

-- when I replace them, I usually clean up the valve itself by sticking a pick into it -- a pick like the straight one here: https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-Utility-Pick-Set/dp/B00JXNZNHA/ 

Good luck!

The short time I've been on tubeless agreed that valve cores need to be seen as disposable.