Cannondale makes road, gravel, mountain and fitness bikes, and the naming looks straightforward until you notice that a Quick 5 costs less than a Quick 3. Once you know why, the whole range becomes easy to read. This guide covers the naming convention, what each family is for, and which model suits which rider.
Contents
- The numbers run backwards
- The families
- Road: SuperSix Evo or Synapse
- Alloy or carbon
- Gravel: Topstone or SuperX
- Quick and Quick CX
- Scalpel, and the Lefty
- Which Cannondale for which rider
- Frequently asked questions
The numbers run backwards
A lower number means a higher specification. This is the single most useful thing to know before comparing Cannondale models, and it catches people out constantly.
| Model | Price |
|---|---|
| SuperSix Evo 4 | ₹3,03,750 |
| SuperSix Evo 3 | ₹3,99,999 |
| SuperSix Evo 2 | ₹4,80,000 |
The frame family stays the same and the number tells you the build level, counting down as the specification goes up. A Synapse 1 sits above a Synapse 3, and a Quick 3 above a Quick 5. Shimano groupsets use the same logic, so once you have internalised it the whole industry reads more easily.
The families
| Family | Built for | From |
|---|---|---|
| SuperSix Evo | Race road | ₹3,03,750 |
| Synapse | Endurance road | ₹1,78,999 |
| CAAD Optimo | Alloy road | ₹85,599 |
| Topstone | Gravel, comfort biased | ₹1,70,100 |
| SuperX | Gravel and cyclocross, race biased | ₹3,40,000 |
| Quick | Fitness and hybrid | ₹48,999 |
| Scalpel | Cross country mountain | ₹2,24,070 |
Sizing differs between these families, and a size that fits you on one will not necessarily fit on another. Our Cannondale size chart has every model's rider height ranges in one place.
Road: SuperSix Evo or Synapse
This is the decision most road buyers are actually making.
| SuperSix Evo | Synapse | |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Lower, more aggressive | More upright |
| Built for | Racing, fast group rides | Long distance, comfort, rough roads |
| Carbon from | ₹3,03,750 | ₹2,68,140 |
The SuperSix Evo is the race bike, and it is the one we keep as a demo. Our SuperSix Evo 4 review covers how it rides.
The Synapse is the endurance frame, and for most riders on Indian roads it is the more sensible choice. A position you can hold for four hours beats a position that is theoretically faster for forty minutes, and the endurance frame is built around wider tyres and more compliance.
The Synapse Carbon 4 at ₹3,25,320 is our deepest road stock by a wide margin and sits in five sizes from 44cm, which serves shorter riders that most carbon road ranges do not. The Synapse Carbon 5 at ₹2,68,140 is the cheaper carbon route.
Alloy or carbon
Cannondale has a long history with aluminium, and the CAAD name carries real weight among riders who remember alloy race bikes being competitive.
The CAAD Optimo 4 at ₹85,599 is the cheapest way onto a Cannondale road bike. It is a genuine road bike rather than a stripped one, and for a rider moving up from a hybrid it will do everything asked of it.
Be realistic about what carbon buys you at this end of the market. The gain is comfort and weight rather than speed, and a well-set-up alloy bike with good tyres beats a carbon bike that does not fit you. If the choice is alloy plus a proper bike fit and good tyres, or carbon and nothing left over, take the first.
Gravel: Topstone or SuperX
Two gravel bikes with genuinely different intentions.
The Topstone 2 GRX at ₹1,70,100 is the comfort-biased gravel bike, built around long days on mixed surfaces. It runs a Shimano GRX 2x drivetrain, which gives closer gear steps than a single ring.
The SuperX 3 at ₹3,40,000 comes from cyclocross racing and is the sharper, faster of the two. It suits riders who want gravel to feel like racing rather than touring.
If your riding is mostly road with broken sections rather than genuine gravel, neither may be necessary. Our guide to converting a road bike for gravel covers when a wider tyre on the bike you own is the better answer.
Quick and Quick CX
The Quick range is the fitness and commuting end, and it is where Cannondale is most accessible.
- Quick 5, ₹48,999. The entry point to the brand.
- Quick CX 3, ₹57,999. The CX adds a suspension fork and wider tyres for rougher surfaces. This is our deepest Cannondale stock, in three sizes and two colours.
- Quick 3, ₹69,450. Higher specification, rigid fork, faster on tarmac.
The CX against the standard Quick is the same decision as on any hybrid: a suspension fork helps on genuinely broken surfaces and costs weight and efficiency everywhere else. Think about the ten kilometres you ride most often rather than the worst road you have ever met.
Scalpel, and the Lefty
The Scalpel is Cannondale's cross country platform, available as a hardtail, the Scalpel HT, and as a full suspension bike.
The Scalpel HT Carbon 3 at ₹2,24,070 is the accessible entry to carbon cross country. The Scalpel 4 at ₹3,79,999 is the full suspension version.
At the top sits the Scalpel 2 Lefty at ₹6,84,000, with Cannondale's distinctive single-sided fork. The Lefty is genuinely clever engineering rather than a styling exercise, and it is stiff and light for its travel. It is also a specialist item to service, which is a fair thing to weigh before buying one in India.
Which Cannondale for which rider
- First bike, commuting and fitness. The Quick CX 3 at ₹57,999 for rough roads, or the Quick 3 at ₹69,450 for tarmac.
- First road bike. The CAAD Optimo 4 at ₹85,599.
- Long rides, brevets, imperfect roads. The Synapse Carbon 5 at ₹2,68,140 or the Synapse Carbon 4 at ₹3,25,320.
- Racing and fast group rides. The SuperSix Evo 4 at ₹3,03,750.
- Mixed surfaces and long gravel days. The Topstone 2 GRX at ₹1,70,100.
The full range is in Cannondale.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Synapse or the SuperSix Evo better for Indian roads?
The Synapse, for most riders. It has endurance geometry that puts you in a position you can hold for hours rather than minutes, more compliance built into the frame, and room for wider tyres, which is what actually makes patched tarmac and chip seal tolerable. The SuperSix Evo is the faster bike in a race and the better choice if you are riding fast group rides or competing. If your honest answer is long weekend rides rather than racing, the Synapse will make you quicker over four hours because you will be less beaten up.
What is a Lefty fork, and is it harder to service?
The Lefty is Cannondale's single-sided suspension fork, with one large leg instead of two. It is not a gimmick: the design allows a very stiff, light fork, and it has been raced at the highest level for years. The practical consideration in India is service. It uses needle bearings and Cannondale-specific procedures and parts, so routine maintenance needs someone who knows the fork rather than any general workshop. Factor that in before buying, and ask us about servicing before you commit.
Is an alloy Cannondale worth buying over carbon?
Yes, for plenty of riders. Cannondale has a genuine reputation in aluminium, and the CAAD Optimo at ₹85,599 is a real road bike rather than a compromised one. Carbon buys comfort and weight rather than raw speed at this end of the market, and neither matters as much as fit and tyres. If choosing carbon means having nothing left for a bike fit, good tyres or a decent kit, the alloy bike plus those things will make you a faster and happier rider.
Should I buy the Quick or the Quick CX?
The CX if your regular route genuinely includes broken surfaces, unsealed stretches or frequent kerbs, because the suspension fork and wider tyres earn their place there. The standard Quick if you ride mostly on paved roads, because it is lighter, more efficient and has one less maintenance item. Most riders overestimate how rough their commute is, since a pothole is memorable and three kilometres of ordinary road is not. Be honest about the ten kilometres you ride most often.
Can I test ride a Cannondale before buying?
Yes. We keep a Cannondale SuperSix as one of our two demo bikes at the Kondapur store, so you can take it for a short ride before deciding. Demo bikes come in a limited range of sizes, so tell us your size in advance and we will have it ready. For other models we can size you properly in store even where a demo is not available, which matters more than most people expect given how differently the families fit.
Come and get sized
Sizing varies noticeably between Cannondale families, so the size you take on a Synapse is not necessarily your size on a Topstone. Check the Cannondale size chart, then come to our Kondapur store or give your height and inseam to ask TBA Guide and we will confirm before you order. Prices are indicative and move with exchange rates and duty.
