In a world of carbon mania, Cannondale has remained resolutely loyal to the joys of aluminium. In this US builder’s hands, it is light, strong, sleek, reliable and – in a frame such as this – just as expensive. But the Slate 105, which has just been crowned Eurobike’s ‘best road bike’, is also a true game changer. It is two bikes in one: a road bike designed to go off-road, or maybe a trail bike with a fondness for tarmac. It features unusually relaxed geometry, an eccentric one-armed front suspension fork (called a Lefty Oliver) and a combination of heavy duty disc brakes and a road-going drivetrain. This means the Slate is both light and stiff for those long- distance schlepps, yet also agile and sturdy for rough ground. It’s a two-for-one fun machine…
Price: £2,499
Frame: aluminium
Gears: Shimano 105
Brakes: Shimano hydraulic discs
cannondale.com
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166
