2017 Cannondale Slate 105 Road Bike

Why blend in with the crowd, when you can stand out, rise above and set off on your own path. The Cannondale Slate 105 road/gravel bike does exactly that, breaking the status quo and having a whale of a time in doing so.

Designed from the ground up – with a clean slate, as it were – Cannondale wanted to build the most fun and all-round capable road bike they could. The answer was an all-new SmartForm C1 Premium aluminium frame designed for 650b wheels, with short chain stays, a slack MTB-style head angle and a long front-centre. This gives the bike a fun & snappy back end which begs to be playfully thrown around, along with a stable & well-balanced front end to cope with off-road riding.

There’s a good reason Cannondale opted for slightly smaller 650b wheels on the Slate. With a 42c tyre, the rolling radius is almost identical to a 700x23c tyre, bestowing the bike with road-bike-like acceleration, albeit with a big balloon tyre with oodles of grip, traction, and bump-absorbing properties. With the Save Plus Micro-Suspension System built into the frame’s rear triangle, you get even more bump-eating comfort from the Slate.

Have you met Oliver? He comes with the Cannondale Slate 105, and he’s your new best friend. The Lefty Oliver carbon fork was purpose built for the Slate, delivering 30mm of silky smooth suspension travel through the front wheel to give this bike true mixed-terrain credentials.

The Slate 105 is no slouch, on or off the road. A Shimano 2x11 speed 105 groupset makes sure of that, along with high-spec Shimano R785 disc brakes with ample stopping power to make use of all the available grip of the tyres.

2017 Cannondale Slate 105 Road Bike

Key Features:

• SmartForm C1 premium alloy frame is lightweight, and designed specifically for 650b wheels
• Cannondale Lefty Oliver 30mm travel single-sided fork with anti-bob road damping
• Shimano 105 5800 2x11 speed gearing for high speed on any road
• Shimano R785 hydraulic disc brakes give ample stopping power & control
• 650bx42c Slate Folding tyres – the same circumference as 700x23c, with big volume grip & comfort
• Sizes: Small, Medium, Large, X Large
• Colour: Army Green

The Cannondale Slate 105 2017 Features are:

Frame: Slate, SmartFormed 6069 Alloy, Di2 ready, SAVE PLUS, BB30a 

Fork: Cannondale Lefty Oliver Carbon w/ PBR, 30mm Travel, 45mm offset 

Headset: Tange Seiki Head Shock Integrated 

Bars: Cannondale C3, butted 6061 Alloy Butted 6061 Alloy, CompactCannondale Bar Tape w/Gel, 2.5mm 

Stem: Cannondale C1, 6061 Alloy, 1.5", 31.8, -5 deg. 100mm 

Speed: 22 

Front Mech: Shimano 105 5800 31.8 Clamp 

Rear Mech: Shimano 105 5800 

Shifters Shimano R505 Hydraulic Disc 

Chainset: Cannondale Si, BB30a, FSA rings, 52/36

Bottom Bracket: FSA BB30 Bearings

Cassette: Shimano 105 5800, 11-28, 11-speed

Chain: Shimano HG600-11, 11-speed

Front Brake: Shimano BR785/505, 160mm 

Rear Brake: Shimano BR785/505, 140mm 

Rims: Slate Disc, 650b, 28H, welded 

Front Hub: Lefty 50 Road

Rear Hub: Formula 142x12mm thru, 28h 

Spokes: DT Swiss Champion 

Tyres: Cannondale Slate Folding TRS tubeless, 650x42c, by Panaracer Front Cannondale Slate Folding TRS tubeless, 650x42c, by Panaracer Rear

Seatpost: Cannondale C3 Alloy 27.2 X 350mm 

Pedals: Not Included