Lightweight, stiff, nice components package, good-looking (to me, this is important for very practical reasons).
Cons:
Sumo seatpost is a bit of a pain to adjust tilt/level on, but once you get your seat position dialed in this doesn't matter. Perhaps a little bit pricey compared to some other brands but I got mine for 20% off, so it was a good price.
I liked this bike right from the start, the very first ride. Immediately I noticed the increased stiffness compared to my Cannondale CAAD8 road bike (all aluminum frame). The carbon top and down tubes filter frame vibrations without making the frame feel "dead". The result is that I feel less fatigued after riding this bike than riding my road bike b/c your body doesn't have to absorb as many bumps and vibrations.
I think looks are very important on a bike for this reason: if you like the way your bike looks, you're more likely to ride it, or more likely to WANT to ride it. Cannondale has always (IMO) done a great job of blending form with function and designing great looking frames that are also loaded with performance.
Some would say the external cable routing is a negative but for me it is a positive. Internal cable routing, in general, is a pain. Take a look at the results from Ironman Hawaii 2006 and you'll see that the external cable routing didn't slow Norman Stadler down one bit on his way to winning the World Championship of Ironman competitions. If you need to replace a cable quickly, say in the final minutes before a race (this has happened to me a few times in 15 years of road racing), then I'd much rather have the externally routed cables.
The frame and fork are exactly the same as the Ironman Slice Six13 1, but with Utlegra instead of Dura Ace. I have used both Ultegra 10 speed and Dura Ace 10 speed and can't say I notice a difference in performance. Dura Ace is lighter and shinier but I didn't have the budget for it. Will upgrade some parts to Dura Ace as time goes by, simply to make the bike a tad bit lighter. If nothing else, I think the Dura Ace rear derailleurs shift more crisply/accurately than Ultegra, but for a Time Trial/Triathlon bike, this isn't as much of a factor as it is for a road bike where you are shifting almost constantly (in a race).
Ironman Slice Six13 2 - Black, 10sp Ultegra, C-Dale Carbon Cranks
I liked this bike right from the start, the very first ride. Immediately I noticed the increased stiffness compared to my Cannondale CAAD8 road bike (all aluminum frame). The carbon top and down tubes filter frame vibrations without making the frame feel "dead". The result is that I feel less fatigued after riding this bike than riding my road bike b/c your body doesn't have to absorb as many bumps and vibrations.
I think looks are very important on a bike for this reason: if you like the way your bike looks, you're more likely to ride it, or more likely to WANT to ride it. Cannondale has always (IMO) done a great job of blending form with function and designing great looking frames that are also loaded with performance.
Some would say the external cable routing is a negative but for me it is a positive. Internal cable routing, in general, is a pain. Take a look at the results from Ironman Hawaii 2006 and you'll see that the external cable routing didn't slow Norman Stadler down one bit on his way to winning the World Championship of Ironman competitions. If you need to replace a cable quickly, say in the final minutes before a race (this has happened to me a few times in 15 years of road racing), then I'd much rather have the externally routed cables.
The frame and fork are exactly the same as the Ironman Slice Six13 1, but with Utlegra instead of Dura Ace. I have used both Ultegra 10 speed and Dura Ace 10 speed and can't say I notice a difference in performance. Dura Ace is lighter and shinier but I didn't have the budget for it. Will upgrade some parts to Dura Ace as time goes by, simply to make the bike a tad bit lighter. If nothing else, I think the Dura Ace rear derailleurs shift more crisply/accurately than Ultegra, but for a Time Trial/Triathlon bike, this isn't as much of a factor as it is for a road bike where you are shifting almost constantly (in a race).
I would recommend this bike to anyone.