Cannondale Super X3 Gravel Race Bike | The Review
We tested the SuperX 3 in the same batch as the Titan Racing Switch Carbon Comp and the Merida Silex 7000, and it sits at the complete opposite end of the spectrum from both. This is Cannondale’s dedicated race gravel bike, built to go fast, not to carry your camping kit. At 8.57kg it’s the lightest bike we’ve weighed in the whole series, running mechanical Shimano GRX in a 2x setup, DT Swiss 370 hubs, and tyre clearance up to 51mm up front and 48mm out back if you want to push past the stock 40s. Frame storage is minimal on purpose: three bottle mounts and a top tube bag, nothing more, because this bike wants you moving fast enough that you won’t need it. It’s neither of our reviewers’ first gravel bike, but it is their first Cannondale, and it’s easy to see why the brand’s owners talk about it like a cult. At R80,000, this is a genuinely competitive way into that world without giving up anything on performance. We scored it an 8 out of 10, and reckon a wider tyre choice is the only thing standing between this bike and a 9.