Lachlan Morton's Cannondale SuperSix Evo adapted for Old Man Winter Rally gravel race
Morton's training bike gets kitted out with gravel tyres for the 100km off-road race
Last week, Lachlan Morton (EF Education-Nippo) rode his Cannondale SuperSix Evo to take the lead in the Old Man Winter Rally alongside teammate Alex Howes. The bike is Morton's regular training bike but is set up with gravel tyres to tackle the undulating dirt roads surrounding Boulder, Colorado.
The Old Man Winter Rally event is being run in a time trial format this year, with riders timing themselves across two segments that add up to 100 kilometres. Morton set the benchmark time of 2:29:57, with Howes following three seconds later. Other contenders have until 14 February to set a faster time.
Most notable, of course, is Morton's choice to use the SuperSix Evo HiMod, a bike marketed as a lightweight road bike and certainly not something designed to tackle 100km of gravel racing. It's his well-used training bike, and the same model that he and his team will race in Grand Tours and through mountain passes in the upcoming season.
Proving its durability, the only thing needed to get it gravel-ready is a set of 33c Vittoria Terreno Dry tyres. Surprisingly, Morton did not have the tyres set up tubeless, so to avoid pinch flats he pumped them up to 60 psi, which he says was too much for the course. Overall, he said the tyres were "very good on most surfaces."
- Sarah Gigante's Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod Disc
- James Whelan's Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod Disc
For gearing, Morton used an FSA 53/39 crank paired with an 11/32 cassette. He ran Vision Metron 5D bars and Vision Trimax 30 KB wheels, along with a Prologo M5 saddle - "same as all of my bikes, love it."
Finishing off the build are the 56mm axle Speedplay pedals and a mini-pump from Silca.
Tech specs: Lachlan Morton's Cannondale SuperSix Evo
- Frameset: Cannondale SuperSix Evo
- Front brake: Shimano Dura-Ace R9170 disc
- Rear brake: Shimano Dura-Ace R9170 disc
- Brake/shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace R9170 Di2 Disc
- Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace R9170 Di2
- Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace R9170 Di2
- Cassette: Shimano Ultegra 11-32
- Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Crankset: Cannondale Hollowgram SISL2 53/39
- Power Meter: Power2Max NG
- Wheelset: Vision Trimax 30 KB
- Tyres: 33c Vittoria Terreno Dry
- Handlebars: Vision Metron 5D (40cm)
- Handlebar tape: Prologo
- Stem: Vision Metron 5D (100mm)
- Pedals: Speedplay
- Saddle: Prologo Scratch M5
- Seat post: Cannondale Save
- Bottle cages: Tacx Deva
- Other: Silca pump
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Ryan Simonovich has been riding and racing for nearly a decade. He got his start as a cross-country mountain bike racer in California and quickly learned how fun road cycling can be. He has dabbled in road, criterium and cyclocross racing as well. He lives in Durango, Colorado, where there are endless mountain views and hilly gravel routes.