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The Dedacciai Strada Super Cross is a light, fast, and quick-handling disc-equipped 'cross racer. We dare say the metallic grey and white paint job is rather attractive, too.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)

This article originally published on BikeRadar

Dedacciai Strada builds the Super Cross like a modern road racer, with relatively small fork blades and tiny seat stays that provide a smooth feel on rough courses. This isn't just for comfort when it comes to 'cross – the less jarring ride lets you stay in the saddle longer and arrive at the finish line fresher, and helps the tires stick to the ground a little better than they would on a bike that's more unyieldingly rigid. All of which equates to more speed.

The bike's obvious ace in the hole is its braking performance. While Dedacciai Strada fits the Super Cross with small 140mm rotors front and rear (160mm discs can be used with adapters) we had more than enough power for racing with Avid BB7 mechanical calipers. We were able to hit corners harder and stop later with predictable braking regardless of conditions, especially in the wet and mud where conventional cantilevers or V-brakes can struggle to grip on carbon rims.

Slippery courses highlight the controllable modulation. Last year, one local late-season race sent riders down a steep, icy chute that was immediately followed by a sharp left-hand turn on hardpacked snow. Where many other riders found themselves careering towards the bottom with too much speed or had one or both wheels locked in an uncontrollable slide, we were consistently able to check our speed and exit safely.

The Super Cross's ride quality might be smooth and its backbone stout, but handling is notably on the faster end of the spectrum, with a relatively speedy 71-degree head tube angle and a compact wheelbase that measured barely one meter on our small-sized sample. Unlike some other 'cross bikes, whose longer wheelbases, slacker front ends, and longer front centers are more conducive to being thrown recklessly into corners, the Super Cross is more slice-and-dice.

"The brake mounting boss is fitted via a jig, with pre-drilled holes for proper rivet placement, and Dedacciai has extensive quality control in place at our vendor," said Strada research and development manager Andrea Invernizzi. "Gluing of the brake mounting boss is not necessary – a mechanical (riveted) fixing is stronger and a glue bond will deteriorate over time with vibration and moisture infiltration."

Regardless, we feel that Dedacciai Strada should bolster the upper front caliper mount in some fashion – be it through co-molding, integrating the two posts as a single part, bonding, or otherwise. As is, the rivet-only attachment doesn't provide as firm a foundation as it should, and we can't help but wonder about the fork's long-term durability. We ultimately swapped in a 3T Luteus fork and were much more satisfied with the overall stiffness and projected reliability.

A tapered 1 1/8in to 1 1/2in front end and a press-fit, BB86 bottom bracket shell provide room for the enormous, trapezoidal-profile down tube and modestly tapered seat tube, which are likely responsible for the bike's excellent front triangle stiffness. The extra bottom bracket width also allows for wider chain stay spacing, which provides outstanding mud clearance down below with no shelf behind the shell on which mud can collect.

Otherwise, Dedacciai Strada has done a good job sweating the cyclo-cross-specific details. The bottom of the top tube is flattened to lessen the pain of shouldering, the derailleur cables are run through the top tube to protect the lines from contamination and provide a smoother surface for dismounts and barriers, the rear end is spaced for 135mm hubs, and the rear brake line is externally routed to accept hydraulic setups easily.

We used a mix of tires from Kenda and Clement, and comfortably ran as low as 23psi when courses allowed. The wider rim also lent additional casing support (especially important with the Clement tires' unusually supple sidewalls) but prospective buyers will want to keep in mind that it also inflates the printed casing width. For example, our 33mm-wide Clements measured closer to 36mm – well outside the UCI guidelines.