The Slate is a serious bit of kit, it isn’t cheap and doesn’t fall in to any clearly defined category, you’re unlikely to get Strava KOM’s but if it’s fun you’re after, if you ride for the love of it, if you’re fed up of chaingangs and keeping up with the Joneses this could be the perfect road bike for you.
This isn’t a serious bike, it’s a bike you ride when you want to escape, that could be every day or every six months. This is a road bike you keep for years.
The versatility of the Slate is apparent, you really can go pretty much anywhere on it, the slick tyres won’t give you much grip in wet mud but you’ll get around, likewise the extra weight eliminates the possibility of super-fast Froome-esque road ascents but you’ll get there and it’s sure to be faster than a mountain bike.
Taking everything in to account the New Cannonsdale 2016 Slate bikes isn’t a slow bike, far from it. It’s just not built with pure speed in mind.
The Slate seems to have sprung from the fast rising gravel riding scene in the US and would be most at home in the adventure series here in the UK.
Whether people will spend their hard earned money on a dedicated fun-gravel bike remains to be seen, most serious cyclists these days have a fleet of bikes and we expect people will find room for one of these insane machines.
Taking all things in to account I will be purchasing one, I’m one of them guys just hitting 40, bored of racing, tired of the self-imposed pressure of training and keeping fit. I’m looking for a bike to ride for fun, on and off road. For somebody like me the Slate is perfect.
Truly a great top of the range road bike for an enthusiastic cyclist!
From Ben
Cycle Division offer a great range of men's road bikes and women's bikes too. Get in touch with us to find out more about the Guru Bike Fit service we offer. Check out our online cycle shop and grab a bargain in the SALE where you can buy cheap cycle clothing and even cheap road bikes!
