The Complete Mercedes-Benz Buying Guide: Every Model Explained

Mercedes-Benz produces a full and wide range of cars, from relatively affordable sub-compacts to opulent pleasure sedans for the uber-rich. The company names its vehicles efficiently – no faux-French flair required – with letters and numbers. That naming system, while sensible, can get a bit confusing for buyers.

There are GLA, GLC, GLE, and GLS SUVs, none of which should be mistaken for the G-Class. That’s before you get to the multiple variations of each with different engine sizes, drivetrains and body styles. Essentially, letters found later in the alphabet denote larger, more expensive vehicles and numbers denote engine size in liters (generally, larger means more costly).

For example, a GLA 250 is a smaller, lower-powered SUV than a GLS 550. It bears explanation, however, that while in the past Mercedes-Benz model ‘numbers’ corresponded roughly to their engine volumes (an E55 featured a 5.5-liter engine), that is no longer the case. Technology like turbocharging has advanced to the point that big horsepower can be had from much smaller engines. Many examples are below, like the E63, which features a turbocharged 4.0-liter engine.

And so it’s obvious: the Mercedes Benz lineup cries out for a helpful explainer, delineating all the different options and terms and what to expect. See below for a simplified guide.

Mercedes-Benz Terminology

4MATIC: The official name of Mercedes-Benz all-wheel-drive systems.
EQ Boost: Added to some Mercedes-Benz engines with turbochargers, this mild hybrid system – Mercedes calls it an “electric auxiliary compressor” – generates electric power as the turbocharger is “spooling up,” providing smooth, uninterrupted acceleration.
AMG: The Mercedes-Benz performance division; all AMG models are sportier and more powerful, and many AMG engines are handcrafted by a single builder. AMG stands for “Aufrecht Melcher Grossaspach,” an homage to the sub-brand’s founders and original location.
Cabriolet: French for ‘convertible’.
Roadster: Also a convertible, but in terms of Mercedes-Benz cars, a two-door, two-seat sports car with a retractable roof.

Buying Guide

A-Class

The A-Class is the entry-level subcompact Mercedes. The fourth generation includes a sedan, which will be the first A-Class vehicle sold in the U.S. Americans can choose between FWD and AWD variants. A hatchback and an AMG-tuned hot hatchback A-Class will not be sold in the U.S. (not anytime soon, at least). The 2.0-liter engine will produce 188 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque.

Body Style: Sedan

Models:
• A 220
• A 220 4MATIC

Engines:
• 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-four

Base MSRP: TBA

Read our review of the A-Class here.

C-Class

The C-Class is Mercedes’ “athletically elegant” mid-level entry into the compact segment. It’s available as a four-door sedan, a two-door coupe and a two-door soft top convertible. Buyers can fit all three versions with a four, six or eight-cylinder engine (255, 362 and 469 horsepower, respectively). Mercedes sells a wagon option in Canada, but not the U.S. The AMG C 63 S is a small, mighty beast: it’ll run 0-60 in 3.9 seconds.

Body Styles: Sedan, Coupe and Cabriolet

Sedan:
• C 300
• C 300 4MATIC
• AMG C 43
• AMG C 63
• AMG C 63 S

Coupe:
• C 300
• C 300 4MATIC
• AMG C 43
• AMG C 63
• AMG C 63 S

Cabriolet:
• C 300
• C 300 4MATIC
• AMG C 43
• AMG C 63
• AMG C 63 S

Engines:
• 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-four
• AMG Enhanced 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6
• Handcrafted AMG 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8

Base MSRP: $41,400-$73,700

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CLA

The CLA is Mercedes’ four-door, entry-level coupe priced at $33,100. Mercedes describes it as having “show car shape with seductive details.” All three versions use the base 2.0L twin-turbocharged inline-four. The AMG CLA 45 has an AMG version with 375hp.

Body Style: Four-Door Coupe

Models:
• CLA 250
• CLA 250 4MATIC
• AMG CLA 45

Engines:
• 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-four
• Handcrafted AMG 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-four

Base MSRP: $33,100-$53,100

CLS

The CLS is a sleek and sporty performance coupe. Mercedes describes it as having “lean, toned muscle.” The CLS employs 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine delivering 362hp and 369lb-ft of torque. It is available in RWD and AWD versions. The AMG CLS 53 ups the same engine to 429-hp and 384 lb-ft of torque, and also features EQ Boost.

Body Style: Four-door coupe

Models:
• CLS 450
• CLS 450 4MATIC
• AMG CLS 53

Engines:
• 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six w/EQ Boost

Base MSRP: $69,200-$79,000

Read our review of the CLS 450 here.

E-Class

The E-Class is Mercedes’ midsize segment, a step up in both size and price from the C-Class. It’s sold in the U.S. as a sedan, a wagon, a coupe or convertible. E-Class vehicles tend toward comfort and sophistication with a design aesthetic Mercedes describes as “sensual purity.” However, 600 hp AMG versions of the sedan and wagon can shred some tires if called upon.

Body Styles: Sedan, Wagon, Coupe, Cabriolet

Sedan:
• E 300
• E 300 4MATIC
• E 450 4MATIC
• AMG E 53
• AMG E 63 S

Wagon:
• E 450 4MATIC
• AMG E 63 S

Coupe:
• E 450
• E 450 4MATIC

Cabriolet:
• E 450
• E 450 4MATIC

Engines:
• 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-four
• 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbocharged, AMG-enhanced 3.0-liter V6
• Handcrafted AMG 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8

Base MSRP: $53,500-$106,950

Read our review of the AMG E 63 S Wagon here.

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S-Class

The S-Class is Mercedes’ top of the line full-sized luxury sedan. Per Mercedes, the S-Class is “more than motivated. It is motivational.” Available in sedan, coupe and convertible versions, the S-Class is the vehicle for when you self-actualize as a Mercedes owner. The S-Class can be had with a 362-horsepower twin-turbocharged V6 or 4.0-liter, 463-horsepower twin-turbocharged V8. AMG versions feature the same V8, only with 603 horsepower, or the inimitable Mercedes-Benz twin-turbocharged V12 that makes 621 horsepower and an astounding 738 lb-ft of torque.

Body Styles: Sedan, Coupe, Cabriolet

Sedan:
• S 450
• S 450 4MATIC
• S 560
• S 560 4MATIC
• AMG S 63
• AMG S 65

Coupe:
• S 560 4MATIC
• AMG S 63
• AMG S 65

Cabriolet:
• S 560
• AMG S 63
• AMG S 65

Engines:
• 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6
• 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8
• Handcrafted 4.0-liter AMG twin-turbocharged V8
• Handcrafted AMG 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12

Base MSRP: $91,250-$229,500

Read our review of the S-Class here.

Mercedes-Maybach

The Maybach is a lengthened, super-luxe version of the S-Class sedan. It’s designed to be chauffeur-driven. Per Mercedes, it is “artfully and aerodynamically sculpted to command the eye as well as the road.” It comes with either the “standard” S-Class V8 or the monstrous AMG V12.

Body Style: Stretched Sedan

Sedan:
• S 560 4MATIC
• S 650

Engines:
• 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8
• 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12

Base MSRP: $170,750-$198,700

SLC-Class

Formerly known as the “SLK,” the SLC-Class is Mercedes’ compact, retractable hardtop, two-seater roadster. It is smaller than the SL roadster and significantly cheaper. It comes in both four-cylinder and AMG six-cylinder versions.

Body Style: Roadster

Models:
• SLC 300
• AMG SLC 43

Engines:
• 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-four
• AMG-Enhanced 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6

Base MSRP: $48,950

Read our review of the SLC here.

SL Roadster

The SL-Class is Mercedes’ large luxury roadster. It’s available in one six-cylinder and two eight-cylinder options. Its production line, dating back to 1954, includes some legendary Mercedes vehicles.

Body Style: Roadster

Roadster:
• SL 450
• SL 550
• SL AMG 63

Engines:
• 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6
• 4.7-liter twin-turbocharged V8
• Handcrafted AMG 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8

Base MSRP: $89,150

Read our review of the SL Roadster here.

AMG GT

The AMG GT is Mercedes’ luxury, high-performance coupe. All models use variations of the 4.0-liter AMG twin-turbocharged V8 and generate from 468-577 horsepower. All accelerate from 0-60mph in less than four seconds. The AMG GT R is the only version to get the AMG “Green Hell Magno” paint option, for better or worse.

Body Styles: Coupe and Roadster

Coupe:
• GT
• GT S
• GT C
• GT R

Roadster:
• GT
• GT C

Engines:
• 4.0-liter AMG twin-turbocharged V8

Base MSRP: $112,400

Read our review of the Mercedes-AMG Roadster here.

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GLA

The GLA is Mercedes’ entry-level compact SUV. It has a similar lineup and price point to the CLA coupe. The “taut, trim, and muscular” SUV has both FWD and AWD options available.

Body Style: Compact SUV

Models:
• GLA 250
• GLA 250 4MATIC
• AMG GLA 45

Engines:
• 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-four
• Handcrafted AMG 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-four

Base MSRP: $33,950

GLC

The GLC is Mercedes’ compact, mid-level SUV equivalent to the C-Class. “Wind-tunnel honed and track toned,” it is Mercedes’ best-selling vehicle in the U.S. The GLC is available in four, six, and eight-cylinder versions including a plug-in hybrid. Buyers can choose the traditional SUV or sportier “coupe” version.

Body Styles: SUV and SUV Coupe

SUV:
• GLC 300
• GLC 300 4MATIC
• GLC 350e 4MATIC
• AMG GLC 43
• AMG GLC 63
• GLC 300

SUV Coupe:
• GLC 300 4MATIC
• AMG GLC 43
• AMG GLC 63
• AMG GLC 63 S

Engines:
• 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-four
• 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-four + Plug-in Hybrid Electric
• AMG Enhanced 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6
• Handcrafted AMG 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8

Base MSRP: $43,800

Read our review of the AMG GLX 63 S here.

GLE

The GLE-Class is Mercedes’ mid-size luxury SUV. It’s the SUV equivalent of the E-Class. It was formerly known as the “M-Class.” The GLE offers a base six-cylinder version and both six and eight-cylinder AMG-tuned versions. It’s available in both traditional SUV and Coupe shapes.

Body Styles: SUV and SUV Coupe

SUV:
• GLE 400 4MATIC
• AMG GLE 43
• AMG GLE 63
• AMG GLE 63 S

Coupe:
• AMG GLE 43
• AMG GLE 63 S

Engines:
• 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6
• AMG-Enhanced 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6
• Handcrafted AMG twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8

Base MSRP: $55,700

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GLS

The GLS-Class is Mercedes’ three-row luxury SUV. It’s the SUV equivalent of the S-Class but comes in at a lower price than the G-Class. Mercedes pledges the GLS will “take you to a place where leadership is omnipresent.”

Body Style: Full-Size SUV

Models:
• GLS 450 4MATIC
• GLS 550 4MATIC
• AMG GLS 63

Engines:
• 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6
• 4.7-liter twin-turbocharged V8
• Handcrafted AMG 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8

Base MSRP: $70,150

Read our review of the GLS here.

G-Class

The G-Wagen is Mercedes’ boxy, body on frame, midsize, luxury SUV. The iconic truck makes a bold statement. What that statement is remains polarizing. The second generation, introduced in 2018, comes in standard V8 and AMG-tuned V8 and V12 versions.

Body Style: SUV

Models:
• G 550
• AMG G 63
• AMG G 65

Engines:
• 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8
• Handcrafted AMG 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8
• Handcrafted AMG 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12

Base MSRP: $124,500

Read our review of the G-Class here.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

The Best Men’s Moisturizers for Every Part of Your Body

“Skincare” is a misnomer: Usually, when we talk about skincare, we’re just discussing the skin on our faces. That’s probably because we attach self-confidence to our complexions — how youthful we look, how alert our eyes seem, how small and clear our pores look. But what about everything else? What about your hands and your feet and your shoulders and your knees? Skincare is so much more than your face.

There are lots of hydrators out there, and you should stock up on more than just a standard-fare moisturizer if you want younger, healthy, hydrated skin all over. Here are the nine types of products you should consider, and the best one in each field.

Clinique for Men Broad Spectrum SPF 21 Moisturizer

Best for Your Face: A good moisturizer should absorb quickly and feel light on the skin; it should also have SPF to protect you from harmful UV rays. Clinique’s broad-spectrum SPF 21 hydrating cream checks both boxes, and even comes in a travel-friendly, 3.4-oz. container. It’s hard not to use it on other parts of your body — as a sunscreen outright — since it offers the benefits of sunblock, minus the goopiness.

Byredo Vetyver Hand Cream

Best for Your Hands: Byredo has a good idea on its hands: The fragrance brand incorporates many of its scents into scented hand creams (and travel-friendly ones at that). The best of the bunch is Vetyver, with a well-rounded blend of sweet angelica seeds, tart pomelo, floral jasmine and violet, and anchored by woody vetiver and cashmeran. You can get the creams in 12 different scents, and in two sizes (50ml or 100ml).

Mayron’s Goods Clover & Cucumber Foot Cream

Best for Your Feet: Fewer things bring me as much joy as lathering on Mayron’s foot cream, then encasing each foot in a wool sock and hopping into bed for a great night’s sleep. The cream hydrates with a shea butter and beeswax formula, but it’s the add-ons that carry it the extra mile: Calendula, chamomile, rosemary, and oils of avocado and sunflower give you the tingles while the scent of cucumber and clover permeates the air. It absorbs quickly, so that you maximize the benefits well before you transfer the product to your apartment floor (or the wool socks).

Doctor Rogers RESTORE Healing Balm

Best for Your Lips: Skip the petroleum and keep this multi-use balm at the ready. It both heals and shields the skin, and is good on chapped lips and small cuts, and even works as a soothing layer atop a new tattoo. Glycerin promotes healing, while castor seed oil and wax help shield and plump the skin (in the good way, since they also decrease inflammation). By using this balm before any chapping and cracking, you’ll avoid the problem altogether this winter.

Rugged & Dapper Age + Damage Defense

Best for After Shaving: After you shave, your skin is susceptible to irritation and exposure to the elements. (Put another way, its defense against heat, wind, dry air and even bacteria is compromised.) So you need a dense moisturizer or balm to lather over freshly shaved skin. Rugged & Dapper’s post-shave lotion packs a ton of reparative, anti-aging ingredients to shield and fortify the dermis: aloe vera, palm oil, green tea, jojoba oil, Vitamin B5, shea butter and a silk protein amino acid blend, to name a few.

Curology Custom Night Cream Superbottle

Best for Nighttime: When you sign up for Curology, you get a product that is unique to you: Its AI-fueled software asks about your skincare priorities and problems, then a real-life, board-certified dermatologist prescribes a night cream that helps address these concerns. You can opt just to receive this customized night cream each month, or add a standard moisturizer and cleanser to the shipment, too. So why is a night cream the brand’s bread and butter? Because while you sleep, your skin cells regenerate much faster than during the daytime, and a nourishing, corrective and proactive night cream accelerates the process.

Lab Series 3-in-1 Shave & Beard Oil

Best for Your Beard: While taking care of your beard isn’t exactly skincare, it is a key part of your appearance, and should be kept hydrated and healthy. A great beard oil is the best way to do it. The only thing better than using this oil is looking at it: The blend of three nourishing ingredients separates at a standstill into a tri-colored tower of sea buckthorn, jojoba and sweet almond oils. You can use it as a pre-shave softener or even a paper-thin shave agent, but it shines most as a beard hydrator. It minimizes scratching and flyaways while giving you added styling control. Just be sure to shake it before use — and enjoy the mesmerizing separation that occurs once it’s shelved.

Dr. Barbara Sturm Eye Cream

Best for Under Eyes: Grooming experts as we may be, Dr. Sturm outsmarts us with this eye cream (and her entire assortment of science-backed, age-reversing products). All we know is that it works famously, thanks to oddball ingredients like purslane and skullcap (which soothe the sensitive skin around the eyes), as well as a blend of golden root, sugar beet and yeast, which reduce swelling. Lastly, it’s packed with lipids which preserve the skin’s moisture levels and keep it looking supple.

Jao Brand Goe Oil

Best for the Rest of You: In the hydration game, there’s so much focus put on your face and extremities, but little on the rest of you — which makes up the majority of your skin. Jao’s Goe Oil is the post-shower full-body hydrator that you’ll look forward to applying. It employs 28 different oils and butters from plants, flowers and fruits, and envelops your body like a warm blanket. You can even apply it to clean hair, feet, hands — and your face, too. Technically, it’s more wax-like than oily, but it’s light enough to seep into the skin and reverse signs of aging while restoring moisture.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

The 12 Warmest Pairs of Boots You Can Wear This Winter

As hard as you may work to keep warm during these winter months, it often seems like the weather fights back twice as hard. While there are a variety of different options you can employ to stay warm, many brands have stepped in to give you more of a fighting chance. To wit: boots lined with shearling, fleece and even down will can help you beat the chill. Lace up with some of our favorites, below.

Aquatalia Christopher Boot

These Aquatalia boots feature a neoprene liner, and considering that it’s been the go-to fabric for surfers aiming to keep warm in the coldest of temperatures, we think it’s a perfect match for a winter boot.

Tod’s Shearling-Lined Suede Chukka Boots

The math here is pretty simple: A traditional suede chukka plus a shearling liner equals a boot that’s warm, but still in the vein of the desert boots you’re already used to wearing.

Brunello Cucinelli Shearling-Lined Leather Boots

Drawing inspiration from retro hiking boots, these Brunello Cucinelli boots have feature a warm shearling lining. The construction of the upper combines of traditional and waxed leathers that give the whole piece an overall vintage feel.

Timberland 6″ Premium Waterproof Insulated Boots

Timberland knows better than to mess with a classic. These boots, one of a small handful of pairs you can truly call iconic, feature a layer of PrimaLoft polyester inside for warmth.

Blackstone Shearling-Lined Gull Boot

What Blackstone’s Gull boot lacks in waterproofing, it makes up for with a sharp, smart traditional looking offering that’s sure to go with everything in your wardrobe.

Merrell Tremblant Boot

Like a Chelsea boot, Merrell’s Tremblant shoe is easy to slip on and off — so it doesn’t require chaining your feet in like Houdini when you need to venture out into the snow.

Santoni Shearling-Lined Oiled-Suede Chelsea Boot

If you like the idea of a winterized Chelsea boot — but don’t need it to do a lot of heavy lifting — this one from Santoni will do the trick.

Ross & Snow Stefano Boot

Ross & Snow’s Stefano boots is a lot like your favorite pop culture tough guy: Rugged on the outside (its suede and leather combination upper has a nice textured look), but with a soft interior (made with shearling).

Ugg Halfstein Boot

Ugg has always made stuff other than the pull-on shearling boots popularized in the late aughts. Case in point: these Halfstein boots use a similar faux-shearling lining that made those other boots so ubiquitous, but nestle it inside a cool contrasting hiker. The blue laces are the cherry on top of this already appealing satrorial sundae.

Want Les Essentiels Stevens Shearling Suede Zip Boot

Just like peanut butter and jelly, Migos and Drake, Rocket and Groot and beer and pizza, shearling and suede are just two great tastes that go really well together — and this zip boot from Want Les is no exception.

Taft Viking Boot

In an absolutely no-brainer move, Taft has taken one of its most popular designs and lined it with a calfskin interior that’s capable of hanging all winter long.

Danner Weatherized Mountain Boots

Lined with Primaloft (read: synthetic down), these Danner Weatherized Mountain boots are easily the warmest boots on this list. Completely waterproof and mounted on rugged Vibram soles, they’ll withstand everything this season throws at them.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

Inside Horween Leather Co., America’s Legendary Tannery

From Issue Seven of Gear Patrol Magazine.

For all of the influence the building has had on major league sports, the military and the makers of some of the most stylish shoes and accessories on the market, Horween Leather Company‘s headquarters is easy to miss.

Wedged between train tracks and the North Branch of the Chicago River, a formerly industrial area now encroached upon by the likes of Best Buy, sits the five-story, 200,000-square-foot tannery. Its aging brick façade is camouflaged by the surroundings, and its sheer size dwarfs the white block-letter signage hiding like a bumper sticker on a battleship. You would never know, looking at the place, that it houses one of America’s oldest continuously running tanneries. Or that every NFL football begins here, as do all NBA game balls. (Consider the hands touched by those two accounts alone.)

Over the past decade, this space — where the 113-year-old company has been since its founder Isadore Horween relocated it there in 1920 — has seen what was once a mere supplier of materials turn into a globally recognized brand without allocating a dime to marketing. That’s thanks, in part, to an intersection of uncompromising quality, a good story and Made-in-America cachet — a trinity of timely characteristics for an age when consumers increasingly use the tech at their fingertips to verify and celebrate the pedigree and provenance of their purchases.

Leather goods startups have been successfully launched on the recognition of the Horween name alone, and its leather remains a staple ingredient for longtime sporting goods clients like Wilson, Spalding and Rawlings; there is also the handful of shoemakers, such as Wolverine, Quoddy, Crockett & Jones, Timberland and Nike.

The luck of a trend colliding with the tried and true has extended Horween’s popularity from manufacturer to consumer, but the source of its greatness is far deeper… it’s something in the water, and something in the blood.

My tour there started at a wooden slab door, which leads to a small staircase with linoleum steps and dark, oak-veneer walls. The waiting room at the top of the stairs is no wider than outstretched arms, and it’s furnished with two wooden benches and a pair of knee-high ashtrays –– brave stowaways from a past era.

I knocked on a tiny frosted-glass window. Moments later, it slid open and a face appeared:
“Sign in here,” she said, pointing to a clipboard with a Bic under a rubber band. “Skip will be right with you.”

Arnold “Skip” Horween III, 62, is the current paterfamilias, and the fourth man of his line to preside over the company. On the day of my visit, he was dressed in a blue work shirt with several pens stowed in the chest pocket; he also wore work boots, a belt and a watch strap, all made of his namesake leather.

Skip led me to the corner office — once his father’s and his grandfather’s before him. There are black-and-white cutouts of both Horween forebears on the wood-veneer walls of the office –– his grandfather in boots and spurs, his father bare-chested in boxing gloves. His great-grandfather, Isadore, looks on from a family portrait across the room. On another wall is a framed 1920 Rose Bowl poster, a game Skip’s grandfather and great-uncle both played in. Behind a massive wood desk sits Skip’s one-of-a-kind swivel chair, covered in football leather.

“If you do something long enough, you’re bound to be an overnight success eventually,” Skip said, wryly. He still takes the train to work every day from the suburbs; it stops at the station across the street. His 34-year-old son, Nick, meanwhile, lives downtown, and in contrast to his father’s blue-on-blue work duds, wore tapered jeans on the day of my visit. Nick’s official title is Vice President, “But our titles don’t really mean anything. We all run it together,” he said. We includes his 28-year-old sister, Natalie.

Perhaps what’s so appealing about Horween is how little it’s changed as the business has grown. Isadore Horween immigrated to America from Ukraine in 1893, changing the ‘-witz’ at the end of his name to ‘-ween.’ His sons, Ralph and Arnold, served in the Navy during World War I and then went to Harvard, where they were both starters on the 1920 football team that beat the University of Oregon in front of 30,000 people in Pasadena. Arnold was the Crimson’s first Jewish football captain. Both brothers played NFL football for the Arizona Cardinals (formerly the Chicago Cardinals) while they worked for the family business –– Arnold as the president and Ralph (who also enjoyed successful law career) as the chief manufacturing executive. Arnold’s son, Skip’s father, also played football at Harvard and then served in the Army before taking his turn at the helm of the company. Skip became president in 2003 and his blue work shirt, with its chest pocket full of pens, is the same as the one his father wore at work.

During my interview with Skip, a man named Ike Davis entered the office. He started working at Horween in 1953, eventually overseeing the cordovan department before retiring in 1998, after 45 years. “I’ve known Ike my entire working life,” Skip said. “I foolishly let him retire twenty years ago. But I was able to convince him to come back once a week to advise on shell cordovan.”

Davis came in to report that he could tell from the sound of one of the shaving machines that it needed more grease. “He can listen to one of the jacks going and understand that the pressure’s right,” Skip said. “There isn’t an electronic setting that you can use. It’s by feel, by touch, by sight and by sound.”

It was the last day of July and the ground floor of the factory, where the steerhide and horsehide come in, was a staggering olfactory experience for the uninitiated. By the time they’ve completed their transformation, these skins will have worked their way to the upper floors, through tanning, trimming, re-tanning, oiling, dying, drying… a 30-day process for their Chromexcel leather, and a six-month process for their signature shell cordovan, a select cut from a horse’s hindquarters that costs 10 times more than anything else they sell.

“We’re not going to change the things that got us here,” Skip said. “Our cordovan, that formula is what it is, and we still run it the way that Isadore ran it. And Chromexcel [is] the same way.”

Horween Shell Cordovan has a maximum yield of one pair of shoes per horse. The “shell” refers to a very specific oval area where the horse’s hip bones wear against the hide and change its physical properties over time, creating a unique leather that Alden Shoes’ Vice President of Sales, Bob Clark, described as “beautiful, supple, durable… it learns your foot shape as you wear the shoes and becomes something of a custom fit. It’s a very special leather.”

Leather with the telltale pebbling of footballs has a large presence in the factory. Nick pointed to stacks of hides destined for gridiron greatness, in several colors, saying, “That’s the Nike color, that’s NCAA and that’s NFL.” Their partnership with the NFL is almost as old as the league itself.

“When the NFL was created, [Chicago Bears founder] George Halas bridged the partnership between Wilson Sporting Goods to manufacture the football and Horween to supply the leather for official NFL game balls,” said Kristina Peterson-Lohman of Wilson.

Wilson makes youth league, NCAA and NFL footballs in Ada, Ohio. Each is cut and laced by hand, requiring 25 steps over 10 to 14 days. Anywhere from 20 to 30 pairs of hands touch each football in the course of its construction, and the factory makes about 700,000 footballs per year.

“We’re just a component,” said Nick. “It’s an important component, but we need the Aldens, the Allen Edmonds… all our clients. We’re just part of the story.”

But it hasn’t been all fun, games and shoes. One of the strangest orders the Horweens ever filled was during the first Gulf War. “When that started, we got an emergency request from the Army [contractor] for leather gaskets for all the tank periscopes,” Skip said. Given the importance of tanks in that conflict, the contribution was not insignificant.

These days, new clients attracted to Horween’s soaring popularity means an increase in the discussions about how doing business with them is a little different than with other tanneries.

“When they get a hide with an aniline finish — which just means no pigment or paint, which is what we do — they lay it down, they can see some scratches and some bug bites… we’re acknowledging that it’s a natural product. This was an animal. And each animal had its own experiences,” Nick said. “Our reputation is probably that we’re difficult that way.”

“You learn to hate barbed wire in this business,” Skip explained.

Quoddy, the Maine-based maker of handmade shoes, has been using Horween leather for over 20 years, warts and all. “It’s like having Brembo brakes on your car, it means you only use the best,” said Quoddy’s president, John Andreliunas. “There’s definitely some waste in what they send you because the cow got bit, or the cow grew a weird way and there’s weird stretch marks, and there’s definitely a smaller yield from what they do because they don’t pretty it up with lots of chemicals and treatments like the huge tanneries that work with the giant shoe companies do,” he said.

As for what accounts for Horween’s ever-increasing profile, Andreliunas said, “I think they’ve done a good job of creating something special. And more and more, if you’re going to pay good money for something, you want it to be special. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to put your money where your mouth is, and Skip does that. All you got to do is go up to that drying room for the horsehides… I liken it to going to the tasting room in a winery. You got these hides on old wooden horses, aging gracefully, or whatever they’re doing up there.”

Alden’s Bob Clark has noticed a change in the public’s perception of Horween, whose leather they’ve been using in their shoes for generations: “There is a real awareness among a generation of consumers of Horween leathers that really didn’t exist fifteen to twenty years ago,” he said. “I’m surprised to find the degree of familiarity with a particular tannery. It isn’t on the name of a consumer product, it’s the material that’s in the product.”

Alden famously makes the work boot once worn by a young carpenter-turned-actor named Harrison Ford. On the actor’s insistence, they became the choice boots of Indiana Jones (instead of Red Wings, as written in the script). The character existed for years before the hive mind of Indy-gear fan sites identified the boot from a shot of the sole in the scene where Indy crossed the chasm in The Last Crusade. Clark attributes Horween’s newfound fame to the same collective power of the Internet. “I think that story of how people found the Indy Boot is similar to the way that people have discovered Horween as an entity,” he said.

The Horween name is even more of a plus for newer companies — the tannery has more name recognition than the company using its leather. Zach Weiss, cofounder of the online watch magazine and store Worn & Wound, uses Horween for the watch straps he sells. “There’s an old school charm to it,” said Weiss. “Even when dealing with them as a customer, you’re getting Xeroxes of handwritten invoices and things like that.” As for the power of the brand, Weiss said, “It’s hard to tell if it’s selling your product or not. We like to tell a story, and the tannery’s part of the story.”

Matt Kalas, head of operations for Chicago-based Ashland Leather Company, gives far more credit to the Horween name for Ashland’s success: “It’s huge, it’s almost everything. At least initially. Who the hell’s Ashland, right? But [people] know Horween.”

Kalas’s partners, his brother Phil Kalas and Dan Cordovan (coincidentally), are both full-time employees at Horween. Both have worked there for a decade. They saw an opportunity to create a leather goods company based on the rising popularity of Horween and their access to it, so they started Ashland seven years ago. They make wallets and men’s accessories, and business is good. They sell more and more overseas these days. “Horween is huge in Singapore, China, Japan –– they go crazy over Horween Shell Cordovan,” said Kalas.

Horween’s value as a brand now extends beyond the realm of leather goods, footballs and footwear. Alan Siegel is a branding and corporate-identity legend, cofounder of iconic branding firm Siegel+Gale, where his clients included Mastercard, Xerox and 3M. More recently, he is the founder, president and CEO of Siegelvision, whose clients include National Geographic, New York University, National Public Radio, Prudential and Univision.

“I think in terms of premium products — a pair of shoes — this company is absolutely invaluable,” Siegel said. “They’re the key, or one of the key ingredients, in the durability of the product and the value of the product. I do think people are more discriminating now, and care about that, and it’s really enhancing the product for the customer.”

As I made my way back downstairs with Nick as my tour guide, he looked over the seemingly ancient wooden cauldrons and oil barrels and said, “The maintenance guys don’t get enough credit. This building is so old, and so much of our machinery is made of wood, it’s like a constant triage here, all the time, to keep this up and running.”

But they are bound to this building by more than just tradition. “We can’t just pick up and move, our formulas are all based on the water we get right here,” said Nick. “And our skilled and experienced craftspeople are all here in Chicago.”

“You don’t keep going this long without knowing how to adapt,” Skip had told me earlier. I recalled his words when I ended my tour in the office Nick and Natalie share. On their wall is an idea board with tacked-up magazine clippings and leather swatches — adaptation in progress. Natalie was out of the office, but she later wrote to me about her experience working in the family business:

“In addition to feeling the connection to the generations that came before me, I feel I can add a woman’s perspective to a business that until now has been entirely run by men. Our family is really close, so it hasn’t been too bad getting to learn and work with both my brother and dad as well. I am really excited to see where we go next, and feel lucky to be a part of it all.”

There’s something about a family that has thrived for 113 years in an honest profession. They’ve never needed to trick anyone to succeed in their line of work. There’s a clarity of purpose for the Horweens, which is not to say simplicity, so much as purity. Something you can hear in their voices and see in their eyes. Skip put it better than I ever could:

“For me, the incredible privilege of having worked with my grandfather, father and now my son and daughter is a pure dream,” he said. “I believe our ‘secret’ has been to guide our decisions by doing things that would make our fathers proud.”

The Best Flashlight on the Planet Just Landed, and Here’s Why You Need One

In all our travels, we’ve discovered that a reliable light source can often be one of the most critical pieces of gear. But unlike a blade that can be honed or a garment that can be reconditioned, a flashlight needs to perform flawlessly, often at a moment’s notice, and with minimal maintenance. For us, the difference maker when choosing a light is durability. Enter Muyshondt Electric Torches.

What is Muyshondt?

High Performance Meets High Design:
For over a decade, Muyshondt (pronounced moo-shont)has been perfecting their torch game. In that time, they’ve developed a system that utilizes the best of high-efficiency, high-performance electronics and combines them with premium manufacturing and design. With four staple silhouettes that range from the Maus, a small but powerful keychain light, to the Flieger, a sturdy 4 1/2 inch handheld torch, Muyshondt has captured a dogged following of avid outdoorsmen and bonafide explorers.

The Right Amount of Light:
The heart of Muyshondt’s line is their Light Engine technology. Most flashlights operate in a dipole on/off fashion, but Muyshondt’s Light Engine technology allows for multiple levels of intensity in the same torch without compromising visibility. To do this, the Light Engine smartly combines and regulates the lumens of multiple beams to give you the best illumination in close quarters (referred to as “flood”) and visibility at distance (“throw”). The user can then adjust the level of brightness as needed. For instance, following a trail on a nighttime hike might require the highest output, whereas checking a map or illuminating a tent or shelter would require far less. Controlling the output extends battery life when it’s most important.

Why buy a Muyshondt?

Superlative Construction:
Nearly every part of a Muyshondt Electric Torch is custom-tooled from the best materials on the planet. Milled by machine, meticulously hand-finished and assembled, each model is designed to maximize utility with simple and intuitive operation. Inside, the torches feature heatsinks made of solid copper which are then polished before gold plating is applied for an optimal thermal juncture to the copper-core LED board.

Down to the Smallest Detail:
Muyshondt’s detail-oriented approach continues inside. All the electronics are crafted with gold-plated circuit paths and fitted with specialty components. The cases —whether in copper, titanium, bronze or aluminum — employ a strong monocoque (single piece) design. They also feature tail caps sealed with custom o-rings to keep out moisture and dust. Other obsessive details — parabolic reflectors made by condensing metal onto the curved surface, trapezoidal threading versus the typical dent-prone triangular style and double anti-reflective-coated sapphire crystal lenses — underscore Muyshondt’s detail-oriented ethos and manufacturing precision.

Why Do You Need One?

Buy it Once:
If you’re anything like us, you’ve owned a lot of flashlights, and many have ended up in the junk drawer or even in the trash can. The truth is, most handheld lights on the market can’t hold up to the level many of us need. A Muyshondt Electric Torch, on the other hand, is suitable for extreme abuse in austere conditions.

Timeless Design:
The toughness of a tool — and this is certainly a tool — is something we always seek out, but its design and aesthetics are equally important if we’re going to keep it forever. Here, too, Muyshondt torches shine; the machined and knurled surfaces feel technical and purpose-built, while the streamlined silhouettes and lustrous finishes evoke class and high design, making them the kind of thing you’ll treasure as much as your hand-forged knife, vintage wristwatch or finely-made footwear.

We’re so certain you’ll love your Muyshondt light that we’ll throw in a free year of the Gear Patrol Magazine when you purchase any torch through the Gear Patrol Store. Just add our annual subscription to your cart and enter the code LETTHEREBELIGHT at checkout.

How Arvin Goods Makes the World’s Cleanest Socks and Underwear

From Issue Seven of Gear Patrol Magazine.

Doing the right thing doesn’t mean you have to spend twice as much,” said Dustin Winegardner, the cofounder of Arvin Goods. He was referring to the assumption that sustainably made, or eco-friendly clothes must dwarf traditionally made styles in price. And he’s been steadily disproving that thinking since he launched his line of tasteful socks and underwear — all made from recycled clothing and materials — in 2017.

By that time, Winegardner had been working in product development and manufacturing on behalf of other brands for close to a decade. His company, ITC Accessories, sourced materials for the likes of Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, and he saw firsthand the possibility for a new type of underwear brand to emerge. So, he joined forces with Harry Fricker — a freelance creative director who had worked at Bocci and Finisterre — and founded Arvin Goods. “On the social media platforms, all these basics brands were exploding, but no one was doing it in any sort of sustainable way,” he said. “So I just saw an opportunity to create our own brand around this material we already had and supply chain we already had.”

The recycled cotton-poly yarns that Winegardner had access to were an ideal place to start. Using recycled yarns saves fresh water, reduces landfill waste, lowers CO2 emissions and eliminates the need to buy virgin materials from energy-dependent farms and factories. While one kilogram of cotton fabric takes somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000 liters of water to produce, recycled cotton requires virtually nothing. In the U.S. alone, over 16 million tons of textile waste is generated each year, and only a small percentage of that is recycled. “We haven’t even turned on the trickle of the faucet of recycling our waste materials,” Winegardner said. Because basics are replaced more frequently than other garments, they’re a salient place for people to bring sustainable clothes into their wardrobes. Arvin Goods encourages its customers to donate worn garments back to the brand after years of wear. This closed apparel loop keeps the product out of landfills.

While sustainability is at the core of Arvin Goods, it doesn’t inhibit the quality or comfort of its products. The socks — available in a wide range of colors — feature an elastic ribbed cuff, a terry-loop padded footbed and an elastic arch support. The boxer briefs, which Arvin bills as “ridiculously competent,” are supportive, breathable and lightweight. And they’re fairly priced: socks range from $8 to $15 per pair and boxer briefs cost $16.

“All these basics brands were exploding, but no one was doing it in any sort of sustainable way. So I just saw an opportunity to create our own brand.”

Because the initial response to Arvin has been so strong, Winegardner is working on even more products, including a comfortable, performance-oriented pair of men’s underwear made from regenerated nylon — utilizing ocean waste and fishing nets — as well as a line of unisex tops that will launch next spring. “I think as people start to understand that their [conventional] t-shirt used a considerable amount of water to produce, their eyes will open up to it,” Winegardner said. As with the socks and underwear, the new shirts will have tasteful design — and a competitive mid-range price.

As his company grows, Winegardner looks toward an industry leader to guide his decisions. “I think Patagonia is the best model,” he said. “They’ve created something that is theirs and that people love and that does good and is interesting.” He hopes that as more people realize they can get great sustainable products at an affordable price, they’ll flock to brands like Arvin Goods. An increased sales volume would eventually translate to a greater environmental impact. And while that outcome has a wealth of potential, for Winegardner, it all comes down to a simple idea: “The mission is to make the cleanest basics brand in the world.”

800+ Great Holiday Gifts for Every Person on Your List

Holiday shopping ain’t easy. But thanks to all our comprehensive gift guides, it just got a lot easier to find the perfect little something.

Best Outdoorsy Gifts of 2018

We’ve got gifts for you and all your adventure-ready pals, whether your next trip involves mountain biking, SCUBA diving or a nice leisurely day hike.

The Best Gifts for SCUBA Divers

Give the SCUBA diver in your life the gift they really want.

The Best Gifts for the Urban Outdoorsman

The weekend warrior you know requries a special set of gear that functions just as well in town as it does at base camp.

The Best Gifts for Mountain Bikers

Whether you’re a gravity-focused rider or live for the climbs, this list has something for everyone.

The Best Gifts for the Waterman

Whether your sport of choice is fishing, surfing or swimming, there’s a water-inspired gift for you.

The Best Gifts for Hikers

Handmade hiking shoes, the most functional backpack we could find, trail food that actually tastes good and more.

The Best Gifts for Adventurers

The holidays are nearly here, and Huckberry has all the best gifts for your favorite adventurer.

The Best Gifts for Cyclists

Lotion for faster muscle recovery, a refined waterbottle cage, the safest helmet available and more.

The Best Home Speakers to Gift

Because music in the home is important.

Gifts for the On-The-Go Creative

Shopping for a photographer, videographer or musician? We’ve got you covered. These are the best gift for the on-the-go creative professional.

The Best Smart Home Gadgets for the New Homeowner

From smart lights to smart thermostats, smart cameras and smart speakers – these are the ones that make the best gifts.

The Best Gifts for the Techie

We’ve rounded up the latest and greatest tech, from speakers to computers to cameras, as well as the accessories that work with them all.

The 10 Best Gadgets to Give Your Running Partner

We’ve rounded up the must-have running gadgets for all runners, whether they’re just trying to set a PR or training for a full-on marathon.

The Best Gifts for Gym Lovers

A pair of durable trainers, headphones, a backpack to fit it all and more.

The Best Gifts for Athletes

Whether you’re an elite or training for that level, these 20 gifts are for you.

The 15 Best Food Gifts You Can Buy in 2018

The best gifts for the foodie in your life include more than pots and pans.

The 18 Best Gifts for Coffee Lovers

If you’re gifting to a coffee lover, you’re in luck — there’s perhaps no hobby that requires more awesome gear.

The 9 Best Bottles of Whiskey to Gift This Year

Though a popular gift this time of year, whiskey actually runs the risk of being thoughtless. These picks are anything but.

The 12 Best Grilling Gifts of 2018

The best grilling gifts don’t have to connect to the nearest smart device. They just solve problems and make grilling easier.

16 Awesome Gifts for Guys Who Have Everything

Looking for a holiday gift for a guy who’s hard to shop for? We’ve got you covered.

The Best Gifts for the Commuter

Finding a gift for a commuter is incredibly straightforward — it just has to make the daily back and forth a little less hellish.

20 Sharp Gifts for the Most Stylish Guy You Know

From can’t-miss accessories to handy clothing-care tools and luxurious staples, these gifts show you’re as invested in his style as he is.

The Best Gifts for Entrepreneurs

The best gifts for entrepreneurs are the kinds of things that help him move his business forward.

The Best Gifts for Business Travelers

A Hamilton watch, a leather briefcase, a performance suit and more.

The 13 Best Men’s Style Books

From patching denim to understanding streetwear, this baker’s dozen of style tomes deserve serious real estate on the well-dressed man’s shelf.

These Are the 14 Best Travel Watches for the Holidays

We’ve curated some of the best GMTs, 12-hour bezels and digital travel watches available, from the ultra-cheap to the ultra-premium.

The 15 Best First Luxury Watches of 2018

We picked 15 of our favorite first luxury watches with the help of StockX, a leader in the world of pre-owned timepieces.

The 15 Best Watches for Office Wear in 2018

Finding the right watch to wear to the office can be difficult, but only because you’re spoiled for choice. Here are 15 of the best options.

The 15 Most Over-The-Top Watches of 2018

An outsized personality calls for an outsized timepiece — here are 15 of the most over-the-top watches for those who demand only the finest.

The Best Gifts For Motorcycle Riders

Motorcycle riders are a different breed and the gear they need goes above and beyond the usual and mundane.

The Best Gift Ideas for Car Guys

Buying a gift for a car guy doesn’t have to be as daunting as getting caught in a conversation about the differences between horsepower and torque.

Road Trip Gifts: For Those Who Love the Open Road

We all know someone who loves the open road. Give them the tools they need to make their next road trip the best one yet.

Stocking Stuffer Ideas for the Fitness Junkie

Hand grips, proper face wash, water bottles, massage tools and more.

15 Stocking Stuffers Stylish Guys Will Love

From a kit that’ll keep his sneakers clean to a few things that will help winterize his suit, these stocking stuffers make the perfect gifts for stylish guys.

The Best Stocking Stuffers For Car Lovers

Great gifts $50 and under can still strike a chord with the motoring enthusiast in your life.

14 Affordable Stocking Stuffers for the Outdoorsy Guy

A trusty Leatherman sidekick, dry bags for your gear, a light that never dies and more.

The Best Gifts for Her

The best gifts aren’t the ones your better half asks you to buy. But, hey, it’s almost December and there are only so many hours in the day

Editor’s Note: This post is a collection of all our holiday gift guides, and we’ll be adding new gift guides to the list as we publish them.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

The Cannondale SuperX Eats Hot Laps for Breakfast

I got almost everything I wanted out of Cannondale’s newest model, the SuperX Di2. The bike is very light, very stiff and very stable — but for some, including the aggressive racer I like to pretend I am, it could feel a little too stable.

I rode the SuperX on pavement, along gravel roads, through the mud and across plenty of grassy berms, and through it all, the bike held its own — the excellent part specs and sturdy Cannondale engineering made sure of that. And I know after my testing that if push comes to shove, the bike will happily tackle hours-long off-road jaunts just as well as it tackles your local mud-and-blood cyclocross circuit.

The Good: We’re looking at a longer-than-usual wheelbase here, if only slightly, but any seasoned cyclist can tell you a few millimeters count for a lot when it comes to wheelbase. The longer profile of the bike gives some extra stability through rough and sloppy terrain, much like a longer pair of skis or a longer kayak. It just tracks better and holds a line, even when your confidence would normally waver as you plow through sand, mud or standing water.

The chainstays are kept short on the SuperX to keep the rear wheel under the bulk of a rider’s weight. That helps with traction on bad surfaces, but it also keeps the front end relatively unencumbered with supporting that weight, allowing for more responsive turns than the slack front end might suggest. I should also note that the bike was extremely comfortable thrown on my shoulder thanks to an oblong top tube and its 18-pound total weight; if you race on courses with a lot of run-ups, this factor could make or break the deal for you.

Who It’s For: The SuperX is a racer’s bike, make no bones about it. Like most cyclocross bikes in its price bracket, it comes standard with a high-end drivetrain and shifting system, hydraulic disc brakes and a wheelset that’s worth its weight.

If you want your cyclocross bike to double as a gravel machine or an “adventure” bike, this is really your ticket. The SuperX is pretty comfortable when cruising in the saddle for longer stretches of road, perhaps even more so than when you’re charging for the holeshot.

Watch Out For: You’re not going to be amazed at the racy feel of this bike. It’s not going to twitch under you like a wild horse, faster than all the rest and a little bit dangerous. No, it’s going to feel fairly sober until you’re dancing on the pedals and ripping around corners — which is where this bike shines.

I also want to point out that, although I’m guessing this was due to engineering necessity, the seatpost clamping assembly seems unnecessarily difficult to work with. It’s finicky, difficult to see and work on, prone to slipping, and easy to lose down inside the frame — something other reviewers of the bike have noted as well. At the cost of aesthetics, I’d have loved to see a simpler band-clamp design like what most bikes had a decade ago.

Alternatives: Just about every large bike brand has a range of cyclocross offerings, each with their own brand-specific quirks and quibbles that might get you excited or turn you right off. Ridley’s higher-tier X-Night Disc ($5,600) models are aggressive and racy in both looks and feel, with shorter head tubes and slightly lower overall frame designs. If you’re looking for the most stable ‘cross bike possible, you may be interested in the Specialized CruX ($4,700).

Because bike fit and feel are so subjective — your strong or weak points as a rider can lend to a thousand possible fit configurations or frame geometry schemes — the best ‘cross bike for you is the one you feel good riding. Whenever you have any doubts at all about a bike’s feel, find a way to test ride it before you put money down.

Review: I loved so many things about this bike, particularly how it was kitted out from the beginning. Because the 1×11 Shimano drivetrain has no front derailleur and fewer moving parts in the equation, it delivers a clean shift the instant I hit the button, even while I’m putting serious power to the pedals. That’s more than we can ask from a lot of mid- to high-end mechanical road setups. For what it’s worth, the rear derailleur doing the work on the SuperX (my model, at least) isn’t Dura-Ace; it’s actually an electronic XTR shifter, one meant for mountain bikes. Does this matter? No, it does not. The shifts are smooth and tight, just like you’d expect with any proper Di2 system.

The specific geometry of the SuperX gave me a few advantages in my weeks of testing that I’ve rarely enjoyed before, on a road bike or elsewhere: more ground clearance at the pedals and bottom bracket, a longer wheelbase to keep everything tracking straight and a semi-compact rear end (with fairly short chainstays) for maximal downward force on the rear tire. With a taller head tube than many race-oriented bikes, even within the ‘cross category, the SuperX handles somewhat tamely in the front end and feels more surefooted and confident in the back. The head tube angle is also slightly slacker than what a lot of race bikes will give you, with more fork trail and an overall longer wheelbase — that slows the steering slightly, but adds the stability some riders are looking for. And that lengthened wheelbase is nice if your big damn feet tend to overlap a bike’s front wheel during slow-speed hairpin turns, but if you’re looking for a bike that’s so snappy it scares you, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

The wheels on any bike can change the riding feel like night and day — you might require yours to be sturdy, light-rolling, bomb-proof, aerodynamic or all of the above. And while these carbon HollowGram wheels can spin up fast and climb like a dream, as any race wheels ought to, they can also throw off mud and take hits with the best of them. This might be immaterial to some, but did I mention that they look amazing?

Considering a lot of components like tires and saddles will quickly be switched out by many riders and racers who know exactly what they want from their bikes, I admired what came standard on this model. Solid tire traction (thanks to those toothy Schwalbe X-One tires) complimented those great wheels, and everything built onto the bike worked in concert way better than some of the cobbled-together bikes I’ve sampled before. It’s greater than the sum of its parts, and I loved it bone-stock — that’s a high compliment to give any new bike.

Verdict: The SuperX offers an incredible bundle of lightweight performance and smart-spec parts for its MSRP, and you’re getting a true gem of a frame that’s worth upgrading and maintaining year after year. Although the frame’s geometry struck me as taciturn when I first climbed on, the bike’s stability saved my ass too many times to count when I opted for some risky moves. And, well, what defines the sport of cyclocross more than that? Get out there. Take some risks. Get across the finish line in one piece. And keep coming back for more, just like the bike that carried you.

What Others Are Saying:

• “I’d sum the Cannondale SuperX up as a light, capable race bike that excels on fast courses and could easily double as your year-round gravel bike.” – Tyler Benedict, BikeRumor.com

• “I was pretty excited initially by the long front-center dimension of the SuperX. But after a few rides, I was questioning the execution — the 71-degree head tube angle is quite slack for a ‘cross bike, and it was noticeable.” – Thomas McDaniel, Bike Radar

• “Stable is the word I’d use to describe it. At low speeds the steering was light and it was easy to carve around tight corners, but at higher speeds the bike wanted to take a steady line. This was good for mid-corner confidence but it felt like it took a little more effort to pop the bike up and onto alternate lines on the trail when descending.” – Lee Slone, Cyclocross Magazine

Key Specs (as tested)

Frame: BallisTec Carbon
Shifting: Shimano Di2
Drivetrain: 1×11 orientation, 40t chainring
Rear cogs: Shimano 105, 11-32, 11-speed
Wheels: 35mm Cannondale HollowGram carbon clincher rims, tubeless-ready
Saddle: Cannondale Scoop Shallow Race
Crank: Cannondale HollowGram Si
Handlebars/stem: Cannondale C1 Ultralight 7050 alloy
Seatpost: Cannondale SAVE carbon
Brakes: Shimano RS805 hydro disc, 160/160mm
Brake levers: Shimano R785 Di2 hydro disc
Tires: Schwalbe X-ONE folding-type clinchers

Cannondale provided this bike for testing. Also provided for this shoot: Jersey, bib shorts and pedals from Shimano, shoes and bib tights from Shimano S-PHYRE.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.