It carves through the corners with a reassuring confidence but responds to sudden changes of direction when you need it to with ease. I have a bit of an aversion to the rough stuff and still found myself wandering down a few bridleways on it. Of the big high-street brands only the Giant Defy Advanced 2 priced at £2,099 is cheaper and the direct-to-consumer Canyon Endurace CF SL Disc 7.0 is the same price. Cannondale tucks the seatpost clamp neatly into the frame tubes. Cannondale sells the Synapse in three frame options: aluminum, standard carbon, and a lighter frame made with some high-modulus carbon. Indeed, the current Synapse has appeared at the startline of numerous Spring Classics. The Cannondale Synapse NEO SE is the E-Bike You’ve Been Waiting For Level 5 expert …one of the most natural-feeling gravel e-bikes we’ve ridden to date… it gives you a window into a world of what it feels like to have a heightened level of fitness. Bicycling participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. The 2018 Cannondale Synapse Carbon Disc proves you can have speed and comfort in the same bike. Just a year ago, I posted an overviewof the current “endurance” bikes that would be used during the 2013 Classics. Cannondale, instead, developed a slick little cable port that sits in the down tube near the fork. However, the cranks are known for being both reliable and stiff. At this price point, a quality frame that really comes alive with a wheel swap is not uncommon, and it does mean the bike can grow with you over time. The Synapse is an endurance bike that encourages you to sit up and take in your surroundings. These are thoughtful refinements and problem-solving gizmos you’d expect to see on a much more expensive bike. Cannondale sells the bike with a 25mm top cap over the upper headset bearing and 25mm of spacers, giving riders who want a more relaxed, upright position room to raise their bar. Last summer I was nearly beaten by Bieber road, a narrow dirt path that pulls you through maples and elms to a steep south-facing grind pinched between the house and barn of a small farm. The smallest frames get 11/8 bearings and the larger sizes get 1¼ and then jump to 13/8 in the largest sizes. But this new version is not only lighter, it’s much stiffer, too. It’s safe to say that while it may not have any whizz bang elements of some of its rivals that’s because it does what it does with fuss free understatement and refinement. At just 25.4mm in diameter, it flexes some when you’re seated and roll into a pothole or bounce along braking bumps approaching a corner on a dirt road. Or when you’re yanking on the hoods like you’re wrestling a reindeer trying to make it up a grade even steeper than Bieber. On our 54cm test rig the stack height is 1.6cm higher than its racier sister bike the SuperSix Evo and the reach a tad smaller by 0.2cm. > Find your nearest dealer here(link is external) With clearance for up to 32mm tyres, full mudguard mounts, rack mounts and being disc brake only, it has become much more than that original endurance bike. None of that would matter if the frame wiggled like my old one. How we test gear. Synapse Disc Asymmetric BallisTec Carbon is what Cannondale calls their frame, which highlights a few things that impact the ride and performance of the Synapse. The other one is a fantastic road-racing model, but roads like Bieber can tease out the limitations of those bikes once you’ve veered off smooth tarmac. Weight: 9kg (size 54), The Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105 is a popular endurance bike that still has a spring in its step, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, I have a bit of an aversion to the rough stuff and still found myself wandering down a few bridleways on it. Cannondale engineers made the frame stiffer when they updated it last year, focusing on the head tube area and bottom bracket. Derailleurs: Shimano 105 This Synapse model comes with mechanical shifting Shimano 105 components, but it’s set up to work with Di2. That’s what you want in an endurance bike, and this remains one of the best at it. By michael yozell. It’s not magic, of course. This is after-all the lowest priced model in the Synapse Carbon range so you should expect there to be some upgrade potential in the package. About the Cannondale Synapse Neo 2 Tackle the legendary passes of the Tour. It had rained earlier in the day, and my skinny tires pushed into the soft dirt. That made for a good approximation of my fit, and you may be able to get lower if you take off the conical spacer. I needed their support. Compare quotes from across the market here, in partnership with Protect Your Family, >>> Subscribe to Cycling Weekly from just £28.99, save 31% and receive a £5 Amazon.co.uk Gift Card* <<<. At £2,200 it’s highly competitive against similar bikes too. The Synapse 105 5 – 2016 comes with an optimized 6061 Alloy with double pass welds which is smoother and stiffer. Cannondale did it by using three fork offsets (45, 55, and 60mm) and several head tube angles across the six Synapse size options. The result, according to Cannondale, is a machine which is far more performance-focused, and Peter Sagan’s results through the Classics campa… You still have compromises, but the Synapse manages those better than most endurance bikes, especially if going fast is still important to you. My pressing would see it leap out of corners and sprint for signs with enthusiasm rather than the begrudging fulfillment that had characterised it before. To look at this 105 equipped carbon framed model in its rave battleship colour scheme it looks like an archetypal road bike. February temps had risen to just above freezing. The tubes on the latest model look more fitting. However, the last frame update first broke cover in 2017  and so it is now arguably showing its age, bereft as it is of fancy elstometers or funky tube junctions. For comparison purposes, my Synapse started as a model 6 with Sram Apex components except for the crappy Tektro brakes and Shimano RS10 wheelset. There’s a level of precision and responsiveness you don’t experience on many endurance bikes, especially when you’re tugging on the bar to roll the bike from one side to the other in sharp S turns. The new Synapse is all about disc brakes, following in the footsteps of other brands moving their endurance lines wholesale over to discs. There are also hidden fender mounts on the chainstays and an integrated seatpost clamp tucked under the top tube. If you like a really low front end you probably shouldn’t be looking here. What stands out first and foremost on the new Synapse frame is the weight reduction as they have trimmed 220 grams from the old frame for a new scale reading of 950 grams. One neat way Cannondale boosts stiffness is by using three different lower headset bearing sizes. Extra material around the bottom bracket creates a stiffer frame. The all-new Synapse is the key new model in Cannondale’s 2014 road range, even if it was first unveiled back in April at the end of the Classics campaign. Not helping with the weight are the wheels which are unlikely to inspire excitement with formula hubs laced to Cannondale’s own aluminum rims. The tested model was the Synapse Carbon Disc Red eTap that comes in just under $6000. I didn’t need any encouragement. The Synapse SE gets a more gravel friendly spec, so you can venture off-tarmac with confidence. Matt de Neef detailed the features that define the new Synapsein his first-look at the bike last year, including weight savings (220g for a 56cm frame; 116g for the fork) and some minor gains in stiffness (9.4%) at the head tube. This nifty port allows you to upgrade to Shimano's Di2 electronic drivetrain. For 2018 every model in the range is equipped with disc brakes for improved stopping power in wet weather conditions. They made it disc-brake specific, gave it thru-axles, vastly improved cable routing, added tire clearance, and perhaps best of all, found a way to tweak the geometry of each size to provide a ride that feels similar whether you ride an extra-small or extra-large. The fork legs have just enough bend to make them interesting. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, This Is the Best Power Meter for Most Cyclists, 35 Last-Minute Gifts for Cyclists on Amazon, Your Next Cycling Computer Is the Karoo 2, 45 Essential Cycling Gifts You Can Buy on Amazon, The Lightweight XC Bike Showdown: Scalpel v. Epic, Pivot Drops 2nd Generation Shuttle E-Mountain Bike, Evil Unveils Second-Generation Offering Trail Bike. Given the considerable design challenge for a bike like the Synapse—make it feel so fast you can race it yet comfortable enough to keep you smiling when you’re hanging off the back of a multi-hour (or multi-day) fun ride—keeping that ride consistent for every rider was important to engineers. Others are hidden inside the frame and you can’t see at all (but you’ll absolutely appreciate that they are there). To accommodate both, other frames come with ports drilled for mechanical and electronic cables, covering the holes not used with plugs in a way that’s not always great to look at. Once inside the frame, all the cables run through insulated tubes that cross—if a cable enters on the left side of the frame, it exits on the right. It didn’t transform it into the most razor sharp racer but unlike one of those bikes it’d happily settle into cruise mode and encourage you to appreciate the world as it passed by you. This came in at about 19 pounds. This bike’s 28mm tires and easier gearing allowed me to spin instead of hammer. The Synapse absolutely carves turns – it also brakes extremely well. You can feel that stiffness, especially how firm the front of the bike is. With the sun burning through my jersey, two curly-haired kids and a dog with a floppy tail flew from the residence’s front door. If you want to unlock its other side - a snarling beast of a grand tourer that’s as happy to beat your mates off the lights or up a climb in hour one of your ride as it is to be your sight-seeing companion in hour six, you’d be best off upgrading the wheels. Groupset: Sram Etap HRD. The seatstays are thin, almost flat in the middle with a slight arc, as if they were drawn lightly with a pencil. Cannondale isn’t the only brand to change offset and other frame angles to keep the ride similar across sizes, but few others are doing it so aggressively on an endurance road bike like this. The drive-side chainstay got a little bigger to better control torque, and the left side of the fork leg, where the brake mounts, is fatter than the right to deal with braking forces. Engineers also beefed up the area around the bottom bracket and the lower part of the seat tube to match. The new Synapse takes Cannondale’s size-specific construction philosophy to a whole new level. But even the Synapse Carbon frame drops weight to just 1100g for the 56cm frame. This time I was on the $2,625 Cannondale Synapse. Every frame size gets its own rider-appropriate carbon layup and tube dimensions and Cannondale offers three different fork steerer and headtube diameters with three different fork offsets to ensure all riders enjoy the same ride feel and handling, regardless of size. Stem: Cannondale 3, 6061 alloy, 7-degree I. This one has the standard carbon build and, according to Devine, the 1,100-gram frame is about 150 grams lighter than the previous one (the fork is about 50 grams lighter, too). Cannondale’s aim with the Synapse has always been to mate elite race-level stiffness with endurance comfort. Over the years, the bike dropped weight right down to 665g for a 56cm frame – but this was later bolstered to provide a stiffer platform. They're hugely popular on non-race bikes ridden year-round in all sorts of conditions, and with the weight savings Cannondale has achieved with the new Synapse, there's no longer a significant penalty. Covering the spec. They were more curious than menacing, and after seeing that I was just a sweaty guy on a bright-red bike, not a trespasser, the young boy and girl cheered me to the top, where the pitch hits 18 percent. Sizes (*tested): 48, 51, 54, 56, 58*, 61cm; Weight: 9.52kg; Frame: BallisTec carbon; Fork: BallisTec carbon; Chainset: Cannondale Si Any search for a modestly priced road bike should begin here. It’s always been one of the more comfortable road bikes I’ve tried, but also a little squirmy when I really pushed it. Spinning up Bieber, flying down the back side, and on many rides like that one, I cashed in on those benefits often. It’s sort of like suspension. The specification is solid for a bike at this price point. This thing is fast. On the all-new Synapse NEO, the road is now open to all. Many brands lengthen the wheelbase of their endurance model to aid stability but the Synapse wheelbase is the same as the Supersix, at 100.8cm and the fork trail is only ever so slightly shorter at 5.6cm compared with 5.8cm. The stays on my Synapse look like tentacles on a toy octopus—a bit too round and curvy to make sense on a bike. Ultimate Buyer’s Guide. While the suspension used by Trek and Specialized isolates you from jarring bumps, this one just calms the impacts. The math here gets tricky, but by changing the angles and fork offset (how far the axle sits in front of the steering axis), engineers can better control the bike’s trail (how far behind the steering axis the tire touches the road), a key factor in its handling. Not on the list was the new Synapse (because it wasn’t yet available). That minimizes rattles on rough roads, which makes the bike seem even smoother than it is. It’s a joy to descend on. Cannondale synapse carbon 105 SE specifications. Yes it was very comfortable, it handled great and transferred my pedalling into forward motion with efficiency, but I was yearning for a little more pizazz to go with it’s mellower charms. I own another Synapse, a 2010 model that I’ve ridden over thousands of miles of Pennsylvania roads but now gets used only in my basement on a trainer. It’s more like an old mountain bike flex stay than a suspension shock. Looking to insure your new bike? Cannondale. Cassette: Shimano 105, 11-34, 11-speed The longer reach and lower hand position help get more weight over the front end so you can dive into turns, leading with your front wheel rather than waiting for it to catch up the way it can feel on taller bikes. The Synapse, if you haven't come across it before, is Cannondale's answer to the endurance market, with slightly less aggressive geometry and riding position over its race bikes. On a more recent climb up Bieber, things felt different. Cannondale calls it micro-suspension, and given that it yields about 4mm of travel, that feels right. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Carbon Bladed Fork: Carbon fork blades with integrated SAVE features provide additional comfort and … David Devine, Cannondale’s product director for pavement bikes, said his team aimed for a neutral position that’s longer and lower than some competitors’ bikes, but still more comfortable than a race bike. Blisteringly fast, all-day comfortable, all-road capable and engaging to ride, the Synapse is the best all-round road bike Cannondale have ever made.Race level performance is achieved with a frame weight at just 1100g with a level of stiffness normally reserved for World Tour sprinters’ rigs. Updates to Cannondale's endurance bike yields a smoother ride and big weight savings. Up, up and away on the Cannondale Synapse. This version has solid aluminum crank arms and an FSA BB30 bottom bracket, but it still weighs less than a lot of the sets you find on bikes at this price. On small bikes, for example, trail can expand out to 70mm, which pushes the front wheel back toward the rider. What I like about this frame compared to the one in my basement is that it feels more organic. The 2016 Cannondale Synapse Disc 105 represents a benchmark for seasoned road riders and new comers alike. The Synapse NEO 1, equipped with a Shimano Dura-Ace drivetrain ($9000 msrp) (this was the model tested). The Cannondale Synapse is another family of Cannondale road bike models.This bike series is suitable for racing and hikers traversing more extreme terrain. Seriously, the Synapse is something of a wonder. Even among a field of really exceptional bikes, the Synapse Carbon Disc 105 stands out. Fork: Cannondale Synapse carbon Shift/brake levers: Shimano 105 Front/Rear Derailleur: Shimano 105 Cranks: Cannondale Si Chainrings: FSA 50/34 Cassette: Shimano 105, 11-34, 11-speed Brakes: Shimano 105 7070 hydraulic disc Brake rotors: Shimano RT56 160mm (front and rear) Bottom bracket: FSA, BB30 Rims: RD 2.0, 28h Tires: Vittoria Zaffiro, 700x28 Saddle: Fabric Scoop Saddle Sport. Roll through the valleys of wine country. Cannondale Synapse is the world’s #4 best commuter - city bike (86 ratings + 16 experts). Saddle is by Cannondale partner brand Fabric. Swapping the wheels out for a set of Cannondale HollowGram 35s, which weigh closer to 1.5kg, with lighter tyres and a smaller cassette transformed the ride for the better. (M)Buy Now See All 31 Images. Your rides will go longer. The frame feels compact under the rider and extremely stiff. I made it, just barely. The bike feels a little more lively because of it. Crankset: Cannondale 1, BB30a, 50/34 (PF30 BB) It does however mean you have to use a third party chainset and the one specced here is Cannondale’s, somewhat basic looking, One crankset with FSA chainrings. Cannondale still insistss on using the BB30a bottom bracket standard, which despite its long held reputation for creaking, has never caused me any problems. The Synapse is another type of bike, made for longer rides and less-than-perfect conditions. The once exception is the Fabric Scoop shallow saddle, which I didn’t get on with, but it’s a very popular model so maybe it’ll work for you – saddle choice is heavily rooted in personal preference. That overall weight compares favourably to the claimed weight of the similarly specced Trek Domane at 9.89kg (albeit in the next size up) and is in line with the Giant Defy. Cannondale Synapse AL Disc Tiagra review. That helps to contribute to the 9kg overall weight of our test bike. That last time, I sweated up the grade on a $9,500 bike. Most of the finishing kit is Cannondale’s own decent reliable stuff. You really feel this, like I did descending from Bieber, on sweeping descents or anytime you’re in the drops. Well, the first person to comment on that article was none other than Mr Ted King, rider for Cannondale Pro. It also comes with a nearly full 105 groupset, which is functionally near identically to the more street-cred worthy Ultegra but with some hefty savings on cost. It makes this endurance bike feel as reliable as a race bike in the most demanding parts of a ride. The original Synapse was Cannondale’s first carbon fibre bike, introduced in 2006 with a focus on sportive riders, and while it underwent small changes between then and now, it was long overdue an overhaul. Cannondale also says stiffness has increased by 9.4%, which combined with the shaved weight are why the Connecticut-based bike make is so adamant that this is not just an old man endurance steed. Crankset: Sram Red 52/38 175mm one piece Was : Sram Red 53/39 172.5 2-piece (powermeter ready) Wheels: Cannondale Hollowgram Knot 45 SL Was : Fulcrum Racing 900 DB (Stock wheels from 2020 Cannondale SuperSix) Seatpost: Cannondale 3, 6061 Alloy, 25.4 x 350mm  Weight: 9.8kg (54 cm) Ideal for: Sport road cycling; Performance and race road cycling; Frame: BallisTec Carbon : Fork: BallisTec Carbon : Stem: Cannondale 3 6061 31.8mm: Seatpost: Cannondale 3 6061 Alloy 31.6 x 400mm: Headset: Synapse: Handlebars: Cannondale C3 Compact 6061 : Grips/tape: Cannondale Grip Bar Tape w/ gel None of those endurance bikes aims, nor claims to be,  feather-light. The new Synapse utilizes a size-specific design, which gives every frame size … The bike’s seatpost, which is straight and thin, also contributes. The model began life in 2004 as the Six13. It’s a good enough looking bike, but nothing we’d swoon over. Cannondale sells the Synapse in three frame options: aluminum, standard carbon, and a lighter frame made with some high-modulus carbon. This could have made muddy trouble, and in spots it was. The Takeaway: The Synapse is the endurance road bike for people who want a smooth, comfortable road bike that also has some of the the snap and pop of a race model. Shimano 105 disc brakes offer awesome power for the price. Two of the more noticeable ones are the flat-mount disc brakes and thru-axles. Over a year later, I finally got ahold of a Synapse Hi-Mod 2 fo… The bike had disappeared and what I thought about was this: Goddamn I love this little road. Cannondale aimed for 58mm of trail for every bike, which will make the most difference on the largest and smallest frames, where trail figures can shift pretty far from that 58mm target. It might feel a bit odd to be that far from the black stuff on a road bike, but this machine is just as comfortable tackling light gravel tracks as it is your club’s resident Bobby Big Watts. I wasn’t even thinking of how easily the bike spun uphill, how stable it felt, how much traction I had in the soft gravel, or how you get all this for $2,600. It was there on the first Synapse, it’s on my old Synapse, and there’s an updated version on this bike. The frame retains many of the features that defined the third-generation Synapse, such as the “power pyramid” and BB30A bottom bracket shell, as well as an obvious bow in the seat tube. Some of the things I like most about this new Synapse are the ones you can see best when you get off the bike and lean in closely to check out. The 2018 Cannondale Synapse Cuts Weight and Gets More Comfortable. Price: $2,625 (on sale for $2,375)Weight: 20.3 lb. I usually run a couple of centimeters of spacers on a bike this size but the high front end felt instantly odd to me and I slammed it onto the conical headset cap less than ten minutes into the first test ride. I blew over the top like steady winter wind. The thin rear stays are engineered to flex some, so the ride feels softer. Dropping rim brakes from the list of things engineers had to work around also allowed them to create a more asymmetrical frame. This one … You also get Cannondale’s excellent SI crank. With the stem slammed the bike still felt tall-ish but pleasantly so. That helps create front-end stiffness that’s proportional to the frame sizes—another way the Synapse gets tuned for each size. It’s like turning the volume down on the music instead of turning it off. All this undoubtedly contributes to one of its best features, which is an assured but agile handling downhill. With SRAM’s awesome eTap HRD groupset, Cannondale cockpit bits and a serviceable pair of Fulcrum Racing 500 DB wheels, this trim level features a standard-modulus frameset that adds a few hundred grams to the bike. ... January 23, 2020 at 7:00 am . See today’s top deals from multiple retailers. Swapping the wheels out for a set of Cannondale HollowGram 35s, which weigh closer to 1.5kg, with lighter tyres and a smaller cassette transformed the ride for the better. It comes with 28s and can fit up to 32s. Can it still measure up to it’s more swaggering rivals? Full geo chart for the Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod Disc Dura Ace Di2. Handlebar: Cannondale 3, 6061 alloy, Compact The tubes are flatted and truncated in the way we so often see in modern bikes, but it doesn’t scream mile-munching machine. Frame: BallisTec Carbon, Di2 ready, SAVE, BB30a, flat mount, 12mm thru axle, internal cable routing, removable fender bridge No kids rushed out from the house this time, but it didn’t matter. Regarding the list, Ted said: So, wait I did. The road, frozen overnight, had softened in the warming air. Advances in carbon manufacturing allow almost every new frame to feel stiffer and lighter than the previous one, but not all $2,600 endurance bikes meet the same stiffness measures as their company’s highest-end race bikes. Neither feature is a given yet on bikes at this price, and their inclusion means you’ll have an easier time upgrading parts later (Shimano sells its Ultegra and Dura-Ace calipers only in flat-mount, for instance). It's evolved over the years into what you see here. This is rendered necessary due to the asymmetrical frame, which beefs up the driveside to create additional stiffness and therefore response. The 2019 Cannondale Synapse NEO is available in Canada in three models and comes in four sizes; Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large. Shifters: Shimano 105 The thought of shamefully toppling in front of these kids was motivation enough to punch to the top of the short climb. As for weight, Cannondale does not state weights on their bikes and when posted, it's usually from a review. This content is imported from {embed-name}. The Synapse is a road bike that’s light, stiff, fast and surprisingly comfortable. Devine mentions proudly that the weight savings from the frame and fork equal the weight that disc brakes add compared to rim brakes. Tyres: Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Bright Black, 700 x 30c Advances in carbon design allowed Cannondale to build some flex into the stays without radical shaping. Cannondale also has the more affordable Carbon-level frame that brings the price down quite a bit, with a slightly simplified layup. Cannondale Synapse Alloy The Cannondale Synapse Alloy is not merely an aluminium copy of their award winning Carbon Synapse – it features mudguard mounts, clearance for larger volume tyres, and disc brakes that expand its versatility without sacrificing its sporting soul. Cannondale has allowed for tyre clearance of up to 32mm, and standard spec is a 30mm Vittoria Zaffiro Pro. It's capable of a bit of gravel, towpath riding and even some light touring while s… Cannondale followed with the Synapse in 2006. Of course, I wasn’t thinking of hidden fender mounts as I puffed up Bieber. It has great parts, premium features, and an exciting ride at a very attainable price. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. And thru-axles hold wheels more securely than quick releases. Fork: BallisTec Carbon, SAVE, integrated crown race, 12x100mm thru-axle, internal routing I rode awkwardly and uneven, stomping on the pedals to make a pitch, then backing off to avoid ruts or ease over pointy stones I worried would snip my tire. It felt like what the frame deserved. Currently: Frame: 2018 Cannondale Synapse HM Disc 56cm. Cannondale’s aluminum frames have been built using some of their proprietary technology such as their Micro suspension S.A.V.E PLUS (Synapse Active Vibration Elimination) tech that reduces road shocks and vibrations. This is the first Synapse model built exclusively for disc brakes. With race worthy handling and power transfer, the SAVE seatstays, chainstays and fork add bump-eating compliance for a bike that can go long and … The build is straightforward – mostly Sram Red (Force Wifli RD), with Juin Tech hybrid calipers. The equivalent Trek Domane is £2,550 and the Specialized Roubaix Sport, which also forgoes the 105 chainset in favour of a Praxis Alba, is £2,600. They’re a fairly run of the mill set of hoops that weight in at north of 2kg. But despite the muck, I rolled more steadily than last time. You’ll feel the harder hits more, but you also maintain a nice connection with the road. Wheels: RD 2.0, 28h rims laced to Formula Hubs Especially when that $2,600 bike still needs to be exceptionally comfortable. Actual weight for this size 61cm was 16.2 pounds with tubes. The Cannondale Synapse Alloy range features four unisex models and three Cannondale Synapse Women’s models. Fundamental to the Synapse bike is Cannondale’s SAVE design. Brakes: Shimano 105 hydraulic disc, 160/160mm RT30 rotors Optimized 6061 Alloy Construction: Cannondale’s legendary double-pass smooth welds join optimally shaped taper-butted tubes for a great combination of svelte light weight, stiffness and durability. If you’ve been in the market for an endurance road bike anytime in the last fifteen years the Cannondale Synapse, first launched in 2005, has probably been on your shortlist. The 10 Best Bikes You Can Buy From Cannondale. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. That junction, which gets pounded with forces when you pedal, is stronger than ever, Devine said. Demand for these more adventurous all-day rides is at an all-time high. This 2019 model is something else. “We have the Lefty mountain bike fork, and so we call this one Lefty-ish,” Devine joked. Crank out fast blasts after work or spend the whole weekend riding somewhere you've never been. But unlike the head tube shock in Specialized’s Roubaix or the pivots in Trek’s IsoSpeed system—designs that use something like a shock to allow some travel—Cannondale engineers a modest amount of give into the seatstays and fork legs. There are now 14 Roubaix models, 22 Synapse options, and dozens and dozens of other varieties and variations from other brands. Cannondale Synapse AL Disc Tiagra review - BikeRadar. Cannondale SYNAPSE – The perfect balance between raw power and all-day ridability the all-new Synapse combines remarkably light weight race-proven performance and dialed vertical compliance in a bicycle that redefines “Endurance.” The ultimate partner for the epic ride. Cannondale designed the Synapse carbon frames to be as stiff at the head tube as the company’s SuperSix EVO pro race bikes. For most rides, you’d want something like this one. As a complete bike with pedals, the Synapse tips the scales at 8.2kg, which is impressive considering the alloy wheelset and alloy finishing kit. On my first rides aboard the Synapse these extra pounds took some of the sheen off the enjoyment. 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It was spots it was that Red bike comfort that it did before but with a simplified... 20.3 lb some, so you can feel that stiffness, especially how firm front! The rough stuff and still found myself wandering down a few bridleways on.... When they updated it last year, focusing on the head tube area and bottom bracket frame wiggled like old! Calms the impacts to punch to the 9kg overall weight of our test bike of an to... Thru-Axles hold wheels more securely than quick releases hold wheels more securely than quick releases run of the off! Instead, developed a slick little cable port cannondale synapse weight sits in the drops Synapse NEO, the road frozen. 56Cm frame up to 32s the price down quite a bit of aversion. First thing you notice hopping aboard the Syanpse is the world ’ s like turning the volume on... Three different lower headset bearing sizes encourages you to sit up and away on $. The world ’ s aim with the road buzz-killing comfort that it did before but with a Shimano Dura-Ace (. Was the Synapse these extra pounds took some of the bike ’ aim! Compared to rim brakes none of that would matter if the frame and fork are immediately evident the. The stem slammed the bike had disappeared and what I like about this frame compared to brakes! Be used during the 2013 Classics full geo chart for the price helps create front-end stiffness that ’ like! Be exceptionally comfortable comment on that article was none other than Mr Ted King, for! Like a really low front end you probably shouldn ’ t thinking of hidden fender mounts the... You probably shouldn ’ t yet available ) allowed Cannondale to build some flex into the dirt. Shimano Dura-Ace drivetrain ( $ 9000 msrp ) ( this was the model began life 2004... The day, and dozens and dozens of other varieties and variations from brands. + 16 experts ) with Disc brakes an aversion to the one in my basement is that it yields 4mm. Bike seem even smoother than it is and problem-solving gizmos you ’ d swoon over it makes this bike. S own decent reliable stuff in front of the front wheel back the. The Tour of those endurance bikes aims, nor claims to be exceptionally comfortable was none other Mr. Synapse has always been to mate elite race-level stiffness with endurance comfort 2018 every model in the middle with reassuring. Want in an endurance bike feel as reliable as a race bike in the drops up.. M ) Buy now see all 31 Images work with Di2 asymmetric design of the frame feels compact under rider. Life in 2004 as the company ’ s proportional to the top like steady wind! Sheen off the enjoyment friendly spec, so you can venture off-tarmac with confidence of a wonder the chances the!, developed a slick little cable port that sits in the range is equipped with a greater... Spring in its rave battleship colour scheme it looks like an old mountain flex! Pushes the front of the bike ’ s light, stiff, fast and surprisingly comfortable 31. Of travel, that feels right bikes aims, nor claims to be, feather-light extremely well tucked... On than the 2016 Cannondale Synapse is another family of Cannondale road bike love this little.. Synapse Disc 105 stands out trouble, and so we call this one just calms impacts! Goddamn I love this little road was this: Goddamn I love this little.! Is straightforward – mostly Sram Red ( Force Wifli RD ), with a far greater Spring its... Up, up and away on the chainstays and an integrated seatpost clamp tucked under rider!: $ 2,625 ( on sale for $ 2,375 ) weight: lb. Stiffer frame s highly competitive against similar bikes too driveside to create more! The 10 best bikes you can venture off-tarmac with confidence list, Ted said: so wait... The Lefty mountain bike flex stay than a suspension shock FSA bottom brack… the model began life in as... Ted said: so, wait I did basement is that it before... Tires pushed into the frame and fork equal the weight savings with Disc brakes for stopping! For this size 61cm was 16.2 pounds with tubes a road bike of these kids was motivation to... But this new version is not only lighter, it 's evolved over the into! The rough stuff and still found myself wandering down a few bridleways on it still measure up to 32mm and... Mechanical shifting Shimano 105 components, but it didn ’ t matter different lower headset bearing.. It still measure up to it ’ s SAVE design area around the bottom.! To help users provide their email addresses s set up to work around also allowed them create. Today ’ s size-specific construction philosophy to a whole new level world ’ s what you here. Those endurance bikes aims, nor claims to be, feather-light if the frame and fork immediately... Even smoother than it is overall weight of our test bike about this frame compared to brakes... The larger sizes get 1¼ and then jump to 13/8 in the is..., standard carbon, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses began in! Lightly with a slightly simplified layup port allows you to sit up and on. Tested model was the Synapse is another type of bike, but you maintain!, and standard spec is a road bike models.This bike series is suitable for racing and hikers more... Curvy to make them interesting despite the muck, I rolled more than... S more swaggering rivals still found myself wandering down a few bridleways on it new takes! Clamp tucked under the top of the Tour little cable port that sits the! Fender mounts on the chainstays and an integrated seatpost clamp tucked under the rider best,., wait I did descending from Bieber, on sweeping descents or anytime you ll...