# Cervelo R3/S2 vs 2015 Synapse Carbon 105



## bikemancentral (Jul 28, 2014)

Cross posting for a wider range of answers! 


Okay guys, please please help me out on this.

I've been riding a Allez for about 2 years. Lots of miles. Love it.

Time for an upgrade though 









So it comes down to these two (technically 3) bikes.

Cervelo R3/S2 or the 2015 Synapse Carbon 5 105.

Originally my heart was set on the Synapse Carbon. Super plush. I test drove a couple 2014's and they felt gooooood. Loved the relax geo it was also easy on my back which is very important. Decided to wait for the 2015 because its so close to release.

Then I read about cervelo bikes and how they were the best bang for the buck. That the ride is unmatched and it just feels like the ultimate riding machine. I guess in a way, I bought into the hype. I haven't ridden a cervelo yet but if you guys think its def the type of bike that is better than the synapse, I have no problem driving an hour or so to do a test ride. 

Can someone chime in on the two (or three) bikes? How is the geo? Ride quality, etc etc. Are either the R3 or S2 like the Synapse Carbon in terms of the Synapse is an endurance bike etc etc. All thoughts are welcome.


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## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

go for the bird in hand. You have a bike you like and fit you well- just buy it and ride the stink out of it.


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## jeffidiah (Jul 24, 2014)

Cant speak for the Cervelo but Can speak up the Synapse. I bought the Carbon Synapse 6 a few months ago and love it. didn't spend too much time on the stock components upgraded the wheels and converted it to a full Di2 11sp Ultegra setup and I love it. climbs well nice and stiff. But it really shines on the decent, no chatter and you always feel in complete control. 

Let me know if you have any specific questions.


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## dmulligan (Aug 26, 2013)

I was recently shopping for a new bike. I wanted a combination of a plush ride and racing stiffness. I mostly do long rides and encounter a lot of climbs, so I wanted to reduce road vibrations that lead to fatigue and I wanted more of the power I output to be transferred to my wheels. My old bike, a 2009 Kona Jake was somewhat harsh on the road vibrations and flexible at the bottom bracket. Nothing like climbing a 10% grade and looking down and watching my crank set moving several millimetres side side I pedal.
I test rode lots of bikes the best of them were the Trek Domane 5.2, the Cannondale Synapse 3c, and the Cervelo R3. I am a 190 lb rider and I am testing for road feel so I made sure all of the tyres were pumped to 120 psi to help make the test rides equivalent.
The Domane was easily the most plush ride, absorbing the most ride vibration and bumps of the three. In fact it was the first bike I've ever ridden that made me realize that I can feel road vibrations through my feet because so much of the vibrations through the saddle were removed that the sensations in my feet became noticeable. The isospeed seat tube pivot gave for a weird bouncing ride, but I felt I could get used to it and figured it might even help my pedaling smoothness as I would work on eliminating bounce. Of the three bikes this one was the least lively, I just didn't feel the same level of power transfer the other two.
The Synapse was a nice bike, but the ride wasn't much smoother than the R3 nor was it quite as lively.
I tested the R3 three times. It was first of these three, plus I realized that I should be testing with the same tyre inflation right after my 2nd test ride it closing time and I only had time to take the Synapse back out. All three times I felt that the R3 reduces road vibes well, but not as much as I wanted. However when I turned the pedals it wanted to go. It was the most lively of the three bikes. Every time I rode it, it made me smile. It handles climbs great, and descents as well. It corners so much better much better than my Jake and the handling felt somewhat better than the Domane and Synapse too. 
When it came time to decide I realized that I had tested someat bikes and that there was no wrong choice. It came down to the balance between plushness and liveliness. I ended up choosing the R3 as it is plush enough for me and climbing and power transfer are my most significant limiters.

Hope this helps.


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## Hyder (May 30, 2013)

I have an S2 and love it... I have lower back problems and could feel it on the S2. I went and got it professionally fit and wow what a difference.. I have also ridden the R3 and all I can say is what a awesome bike... I still prefer my S2 because I love going fast on Areo bikes. If I had to do it all over again, I would still choose the S2, it just fits me so well. 
Best advice I can give you is test ride all three and see which one speaks to you... 20 minutes on my S2 and I knew I had found my bike...


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## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

I don't see how you can know the Cervelo is the "ultimate riding machine" without having ridden one. I love my R3SL but it's just a bike to me, not a status symbol.

If you're planning on keeping the bike for a while it's worth spending some time to do a test ride. If possible I like to do the test ride after I have already ridden for a while, so I'm kind of tired. A bike that's got slightly annoying ride characteristics will be "fine" for a short ride when you're fresh.

You don't mention what kind of riding you do. If you're a century rider and need a high bar position a "relaxed" geometry bike is probably the way to go. Someone who does crits or road races that aren't climb-fests would do best on the S2. The R3 would be the best for long climbing rides. But the differences are small and all of them can do all of those reasonably well, assuming they fit you.


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