# Can't decide. 2014 Roubaix vs 2014 Synapse



## PhillyFan (Jan 30, 2013)

I’m in the market for a new road bike I’ve narrowed my choices down to the 2014 Specialized Roubaix SL4 Elite 105 and the 2014 Cannondale Synapse Carbon 4. I’ve ridden both bikes and feel equally comfortable on both. The Roubaix is full Shimano 105 while the Synapse is full Rival. I’m aware of the difference in shifting but I’m upgrading from a hybrid so I don’t have a preference either way. I’m looking for any type of feedback from anyone that has experience with either bike.


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## GOTA (Aug 27, 2012)

You really can't go wrong with either. You also hit on the key issues which are comfort and component preference. Best thing to do is to see if you can get a little more saddle time in each and focus on those differences. There is no way than anyone can make a real argument that one of those bikes is better than the other.


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## ksauers (Sep 3, 2012)

I was going to get a roubaix. I have test rode them several times. I then bought the new synapse hype. I rode a 105. To me the hype is well deserved. It handled good. climbed good and accelerated fast like the race geo bike I had. It just cruised effortlessly down the road. I also prefer sram so for me it would be a no brainer. I don know which one I'm going to get yet. I want to get a 105 and put force 22 on it but I might settle for ultegra 11. It depends on what I can work out with my lbs


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## Trek_5200 (Apr 21, 2013)

People get all religious when it comes to components. Everyone has their church. That said I've used Shimano for all my adult life and they've always been reliable. I don't always hear that about SRAM. Campy is also very respectable but not usually an option for your segment.


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## 1nterceptor (Sep 23, 2013)

I took a 2014 Hi Mod Synapse SRAM Red on a long test ride when some dealers had demo days. I really liked that bike; comfortable but responsive. That day was the 1st time I got to try SRAM double tap. It shifted nicely; about the same as the Ultegra on my 2013 Scott CR1 Pro. But I prefer Shimano's style. Big lever, big ring - small lever, small ring. Very intuitive. Also, when you reach the ends of your cassette; the chain just stops. With SRAM; you start going the other way.


2014_CANNONDALE_SYNAPSE_DEMO_BIKE[1] by 1nterceptor, on Flickr


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## PhillyFan (Jan 30, 2013)

And the plot thickens. Swung by the Giant dealer at lunch. They have a 2013 Giant Advanced Defy 1 with Ultregra for a little bit more than the Roubaix and Synapse. Taking it out for a test ride on Friday.


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

PhillyFan said:


> And the plot thickens. Swung by the Giant dealer at lunch. They have a 2013 Giant Advanced Defy 1 with Ultregra for a little bit more than the Roubaix and Synapse. Taking it out for a test ride on Friday.


Awesome, i was looking at all of those bikes. Ended up with a Trek Domane. Never thought I would like a vanilla plain Trek. Do yourself a favor and check it out if you can. Those are all great bikes. The choice is tough.


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## PhillyFan (Jan 30, 2013)

tihsepa said:


> Awesome, i was looking at all of those bikes. Ended up with a Trek Domane. Never thought I would like a vanilla plain Trek. Do yourself a favor and check it out if you can. Those are all great bikes. The choice is tough.


My plan was to include the Domane in my choices but Trek decided to drop the 4.5 (the one I was looking at) from their US product line this year and I hate the color of the 4.7. I could go with the 4.3 but was looking for something with a little more high end components and internal cable routing.


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

Have you tried to spec out a Project 1 Domane in the 4 series? I'm thinking you could get a frame in the color you want, with full 105 and better wheels than the 4.3, for close to the price of the 4.7.

I just ran it with 105, the Race wheel set, and the cheapest available bars. About a $250 difference. That's MSRP to MSRP. You can order a P1 though the shop and they may save you something.


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## PhillyFan (Jan 30, 2013)

mpre53 said:


> Have you tried to spec out a Project 1 Domane in the 4 series? I'm thinking you could get a frame in the color you want, with full 105 and better wheels than the 4.3, for close to the price of the 4.7.
> 
> I just ran it with 105, the Race wheel set, and the cheapest available bars. About a $250 difference. That's MSRP to MSRP. You can order a P1 though the shop and they may save you something.


I did look at the Project 1 bike but I need to try and stay around 2700.00ish. I wish they offered the P1 bikes without the signature paint jobs.


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## ccoppola (Aug 26, 2013)

I was able to get the 2014 5.2 Domane for $3k.

It has internal cables, full ultegra 11speed, better seat post and carbon as well.


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## PhillyFan (Jan 30, 2013)

ccoppola said:


> I was able to get the 2014 5.2 Domane for $3k.
> 
> It has internal cables, full ultegra 11speed, better seat post and carbon as well.


I would jump all over a 5.2 at that price. Was it on sale?


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## ccoppola (Aug 26, 2013)

No, I was originally was gonna get the 4.7 but told the guy I don't care for the color, that if he could give me a killer deal on the 5.2 I would buy it ASAP.

so he said ok

i also get lifetime minor tune-ups also!

i live in California


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

PhillyFan said:


> I did look at the Project 1 bike but I need to try and stay around 2700.00ish. I wish they offered the P1 bikes without the signature paint jobs.


$2700? You might be able to haggle the dealer down to that on the Roubaix SL 4 Comp. MSRP is $2950. 11 speed Ultegra, except for the FSA crank--which the Synapse with Rival also has. One extra mid-range cog on an 11-32 cassette might be nice to have.


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## deg909 (Nov 15, 2013)

ccoppola said:


> No, I was originally was gonna get the 4.7 but told the guy I don't care for the color, that if he could give me a killer deal on the 5.2 I would buy it ASAP.
> 
> so he said ok
> 
> ...


Congratulations !!!
I would definitely go for that deal myself. That's just what I will be looking for, between now and spring 2014.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

All of these bikes are great and pretty similar. It will likely come down to the subtleties as mentioned before. If you want to get away from the more common brands, I recommend checking out these four:

Devinci Leo SL

DEVINCI

Devinci LEO SL-Ultegra 6800

Felt Z3

Z3 - Felt Bicycles


BMC Gran Fondo 105

BMC Grandfondo GF01 105 Bike | R&A Cycles

Scott Solace

Scott Solace 10 ? first ride review - BikeRadar


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

And if you are into really different (but still endurance geometry), then there's this:

Look 675 Shimano Ultegra 6700 2013 Bike

Look 675 | Bike Reviews | Cycling Weekly


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## NealH (May 2, 2004)

I like the Roubaix but, any of the big four are great bikes (Roubaix, Defy, Synapse or Domane).


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## SpeedNeeder (Aug 19, 2013)

All awesome bikes!
I saw a mention of color preference. In my book, pick the bike that says 'ride me!' 
The color might be the difference here, as the ride might be as well.


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## sp3000 (Jul 10, 2007)

War vet forced to change bike shop?s name after threat from Specialized | Calgary Herald

Specialized are pricks, they spend more on lawyers than R&D, even though the above was resolved (only because Spec got schooled on the law) it was their usual tactics, as a company I do not believe their ideals are worth supporting in anyway.


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## vertr (Aug 22, 2006)

sp3000 said:


> War vet forced to change bike shop?s name after threat from Specialized | Calgary Herald
> 
> Specialized are pricks, they spend more on lawyers than R&D, even though the above was resolved (only because Spec got schooled on the law) it was their usual tactics, as a company I do not believe their ideals are worth supporting in anyway.


Get over it.


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## did291 (Sep 12, 2011)

Rashadabd said:


> All of these bikes are great and pretty similar. It will likely come down to the subtleties as mentioned before. If you want to get away from the more common brands, I recommend checking out these four:
> 
> Devinci Leo SL
> 
> ...


I love my Devinci leo sl ultegra 2013, just wanna say.


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## Troy G (Sep 30, 2013)

Rather than start another which bike is best thread . . . Looking at the same bikes as the OP but I am leaning more towards a Felt Z3 or Z5. Still some shops around that have 2013 models on clearance at about 600 of MSRP which is tempting. I have not found a bunch of reviews and feedback on the ride quality of Z3 so I was wondering how the bike soaks up rough road and bumps compared to other bikes previously listed in this thread.

Yeah I know go ride the bikes . . . just starting to do research right now and trying to make a shorter list.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Troy G said:


> Rather than start another which bike is best thread . . . Looking at the same bikes as the OP but I am leaning more towards a Felt Z3 or Z5. Still some shops around that have 2013 models on clearance at about 600 of MSRP which is tempting. I have not found a bunch of reviews and feedback on the ride quality of Z3 so I was wondering how the bike soaks up rough road and bumps compared to other bikes previously listed in this thread.
> 
> Yeah I know go ride the bikes . . . just starting to do research right now and trying to make a shorter list.


The Z3 from 2013 has some differences in the bottom bracket area compared to the Z5. I would go with the Z3 if you settle on Felt and it fits the budget. The current Z4 and Z5 might be different. You are probably splitting hairs amongst these bikes. Felt gets less coverage than the other two, but they all will likely ride pretty similar for most of us. If I had to rank based on what I have experienced from tests and what I have read, I would rank them like this for performance only based on *my interests and riding style*(assuming you are talking about similarly spec'd bikes). For what it's worth, it really all does come down to the fit and test ride though:

1. Synapse
2. Roubaix
3. Z Series

Felt's pricing generally bumps them to the top of lists like this for me because of value as they are all good bikes. You might want to check out the Devinci Leo SL as well. Colnago, Scott, and Bianchi also have some pretty cool endurance frames out right now that some folks are overlooking and then there's always the BMC Granfondo GF01 which a lot of people love. 

Here's some reviews of the Felt Z Series:

2013 Felt Z2 Road Bike Review « MVP Cycle Center

Felt Z2 Road Bike Review | Road Cycling UK

First ride: Felt?s new Z2 carbon road bike with Di2 | Bicycle Times Magazine

Felt Z2 ? first ride review?. | Performance Cycles, Poulton

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/felt/sharing-my-new-2013-felt-z2-experience-310626.html


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## Troy G (Sep 30, 2013)

Thanks for a response. I had seen those reviews but it was my understanding that the Z2 frame was different than the Z3-Z5 series. The Z3 has a different fork than the Z5.

Also looking at a Trek Domane 4.5 (2013) which is the same price as the 2013 Felt Z3. The Domane seems to get overwhelming praise for its ability to smooth out the ride which has me interested.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Troy G said:


> Thanks for a response. I had seen those reviews but it was my understanding that the Z2 frame was different than the Z3-Z5 series. The Z3 has a different fork than the Z5.
> 
> Also looking at a Trek Domane 4.5 (2013) which is the same price as the 2013 Felt Z3. The Domane seems to get overwhelming praise for its ability to smooth out the ride which has me interested.


The Z2 is still pretty close man (same series and same manufacturer), so the reviews are still going to give you a good deal of insight. The Z2 is just the bike everyone elected to test from that series last year. I've heard good things about the Trek as well. Some have said that the front end can be a little stiff as compared to the back, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Again, it comes down to preference and a test ride as they are all really similar. I guess the one thing you can say for the Roubaix, new Synapse, Devinci Leo SL (Kenda 5 Hour Energy), and Domane is that they have pro tour testing and ride feedback whereas the Argos Shimano team elected not to ride the Z Series in the spring classics. The Ridley Fenix is also another one that has this kind of input (ridden by the Lotto team).


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## expatbrit (Oct 16, 2013)

I really wanted a Felt, but ended up deciding by LBS. The Felt dealer just didn't help me as much.

Do you have a shop preference? That made all the difference.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

expatbrit said:


> I really wanted a Felt, but ended up deciding by LBS. The Felt dealer just didn't help me as much.
> 
> Do you have a shop preference? That made all the difference.


It depends on where you live, but there are a number of good ones in the D.C. metro area, a few in Oregon and NY/NJ that I have had good experiences at. The best thing to do though would be to go to the Felt thread and ask SD (Dave the Felt Road brand manager) what some good shops in your area are. I would also let him know about your negative experience and how it deterred you from getting a Felt.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Rashadabd said:


> It depends on where you live, but there are a number of good ones in the D.C. metro area, a few in Oregon and NY/NJ that I have had good experiences at. The best thing to do though would be to go to the Felt thread and ask SD (Dave the Felt Road brand manager) what some good shops in your area are. I would also let him know about your negative experience and how it deterred you from getting a Felt.


The Bike Doctor of Waldorf, Bonzai Sports, and The Bike Lane are three in the D.C. area that are cool places to shop.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

I should have added that my favorite bikes in this category are the BMC Granfondo GF01 and the Look 675/ 675 Light. That's based on having race worthy stiffness, some integration, comfort, and a cool feature or two. I also like slightly taller headtubes, but don't like them to get too tall. I prefer a sub 1000 gram frame, but so long as I can build the bike around 16lbs at a reasonable price, I'm good.


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## expatbrit (Oct 16, 2013)

PhillyFan said:


> My plan was to include the Domane in my choices but Trek decided to drop the 4.5 (the one I was looking at) from their US product line this year and I hate the color of the 4.7. I could go with the 4.3 but was looking for something with a little more high end components and internal cable routing.


I've seen a few leftover 4.5s, in black and white, for steepish discounts.


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## expatbrit (Oct 16, 2013)

Rashadabd said:


> It depends on where you live, but there are a number of good ones in the D.C. metro area, a few in Oregon and NY/NJ that I have had good experiences at. The best thing to do though would be to go to the Felt thread and ask SD (Dave the Felt Road brand manager) what some good shops in your area are. I would also let him know about your negative experience and how it deterred you from getting a Felt.


I rather meant the OP, honestly.  Since he is making the decision.


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## RoadEye (Aug 21, 2009)

Troy G said:


> Thanks for a response. I had seen those reviews but it was my understanding that the Z2 frame was different than the Z3-Z5 series. The Z3 has a different fork than the Z5.


Here's a good explanation of the Z series redesign in 2013. Note the not so subtle digs at the Domane and Roubaix.

btw. just ordered a Z1 frameset.

Felt Road Bicycles - New For 2013 - YouTube


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## Troy G (Sep 30, 2013)

Congrats on the Z1 frameset should make an okay build, ha!


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## RoadEye (Aug 21, 2009)

thanks. and yeah, that's what I figure... should be a tolerable ride when we get finished.


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