# Synapse - Carbon worth the cash for a noob?



## TravAz (Jun 19, 2014)

History: Pushing 42, some light MTB riding and some miles in on a flatbar steel SS bike (stolen 6 mo ago). Lost my motivation to mountain bike in the AZ desert. Ive put in up to 35 mile rides on pavement with the MTB, but its a painful experience. Looking to buy my first road bike, and hope but not sure the motivation will stick. 

Starting shopping for ~1k$ bikes, you know the normal suspects, Trek 1.5, Spec Secteur, Giant Defy, etc. None of those bikes really stood out from each other. 

Then I start reading all of the great press (bike mag press though) the Synapse Carbon is getting, and I really like what they are doing. I have had trouble finding any to ride on my side of town. The dealer where I will probably demo ONLY has carbon in stock. 

So, my questions:

1.) Does the 2014 Synapse Aluminum inherit enough tech to stand out from the other price point bikes I mentioned?

2.) Would you recommend spending 2x on the carbon Synapse out of the gate for a new rider who might not dig the whole roadbike thing as much as he thinks he will? I guess if I could re-coop 60% of the bikes value if I don't really get into it, I am only risking an extra 400$ on the carbon, but Im not really in a financial position to just burn $400 for the heck of it. That being said, everything I read says the Carbon Synapse is an amazing bike, so I am pretty tempted. 

3.) Do I throw some slicks on the MTB continue to ride it on the street, and hope to win a game of clearance chicken with the dealer over the next few months, and hope I score a much better deal?


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## CliffordK (Jun 6, 2014)

There are a lot of options out there, especially for the middle aged crowd. 

I'm guessing that you probably won't be racing, so you could pass on the $5K to $10K bikes. 

I think it is worth looking at the used bikes. There are some good deals out there as racers may choose to upgrade to the next better thing.

As far as frame materials, you can find bikes with Steel, Aluminum, Titanium, Carbon, or a mix of the different types of frame materials. 

Don't ignore the thin wall steel bikes, with Columbus Tubing, Reynolds 531, or newer alloys. They can take a lot of abuse, and if built right, can be close in weight to some of the other frame materials.

A carbon fiber frame would be great for day trips, but perhaps not long distance bike touring. There are questions of long term durability. Frames are often warrantied for the first owner, but not subsequent owners.

Aluminum is kind of stuck in the middle between the two, but a solid frame material if done right. Some of the cheaper frames are heavier than one might expect, but a good aluminum frame can be quite light.

Likewise with Titanium.

Anyway, being a bit new to the road bikes, I don't see any problem looking in the $500 to $700 market for a used bike, or $1000 market for a new bike. You can always upgrade a few parts here and there as you see fit. There is a bit of a price drop from "off the showroom floor" if you plan to resell, but get a good deal on a used bike, and you could get most of your money back if you try something else.

I was, however, tuning up my brakes today... and just thought to myself... man, everything is just OLD and well worn on my bike. Perhaps it is time for something truly new.

Don't get too stuck on a single brand when you're still exploring ideas.


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## LVbob (Mar 24, 2014)

I haven't ridden the aluminum frame but the Synapse Carbon is really nice. It was down to the Synapse and a Roubaix for me and I chose the Roubaix only because I had a better feel for the dealer. As much as I love my Roubaix I, I still second-guess myself about that Synapse.


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

I have the 2014 Synapse 105. It's a fantastic bike for the price.

Looking at the aluminum models and how they're spec'd, I am not a huge fan of Maddux wheels. The Shimano 500s on the cheapest carbon are better IMO. 

If your dealer has both 105 equipped models in stock, IMO it's worth the extra $200 to get slighter better wheels, and the 105 brakes. The Tiagra brakes on the cheaper 105 suck.


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## Stumpy2011 (Aug 1, 2011)

Worth the Cash ?
I think that it more psychological than physical.

As other People said, if you are not a racer, you may not need a Top tier bike, as cutting a few seconds or minutes on Strava may not be that important to you
On the other hand, a bike is not a utility tool... It is so much more and I am not going to get into that amazing discussion LOL

For me it is difficult to nickel and dime a new bike...because every time I made a compromise in order to save some money, I ended up upgrading, replacing, selling etc and getting the top of the line.

So IMO, it depends what kind of a person you are... If you will be happy with a compromise and the money saved, then go for it.
If you believe that you will be sorry you didn't get a better bike, then get the better bike and enjoy it - you deserve it !


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

The Synapse Carbon bikes (especially the Synapse Carbon 105 5) have been hot sellers for sure and many shops are sold out until mid-summer.

Patience is the word here. You may want to wait until the new shipment of Cannondale bikes becomes available to dealers in early July. Once the shops are well stocked, test ride the carbon and the aluminum Synapse models and see if you can feel a noticeable difference. Now the question will become not "are you wasting your money if you buy the most expensive bike and lose interest?" but rather, "will the bike you like better make you like the sport better and motivate you to stick with it and ride more".

That being said, there is no guarantee you will like the more expensive one better. You may even like the aluminum Synapse better as it has a slightly more relaxed profile than the carbon version. Carbon definitely wins as far as shock absorbsion goes (doesn't have that annoying road buzz) and will be less fatiguing on long rides due to less vibrations in the handlebars and seat.

As mpre53 said, some of the aluminum models have cheaper wheels, but wheels can always be replaced if they don't hold up.

In the end, forget what sales people and others say and take lots of test rides. Buy what you like the feel of best. If you love the bike you eventually buy and it needs to have lower end components replaced, you won't mind spending the money on it.


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## TruroTime (Jun 21, 2014)

I recently bought the lowest spec of the aluminium synapses and find it to be a lovely, smooth ride; smoother than some of the carbon bikes I test rode (though I didn't test ride a carbon synapse as I couldn't afford one). I've upgraded some of the components which was always my plan; I didn't buy a high spec version straight off as I wanted to avoid white bikes, but even the Claris groupset was better than I expected. The comments on the wheels above are fair enough, but they are ok for now. The aluminium synapse is great!


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## tturner (Mar 18, 2012)

is it at all flat where you are? if you are not sure you will like it, have you considered a single speed? they are fun, light and cheep. if the road bike thing sticks you can always pick up a full on road bike.

That said, my wife has a carbon synapse and it is one of my all time favorite bikes.. really amazing. The Aluminum version is not in the same class.

Ride both, and check craigslist for a "single speed".


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

TruroTime said:


> I recently bought the lowest spec of the aluminium synapses and find it to be a lovely, smooth ride; smoother than some of the carbon bikes I test rode (though I didn't test ride a carbon synapse as I couldn't afford one). I've upgraded some of the components which was always my plan; I didn't buy a high spec version straight off as I wanted to avoid white bikes, but even the Claris groupset was better than I expected. The comments on the wheels above are fair enough, but they are ok for now. The aluminium synapse is great!


The aluminum Synapse is a great bang for the buck.

Lower end components will usually work as flawlessly when new as higher end components. The difference between lower and higher end components (and I'm talking about ranging from Claris, Sora, Tiagra and 105 in order from low to high) comes into play for high mileage riders. The higher end components generally keep working flawlessly for more miles than cheaper components do. The same can be said for wheels.

That being said, more important is other features like the fact that the Synapse Claris version is only an 8-speed cassette with a double in front, the Sora version is a 9-speed with a triple in front - better for climbing hills as you will have lower gearing. Nothing is more frustratiing for a newbie than having to walk up hills because you discovered your bike has "race gearing".

But as I said before, test ride, test ride, test ride - and climb some hills on those test rides too!


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## Ruby13 (Aug 11, 2011)

I made the same decision as your looking at a few years ago but at age 62. After years of mountain biking and after many back operations my doctor said stay off the trails. Always liking Cannondale I zeroed in on the Synapse for the comfort and in 2011 I bought the entry level carbon with Sram Apex. 
Reason for the carbon was to soften the ride, weight and the entry level was to keep the price down to see if I could ride consistently and if I like it never really riding a road bike for any length of time.
Now it's 8,000 miles later and the only original parts are the frame, seatpost and forks. Great bike that takes a pounding that Cannondale it appears has only made better in the past year.


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## GOTA (Aug 27, 2012)

Why not just have the shop order the aluminum model if that's what you want? You don't have to buy what they have in stock. They will gladly order any model and size as long as it's available.

If you aren't racing then it would come down to the roads you ride on. If you have poor roads then carbon or steel will make a difference in my experience. If that's not the case then you might as well going with the aluminum.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

GOTA said:


> If you aren't racing then it would come down to the roads you ride on. If you have poor roads then carbon or steel will make a difference in my experience. If that's not the case then you might as well going with the aluminum.


Another cheaper way of softening the ride is to change out the tires from 700x25c to 700x28c. That made a noticeable difference on my road bike without sacrificing speed.


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## GOTA (Aug 27, 2012)

Lombard said:


> Another cheaper way of softening the ride is to change out the tires from 700x25c to 700x28c. That made a noticeable difference on my road bike without sacrificing speed.


For some frames that absolutely works. I have one bike that I went from the stock 23s to 28s and every bump was still jarring. Cannondale made their reputation on aluminum frames so it possible that a Synapse with a 28mm tire on lower pressure would be fine.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

GOTA said:


> For some frames that absolutely works. I have one bike that I went from the stock 23s to 28s and every bump was still jarring. Cannondale made their reputation on aluminum frames so it possible that a Synapse with a 28mm tire on lower pressure would be fine.


Part of the advantage of a wider tire is being able to use a little lower pressure without the risk of pinch flats. When I went up to 700x28c's I was able to go down to 90psi in the front and 110psi in the back. I could probably even get away woth going 10psi lower.


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## Stumpy2011 (Aug 1, 2011)

Lombard said:


> Part of the advantage of a wider tire is being able to use a little lower pressure without the risk of pinch flats. When I went up to 700x28c's I was able to go down to 90psi in the front and 110psi in the back. I could probably even get away woth going 10psi lower.


Or go Tubeless and then you can ride at 70-80 PSI even on 23c's tires...


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

Stumpy2011 said:


> Or go Tubeless and then you can ride at 70-80 PSI even on 23c's tires...


True, but 70-80psi on 23's is still a rougher ride than 70-80psi on 28's while only gaining a little sprinting advantage.


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