# 1st road bike... caad or synapse?



## yules (May 10, 2010)

Hi all,
1st post after following this forum 

I'm ready to buy my 1st road bike. As my last mountain bikes were c'dale (Right now riding a 29er 1 - Great ride...), I'm looking at CAAD 9 or Synapse alloy, group levels 5 or 6 (Not a weight weenie).
My hunch tells my I'm better off with a Synapse (Not looking to brake any records, just do some cardio).

And, another question - I'm 6'1.5" - Should I get a 56?

Thanks


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## outbackhack (Aug 27, 2009)

I haven't ridden one of the newer CAADs, I'm sure they've made some improvements since 1999, but I can say my Synapse rides amazingly more comfortably than my CAAD3 frame. On my old road bike I'd be seriously hurting after 30-40 miles, but I've been doing twice those miles on my Synapse and feel great to the end. If you can test ride them both though, that's definitely the way to go.

As far as sizing goes, I'm 6'1" and none of the local shops had any of the larger frames for me to try on so I ordered the 61cm. Turned out to be a bit too big when setup with the stock stem&handlebars, but after slapping on a shorter 90mm stem it rides quite nicely. If I had to do it again I'd go with a 58cm frame.


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## abarth (Aug 12, 2008)

I rode an older C'dale 2.8 for over 200 miles last weekend. I felt great afterward. I am 6' and 56cm barely fit me. I think 58 or 60cm will probably fit you better.


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## crashnburn763 (Jun 13, 2010)

I bought a 2010 CAAD9 5 a little over a month ago as my first road bike and I love it. I test rode both the CAAD and the Synapse and personally liked the handling of the CAAD more. I felt it was more responsive in turns. I was measured and fitted at my LBS, and I'm just under 5' 11" and I have a 56cm so I would think you would need at least a 58cm depending on your measurements.


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## WMBigs (Aug 29, 2009)

I am now riding a 56 cm Synapse 5 alloy. Nice ride- smoother than my old steel Bianchi by far. I'm just shy of 5'11" with 33.5" inseam. Now that I've drank the C-dale kool-aid, I'm ready to get a C-dale mtn bike with the lefty fork.


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## Lowflyer (Feb 1, 2010)

I'm just over 5'10" and riding a C'dale Six 5 in 56cm and love it. I think you would fit on a 58 just fine. 56 might be a little small.


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## Thrupnibits (Jul 14, 2010)

Hi Yules,

Im exactly the same size as you and my 58 fits a treat. Ive put a few pics up on another thread so you can see what a 58 Synapse looks like.

Its my first full on road bike (like you Ive come from a 29er MTB) so I cant compare it to a CAAD (or anything else) but Im delighted with the comfort of the Synapse. Its sprighlty enough too. I did a 10 mile TT on Wednesday and it didnt hang around.

Whatever you decide I think the 58 will be bang on. :thumbsup:


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## seacoaster (May 9, 2010)

Ride the different models and different sizes, and work with the fitter at your LBS to get what’s right for you. There’s more than height and inseam. Two people with the same inseam can have different length femurs, which will affect sizing and setup. Shoulder width and arm length also need to be considered.

That said, I’ll guess that the 56 will be too small and the 58 (at least) will probably be more suitable. I’m 5’9 with a 30” inseam (at least that’s the pants I buy) and have a 56.

I have an alloy Synapse 5 and am very happy with it. The LBS put on a shorter stem and narrower bars, and the fit is about perfect for me. I opted to go with 25 mm tires instead of the stock 23’s so I can ride with a lower tire pressure. Love the ride.

I ride pretty much every day, somewhere between 15 and 40 miles. Very comfortable, but a lot of that is because the LBS did a good job in fitting me.


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## WMBigs (Aug 29, 2009)

seacoaster said:


> Ride the different models and different sizes, and work with the fitter at your LBS to get what’s right for you. There’s more than height and inseam. Two people with the same inseam can have different length femurs, which will affect sizing and setup. Shoulder width and arm length also need to be considered.
> 
> That said, I’ll guess that the 56 will be too small and the 58 (at least) will probably be more suitable. I’m 5’9 with a 30” inseam (at least that’s the pants I buy) and have a 56.
> 
> ...


seacoaster- What width bars did you go with? That is the one thing I don't like about mine. My other road bike has 40cm, but i'm guessing 42 would be the way to go. Thanks


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## seacoaster (May 9, 2010)

Don’t recall the width, but they are narrower than what came with the bike. The fitter measured my shoulder width and said I “might” need narrower bars, but try the stock bars out for a few days. Took about 10 miles to figure out he was right. Stock bars felt like ape hangers. I moved my hands around to find a comfortable position, and when I got back we simply measured where I was placing my hands and used a bar to match. Whatever fits me probably isn’t going to fit you. That’s where the services of a good LBS are invaluable.


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## yules (May 10, 2010)

Hi all, and thanks a lot for your replies!

Somehow, I've ended up getting an old '98 cad3 that someone sold me for peanuts - I wanted to get into road biking for as little $$$ as I can...

It's a 56, but for the first couple of months it will do. The previous owner painted it blue, so I guess I'll have to do some good ol' sandblasting somewhere in the future 
Kit is old Tiagra (Not the original kit), and some compact crack. Shifts great.
Rode it a bit yesterday, looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship!!!!!

@WMBigs - Lefties are the best. If you ride singletrack, get the RZ140. It's the perfect trailbike. If you're more into XC, get the 29er, or wait for the scalpel 29er - I've heard they are coming mid '11!


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