# Giant Defy vs Cannondale Synapse vs Trek Madone



## bulldawg24 (Jun 26, 2014)

Greetings, I'm new to the forum and am just getting into cycling. I'm a runner turned biker due to a knee injury, and I was hoping to get some good advice for a first road bike. I plan on doing long Saturday rides, evening rides of about an hour or so, and a couple local races a year.

I'm 30 years old and in pretty good shape. I would prefer to get a mid-range bike to start out vs having to upgrade after outgrowing my bike in a year. I'm currently narrowed down to three bikes listed in the title.

1. My LBS has the Giant Defy Composite 1 (Defy Composite 1 (2014) | Giant Bicycles | United States), which they've brought down to $2,400. Full ultegra.

2. The other bike I've felt good riding is the canondale synapse (Synapse Carbon 6 105 - Synapse Carbon - Endurance Road - ROAD - BIKES - 2014). It felt responsive and I enjoyed the quick shifting of the 105 set (although not quite as good as the Ultegra). Around $2,100.

3. Finally is the Trek Madone. I simply have it listed because I know it's in the same range and has good reviews. I plan on riding Saturday. I think this is around $2,100 as well for the 105.

I'd like as much advice as I can get. I know it ultimately comes down to feel, but being a new rider I don't trust my "feel" just yet. What should I be looking for? I'm not trying to go pro, but being that I'm competitive with myself, do you anticipate me wanting a more race-geared frame? Or on a long Saturday ride is a racing frame going to hurt my back?

Lastly, the Giant Defy would come with Ultegra components and is only slightly more expensive than the others (quite a bit cheaper than some of the other models' Ultegra options). Am I missing something with the Giant? There is no such thing as a free lunch, so is there a reason the Giant is cheaper other than an efficient supply chain? Anybody ridden it before?

Hopeing to to buy this Saturday. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

cheers,
bulldawg24


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## scottma (May 18, 2012)

The Defy and Synapse are both "endurance" bikes, meaning a more upright riding position, longer wheelbase, less aggressive. The Madone is more of a "race" geometry bike, although the H2 fit version is less so. The Domane would be more similar to the others. Ride the Madone and see what you think of that type of bike.


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## Warpdatframe (Dec 9, 2012)

Do you plan on doing actual "races" in the future or just semi competitive such as grand fondos? If you plan on doing legitimate races you should avoid all of these bikes and go for something like a CAAD10. Although if you aren't racing, these are the kind of bikes you should be looking at. All 3 are great bikes, but I would definitely go for the Giant. The difference between Ultegra and 105 performance wise isn't massive, but mentally I think it's a huge boost.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

As stated above, the three you should be comparing are Cannondale Synapse, Giant Defy and Trek Domane. These are endurance bikes meaning that are more designed for long riding comfort. These have a more relaxed frame geometry than the more aggressive race geometry of the Madone.

Personally, I would favor either the Cannondale Synapse or Giant Defy over the Trek. Trek isn't what they used to be and I have heard a few stories of their "lifetime frame replacement" warranty not being honored because of what was perceived at "user abuse" even after downtubes cracked due to normal stress.

Also, since you had a knee injury, be sure to buy from a good reputable bike shop that will spend the time with you to adjust your fit to the bike. While biking in general is much less impact to the knees than running, a bike that doesn't fit right can really do damage to your knees. So fit is really more important than anything else.

Test ride lots of bikes and in the end, buy what feels most comfortable and what you like best.


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## Sundog (Sep 25, 2013)

Lombard said:


> As stated above, the three you should be comparing are
> Personally, I would favor either the Cannondale Synapse or Giant Defy over the Trek. Trek isn't what they used to be and I have heard a few stories of their "lifetime frame replacement" warranty not being honored because of what was perceived at "user abuse" even after downtubes cracked due to normal stress.


No dog in the hunt - but in the interest of fairness - I just witnessed Trek honoring a warranty repacement for an old Klein Aluminum frame that came apart near the bottom bracket. The only proof of purchase that the guy had - was a sketchy email trail and some blog posts that he put on the web around the time that he bought it. The Klein owner went through the local dealer - and the dealer was apparently very effective in getting him a new Madone something or another carbon frame.

I rode some Defy composite bikes when I was shopping. Would have bought one if I could have gotten the model that I could afford with SRAM components.


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## Belsyde (Feb 24, 2014)

Hope this helps: I tried all the above as was new to road cycling = previous dabbled at mountain biking. 

I liked the synapse but felt it was a it stretched out from seat to bar. The domane was very comfortable but not as quick as the Synapse. The Defy was also very comfortable but was the quickest of the three to me - really loved it.

I've ridden approx. 1,000 miles since and had zero issues. They are all good similar bikes just preferred the Defy an have not regretted it once. You will make the right choice no matter - just pick the one that feels right to you. 

For what its worth - going straight to proper racing is a big step. The bikes for are slightly less comfortable if you planning long rides.

Good luck with choice


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

Funny thing. I had a 2013 Madone 5.2 in 60 cm. H2 geometry, as all series 5 and under Madones are. It was wrecked by an idiot driver last fall, along with my right shoulder. When I was looking at a replacement, after I was medically cleared to ride again after surgery, I compared the geometry specs to a 58 cm Synapse. Know what the biggest difference was? One centimeter of wheelbase. 101 on the Synapse, to 100 on the Madone. Other specs were close enough to call it a tie.

H2 fit is not all that aggressive in geometry. It's fair to compare the two bikes.

The dividing line between "endurance" and "race" geometry bikes gets more blurry every year. :wink:


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## walldoggy (Apr 28, 2014)

My first bike had Ultegra components but the ride didn't feel quite right. I returned the bike and my next (current) bike has 105 and feels perfect to me. Don't be fooled by the "level" of the components.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

Actually, the most important specs when comparing geometry are STACK and REACH. Stack is the measurement from the bb to the top of the head tube measured vertically. Reach is the measurement from the top of the head tube to the top of the seat tube measured horizontally, not along the top tube.

Wheelbase has nothing to do with wheather your position on the bike will be relaxed or aggressive. However, a longer wheelbase will make the bike have a bit smoother ride while a shorter wheelbase will make the bike's handling feel more responsive.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

The Caad 10 is a very popular performance oriented bike.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

BikeLayne said:


> The Caad 10 is a very popular performance oriented bike.


CAAD 10 has an aggressive geometry more similar to the Madone. These are definitely not for people with back or neck issues. Even if you feel OK on shorter rides, you may get quite uncomfortable on 50+ mile rides.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

Lombard said:


> CAAD 10 has an aggressive geometry more similar to the Madone. These are definitely not for people with back or neck issues. Even if you feel OK on shorter rides, you may get quite uncomfortable on 50+ mile rides.


 True enough. My son is 30 and very strong and fast. He has a Caad10 and thinks it is responsive and handles very nice. .. I am 66 and ride on a comfort bike. Only 80mm drop from the seat to the handlebars and I break a lot of wind. However it helps my old neck and it makes waving "Howdy" easier to the guys on performance bikes that say "on your left" as they pass. But I was figuring since he is 30 and says he want to do some racing maybe he might want to consider something besides a comfort bike. I figure a test ride is warranted. The good news is I got a PR on a segment today and moved into 1st place for the 65+ age group. 7 seconds to spare and with an unpleasant diagonal wind. But I rode in the drops most of the way to try and get as aero as possible.


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## bulldawg24 (Jun 26, 2014)

Thanks for everyone's input! I actually went to my LBS today and rode the following:


1. Giant Defy Composite - Ultegra, $2,400
2. Cannondale Synapse 6 - 105 components, $2,099
3. Cannondale Synapse 5 -Ultegra, $2,999
4. Trek Madone 5 - Ultegra, $2,999
then at the very end, the bike shop employee suggested the Cannondale Supersix Evo 3 Ultegra, on sale for $2550


to be honest, the Evo was super fun to ride. It was fast and actually didn't feel noticeably less comfortable than the Synapse. The only reason I didn't pull the trigger was because I hadn't done any research on it at all. I hadn't even considered it.


The Defy feels like a nice bike, but to be honest it just didn't excite me. Could be the looks, could be the clever marketing of Cannondale. Whatever the reason, it just didn't excite me, even though it actually felt pretty good. 


My only reservation on the Evo is the comfort on long rides. To be honest, most of my rides are probably going to be about an hour to 90 minutes. I like going fast, but I don't want to be uncomfortable the entire time. Being new to riding, I think when I hear the term "race geometry", I think of it the same way I think of track shoes vs traditional running shoes. I'd never want to wear track shoes for a long run, only a sprint. Is this the wrong way to think about it?


Am I over analyzing this? I did see some reviews online that said the Evo was even good on 90 mile rides, and I had a guy at the shop tell me he has buddies who ride them on century rides. If most of my rides will be between 45-90 minutes, I'm 30 years old and 175 lbs, in pretty good shape (run 10 miles at around 8:15 pace), is this even something I should worry about?


Thanks everyone!!!


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## expatbrit (Oct 16, 2013)

Probably not something you should worry about. How flexible are you? How long were the test rides?


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## Warpdatframe (Dec 9, 2012)

Go with the supersix. you don't have to be concerned with comfort if you aren't going to ride for more than 2 hours. If your rides are that short you'll appreciate the faster and in my opinion, more fun handling of the suepersix. Some people will tell you that the evo will put your in a too aggressive and uncomfortable position. Honestly if you are riding the correct size and are already athletic and flexible, you will have no problems.


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## bulldawg24 (Jun 26, 2014)

expatbrit said:


> Probably not something you should worry about. How flexible are you? How long were the test rides?


I probably took each bike out for a mile or so, including climbing a hill or two. I'm decently flexible.


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## Sundog (Sep 25, 2013)

You went in to this process looking mostly for a relaxed geometry bike. How the Madone got on the list is a little bit of a mystery - but sounds like it didn't blow any wind up your skirt anyway.


bulldawg24 said:


> then at the very end, the bike shop employee suggested the Cannondale Supersix Evo 3 Ultegra, on sale for $2550


This employee is one of two things:

A top shelf pro bike retailer who was able to discern in the amount of time that he spent with you that even though you were shopping for an endurance frame bike - that you would be just as happy - if not happier with a race geometry frame bike; or
He's a run of the mill "the right bike for you is this one here that I really need to get rid of" lower quality bicycle retailer. 

If he is the former - sounds like you found a good deal. If he is the latter, I would not do business with that shop. 

I am also curious as to what marketing from Cannondale that you found so enticing.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

The sounds like you are narrowing it down pretty well and are dealing with a nice shop. Possibly once you narrow it down to a couple of bikes you could go on a longer test tide. The synapse is going to be more comfortable especially if the roads in your area are in rough condition. The Evo is a sweet looking bike and either model will be a bit more comfortable with 25mm tires after you wear out the 23mm set that is on there. I believe the EVO has the same geometry as the CAAD10 but they say carbon rides nicer then aluminum. The next test ride get up and down out of the saddle a couple times and see if one feels like the transition has a more natural feel to it. Generally when riding you make that transition frequently as the terrain changes. If you live in a flat terrain area you wind up sitting a lot and I do not know what would be good. My life in the saddle is mostly up hill or down hill.


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## Mcfarton (May 23, 2014)

I think you should go ride a couple of the ones you like back to back for at least 6 miles each. Then pick the one you like.


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## bulldawg24 (Jun 26, 2014)

Thanks for everyone's input! 

There te was actually a century ride in Atlanta this weekend and one of the pit stops was right by my house so I visited with volunteers for an hour or so and couldn't believe the range of bikes that came through. People were riding EVERYTHING. So that made me feel a little better about getting more of a racing geometry such as the Madone and Evo. 

Prices came down a little over the weekend with the release of the 2015 models. Thinking if holding out a little longer to see if they drop again. Could be risky, but over $3k when all said and done for my first road bike feels a little much. Just want something that I'll like and won't be fixing all the time. Want something that will last.

am I overthinking it trying to start with Ultegra?


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## scottma (May 18, 2012)

One other thing to think about is the new Shimano 105 5800 11 speed group will be out soon. This group looks very nice and could save you a few $


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## bulldawg24 (Jun 26, 2014)

scottma said:


> One other thing to think about is the new Shimano 105 5800 11 speed group will be out soon. This group looks very nice and could save you a few $


Thats a great thought. However, the prices on this years ultegra models are coming down so it actually might be a wash. And I think the ultegra group set is still going to be lighter...


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## gabedad (Jul 12, 2012)

I tried all 3 bikes. I probably would have went for the synapse hi-mod but there were none left in the country for my size (61cm) 

I ended up on th madone - could not be happier. I especially liked the trek extra care program that warranties the frame and most parts for 3 years.


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## bigjohnla (Mar 29, 2010)

Sounds like you finally did the best thing, just went with your gut feel. All of the bikes you looked at are excellent bikes. You very likley would have been happy with any of them.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

gabedad said:


> I tried all 3 bikes. I probably would have went for the synapse hi-mod but there were none left in the country for my size (61cm)
> 
> I ended up on th madone - could not be happier. I especially liked the trek extra care program that warranties the frame and most parts for 3 years.


great bike and that warranty sounds great. Enjoy your new ride.


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## bulldawg24 (Jun 26, 2014)

You have all been so nice to a newbie forum member. Really appreciate it. After riding countless bikes and a lot of research, I went with the bike that felt the most natural. I went with the new Trek Emonda SL 6 (Émonda SL 6 - Trek Bicycle).
I was still a little sore from my July 4th road race in Atlanta, so I just went for my first spin this morning. I couldn't be happier. It's smooth, snappy, shifts great. It's also SUPER light, which came in handy on the hills. I've only put 11 miles on it, but there will be hundreds more to come this summer.

I actually went to my LBS to test the Evo and Madone against each other on Thursday night, and was going to buy one of them. They had the new red Emonda in stock, so I have it a whirl. I was not planning on buying it, as I wanted to stay a little lower than that in price. It didn't cut through the wind quite like the Madone, but I liked everything else about it more than the Madone 5. 

Couldnt be happier. Thanks again everyone!


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## UpHillCrawler (Jul 14, 2004)

How are you getting along with your Emonda? I've been riding a CAAD10 for around 3 years and I'm looking to upgrade. I had a Domane for awhile, and as much as the bike rides really nice it wasn't (IMO) the most fun bike to ride and since they come with H3 geometry it was also turned out to be an odd fit. I've been testing almost everything I can get my hands on (Synapse, Roubaix SL4, Tarmac SL4, Scott Solace, a couple Pinarellos, Cervelo R3, Emonda SL6, Madone, Bianchi Infinito CV, SuperSix) and they're all nice but the bike that I keep coming back to was the Emonda. At least for me it has a really nice balance of stiffness and ride quality. I also really liked the Solace and the Tarmac, but am leaning strongly to the Emonda...


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## bulldawg24 (Jun 26, 2014)

UpHillCrawler said:


> How are you getting along with your Emonda? I've been riding a CAAD10 for around 3 years and I'm looking to upgrade. I had a Domane for awhile, and as much as the bike rides really nice it wasn't (IMO) the most fun bike to ride and since they come with H3 geometry it was also turned out to be an odd fit. I've been testing almost everything I can get my hands on (Synapse, Roubaix SL4, Tarmac SL4, Scott Solace, a couple Pinarellos, Cervelo R3, Emonda SL6, Madone, Bianchi Infinito CV, SuperSix) and they're all nice but the bike that I keep coming back to was the Emonda. At least for me it has a really nice balance of stiffness and ride quality. I also really liked the Solace and the Tarmac, but am leaning strongly to the Emonda...



I have really enjoyed the Emonda. I kind of felt the same way as I was test riding bikes. In the end, it came down to a Cannondale Evo Supersix, the Madone, and the Emonda. The Evo felt a little too short (it's probably just in my head but I felt like if I went over the smallest bump in the road at any considerable speed I would topple over the handlebars). The Madone felt nice on the road. It felt fast while still maintaining a good level of comfort. The Emonda just felt like it fit like a glove. 

Ultimately, if you have ridden that many bikes and are still leaning towards the Emonda, that is probably your best bet. It's a great bike and I haven't regretted my purchase once.


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