# 2012 Synapse fit tweaks



## ed4000 (Aug 10, 2013)

Hi, new here, so take it easy on me! Hope this is the right forum 
Pretty new into road biking and just bought a used 2012 Synapse Carbon 3. It's just a hair too big for me, I'm right at the lower edge of size for the 58 but I got a killer deal and I really love the bike. I've ridden a 56 before and couldn't tell enough difference to justify changing out. And I think with a couple of small tweaks I can get it even more comfortable than it is. 
The steerer tube had been cut off pretty short so I can't raise the stem much with shims (if at all) , and it came with a 130mm stem. I am thinking of changing the stem out for a 100-110mm stem with a 17 degree rise to raise up bars just a bit and reduce the reach just a bit. Sound legit?
Also it has the aero seatpost that curves back at the top like the one below (not my bike). This is also about the fore/aft seat position I have mine at:







I have my seat moderately forward, but to get just a bit more forward, I was thinking about cutting off the top of the post and using a bracket like this: 








to make it look more like this:









Does anyone know if this would work, and if so how much more forward the seat might be as a result? Or if not, is there a straighter complete seatpost I can replace mine with that would fit in the frame?
I really don't feel like I'm trying to fit into too large a bike, I just think I can make it work better for me. It's much more comfortable now than my old bike and I'm not having any fit/pain issues. I can live with it, but looking for inexpensive changes to make it even more so. Especially for really long rides. I'm planning on working up to do some century riding soon. 
Any input would be appreciated. I've got the fever bad! I had only been riding 30-40 miles at a time before, but did 76 last weekend on this bike, and was ready for more. Thanks!


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## Nubster (Jul 8, 2009)

Unless they changed between years, the seatpost should be a 27.2mm. Personally, I'd just get a new post. You can get them pretty inexpensively for something in aluminum. 

As far as the stem, yeah, that would work just fine. You might consider getting a fitting done at a LBS, that way you can find out exactly what stem you need and everything else can get dialed in too.


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

I second getting a fitting. You should not move the seat position to adjust reach. 

Oh, and another thing. No bike is a good deal if it dosent fit.


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## ed4000 (Aug 10, 2013)

Thanks for the comments. I do plan on getting a fitting, it's just going to be a bit before my work schedule allows time for one. In the meantime I'm just exploring low cost things I can try myself to learn more and experiment with.

I think I misspoke a bit when I said "It's just a hair too big for me". I think the frame size is fine, it's just the setup that it came with that needs adjusting. The 56 felt cramped, and I would probably still be doing the same thing on a 56 to adjust stem height and length to get the reach right. I think the reach problem is due to the 130mm stem and that it also came with a set of Control Tech carbon handlebars that have a pretty long reach themselves. And the height problem is due to the steerer tube being cut off. So worst case I could buy a new fork, stem and handlebars and still have a good deal for what I paid. But as comfortable as it is now, I'm thinking the shorter stem with a higher angle might fix it. 
I'm not trying to adjust reach by moving the seat position. I want to move the seat forward a bit to line up my knee with the pedal axis better while having a bit more of adjustment available fore and aft on the seat for later. I think getting rid of the rearward curved seatpost for a zero offset seatpost might cure that. However I think my idea of cutting off the one I have and using the bracket won't work as the bracket is made for newer 2012-13 posts that are teardrop shaped at the frame but become round near the seat. I know I have a 2012 frame, but it was a rebuild using 2011 components (Ultegra & Dura Ace) and this must be a 2011 seatpost also hence the teardrop shape all the way down. So I will have to find a zero offset 2011 or older seatpost, or I think the newer seatposts with the bracket are teardrop at the frame insertion. Either way, new seatpost. Wondering if anything from Doric or Thomson might come in this shape that I might could find cheaper than the Cannondale posts?
Anyways, I'm not planning on spending much playing with it before I have time for a fitting. But I am learning a lot researching it, and stems are cheap. I would only do something with the seatpost on my own, if I found a cheap alternative to try for fun.


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## chris58 (Jul 20, 2013)

Hi there ! you cannot change the seatpost from the photos is the aero one, from the picture it seems that you are not too far behind and too high up, the 130 stem is too long, so try 100 or 110 with 6to10 deg. rize, forks are very expensive to change.


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## Rob (Mar 3, 2004)

Is the existing stem already angled downward? If so you could just try flipping it. If it's a stock 6 degree stem, then flipping it will make a 12 degree change, which is quite a bit. This won't change the length of course but the bars will be about an inch higher and the reach to the bars will decrease by 8 mm or so.


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## macca33 (Oct 24, 2012)

How tall are you? I'd suggest that if you're b/w 5'11" - 6'2" a 58cm would be in your sizing ballpark.

As stated, if the frame size is wrong, you'll be chasing your tail to get it to fit you.

Nice looking rig though!

cheers


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

That steerer has not been cut off too much. What the picture shows is about as much in terms of spacers as it should have. Putting on a flipped up 17 deg stem just screams "wrong bike". 

I don't know what's going on with that seatpost. Is that normal for Cannondale? 

Go the proper fit route.


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## ed4000 (Aug 10, 2013)

That's not my bike. I didn't have a pic of mine and just found a pic online to illustrate the type seatpost I have. My steerer tube has been cut off and there's only 1 small spacer under the stem stack. The 130mm Cannondale C3 stem with a normal 6 degree rise is already flipped up though. I'm a little over 5'11''. 

Cannondale changed to the straighter seatpost show in the third pic with the Kappa seat in 2012 I believe, don't know how far back they used the swept back one like I have. But on the newer ones it's still teardrop shaped at the frame insertion so I'm hoping a newer straight seatpost will fit in the frame

I rode it 52 miles this morning, and was pretty comfortable, but kept my hands up on the top bars most of the time. I've ordered the stem so I'll see how that feels when I receive it. I was also dealing with a new seat this morning, trying out a Sella San Marco SKS. Second time on this seat, better than the Fizik Areone and Aliante saddles the guy gave me when I bought it, but still not great. There's very little padding on the SKS, but I like the way it flexes, and am going to give it a little more time to see if it breaks in a little.

I'm going to use the info that i get with the stem to help with a fitting at the lbs, but wait on any seat post purchase until I see what the say about everything. I think ideally a new fork with more spacers under the stem and a zero offset seatpost would do the trick, with different handlebars with a shorter reach if it needs a little more. but I'm gonna wait to see what the shop says before spending the money on any of that stuff.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

OK I see. But if you can post a picture, then why not a picture of your actual bike? Especially when the question is related to fit? These posts about fit always trail off into "see a professional" anyway. It worries me that you are on a frame perhaps slightly too large for you, you already have the stem flipped, and still want to make the bars higher. Just don't be that guy with a steerer extension and 17 degree stem flipped up. Please.


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## ed4000 (Aug 10, 2013)

Working on getting pics up. Is linking to a url the only way to get a pic on here? I can't figure out how to just copy or insert a pic from a file on my computer. Have to do the dropbox/photobucket type thing? 

I won't do the steerer extension, but just want to try the stem to see if I want to invest in the new fork (if fitter agrees) to get some height. I'm 54 and not all that flexible. Been riding now about a year & a half, but getting serious last 3 months or so. Hitting the gym now regularly for the first time in 20 years. First regular aerobic exercise I've ever done much of. I'd hit the weight room, but avoid aerobic activities like the plague. But I'm loving the cycling. Already dropped 20 pounds and 2 pants sizes, so the flexibility is getting better. I think I can gradually move my handlebars down some, but at 54 I'm more interested in comfort on long rides for endurance, not racing. But I don't want to have the fred setup either! I look enough like one at 54 as it is!


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

ed4000 said:


> Working on getting pics up. Is linking to a url the only way to get a pic on here? I can't figure out how to just copy or insert a pic from a file on my computer. Have to do the dropbox/photobucket type thing?


when you click "reply" the box has a row of symbols above, one of which is "images". Click that and you are given a choice to upload or enter a URL. If the pic is too big you will get an error msg, so make it smaller.


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## ed4000 (Aug 10, 2013)

Mine only as the url option, maybe because I'm new here?


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

ed4000 said:


> Mine only as the url option, maybe because I'm new here?


No, the forum is having intermittent problems with handling images. It's not you.


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