tallteacher

Here is my dilemma... FINALLY selling my motorcycle next weekend giving me cash for my first road bike... Previously considered Giant Defy 1...not going to since the bike shop is an hour away... narrowed down to Trek or C'Dale.....
I test road a CAAD 8 in 61 cm for about 10 min in oregon during Christmas until the 30 degree weather said i should stop since i wasnt dressed for it.... talking to their bike shop guys they couldnt stop singing the praises of the CAAD 10, and I have yet to hear a bad thing about the 10... He suggested just visually that the 10 would be better since it came in 63....i HAVE been measured adn my numbers are on file at the bike shop nearer me....I am also considering the Synapse alloy 5...

after all that heres my queries....the synapse appeals to me because of the relaxed geometry and I have had the 3 shoulder surgeries...the price is NOT that far off from the CAAD 10....can changing the stem on a CAAD 10 bring it closer to the geometry of a Synapse? I know i need to ride both, but if making a couple small changes to what APPEARS to be a better overall bike, would it be worth it or just messing with fire?....but who knows...maybe the CAAD 10 will feel fantastic the way it is...and man is it light! it was like almost 1.5# lighter than the CAAD 8

maybe its coming down to wondering if i get the synapse, may i soon find out that I wanted something a little "more"?

any input or comments are welcome....

teufelhunden222

before you buy a bike make sure you are test riding in cycling bottoms IE: shorts or leggings. otherwise its really easy to get your size wrong-David

jsigone

i'd get the 10 with fitted stem with all the spacers to relax the geo. As you get more fit, reduce spacers to get more aero and aggressive fit.

tallteacher

We also have a specialized dealer near me (kinda near) but their bikes are so much more $$$$ for the same components as the C'dales and Treks...

jsigone

spesh roadies are more compact geo and will fit different then the CAADs out there. Those caads are more traditional geos w/ shorter head tube, longer seat tube. Compact geo is longer Headtube and shorter seat tube. Slightly different angles and feel to the ride. Treks are also compact geo and will feel different to a CAAD. For ME, compact geo I need a 590 ETT, my super6 is only 575 ETT and running a shorter stem. Please ride the bikes for a good 10-20 mins before you buy or think you know the size. Parking lot rides won't show fit problems.

jan230

Similar story for me.
I've also had shoulder and back surgery and thought I needed a comfort bike as I'm getting on in years and not very flexible so I test rode all the usual suspects over the summer(Roubaix,Synapse,Domane, Defy etc.)
None really wowed me and some handled pretty sluggish.
Most of my rides are short and fast(for me...)so I tried the racier frames and just loved the CAAD far and away more than any of the others.
I settled on the CAAD10-4 and have it set up currently with the max number of spacers which brings the bars pretty much level with my saddle.
I'm on a 58cm and around 225lbs.

Big Pete 1982

I'm a 6'7 clyde and I ride a CAAD10 63cm. I originally had a taller stem for a more relaxed riding position, but as my fitness and flexibility improved I went back to the stock one. Compared to other bikes I test rode (Giant Defy, Trek Madone, Specialized Sectuer) it felt stiffer but absorbed the road noise a little better. I've got several thousand miles on it now and I don't regret it one bit! Best money I ever spent! But the geometry is noticeably more aggressive compared to the other bikes I test rode. Obviously, test ride and get a fit.

Plus, you don't see a 100+ page thread devoted to the awesomeness of the Synapse, do you?

bassjones

I am 6'5" and over 350. I ride a CAAD9. I had to go with a longer stem because I have short legs and long waist. I also have an angled stem for a more relaxed fit. I basically have a fit closer to a Synapse 64cm (which they don't make) on a CAAD 60cm. As I get more fit, I'll go with a 130 stem without a rise, and eventually maybe even flip the angled stem. At my weight, no issues with frame at all, but I did get Deep V wheels at 36 spokes F/R.

CraigB

It all depends on what you want out of the bike. If you want a full-on road racing geometry, go for the CAAD. My racing days are long over, so I wanted something that was quick and responsive but not put my body into an overly aggressive posture I'm not flexible enough to hold anymore (I'm in my late 50s), so I tried the Synapse (same one you're looking at, the Alloy 5) and loved it. It gets me 95% of the performance I'd be able to otherwise wring from a CAAD without punishing my body (again, that's me - tons of other people are fitter and stronger than I am, and have no problem with the CAAD geometry). And any last bit of ego I had that might have gotten in the way of the decision was assuaged by the knowledge that, at least at the time I bought my bike in 2011, the Liquigas team was riding Synapses in the more pavement-punishing road races like Paris-Roubaix.

vesteroid

I am on the fence here. I have now riden enough miles on 3 different bikes in the last year that I "believe" I can tell a significant difference from the frame size and geo. One each of them I adjusted the stem, and spacers. to more closely resemble my current bike, but I keep coming back to the fact that it feels better to me to have a long ETT and then get the stem set to where it feels good to me. When I had a shorter ett and did a longer stem, I found I needed to raise the stem more for some reason.

This is all highly subjective, I know, but I think getting the frame as close as possible to what you need and then doing fine adjustments with the other components is key....I dont think finding a frame that is close enough and doing major work with the stems / saddle positions is the answer.

I would also be shocked if anyone had a 61+ in stock for you to ride...I know I have never seen one in my town.

bassjones

For those of us with very odd dimensions - 6'5" with a 32" inseam, it's sometimes the only choice, aside from a full custom frame, which is cost prohibitive. With bike, wheels, stem, bars and seatpost, I have $2200(ish) in mine. Find me a full custom complete build for anywhere near that.

Rhodabike

If you're considering the Synapse, also check to see if there are any Look dealers near you. The Look 566 has similar comfort features, including the flattened sections on the rear stays, but is very lively and responsive as well. It has more of an all-day sport geometry than a race geometry.
I love mine. It's incredibly comfortable on the rough roads we have here, yet makes me want to sprint up hills (when I can find hills in this very flat area).

phread59

I rode an 8 and a synapse last summer. Both fine machines. But if you have a Specialized dealer close do yourself a favour and try an Allez. It rode very smooth for me and felt better than the 8. Not as easy as the Synapse but at the price a fantastic ride. Prices are not too bad. Should be close to the Synapse.

I'm an old fart,53. Stiff as a board and with some shoulder issues. I found a used full carbon Fuji Professional circa 05. It is a great ride but more twitchy than I want. I would like a Synapse,Rubaix or a Sectur. The Secture may also be a good choice. Spesh makes a fantastic machine.

Good luck in you're search. I just want to point out that for the money Spesh make a great product.

Mark Shuman

tallteacher

I looked at teh price of the LOOKS...they look nice but too much $$$ for me and my first bike... I may go by the Specialized dealer and see what deals they may be willing to finagle ...cash will be in my hands next Sat and then let the stress really begin

bigfred 

Both the 61 Synapse and the 63 Caad have an effective top tube of 60cm. The 61 Synapse has a stack height of 61.9cm, the 63cm Caad has a stack of 62.2cm.

There's only 3mm difference between the stack heights. With the Caad actually having the higher.

The larger Caad has the potential to provide more or less the same fit.

tallteacher

I like the Scott Speedster s20, but no local dealers....same geometries as all the other bikes..or very close...AND it would have my name on it!!! I know...childish to want your name on your bike ...
Amazingly there are very few reviews on Scott bikes, and most are from AUS or UK....

brawlo

When you are looking at such big frames, the relaxed riding position afforded by relaxed geo frames tends to go out the window. You're limited by the length of the steerer which is 300mm, unless you go for something specialised like a Zinn. Not sure how tall you are, but you really need to just go for the frame that rides the way you like it. Without going for high rise stems, your riding position will be inherently aggressive as the head tube gets relatively shorter as the frame gets bigger. You can only have your stem a max of 40mm above the headset bearings on carbon steerers.

For me, I looked for the longest TT measurements, then had to whittle the list downto what was available. In the end I had 2 options and ended up with a 2012 Felt F4. I really like the look of the CAAD10s. I race road and track down here in Oz and if I had a Cannondale dealer nearby, I would have definitely gone that way.

bigfred 

Just a note on the subject of steerer tubes. Most bikes sold as a complete kit to the dealer will have the steerer cut down to HT +40mm+stem stack.

At least in the case of Specialized, and I believe Cannondale (although it may be different now), if you purchase just the "frame" as a frame set or warranty replacement it can come with an uncut steerer up to 350mm long. I learned this when I last order a Cannondale frame in 2001, but, it was confirmed by Specialized when I was enquiring about a Langster Pro the track late last year.

Sometimes it pays to talk to manufacturer's custom service departments. Shops are usually clueless to some of this that concerns us big folks.

bassjones

Here's another option... Designed by Zinn, while obviously not a "real" Zinn...
https://www.khsbicycles.com/05_flite_747_11.htm

seymour1910

that CAAD10 4 is one of my favorite paint schemes I have seen. Really nice bike. How do the Fulcrum racing 7 hold up under 225 lbs?

bikingshearer 

I'll reinforce what you already know-ride the heck out of both bikes, buy the one that overall feels best to you, especially in terms of handling, stiffness, road buzz, that sort of stuff. Do you want a fast-responding frame, or does a more straight-line stable ride fell better to you? What feels like a noodle to some feels great to other. More often than not, the same frame in the same size will feel more stiff to the smaller rider and less stiff to a bigger rider - so don't take a sales person's word for it, especially if they are significantly different in size from you. Ride for as long as the shop will let you - buzziness issues, for example, often don't make themselves known to you for a fair distance. In your test ride, how your hand position feels is not unimportant, but it is less important than the stuff already mentioned because you should be able to fix hand positioning - assuming everything else is right - by some spacers, swapping in a different stem, or a combination of both, especially based on what bigfred mentioned above.

As someone mentioned, it is subjective. Reviews and recommendations can give you a great place to start making your comparisons, but in the final analysis it is your body, not marketing, that is going to tell how good the bike feels.

tallteacher

Thanks for all of the replies....based on service previously received I have chosen the bike shop that sells Cannondale, Trek, KHS.....

I am fairly certain I have narrowed it down to a 63 CAAD 10 or a 61 Synapes alloy, both with 105......synapse carbon looks appealing but just out of my price range this time around

bassjones

If they're a KHS dealer, see if they have that 747. Completely designed by Zinn for tall riders. 200mm crank, taller head tube, etc...

tallteacher

They dont carry any in the store but they can order it....Dont you need long legs for 200mm cranks? I like the flite 700 and 750.....just no reviews on them

seymour1910

CAAD10 5 VS Synapse 5.....I vote CAAD10 5