Originally Posted by phread59

WEK I rode a Synapse as well. You're not missing anything. Sorry to sound like the evil anti Cannondale fan boy. But for an edurance bike they rode harsh and stiff. Not at all the way a plush bike should ride IMO. It handled great though. Tracked straight as a lazer. Hands off it rode fantastic. It was as stable as can be. But the ride turned me off. I did ride thier top of the line Synapse. whole 'Nother horse that one. It was as comfy as a lounge chair. Soft and responsive. Fantastic ride. But for 5500$ it should be.

I ride a Spesh Rubaix myself. I like the comfort. The frame is a tickle big for me. A 52 would have been a better choice. But the price sold me. I give up a little stability for the comfort.

That brings me to a point I want to tell you. I ride a slightly too large frame. It is better to be on a smaller frame than too large a frame. You can fit yourself to a smaller frame. But not the other way around. You can swap seat posts and stems to get you positioned correctly. So don't get cought up in the must have 66CM or so frame.

I post this just playing devil's advocate. As before I suggest riding anyting that peaks you're interest. I'd take a long hard look at the Domane. I've seen them, they look nice. I'd also suggest a long hard look at the Felt Z series. They are a great bang for the buck. Also worthy of a hard look is the Giant Deffy series. They get tons of praise. Worth a look. I still prefer Specialized, but that's just personal preference. I really like the Secteur. But the Rubaix just spoke to me. I liked the way it rode a little more than the Secteur. And I got a smokin deal on a 12 leftover.

Mark Shuman