Originally Posted by
Frreed
One of the reasons I passed on the Cannondale Synapse was the disc brakes. The comparably equipped Giant Defy was 2 pounds lighter and, honestly, the "cheap" Tektro calipers felt better on the test ride.
On a side note, I know that Ultegra/Dura Ace brakes are better, but I cannont complain about Tektros. My last Cannondale had them as does the Giant. Even with stock pads they work well enough. I'll cahnge out to Shimano pads this fall. They survived a 500 mile 8 day tour with some rain and plenty of hills. Can't understand the hate.
What type and brand of discs on the synapse?
Tektro dual pivots are subpar. There is no question about it.
I have "axis" (specialized) dual pivots, which I assume are rebranded tektro's and even with kool stop salmons, they can't match shimano dual pivots made 25 years ago.
One of the little mentioned fun facts about STI's is how huge the hoods are. They place the levers farther away from the bar and for riders like myself with average sized hands, increase reach and decrease braking power.