bonz, I've been reading all I can on them and that's the vibe I'm getting: the Roubaix is a bit more comfortable while the Synapse is more firm on good pavement. I'm far from a pro-cyclist and I do not race - I just like to ride bikes - so maybe the Roubaix would be the best bet. All this questioning would be avoided if I could demo them, but living in a small town that unfortunately is a luxury that I don't have access to. I can get them at my LBS but only as an order, and since high-end road bikes are not very popular around here (of all the bikes you see around here 95% are mtb bikes), the owner can't afford to keep a bike like this gathering dust on the show room floor . So here am I.