I just bought a new Synapse Carbon Di2. Not a cheap bike.

Picked it up from the bike-shop, but this was on the frame, a very deep scratch, so deep, it may be a small crack.

If you were me, would you take it back? I'm guessing they had a newbie put it together. The gears weren't even indexed and on my first ride, the chain kept slipping and scratched my crank badly. I don't even know if they would accept a return after that, but I do have all these events documented

The chain drop would be on you but that business on the head tube doesn't look right. Doesn't hurt to ask if it could be returned.

It's a crack and yes I'd take it back

Take it back. Request to return or a discount if it is not structural damage.

Sure looks like a crack to me.

Might be a scratch through the paint down to the carbon fiber underneath, but … I'd certainly take it in and have them take a look. Should be a warranty replacement if it's the crack it looks like.

Not if the bike wasn't setup properly to begin with, that's on the shop.

OP, I'd take it back immediately, before you ride it again. IMO, these things are unacceptable on a brand new, and expensive, bike.

Oh heck-yeah I'd take that back! With the crazy costs of bikes today, a new bike better be a model of perfection or it's going back!

Regardless of whether that's a scratch or a crack, it's definitely a return.

Don't know how you could have missed that when you picked it up. Somehow think there's more to this story.

Holy moly! That is a return for sure. If the LBS won't play ball you might try reaching out to Cannondale directly for help. Worst they can say is no. I'd definitely be salty if a brand new bike had that kind of damage.

I had to pick it up on my lunch because the bike shop had limited hours because of the whole COIVD situation.

So. I drove up to the shop, texted them when I was outside, and they brought it out and loaded it into the car. I did not notice, I just put it in the car, its a new bike, not much to worry about.

As soon as I got home, it was noticed. I took pictures, documented, texted the mechanic, said there is nothing that can be done until the stores open, so, gotta wait.

Customer service said I can order a new one in the meantime, but I don't want to put 2 charges on my credit card for this bike, going to wait until the end of month to take action. Plus, after the chain ring issue, idk if they will charge me to take it back

They want you to buy a second bike? I'm so confused...

I wouldn't ride your current bike until your bike shop checks out that scratch/crack. It could be a structural crack or just a surface scratch - really hard to tell from a photo. Either way I'd expect the LBS to address it. Adjusting the drivetrain should be a simple fix, and yes it should've been set up properly from the beginning, but also it's possible something got whacked when loading/unloading the bike into the car that knocked things out of alignment. New cables sometimes stretch, etc. New bikes usually come with some free tune-ups to address this kind of thing.

Can you post a photo of the crank/chain ring damage? I'm having a hard time envisioning what this is, or how it was caused by poorly adjusted shifting. Did the chain come off and scratch the crank or chainring?

Surprised one would even need to ask.

Ya, so the stores are closed, they can't accept returns, so they gave me a coupon to match the sale price, because I bought it when it was on sale, and said to just buy another one, and take it in when the stores re-open.

I took it for one ride and it's Di2, no cables for the shifting. Shifted it into the big ring from the small ring, and the chain kept slipping off of the big ring, happened 2-3 times on my short first ride.

My car has massive space, it hit nothing loading/unloading and I live right down the street from the shop, it was a short trek.

That FD definitely needs adjustment, but once the chain slips off the outside, you need to stop pedaling immediately. You’re lucky you didn’t tear the RD off.

Those are warranty issues, and they should not be asking you to charge a second bike. It's their job to refund your money or procure a replacement. If I were you, I would get the money back, if it's an option, unless they can give you a firm delivery date for the replacement; with global supply chains being out-of-whack, you may be waiting a while on a new frame (and crankset) or entirely new bike.

PS: the crankarm scratches are on them, too.

If your shop is not open or won't accept the return, deal with Cannondale Customer Service directly. They have way more influence over your dealer than your money/transaction with them does.

Agree with other comments, that is a crack in the headtube, and while the shop may try to pin the FD problems/crank scratches on you, it never would have happened if the system was properly adjusted prior to delivery.

If it is a crack, it looks like big trouble at some point in time.

if it's a crack, it must go back

I'm surprised this store is available to sell a bike, but not available to accept a return or do any follow-up work on it. Maybe I'm missing something here, but bike shops around me are all doing curbside delivery and drop-offs, and have no problem servicing bikes. Most are even offering home delivery if people can't come pick up. There is no way I'd be buying a second bike in this situation.

Either way, I would not ride that bike until you got the crack/scratch in the head tube checked out. The FD should've been adjusted correctly before leaving the shop, but asking them to be responsible for scratches resulting from a dropped chain seems like a bit of a reach. To me those scratches look pretty minor, but I get that it's an expensive new bike and should be perfect. The FD adjustment is normally a pretty simple to fix for a shop mechanic, and probably worth learning how to do on your own regardless of the outcome here.

Indeed. It takes away a lot of the excitement every time you get on the new bike and see the scratches it got on its very first ride.

More disconcerting is the scratch or crack in the first photo. I tend to think its a scratch. See how the lowermost 3/8 or so of it aren't even through the paint? And the rest of it... The way there are little chips in it, makes me think its how the paint has flaked away. I don't think it is a crack.

Unfortunately, you rode the bike and put more scratches on it. The shop would've been more likely to take it back had you not ridden it.

Whether you take it back is up to you, but I've laid up carbon, done carbon repair, worked in various bike shops, and I would be surprised if that's a crack. It really looks like a cut mark or scratch to me.

I can only guess how it got there. Bikes come from the factory with a ton of protective foam and cardboard package taped to the frame. The assembler has to remove it. They can be a rough crowd. You could be looking at the work of a box cutter. But in the shops I've worked at, every newly assembled bike got a thorough inspection, and that would never have gone out on the floor. So maybe it happened some other way.

Tap it with a nickle right below the cable entry. Then tap the other side where the cable enters, or another cable entry point on the bike. A crack that big in carbon is going to sound different. If it sounds hard -- ping, ping, ping -- and like the other similar parts of the frame, you probably are just looking at a harmless scar.

I'd say that's a crack, since it's emanating from a hole and holes are stress-concentration points. That point on the frame is under a lot of stress, so if it is a crack it will spread. Send all your photos to C-Dale and tell them you want a replacement. You should be upset that the LBS told you to buy another bike. If you have trouble with further negotiations, bring the BBB into it. In the extreme, you can tell your credit card company to reverse the charge, then return the bike to where you bought it and then order another--maybe from a different store.

So the way I read this, the store coupon can be used as at least partial payment on a replacement bike? (since the new one may not be on sale) If yes, then I'd do this. I wouldn't want the cracked/scratched frame. Other option is they replace the frame.

I'd highly suspect that chain has been twisted out of line too, and may interfere with clean and quiet shifting. I'd want a new one.