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Is the Canondale Synapse Carbon Hi-Mod Frame (their step-up carbon frame) an equivalent frame to the Trek Domane 5.2 (their step-up frame)? Or, is this apples and oranges? I saw a deal on a 2015 Hi-Mod frame bike and wanted to know if I'd be getting a better frame than standard Synapse frame, or if was just a Marketing gimmick?

nemeseri

The 2015 Synapse hi-mod is the lightest synapse frameset and pros sometimes race that during classics. I have no idea how it compares to the domane 5.2, but my bet is that they are quite close both in quality and weight.

noodle soup

"Hi-Mod" frames are usually a little lighter and stiffer than the standard version of the same frame. This sounds great until you realize that Hi-Mod CF is also a bit less durable. Simple dings can damage the frame more severely due to those properties.

I know that I didn't explain it well, but as a rule of thumb, I wouldn't recommend Hi-Mod frames to the average rider.

adbike

So Hi-Mod is unique and is not the same as Domane 5.2 frame.

CafeVelo

Sure. That's the point of different manufacturers, the bikes are different

milkbaby

In general, the high modulus will be stiffer but more brittle. Since it's stiffer, they can get away with using less and make the frame lighter too. As mentioned, not everybody will benefit greatly from this.