drdhsimon

I rode a Synapse Carbon 2 today (ultegra spec) and it felt pretty damn good. Has anyone ridden theirs for at least a few hundred miles? Does it really give the comfort without sacrificing performance? Please don't turn this into a "comfort bikes suck" thread. Thanks!

SimiCyclist

I've had mine for almost a year now, with close to 3000 miles. I used to ride a Cannondale R1000. The difference is phenomenol. After a century I feel about as fresh as 25 miles on the R1000. It just "soaks up" the harshness of a rough road, but I can still feel the character of the surface. Cornering is as good or better than my previous ride. The frame is pretty stiff...no noticeable flex on the crank when standing in a climb.

Shifty

I have over 3000 miles on mine this season. Yes, it does what they say, very fast, very comfortable on very long rides. I've been finishing centuries all summer feeling great, it just soaks up road vibration. Take it out for a 100 mile demo ride, be sure and ride some crappy roads, you'll see what I mean, it's a great bike.

drdhsimon

Thanks....I also want to be able to work on keeping up with the big boys in some group rides. I hope the positioning won't hold me back. I know it's mostly engine....but a great bike sure helps!

Bob Ross

I've got about 1200 miles on my Synapse Carbon 2 (bought it in June), and I can't really speak to the comfort issue -- because A) my previous bike was a 35lb hybrid with 38c tires so I don't have a fair reference to compare it to, and B) frankly I'm still not convinced it's a comfortable bike at all! I suppose it might be more comfortable than a lot of other "performance" road bikes out there, but I still find my neck, shoulders, & hands are killing me after a long ride. Probably has more to do with fit than with the bike itself.

However, I can *ASSURE* you this bike will have no problem "keeping up with the big boys"! Sometimes I scare myself at how effortlessly it accelerates and how smoothly it handles at high speeds. In aggressively competitive group rides I have no hesitation to go up against the super-aero speed demon guys, and more often than not I'm finding myself at or near the front of the breakaway.

I've never done organized racing so I don't know how a Synapse would handle in a legitimate crit, but for high speed club rides this bike will definitely *not* limit you in any forseeable way!

krazyderek

I have a combined 5000km on my r1000 and synapse carbon 2 so i feel pretty qualified tot answer this question in great detail.

Also for reference i previously rode a trek 5200 (all carbon).

Comparing the synapse to the trek was apples and oranges, the synapse is alot new in design so it was alot more lively then the trek, will still having alot of the same dampening features. The trek carbon bike was like riding a peice of softwood, it dimmed down everything from the road, vibrations, bumps, but also the feel for the road that alot of people like when going fast and racing. In this respect, the synaps is far more advance IMHO, it relays the feel of the road, and has a very lively feel when you're out of the saddle, but has excellent vibrations dampening properties when it comes to ridding on crappy pavement, and the odd crack in the pavement. Additionaly on bumpy roads the bike seems to almost float if you're going over alot of pumps, which can sometimes be annoying, especially when cornering as it feels like you're not really in contact with the ground.

Finally comparing the synapse carbon to another cannondale, my r1000 i was able to get even more of a feel for the differences cannondale was targetting. In general, the synapse has a longer wheel base (although measureably small) which is often felt when accelerating, sprinting. The r1000 on the other hand has a much more twitchy feel to it, doesn't feel nearly as smooth but seems to always want to sprint. This stems for the slightly more stiff design of the aluminum r1000 design. On fast rides the difference isn't as noticable other then the fact that I tend to prefer more road feel when ridding fast (racing fast group rides). Conversly, i prefer smooth, more tamed bikes (absorbing vibration) for longer steady rides, and/or solo rides.

One advantage the synapse has over the aluminum bikes cannondale makes is weight, my synapse is about 1lb lighter then my r1000

If i wasn't racing this year i probably would have stuck with just owning one bike, the synapse.

Artmo 

FWIW, Syanapse rated the best buy in its price range by UK mag Cycling Plus, or was it Cycling Weekly?

drdhsimon

I think cycling weekly.....I think this will be my new bike. I have a relatively short torso and arms compared to my legs and 6'2" height. This one seems to fit the best, and has a lot of bang for the buck.

Corsaire

I got to test ride this bike like a month a go or so. The test was for only 5 miles, so take it within that context.
I was impressed by the vibration and road roughness dampening of the bike. Responsive and comfortable enough. It would suit my type of riding which is recreational, very competitive and long distance but perhaps not an all out, criterium racer. My only complain is the sizing, totally different form that of the Six13. For the Synapse they go from 50 to 53, a big jump. I tested the 53 which felt more like a 55 frame, so I pressume my correct size on this model would've been size 50, but who knows.
Couple weeks later I tested the Six13 on size 52, my true size. It was more FUN to ride. If I were to choose between the Synapse and Six13, I would definitely go for the Six13, it blew me away.

Corsaire