Jed19

I am in the market for a new Cannondale Synapse Carbon bike, but I am having second thoughts re: durability. Especially post-spill durability.

I currently ride an aluminum Cannondale 1994 mountain bike that has been modified for asphalt/road riding. I like the stiffness, but it seems like I really get beaten-up after long rides (70-100miles or so). It is for this reason that I was considering a Cannondale Synapse Carbon bike. Everything I have read says carbon-framed bikes won't beat me up as much as aluminum.

However, I took a big spill this last Sunday, and this has gotten me to back-track a little from the idea of a carbon bike. My aluminum bike survived the spill, but I am thinking a carbon bike would have been toast after a spill like I had.

Here is my question: If I do go ahead and purchase an aluminum Cannondale Synapse road bike, as I am now inclined to do, what are the things I can change on the bike to make it a less bone-jarring ride?

Please note that I already have a new Thomson Elite seatpost that I intend to use. I just like the Thomson Elite seatpost, as it has performed well for me over the years.

So, what wheelset combo and other things would you recommend that I install on a new aluminum road bike to make the ride less bone-jarring? The Synapse comes with a Shimano WH-R550 wheelset that I plan on selling immediately, so that I can buy a better wheelset.

Thanks for all responses.

Regards,

hmai18

Lower your tire pressure a little bit.

DXchulo

I haven't ridden any new Cannondales, but a lot of people say that they have gotten less bone-jarring over the years. When you ride it you might be surprised.

DrPete 

In all seriousness, it's pretty hopeless with a 1994 C-Dale frame. The old C-dales were just built super-stiff, and Al frame technology has come a long way. It has a lot to do with the shape/geometry of the frame tubing. There's only so much help you'll get from tire pressure, etc.

Those $99 Flyte frames on ebay would probably work well--Mine is a much better ride than the C-dale CAAD3 I had before it. Also, I test rode a CAAD7 and felt like the ride was quite similar to the Flyte.

scrible

Steel or titanium.

CastIron

Carbon seatpost will solve all your problems.

Sprocket Man

My wife owns a Vitus 979 (thin tube aluminum) and it's super comfortable - the most comfortable bike I've ever ridden (and I've ridden a lot of bikes - carbon, titanium, steel and aluminum). However, it's also quite whippy, which isn't a problem for my 105 lb. wife, but it may be for you. It was a professional quality frame back in the late 80's, and it was raced by the legendary Sean Kelley. I don't know if they make them anymore, but if they don't, I'm sure you can find one on ebay.

mollusk

I can let you ride my 1986 C'dale for a while. After that ANYTHING ELSE will seem like a plush ride.

urbanknight

+1 I ride steel now that I'm not racing. The extra weight just gives me a better workout but the comfort lets me ride for many miles. Aside from that, I suppose you could get a suspension seatpost, Brooks saddle, carbon fork, etc.

Oh, and I heard some caution on those earlier Vitus frames, something about them being bonded aluminum that starts to come apart over time. Just be careful.

michaelmc

A lot of the "bone-jarringness" comes from the design of the frame itself. I'm in the process of buying an aluminum BMC Streetfire SSX. I test-rode it on some cobblestone streets, and it beat me up less than my steel fixie--it was wonderful and not jarring at all. Aluminum bikes don't have to be jarring, you just have to shop around. Test ride lots of bikes before you commit to one!

voltman

Describe the spill. The Synapse would probably be able to handle a spill.

onRoffR

One acronym S.A.V.E. Synapse active vibration eliminating, or something like that rear triangle as well as the fork is suppose to have this as well. I would try the bike out before buying a lot of gear it may be just fine the way it is.

Elefantino

The Synapse is going to seem like a magic carpet, all things being equal (set-up, tire pressure) to your current bike. They're really nice. I ride all steel, but the Synapse aluminums are, IMNSHO, equal to the Specializeds in alu ride quality.

Carbon posts are nice but may be more psychosomatic than actually smoother. Jury's out. I have a carbon, a Thommy and a D-A post, all the same size, and I can't really tell the diff.

Heck, just get something new. After that many miles on your pogo stick, you deserve it.

Jed19

Pretty bad spill. I am almost sure that a carbon fiber bike would not have been able to survive without some damage. I slid on the trail for at least 2 Yards or so after impact. If nothing, the integrity of a carbon frame would have been a little bit compromised.

Regards,

CrimsonKarter21

Haha, that's the only road bike that I've put more than 30 miles at a time on, and the new bikes that I've tested feel like Caddies compared to it! I thought that the 'Dale was plush!

oboeguy

I swear that my buddy's aluminum Cervélo Team Solosit that I test rode recently soaked-up bumps better than my Reynolds 525 (granted, older) steel Lemond and that was with a poor fit (too big, though the Lemond is also a bit too big). The carbon fork, no doubt, made a huge difference.

phantomcow2

When I had my Schwinn homegrown with locked out fork and slicks, it was a bone jarring ride. I got myself an aluminum frame from Flyte (SRS3), and Reynolds Ouzo fork for a new road bike. There is obviously no suspension, I was not expected a smoother ride of any sort. I was quite wrong...
This thing is like riding a magic rug compared to that, I credit a lot of it to the carbon fork up front.

uberclkgtr

That's your problem right there. An old aluminum frame designed for off-road use. A modern road-specific aluminum frame will be much more forgiving. Go test ride a new C'dale Al frame. You'll be shocked at the difference.

DocRay

Carbon seatpost will make no difference.

The myth of aluminum frame harshness comes from the fact that some cheap bikes are aluminum, and have poor wheels and older models had ally forks. People buy a first inexpensive road bike, feel the harsh ride of the cheap wheels/fork, then upgrade to a better bike made of another material and credit the frame, never the fork and wheels.

The harshness can be addressed with a carbon fork and good wheels, then you can enjoy the stiffness for sprinting, climbing and cornering that you only find on top end CF or Ti.
If it still bugs you, switch to relaxed geometry steel, or aluminum with CF dropouts (Bianchi).

cmh

A carbon bike is just as likely to survive a spill as lightweight aluminum (or lightweight steel for that matter). Buy the synapse if you like the ride and don't worry about the durability.

One question I have - How does a seatpost perform well for you over the years? By not breaking? By looking nice? I have never had a seatpost slip or break, but I wouldn't have thought to say they have "performed" better than any other seatpost.

Enjoy whatever bike you buy!

clutchy

This is the best time to get a carbon bike!! you're now statistically less likely to have a crash!!

alanbikehouston

Use 28mm tires at the lowest PSI that maintains about 15% deflection of the sidewalls with your full weight on the bike. For a 160 pound rider, a 28mm tire often performs well at around 80 PSI in the front and 90 PSI in the back.

A gel-wrap, cushioned bar tape and gel gloves are helpful on longer riders. A saddle with firm padding, but a light flexible shell does a job of supporting you, yet absorbing major road shocks.

Unless you are switching from the heaviest, stiffest rims in the universe, to the lightest, flexiest rims in the universe, changing wheels is not likely to make a substantial difference in how much road shock is transmitted to the rider. It's the "cheap" stuff that has the greatest potential for changing the feel of a bike: the tires, the bar wrap, and the saddle.

Surferbruce

[QUOTE=DocRay]Carbon seatpost will make no difference.
[QUOTE]
totally agree. i have a friend who swapped to a cf post and went on and on how it smoothed out the ride. i bit my tongue and just told him it was cool. it was all he wanted to hear anyway.

zzzwillzzz

+1 more that a carbon seatpost won't make any difference. i just broke mine last week and replaced it with a deore xt that i had lying around on my cannondale caad5. it's a steel post and it didn't change the ride at all.

before klein invented the oversize al frame and cannondale popularized it, people said that al frames were soft and whippy, because the al frames were vitus and alans with the same size tubing as steel frames. and the first carbon frames were even worse.

don't worry about crashing your frame and destroying it. you can crash lots of times and not hurt the frame. my first cannondale lasted 15 years of racing and training. i crashed lot of times on it and i would still have it if it wasn't for the second vehicle to hit it and bend the frame (and snap the bottom bracket and take the shoe off my foor)

DocRay

I know from experience, they look cool, but are usually no lighter or stronger than aluminum, do nothing for vibrations.
Carbon bars do dampen better than aluminum, however.