dark13star

Hello,

I have been lurking here for a while as I have been researching and testing bikes for a new ride. Since I now have the bike that I am happy with, I thought I would share my experience to help anyone else looking at the same bikes.

I have been on a MTB for about 18 years now and have wanted to get back into road biking for some time. I wasn't sure I would be able to though (let's just say I am sensitive to the vibrations). I am 40 and in very good shape, but I rarely ride my MTB on anything other than fire roads and on the street with commuter tires. I just can't take the injuries from single track anymore.

My goal was to find a bike that was light, yet comfortable enough to stay in the saddle for long rides (50-100 miles). I had my eye on the Roubaix after reading about its comfort and weight. However, when I tested it at a LBS, I didn't like the ride. Soft, but not responsive (to me, at least). I also rode a couple of bikes with steel frames and carbon forks and I was leaning towards them until I happened to be in REI and saw the Cannondale Synapse 5 built out.

I asked for a test ride and I loved the bike right away. They had a 58 cm built and I thought it was a bit big, but the guy who measured my inseam assured me it was fine for my 34" inseam (more on that later). I felt a bit stretched out, but I loved the bike and took it home and rode it a few times over the week, while I read up on it and learned it was designed to do exactly what I wanted. In the mean time, a few experienced cyclists helped me do some measurements and assured me that the bike was ok in the height, but a little long in the top tube. After obsessive reading online too, I called REI and asked them to build a 56 for me to try.

It turned out that they had one, but in the Synapse 3. I went to ride it, and it felt perfect. So much so, that I decided to upgrade (105 to Ultrega). I now have 60 miles on it and am convinced that I am well-fit to this bike. I have also switched from my egg beater pedals to Looks with SIDI shoes and am looking forward to a summer full of long rides here in the Rockies (I hope that compact is enough for the long climbs). It feels great to be back on the Road! I am obsessed with riding again. I rode 20 miles in the snow this morning and am going out again now that it has cleared up.

Anyone out there looking at the Roubaix, be sure to give the Synapse a try too. The Roubaix seems to be a great bike and I don't want to start a war here. However, for ME, the Synapse felt much faster and more responsive while still mellowing the road out. I wish I could have bought it from the better shop here in Denver, but they don't carry Cannondale. I did buy my wife's bike (Trek 2.1 WDS) from them and all my accessories though, so I don't feel too bad about the help I got. REI doesn't have the most knowledgeable staff, but if you know what you are doing, you can find the right person to help you. This happened on my return and the second person admitted that the 58 was too big for me.

Ok, enough writing and time for a ride...

BarracksSi

That's a sweet bike, ain't it? Sometimes I feel that I could've gotten a Synapse instead of my CAAD8 and I'd be just as satisfied.

fueledbymetal

I love my synapse.

BarryJo

My Roubaix is better than your Synapse hands down! So there!

StanSeven

The Synapse is an excellent bike. My wife just got one and we had no inetntion of buying it. I ended up with a new CF bike and while in the store, I aksed about something for me wife. The sales person suggested the Synapse and she loved it immediately. Even though it's small for me, I really like it.

I've probably test rode a couple dozen different bikes over the past four years. Most of that was looking for a bike I purchased three years ago. Most recently, I ended up with a new CF - this one a high end racing bike. But I have lots of experience and when I say the Synapse is really good, I mean that.

The Roubaix is also good but it's a completely different design and for a different type of rider. It';s for someone who values comfort and a more relaxed style. If someone likes speed and quicker handling, try the Tarmac.

dark13star

I am sure it is, for you

Seriously, this is why you can't buy from reviews. I thought that would be my bike until I rode. Truth is that I am a bit more aggressive than I think I am on the bike. Just ask my wife when she says, "I thought we were going to ride together..."